Dems Fret Over Prolonged Bitter Fight

Dems Fret Over Prolonged Bitter Fight

Huffington Post   |   March 5, 2008 12:27 PM


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The Associated Press has noticed concern among Democratic party loyalists over a long, possibly hostile, nomination process:

"Despite Obama's impressive victories in February, Clinton's comeback is based on sowing political seeds of doubt," said Donna Brazile, a Democratic strategist and one of nearly 800 party leaders known as superdelegates for their ability to determine the nomination. "In order to clinch the nomination, he must anticipate the worst attacks ever."


Consider that a shot across the bow to the Clinton campaign because Brazile -- like many other superdelegates -- worries that Clinton's only hope for victory is tearing down Obama and dividing the party. Party chairman Howard Dean recently told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he was concerned about the possible impact of a nominating campaign that stretched through the end of the primaries in early June.

Some superdelegates are bracing themselves to intervene on Obama's behalf if necessary.

"If these attacks are contrasts based on policy differences, there is no need to stop the race or halt the debate," Brazile said. "But, if this is more division, more diversion from the issues and more of the same politics of personal destruction, chairman Dean and other should be on standby."


 
 

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- nancy50 See Profile I'm a Fan of nancy50 permalink

Looks like Huffpo relegated this thread to the hinterlands - too many Hillary supporters for her liking?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:54 PM on 03/06/2008
- joanno See Profile I'm a Fan of joanno permalink

Ease up fellow dems...every state this campaign has gone into has experienced new legions of psyched up voters...now every state will have that explosion of interest...how great! As far as going negative...we can be assured repubs will do that as soon as our candidate is decided...so by throwing the book at each other now, they both gain the skills necessary to deflect the big ones that are coming...and skill and finesse are what a good defense is all about. Hillary may have weathered a lot, but not as a candidate for the presidency. Barack has proven to be a quick study and would profit immensely from being deeply tested. Both also get a chance to sharpen their core messages. There is nothing to lose here and everything to gain. We're Democrats afterall, not pundits who I think are growing weary and testy...their problem, not ours. We will prevail....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:42 PM on 03/06/2008
- ergoth See Profile I'm a Fan of ergoth permalink



donna brazile should STFU. worst attacks ever? any word against this big pussy obama is considered an abomination. he's been protected like a kid tied to his mommy's apron strings.

he grew up a pampered little wimp and can't stand up for himself. he's weak.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:38 AM on 03/06/2008
- RodgerLodger See Profile I'm a Fan of RodgerLodger permalink

You have something there. Since Tuesday night he's looked smaller, like the air is leaking out of his balloon. What is he, anyway, but a smooth talking multi-racial jazzy dude with enough experience to chair the city council.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:17 AM on 03/06/2008
- hoodrat See Profile I'm a Fan of hoodrat permalink

you both have something - fortunely it's treatable, if caught in time - truth is not abominable, if it is indeed the truth. i love it when pot calls kettle black, speaking thru a yeast infection must be difficult. haven't called a woman the b-word in yrs. why!? got so many hardleg alternatives......what tricks

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:02 PM on 03/07/2008
- Independent_voter See Profile I'm a Fan of Independent_voter permalink

The rules for Florida and Michigan were well known to all. Their delegates do not count.

The harpy from hell decided that it didn't have to play by the rules. It never did before, why should it now? It has it's own set of rules:

#1 screw everybody anyway that you can
#2 see #1

But if the DNC decides to change the rules in the middle of the game by either counting those non-votes or with some kind of petulant child like do-over, I believe that there will be hell to pay. The convention in Denver will make Chicago 1968 look like a day at Disneyland.

Wake up Howard and friends. The rules were set. Honorale people played by the rules.

NO changes to the rules after the game starts!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:08 AM on 03/06/2008
- Independent_voter See Profile I'm a Fan of Independent_voter permalink

Sen. Hillary Clinton has declined to return $170,000 in campaign contributions from individuals at a company accused of widespread sexual harassment, and whose CEO is a disbarred lawyer with a criminal record, federal campaign records show.

The federal government has accused the Illinois management consulting firm, International Profit Associates, or IPA, of a brazen pattern of sexual harassment including "sexual assaults," "degrading anti-female language" and "obscene suggestions."

In a 2001 lawsuit full of lurid details, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims that 103 women employees at IPA were victimized for years. The civil case is ongoing, and IPA vigorously denies the allegations.

