Dems Fret Over Prolonged Bitter Fight

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."

Comments

[agett12]

Miss Brazille has been decidedly neutral about this contest so I can trust her judgement. Hillary may well shoot herself in the foot. The contest will go on but the stakes for the Clinton campaign are that much higher. She needed to win by landslides in both OH and TX and now she has for the most time fallen into the Obama camp's strategy. Its about the delegates. Just like Super Tue. I if he survived in big states she is wide open in the smaller ones. In the end he nets more delegates and votes nationwide and can make the stronger case to clinch the nomination. Hillary by showing her strength can very well still be considered for VP her political resilience will force Obama to put her at the top his list. Knowing him he will quickly realize the enemy of my enemy is my friend and the two will form a ticket so powerful it will make the Repugs shake in their collective boots

[GrammyinPA]

Apparantely, you have NOT been watching Donna Brazile. She has NOT been neutral, she has been in the Obama camp for a long time.
Get Real.

[rinpochet]

I have seen her on CNN and she has been a Hillary supporter. I was surprised when she took Hillary to task for trying to say that the super delegates should support her even if she doesn't have more pledged delegates.

Look it up. She has always been in Hillary's corner. I think the slime tactics have changed her mind.

[laurelnyc]

No she has not been neutral. She has been a strong Obama supporter ever since New Hampshire. She just claims that she's neutral, but every word out of her mouth is some defense of Obama.

[slow2]

laurelnyc,

Somebody else will no doubt mention this, but, Donna is a very strong supporter of Hillary. She says this frequently when she's on CNN or elsewhere.

She also says that it is her job to be neutral in the selection process. I halfway believe that she will be neutral.

[wm1066]

I think the momentum that Obama started with his campaign of hope will keep on rolling and any short gains Hillary gets will be off set by a backlash of true Dems and Progressives blocking the clintonrove machine.
The media will mince this to death, and she wont come out looking too good.

[lovethesinner]

God I love that woman's face. Actually, I love everything about her.

Obama/Brazile '08

[SeekerOne]

I love her, too. Obama/Brazile '08, I wish. Never happen, but I wish.

[lovethesinner]

I got a song. It's old, corny, and very sentimental, but then, so am I:

http://solosong.net/wish.html

[MrKnuckles]

The concern is more than justified, but I'll be interested to see when and how the Dem Party heads and Super Delegates will reach agreement that enough is enough, which I do not have much faith in at all sadly.

[hank48188]

Donna Brazile is a Obama cheerleader probably hoping for a job if Obama wins, too bad, he's done and can't win, She better be talking Obama up as the VP, that's his best shot.

[SeekerOne]

Baloney. Donna Brazile has gone out of her way to remain neutral. She always talks up Clinton and Obama. She's just concerned about the party--as we all should be.

[coonce]

100% agreed - Donna has taken Hillary's side one too many times to my liking.

[AnninCA]

What Dean needs to do is his actual job, and that is to educate people about the super delegates, assist Michigan and Florida in resolving their problem, and stay out of the way of the voters.

[1dogs2]

I appreciate the radical change in your tone, AnninCA. Will it continue through the next few primaries?

[wrensis]

This is absolutely right on. Since it was the DNC that set up insane rules governing the primaries and caucuses they are left with no candidate as of now.. How can you arrive at a popular vote when you eliminate two states and refuse to acknowledge the problems in Nevada and the disparity of Texas districting. You cannot compare two different processes and come up with a single total. How do you combine the results of the states when the rules are different in all of them. John McCain is the Republican candidate because Republican primaries and caucuses determne a winner takes all. Democrats divide the results by percentage. There are still many primaries and caucuses to come. . The outcome is will happen when the process is over. This is the way it works. Let the process work and either Democrat will beat McCain in the fall. IT IS A PROCESS. If you fail to trust the process you fail to enact democracy,