Time: You Can Only Vote For One

"This election," Bill Clinton said in the hours before the Pennsylvania primary, "is too big to be small." It was a noble sentiment, succinctly stated, and the core of what Democrats believe -- that George W. Bush has been a historic screwup as President, that there are huge issues to be confronted this year. But it was laughable as well. The Pennsylvania primary had been a six-week exercise in diminution, with both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- and Bill Clinton too -- losing altitude and esteem on an almost daily basis. Even as he spoke, the former President was in the midst of a tiny, self-inflicted absurdity, having claimed in a radio interview that the Obama campaign had played the "race card" against him. And that was the least of the damage.

Hillary Clinton won a convincing victory in Pennsylvania, but it came at a significant cost to the Clinton family's reputation and to the Democratic Party. She won by throwing the "kitchen sink" at Obama, as her campaign aides described it. Her campaign had been an assault on Obama's character flaws, real and imagined, rather than on matters of substance. Clinton also suffered a bizarre self-inflicted wound, having reimagined her peaceful landing at a Bosnian airstrip in 1996 as a battlefield scene complete with sniper fire. After six weeks of this, according to one poll, 60% of the American people considered her "untrustworthy," a Nixonian indictment.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[jakie]

VOTE OBAMA FOR THE HOPE OF THIS COUNTRY

[Steverino]

OMG, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE YOU GUYS.

Whatever, Time magazine. There can actually be Two if there's a joint ticket. It would probably never happen voluntarily by the candidates, but it would be possible if the Dem leadership stepped in and tried to broker some kind of truce for the good of the party (and the election).

I do agree with Joe Klein's last sentence in his article, though about Barack needing to learn to fight back. She is only still in this race because he has allowed her to be. You can't blame her for that.

[boyboy]

No !!! We also have Nader. Go to Votenader.org learn the truth

[maribelle1963]

No!!!!! We also have Mickey Mouse. Has about as good a chance. Go to DraftMickey.org and learn the truth--that we only get two flavors to choose from.

This country's too damned big. We need to split up into more manageable sized regions.

Right now, the lowest common denominator always wins. (ie the drunk we most want to have a beer with.)

[dgscol]

Senator Obama has received much support from the wealthy and influential, because he is a novice and would be powerless in the white house. This would allow more of the same to take place. Some of this support is from cross-overs as well, people on the right, who want McCain to face a Black man in the general election.

On the other hand, you have the ladies. At least their husbands, if they have them, would have to listen.
For the sake of the supreme court, we have to choose one. Is is possible to elect one of the candidateswe passed over previously? Say, Senator Biden?

[December7]

wealthy and influential? does that include the over 1.4million small donors? and Obamas commitment to transparency in gov?

[LisainNYC]

There is no impasse, no stalemate. Senator Obama has an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates.

Senator Clinton did not win a "convincing victory." She took a 20 point lead and whittled it down to 9 points with her nastiness.

[kylie]

8.6 lead

[donnajane]

Impasse my ass...we know who is ahead, in every count that matters. The sd's need to get over themselves and do what is right and best for the dem party.

[speakingtruth2power]

Just like the neocons did for conservative values,

the DLC will trade our principles for their power!

[harriscrl3]

There is NO muddle there is only muddle because Hilary wants you to think there is. They need to give the nomination to the person who has EARNED the most pledge delegates. This stuff about unelectable coming from someone who has high negatives is NONSENSE. I want to see if Feminist stand around and do nothing while they take the nomination from the person with the most pledge delegates because then women will be forever known as getting special treatment. What am I saying she already is. She is attacking tough getting everyone to attack him then when he fights back she runs like coward Oh he is attacking me. This women has thrown the women's movement back a hundred years. I dont want to see her in the white house. In fact as NYer she wont get my vote as senator again.

Carol

[Nonamnesiac]

Superdelegates have no choice but to give Obama the nomination, assuming he wins the most delegates and the popular vote (not including Hillary's hilarity of counting FL and MI for herself), even if they're worried about Obama's electability. Hillary has not demonstrated that she's more electable. If the superdelegates award the nomination to Hillary even though Obama won the most delegates and the popular vote, huge numbers of Democratic voters would bolt to McKinney and Nader in Nov., or just not vote at all, giving both the White House and both Houses of Congress to the Republicans.

Hillary has exposed significant weaknesses in Obama's electability though, and those must be dealt with honestly, without hype. That includes dealing with MI/FL, as the Dems need at least one of those states in Nov. to win and will most likely lose both (according to the existing polls and data as opposed to the ouija boards used by Obama partisans who just assert MI will go blue) if they don't fix the problem. Obama showed his electability problems by sitting on his butt and allowing the state legislatures of MI and FL to kill rerun primaries in both states, as he feared Hillary would beat him in both.

[Marlyn]

the cover of Time magazine ... another RIGHT WING SPIN MACHINE graphic, similar to the New Republic cover, only uglier.

[Nonamnesiac]

Superdelegates have no choice but to give Obama the nomination, assuming he wins the most delegates and the popular vote (not including Hillary's hilarity of counting FL and MI for herself), even if they're worried about Obama's electability. Hillary has not demonstrated that she's more electable. If the superdelegates award the nomination to Hillary even though Obama won the most delegates and the popular vote, huge numbers of Democratic voters would bolt to McKinney and Nader in Nov., or just not vote at all, giving both the White House and both Houses of Congress to the Republicans.

