I can’t take it any longer! And now Dean is calling for one of them to step down. Of course it should be Hillary. She is clearly losing… so could someone just enlighten her to this and let me know when its over?
For the record, Hillary would rather die and go to hell than step down. The party does not hold any value to her… she only cares about becoming president.
First, let me say, off-topic, that I don’t understand why Howard Dean wasn’t given the chance he deserved to run for president (a scream: equivalent to a lapel pin or one’s laugh, all red herrings). I think he has handled this primary mess exceptionally well from start to finish. I saw him on Meet the Press yesterday and way more impressed than ever.
Dr. Dean is doing an excellent executory job of finessing this. By explicitly asking that everybody to wait until all primaries are over, he (i) speaks to the need for participation by all who played by the rules (FL & MI, I’m looking at you), and (ii) he seems to be asking those uncommitted supers (he urged them to choose by then) to look at the results – delegate totals, popular votes, electability, and act.
He also seemed to be saying (maybe I’m reading too much into it) that, once we know the results, the one who’s behind needs to do the right tihing so that the party can come together and use the following weeks and months to concentrate on what and who we need to concentrate on to win the White House.
I want this over too but I want the democratic process to run its course. My history includes too much abitrary disenfranchisement and exclusion by fiat not to.
If the Democrats take it to the convention, they’ll have 2 months to campaign against the Republican — only 1/4 of the time they spent on primary campaigns. Is that enough time to lick and heal wounds, do a national campaign, have (God help us) debates, and all that?
Whatever else you can say, it certainly seems as if HRC believes she’d be the best for the job. Call it hubris or whatever you want, but it sure doesn’t seem likely that she’s running because she thinks that other people are better for the job than she is.
As such, she thinks she’s the best for the country.
As such, you’re pretty much asking her to put party before country. 
I’m not sure. If one wants to be optimistic about it, you could say that Clinton and Obama have already done their part in campaigning, and McCain will only have so long once the media finally stops focusing on the Democrats to make his name known. Obama and Clinton have been in the news constantly since February, while he only gets a mention here and there. Regardless of which Democrat gets the nomination, it’s possible they’re already well ahead of McCain.
Just because Hillary thinks she’s the best for the country doesn’t make it so. That’s her perception… and I disagree with her.
I think Obama would be a much stronger leader for our country than she ‘thinks’ she could be. Obama is likeable, smooth, diplomatic, thoughtful.
He lacks a hysteria that hillary is known to display occasionaly.
You simply cannot compare obama and hillary when it comes to strong leadership qualities. Obama trumps her in every way.
The purely fair and balanced side of me would like the entire scenario to play itself out, right up to the convention, but the practical side thinks, not only might this not be enough to rebuild the party and present a united frront that brings in/back people we need for support, the money and strategic effort wasted tearing down each could be better used being expended toward the general election. The goal of all of this is to win the White House, not present so extended lesson in civiics. After all, we are talking politics.
FTR, I would feel the same way if Clinton had a higher level of delegates, popular votes and electability quotient, as calculated by the backroom dealers who’ll push this. But at the same time, if that happened, I’d also eat a bug.
I am not a Hillary fan but I understand her reluctance. This is very close. To just give up is asking a lot. Obama is young and might have another chance. This is her only chance to make history,the first woman president.
If the nominee is Hillary, since she’s already a well-known entity, yes.
If the nominee is Obama, 2 months won’t be enough. He’ll spend the 8 weeks defending against Wright et al.
Why doesn’t either one drop out?
1> It’s too close to call.
2> Neither can get enough delegates to win outright. Therefore;
2a> Remaining in the race, even if you lose, gives greater currency at the convention.
3> If you stay in to the end and lose the nomination, but the other person goes on to lose the election, YOU are better placed for the 2012 run on the “See, I told you so” platform.
Besides, since it basically won’t be resolved until August(?), you’ll be sleeping through all the great summer weather. You wouldn’t want that, would you?
We do not need one more shouting thread for folks to hurl veiled insults over the Democratic nomination process. If you need to rant about this, open a Pit thread. If you want to joke about it, open a thread in MPSIMS.
This thread is closed.
[ /Moderating ]