"This is by far, hands down, the worst case I've ever experienced," said Diane Smason, one of the EEOC lawyers handling the lawsuit. "Every woman there experienced sex harassment, they were part of a hostile work environment of sex harassment. And this occurred from the top down."

Sen. Clinton"s spokesman, Howard Wolfson, told NBC News in a statement that the senator decided to keep the funds

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:08 AM on 03/06/2008
- Cathexis See Profile I'm a Fan of Cathexis permalink

While I respect your assessment, Mr Drum, might I suggest that "Humphrey would have lost by at least 50 points" is one scenario.

Another possibility: Without such prolonged, ugly infighting, Humphrey (or some other Dem candidate) may have ended up beating Nixon by 49 points, rather than losing by 1%.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:00 AM on 03/06/2008
- VivaZapata See Profile I'm a Fan of VivaZapata permalink

decision by the superdelegates will take many of the new Obama voters right out of the process; they are young and grew up cynical of politicians. Obama has a difficult decision. If he matches Hillary negative blow for negative blow, he will look like just another hack, what the young and impressionable want to get away from. If on the other hand, he allows the Republican playbook that Hillary is now running off to continue unchallenged, he will face the same kind of problems that he did in Ohio when he campaigns in Pennsylvania. come convention time no matter what the outcome, the party will lose its attractiveness.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:23 AM on 03/06/2008
- Didi47 See Profile I'm a Fan of Didi47 permalink

Viva...:

Your post is full of contradictions, filled with more of the same anit Hillary attack, whilst trying desperately to detract the public from vetting Obama; with your preliminary claim... that if Hillary attacks Obama will look bad if he responds. How pathetic is that? How stupid do you think the public is?

And as for the young voter YOU are claiming will opt out of voting unless Obama is given a free - non-vetted ride to the nomination: I would think they'd be insulted to be described as first, being young and grew up cynical of politicians.. that does not make sense.. being young and cynical.. about no experience with politics??? Or are you implying that the young voters parents have been too cynical to vote and taught their children to do the same? Or are you doing what all the other Obama posts are doing, not answering any Obama questions with anything other than the typical THREATS!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:54 PM on 03/06/2008
- VivaZapata See Profile I'm a Fan of VivaZapata permalink

Didi147,
I think what I said stands on its own. There are no hidden issues, no implications. There also are no threats. I was simply expressing a dilemma in strategy for Obama, given the probable expectations of more telephone-in-the-night type advertisements. I was referring to the cheap shots and dirty tricks (see the post about making Obama's skin darker). As for Obama and answering questions, he has been as specific as Clinton. The lie about vagueness is nothing more than Clinton spin.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:47 PM on 03/06/2008
- seejake See Profile I'm a Fan of seejake permalink

Just reading all the comments on all the posts, it looks like the Democrats are destined once again to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. No matter how many times that expression has been used, is seems so relevant right now.

I will take a stand that this is all the fault of the Hillary campaign and their supporters. You couldn't stand to put the party, the people, the country, before your own self interests. You adorned the same blinders and narrowed focus as every other politician and their supporters over the past half century in order to satisfy a personal endeavor. You've all very much prefer that one last green tree over the forest now lost.

So to that I'd like to congratulate you all on another four or more years of Republican decimation of our Constitution and raping of our economy, along with the loss of our civil liberties that it seems we'd so long taken for granted. Thanks Hillary and your supporters. You've all "done a heckuva job!"

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:42 AM on 03/06/2008
- Didi47 See Profile I'm a Fan of Didi47 permalink

seejake:

There you go... another Obama supporter's threat. No questions answered, just threats and lies.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:55 PM on 03/06/2008
- Effymens See Profile I'm a Fan of Effymens permalink

Donna Brazile is another racist and nothing but a hypocrite that nobody should pay any attention to. This is the same woman that ran President Gore's campaign.But for this woman's incompetence , there is no President bush.I am so sick of her threatening to leave the party if she does not get her way.Please leave and dont let the door hit you on your way out.I cant believe this people. Is my way or the highway. Barrack Obama's wife is proud of America as long as he is winning.They are even stupid enough to compare that empty suit to MLK.One of the greatest American if not the greatest.I am sorry to say this but when are white people going to say enough is enough.Black voters , Oprah and Donna Brazile have made it about race.Obama and his campaign have managed to use race to get blacks to vote for him .Superdelegates are supposed to be independent and their main job is to make sure that the Party has the best candidate.Please folks this is not American idol.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:02 AM on 03/06/2008
- Didi47 See Profile I'm a Fan of Didi47 permalink

Effymens:

Did you notice the Huff removed all comments in response to Donna Brazile's ridiculous article?