Hillary has exposed significant weaknesses in Obama's electability possibilities though, and those must be dealt with honestly, without hype. That includes dealing with MI/FL, as the Dems need at least one of those states in Nov. to win and will most likely lose both (according to the existing polls and data as opposed to the ouija boards used by Obama partisans who just assert MI will go blue) if they don't fix the problem. Obama showed his electability problems by sitting on his butt and allowing the state legislatures of MI and FL to kill rerun primaries in both states, as he feared Hillary would beat him in both.

[kellygrrrl]

yesterday in IN Hillarc Clinton said: "I want you to think of this as a hiring decision"

who wants to "hire" the person who has disorganized, mismanaged, "misstated" fact, shown no fiscal responsibility, with weekly reports of infighting and defection of longtime loyalists?

[pleeezzze]

say again ?...who wants to hire a "misstater" of facts and who is being backed by Billionaires, who have their own agendas in mind for their very own" Bought and paid for "Prez Obama ????

[RanTheMan]

Back your claim with facts, or prove yourself a liar.

pleeezzze

[Pharos]

Do we want to compare a list of Obama Lies with a list of Clinton Lies? Would that be helpful?

[Marlyn]

Clinton said: "I want you to think of this as a hiring decision".

How corporate of her. She wants to be CEO of the Fascist nation we have become.

[Pharos]

Have you ever tried to imagine yourself living in a real fascist nation? We may have problems but comparing us to WWII Italy is the kind of talk that gets Obama judged guilty by association with his supporters who "hate America"

[NochlessMonster]

I have hired many a person in my time, and I would never hire someone like her ever..... her dishonesty follows her around like a cloud of cheap perfume....

[kellygrrrl]

ew! the kind you buy at the drugstore ... like Taboo or Poison

[Pharos]

An Obama's air of superiority surrounds him like a huge cloud of smugness that stifles all dissent. He reminds me of so many young Harvard MBA managers who are brought in to a company to provide fresh new ideas, and who, by ignoring everyone and wanting change, simply drive the company to the brink of bankruptcy. Change is inevitable; change for it's own sake can be worse than no change

[MissingAmerica]

Personally, after endlessly and painfully enduring the Bush dynasty, the last thing we need is a Clinton dynasty. People seem to forget that 8 of her years in public life was as WIFE to the President, not a politician. Further, they seem to forget that the GOP tried to impeach her husband on moral grounds. Her strength was that she stuck by this abuse.

Now she is doing all she can to swing the votes her way which is effectively dividing the party at a time when we can ill afford more division of any kind. Come on, Hill, let us know what you can and will do, just as Obama has been doing, and then let us decide.

I was with Hillary until she started going Republican mudslinger on us. If this current administration taught us anything, it's that we can neither afford nor do we want leaders who are experienced at everything but anger management and self-control!

[findingthetruth]

Oh, get real---people. When Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon, who served as ambassador to Chile under President Bill Clinton and had been a top fund-raiser for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton DEFECTED to Senator Barack Obama, IT'S OVER. Guerra-Mondragon is an old friend of the Clintons. He has stated there is absolutely NO WAY Hillary can surpass Obama mathematicly. Hillary knows this. At this point, the superdelegates are asking ---- WHY would Hillary continue? And the superdelegates are carefully watching the Clinton's true colors-----(ALL of which the Clintons have been successful in disguising). Guerra-Mondragon, McGovern, and others are now asking Hillary to stop before she COMPLETELY destroys her own career. The "spin game" has to stop because the very same bloc of loyal voters the Democrats depended on EVERY election, ---- the Clintons have "obliterated" their TRUST.

[KerkorianKnot]

The Diplomats (Mondragon, Bill Richardson and McGovern) will be dispatched to sooth hurt feelings after Hillary gets the nomination. This will be handled better if they are seen as Obama supporters leading other Obama supporters back into the fold.

[pfurlong56]

you're precious

[Annette]

How is she going to get the nomination? She doesn't have the votes. Last I heard she needs more votes than Obama and she just isn't getting them. Do you therefor advocate that the votes of the voters count for nothing? If so how Republican of you.

[ylpatriot]

.........................Vote Hillary Clinton...................................

[pleeezzze]

Vote Winner of Election where it counts !!

Hillary ......

[the964kid]

The outcome of these next contests (assuming Obama and Hillary win their own predicted states) will not have any effect on the final story: barring super delegates over-ruling the voters, Obama is the nominee. He will have nearly double the states won, have more pledged delegates and more popular vote. It's been my opinion since Obama won 12 straight contests in a row that Hillary has been wanting to, as Rush Limbaugh put it, 'bloody up' Obama so he is weakened and McCain wins in November. Then she'll be able to run in 2012. I've got some very bad news for Hillary though: she'll need a lot more then 4 years to rehabilitate her negative bush/rove style image. I personally will never support anybody named Clinton again. Even if I were to come back in a future lifetime I STILL WON'T VOTE FOR A CLINTON.

[December7]

Economic Braniacs endorse Obama
Nobel Prize winner 2001 Economics

http://www.redlasso.com/ClipPlayer.aspx?id=9595dd85-2990-431d-9c6f-bf9c7eadac42

[pleeezzze]

Most Billionaires did not earn their money " Honestly " , Ol Brainy one !

[Annette]

Any evidence ? Your say so isn't enough.