Just what does it take for a winner to be declared the winner?
ABC News reports that Obama for the first time now carries a majority of Democratic super-delegates. This all comes on top of:
–having the most pledged delegates;
–having the most popular votes;
–having the most states won;
–having the most money raised by far.
The media appears to finally be picking up on the inevitability of Obama’s nomination, with newspapers everywhere writing Clinton’s obituary.
That still won’t stop Clinton hacks and talking heads living in Fantasyland, however. They just won’t stop whining and complaining and making stupid arguments for how the mathematical impossibility of a Clinton nomination can somehow be possible.
“But we have to count Michigan and Florida,” they whine…because if we do, then Clinton might get ahead. Well, as a commentator on CNN said the other night,
If my aunt had a male appendage, she’d be my uncle!
The Clinton camp can come up with all kinds of outlandish hypotheticals–but at the end of the day they cannot escape these inexorable facts:
–All parties (Clinton, Obama, DNC) agreed on the penalties for states who broke the rules.
–Obama was not even on the ballot in Michigan as a result of those rules to which all parties agreed.
–Hundreds of thousands of people did not vote because they believed the primaries in those states were invalid, and therefore the count of those who did says nothing about what the majority of voters in these states wanted.
–There is no possible argument Clinton can make so that she gets every super-delegate in these two states, and any more reasonable split gets her no closer to the nomination.
–Even if you count the popular vote in these two states, Obama is STILL ahead because of his blow-out victory in North Carolina.
So as you can see, leaning on the Michigan/Florida argument only delays the inevitable (quite apart from the argument being bogus.)
“But..but…Clinton leads among white working class voters, and therefore is the only one to assemble a broad coalition,” the Clintonites whine. Well, since when do working class white voters constitute a broad coalition by themselves? Since when do white working class voters even turn out for the Democratic nominee in large numbers come the general election?? Clinton’s wins are predicated solely on winning rural parts of states–areas that never go Democratic in November. Every vote matters of course, including rural ones….but the point is that the Democratic nominee needs to carry substantially more than the rural working class vote in November–and Obama trounces Clinton in every other constituency except seniors 65+ and white women, often by huge lop-sided margins.
“But…but…we can still convince super-delegates that Clinton is the better choice,” the Clinton whiners argue some more. GET REAL. Do you really think that the super-delegates are going to take the nomination away from someone who is ahead in every metric, and in the process mortally insult the 25% of the party that are African Americans along with every other party member including myself with any sense of justice and fair play? Do you really think they’re inclined to destroy the party like that for the sake of your candidate’s ambition? NO.
It’s time to see the writing on the wall the way everyone else is seeing it. It is now time, Hillary, for you to step down graciously, and we thank you for your effort. If you do it right, you’ll be an elder party statesman, continue to wield much influence, and have another shot at it in the future. If you go kicking and screaming and trying to damage the nominee, then you’ll wreck your standing in the party.
Make the choice, but quickly—because I’m tired of you.
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Sphere: Related ContentTags: hillary-clinton, obama
Better yet….What does it take to keep the Hillary out of the White House?
Why do we want them back as the First Family when they were an embarrassment to the U.S. when they were there. What, do we want to give Bill another shot at being a national embarrassment again?
If Obama is smart he will distance himself from Hillary, not offer her to join his ticket as VP.
Please Mr. Obama, keep the Clintons as far away from the White House as you possibly can!
Better yet. What will it take for a Hillary Supporter to vote for Obama? It won’t happen. Not for me and the scores I’ve spoken to. I am angry, frustrated and disgusted with the so-called democratic leadership. Just because the good old boys don’t want HIllary and have their darling Obama, doesn’t mean that we life-long dems will be persuaded by the mass hysteria. I won’t be voting for obama, even if he is the only person on the ballot. Think about it. You’ve disenfranchised 50% of the democratic voters. Good job, jerks.
Cathy, maybe you need to examine why you refuse to vote for Obama. What is it about him that is so repugnant that you can’t possibly bring yourself to vote for him? It’s not his race, is it? Because I’d expect better from a fellow Democrat.
The “good ole boys” are not making Obama the nominee (an ironic argument when it is Clinton, not Obama, who wants the “good ole boys” superdelegates to overturn the popular vote). It is the VOTE that is making Obama the nominee. He has the majority of the vote, both of delegates as well as the popular vote no matter how you count it. What is so difficult to understand about that?
I’m sorry your candidate isn’t the winner, but that’s what elections are about. Sometimes the person we want doesn’t win. But just because that happens doesn’t mean we have license to go ahead and bend or break the rules until what we want to happen, happens.
Obama won fair and square, based on rules that ALL parties agreed upon…and it’s time for the party to unite behind him.
Centerblue, I very much agree with you. I am disappointed by Cathy and others like her, but, at least I’m willing to say that maybe I don’t fully understand her position. From my end, I would have loved to see a female president, just that I don’t think Clinton is the right candidate. We can differ on that. I think what Obama has done is nothing short of a miracle, because in fact, Clinton is part of the “Ole Boy Network”, that’s how she’s survived. We can also differ on that. But I don’t really think you can call Obama “Ole Boy”….when it is exactly the constituentcy that Clinton has the strongest lead in that would make the base of that network.
I believe in Democratic ideals, including majority rule. I thought that was what this was all about. Cathy, for the sake of the party, please clarify your position about the reason Mr. Obama is so reprehensible. That’s patriotism, showing and persuading your fellow Americans what in your heart to be right. In the end we may still differ, but stomping your feet and saying “hell no”…..doesn’t persuade at all. I would have voted for Hillary because she is female, but I honestly have not heard any true distinguishing accomplishments that gives her a more formidable “experience” edge over Mr. Obama. What has she done that deserves such high praise….honestly….educate me.
Let me see, you get Obama supporters calling Clinton supporters whiners (which is mild compared to other things being said) and you wonder why the Clinton supporters are not jumping on the Obama campaign?
Go ahead, keep telling the Clinton supporters that they are wrong, etc and you will have another 4 years of Republican BS.
There were enough Democrats that did not vote for Gore (voting for a third party) that caused him to lose.
Clinton supporters have as much time, energy and emotion invested in her becoming President as the Obama supporters have invested in him becoming President.
Go ahead, keep telling Clinton supporters that their time invested wasn’t important. Keep telling them their energy invested isn’t important. Oh, and especially keep telling them that their emotions invested are not important.
Then when the republicans win another 4 years you can tell yourself how right you were while you scratch your heads wondering why so many voted for a third party.
If you really want Clinton supporters to embrace Obama, you need to acknowledge all they put into getting her elected instead of gloating that you were right and they were wrong.
Ocymvio, who is gloating?
What I said in the post is that you have to know when to hold them, and when to fold them. In the face of insurmountable chances of winning the nomination it is time for Clinton to step down, and time for her supporters to accept it isn’t going to happen this year. To continue blithely despite the inexorable facts is to do harm to our Party.
The criticism in my post was directed at Clinton supporters who insist on coming up with the most outlandish excuses and scenarios to attempt to show that it would somehow be possible for her to still win the nomination, including the breaking of rules to which the candidate initially agreed. Come on folks–this isn’t hard. The scenario spinning is just making our party look bad at a time when we need to come together.
So I’m not mocking Clinton supporters or Clinton herself–I actually rather begrudgingly admire her grit in surviving this long and think that says good things for her political future (if she doesn’t ruin it through her stubbornness now). And if you go back a few months in this blog you’ll see the post where I originally stated my support for Clinton before Obama won me over. But when it’s over, it’s over…and I don’t think it’s below the belt to criticize her supporters who continue to engage in fantasy.