Wow. Too many Hillary supporters I guess with too many pointing out the truth that totally contradicts her weak attempts to pretend she's not biased. Too late... she's shown what she's really made of night after night on CNN. The public is not as stupid as she thinks they are.

They've also gotten a good look at what her sense of friendship and loyalty consists of. Thank God she's not my friend. Man oh man that would be a heart breaker indeed. Translates to her selling her constituents down the river just as fast as she has Hillary, if it's going to benefit her, doesn't it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:27 AM on 03/06/2008
- Didi47 See Profile I'm a Fan of Didi47 permalink

oops.... they put them some of them back? What's that about?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:57 PM on 03/06/2008
- 1DarkCelt See Profile I'm a Fan of 1DarkCelt permalink

Hey Effy......you left your hood off at the cross burning......we can see your face. Go crawl back under that rock. Thanks for playing.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:16 AM on 03/06/2008
- nancy50 See Profile I'm a Fan of nancy50 permalink

Thank you, you voiced my thoughts exactly. Brazile is holding a grudge against the Clintons because she mismanaged Gore's campaign. She should have had Bill campaign for Gore - his favorables were high despite the republican witchhunt of impeachment. Now she wants to end the nominating process before either candidate gets to 2025.

Superdelegates were created to prevent an unelectable candidate from being nominated. The McGovern nomination was the impetus - an idealistic candidate with a huge youth following during an unpopular war (sounds familiar). Superdelegates should all be neutral until the people have chosen their nominee - or if they don't have a nominee with the 2025 delegates than it goes to convention. Brazile is in a perfect position on CNN to huff and puff and get the Obama people all riled up but the rules don't back her up and she should know them by now.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:04 AM on 03/06/2008
- sebocd See Profile I'm a Fan of sebocd permalink

Why why would Donna Brazile have a grouge against the Clintons. She rightly felt it wasn't worth the risk to involve Bill Clinton and that Gore could make it without the president's association. Brazile was right. Are you forgetting that Al Gore won the election? . Brazile's only incompetance was not including a statergy early in the campaign to blowup the Supreme Court.if necessary. She admits the omission and says she'll know better next time.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:05 AM on 03/06/2008
- theuniversal See Profile I'm a Fan of theuniversal permalink

I can hardly blame blacks for being excited about the possibility of the first black President. I certainly wouldn't call them racist for it. Obama never says "vote for me so we can have the first black President". And important to note that if he did, his campaign would be over. (It's also interesting to note that although Obama never says this himself, Clinton frequently makes a point of saying it for him. Hmm, is she doing that to be nice?).

On a related point, Hillary Clinton says almost daily "vote for me so we can have the first woman President". That statement, which she repeats over and over, is an explicit appeal to make this election about gender. So are you angry at Hillary Clinton for making this nomination about gender? I'm guessing that you are not. The question you need to ask yourself is why you are so angry at blacks for supporting Obama and yet you are not angry at Hillary Clinton for shouting "It's time to put a woman in the White House!"

Disclosure: I'm a white male.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:22 AM on 03/06/2008
- Didi47 See Profile I'm a Fan of Didi47 permalink

theuniversal:

Would you be kind enough to show me where Clinton has said: "Vote for Obama so we can have the first black President" ?? and/or "Vote for me so we can have the first female President"? I've never heard her say that and I've been listening very carefully to BOTH candidates. I do suggest you NOT continue to follow suit with Obama posters on this site.... and twist and skew what Hillary says... in order to defame her. How about trying the truth for a change? It would be a much needed breath of fresh air and benefit the voter who's been cheated and lied to enough, by the non stop anti Hillary media pundits - who have been bombarding a trusting audience with the biggest pile of scamming bullshit I've ever had the misfortune to experience!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:25 PM on 03/06/2008
- LeftVetPatriot See Profile I'm a Fan of LeftVetPatriot permalink

Some blockbuster disclosure.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:04 AM on 03/06/2008
- hoodrat See Profile I'm a Fan of hoodrat permalink

I may agree on the hypocrasy of Ms. Brazile - but these bald-faced lies on Obama himself has got to stop - if you heard "Race", if it wasn't the political one, was never mentioned by him. A tiring litany for fearful White folks. And I, like Mrs. Obama, am also, for the first time in my life, was proud to be American, because I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime, that a Person of Color would be a serious contender for the Presidency. There isn't a "Great Nigger Mind Meld" going on, this "empty suit" inspired us EXACTLY because of the no-color concept of his POTUS campaign. There are those that always will align themselves with the "flavor of the month", But this one just might be the one that can deliver you from mindless fear, and maybe as a sidenote work to unf**k this country. If my almost 50yrs. of observing, those that came before - he certainly can do no worse. Relax! We shawre wills gets it raght - mizz effy, but I'se bin roun' longa than ahhs votin' lawz, an its jus painin' mahs head mahm! jus gets confused thas all, wit tha fightin' yo wars a such, don seems iffin' weez does anythin' raght. Oh, I was an Army brat in Germany in the 60's, where they were calling MLK, a rabble rousing/trouble making Preacher from the South, who was a womaniser with possible communist ties, and they would pull some "porch monkey" out the closet, calling him a pariah to the negroe community at large. So ma'am say enough all you want, until last year, the last 28, have been abysmal...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:07 AM on 03/06/2008
- Didi47 See Profile I'm a Fan of Didi47 permalink

hoodrat:

No color POTUS with the Obama campaign????? And then you go on to insult us with your country folk.... racially skewed gibberish???

At your age you obviously know better and obviously prove the point.... that it's all about race with the Obama camp.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:29 PM on 03/06/2008
- drheelin See Profile I'm a Fan of drheelin permalink

Just quickly,since it was refered to in this post, everyone always seems to forget, or not report the actual words Michelle Obama used, the words she used are "REALLY proud to be American". everyone leaves out the "Really" because, it changes the entire meaning of the story, and makes the spin on the story go away. This is actually really important to me anyway, because I think you can remove one word from a lot of content and completely change its meaning. Yet no one is calling anyone on this.
fun examples are: (I am making up the quotes here,except for one, all examples remove the word not)
Hillary clinton said "Barack is a terrorist! "
Barack said "Hillary is a lesbian "
Bill Clinton said he "did have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewenski "

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:28 AM on 03/06/2008
- anythinggoes See Profile I'm a Fan of anythinggoes permalink

BILLARY SLOGAN IF I DONT GET IT,AND U DONT GET IT,POWER AND MONEY FREAK!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:53 AM on 03/06/2008
- ragtopdodge See Profile I'm a Fan of ragtopdodge permalink

W/Clinton sowing the seeds of doubt about Obama being a Muslim: "As far as I know...I take his word for it." then more talk like that will have the Supers jumping towards Obama.

They want this over quick if Hillary's going to get racist/xenophobic/Karl Rove on Obama.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:52 AM on 03/06/2008
- Didi47 See Profile I'm a Fan of Didi47 permalink

ragtopdodge;

You only wish Hillary was using the 'muslim' thing. The TRUTH is, it's ALL the Obama supporters who keep bringing up the Muslim thing. You guys are really desperate aren't you.

Hey we don't need you to tell us what we saw on the interview. That you have to spin it into something dirty that it wasn't..... we all saw her defend him, you fool... shows the depths you will go to to smear Hillary.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:44 AM on 03/06/2008
- MPeter See Profile I'm a Fan of MPeter permalink

The Clintons have shown how racfist they can get despite denials and claims that they could never be. They have shown us how dirty and corrupt they are. They are now on a mission to burn down the party and to destroy the youth passion behind Obama. If they use their crooked insiders, racism, smear and fearmongering to impose on us an old, mean and corrupt blonde, we will sit this election out and Rethugs will take the WH. Dems have to stand up and stop this revolving door of exchanging corrupt Rethugs for rotten Democrats. The window is closing fast.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:02 AM on 03/06/2008
- Didi47 See Profile I'm a Fan of Didi47 permalink

MPeter:

Time to put your money where your mouth is. Grow up and do your homework or go vote Republican if you can't bring yourself to have Obama face the same scrutiny Hillary has. If he is not subjected to the same scrutiny then he is NOT Qualified to run for the Presidency... and certainly cannot be trusted! How can you profess to trust someone you know NOTHING about??

And the blah, blah, media promoted... destroy the party bullshit phrase.... is making people sick with disgust and contempt for the clowns who pretend they are the ones that are obligated to tell the public how to interpret what the candidates have said!
Given how the media has decimated any semblance of truth and skewed and reported what we've heard with our OWN ears.... totally out of context.... and spun it back at us into ...devoid of all reason.... is a clear demonstration of how clouded the media's skills are at reporting the truth. One would think they're all on drugs or something... with the outrageous bullshit they're shoving down our throats every day, while pretending to be 'the experts' at interpreting what the candidates have said.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:45 PM on 03/06/2008