Howard Dean: Obama Or Clinton Must Drop Out In June

WASHINGTON — Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said Monday that either Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Obama will know when it's time to drop out of the nomination race after the end of the primaries in early June.

"We want the voters to have their say. That's over on June 3," he said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Dean, saying he was speaking from experience as a candidate for president in 2004, said he won't have to force anyone from the race.

"Either of these candidates, if it's time for them to go, they'll know it and they will go," he said. "They don't need any pushing from me. You know when to get in and you know when to get out. That's just part of the deal."

"This is not about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama," Dean added. "This is about our country. It's about a better course for our country. ... We've got to move on and win the presidency."

Obama has more delegates and popular votes than Clinton, but she also is fresh off a big-state win in Pennsylvania.

Indiana and North Carolina hold primaries on May 6.

Dean also said that while party rules say superdelegates can wait until the August convention to make up their minds, that would be too late to unify the party and defeat the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain.

"We really can't have a divided convention. If we do it's going to be very hard to heal the party afterwards," Dean said. "So we'll know who the nominee is and that'll give us an extra 2 1/2 months to get our party together, heal the wounds of having a very closely divided race and take on Senator McCain."

Comments

[whiteboyblues]

Hillary won't drop out, are you kidding me?

[YankeeCanuck]

It's too simple, although satisfying, blame on one man. The nomination is a complicated process and needs reform, but we go with what exists. Dean warned both states, not forseeing what a mess it could create. I doubt if any of the critics here could have predicted, no matter what they say.In Florida, some Dem legislators ignored the warning and voted to advance the primary. In Michigan, Obama was not even on the ballot. It's a big mess for the Dems. But they will need to make a united effort to win this next election-- which James Kunstler rightly said "could end up being the world's biggest booby prize."

Let's not forget what the media did to Dean by playing a loop of one spontaneous moment that showed him in an unflattering light. They never let up on that, and his campaign was destroyed. I'm not saying he was the best candidate, just that we are too reliant on sound bites and we are missing the substance when we make our judgments. That lack of critival thinking delivered us a criminal junta in the last two elections.The substance this time is that despite all the spin we are facing serious challenges as a nation. I hope we are up to it.

[YankeeCanuck]

Sorry for the typo. That's "critical thinking"

[Podewumun]

No problem. :)

[Podewumun]

Thank you, YankeeCanuck!
I wish the nitwits on this thread "howling" for Dean's head would take a moment and think about what his grassroots strategy managed to pull off in the 2006 Congressional races, and contrast that with the DNC's dismal failures of 2000 (lost presidency), 2002 (lost Democratic majority in Congress) and 2004 (another presidential flop) under that "other" Chairman.
Florida and Michigan MADE THEIR BEDS AND NOW THEY NEED TO SLEEP IN THEM.

[YankeeCanuck]

Thanks podewumum. I am wondering if the "howlers" were part of the 35% of voters who turned up at the polls in 2006 to give the Dems their win. Let's remember, they returned a one-vote majority in the Senate.

Just think what could have been accomplished if voters had given Dean and the Dems more to work with.

For one thing, they could have had a veto-proof majority.
For another, impeachment could have been put "on the table", instead of being a blunt instrument for the media and the howlers to beat Pelosi and Reid about the head. Not that I'm saying they are perfect beings, but heck, we've got to give them something to work with.

[AC500]

We've all seen, time and time again, throughout this campaign that Hillary lacks the judgment to make sound decisions and I have little faith she will have the judgment to know when to get out of the race. If she did, she would have left long ago. I want to know when Bill Clinton is going to be vetted since it looks more and more like she needs him to manage her campaign for her, and needs the nostalgia of his Presidency and his popularity to get people to vote for her. We can only assume this 'take over' by Bill would continue in the Oval Office or there will be some kind of joint Presidency occurring. So when is Bill Clinton going to be vetted? What has he been doing since he left the White House ... really doing? What are his business interests? etc. Who are his associates? If the Super Delegates are going to seriously consider giving Hillary the nomination over Obama who won it legally and morally within the rules of the nomination process, they had better be sure that Bill Clinton has been thoroughly vetted beforehand.

[H2O]

Poll Americans love nafta – poll Americans love being replaced by cheap slave labor – poll Americans like being out-sourced – poll Americans love losing their homes – poll Americans are in love with Washington insiders.
Ipsos – Is nothing more than a propaganda research corpo's elitist mouth.
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[terraprieto]

As an Obama supporter, I think that Michigan and Florida must be counted. The voters cannot be punished for the antics of their politicians -- not if the Democrats want to have a chance to win in FL and MI in the fall.

It is my expectation that Obama will end the primary season June 3 with a pledged delegate margin of about a hundred votes.

Shortly thereafter, the DNC and Obama's campaign will announce they will recommend that the credentials committee seat the Florida and Michigan delegations selected at their state conventions, giving Clinton a 60 net delegate gain. Obama will continue to lead the total pledged delegate count by about 40 votes.

A few hundred superdelegates will announce their committment to vote for Obama at the convention. Obama will be the presumptive nominee, AND Michigan and Florida will have been counted in the total.

If the situations were reversed, and Clinton was ahead by any number of pledged delegates, she would be the nominee. To do anything else would leave her supporters feeling severely alienated and cheated. The Democrats won't do that to either side. Since Obama will almost certainly be in the lead, he will be the nominee.

I hope that the Democrats can then unite around Obama, our nominee, and win in November.

[andyboy]

Obama wasn't even on th ballot in Michigan. But he's suposed to give up those delegates just to make Hillary's supporters feel good? Insane in the membrane.

[nellie]

As an Obama supporter, I think that Michigan and Florida must be counted.

Ok. How?

[Roses]

I agree the delegates have to be seated and Dean also declared that they would be. I think that Chris Dodd's proposal of dividing the votes equally and then seating the delegates is a good one.
Obama '08

[scorpioleidy]

Barack's first order of business as president should be to replace Howard Dean with someone who has a backbone!!!!
Why is everyone in the Democratic afraid to tell Hillary Huckabee to give it up, already???? Why wait until June 3rd, as the results will be the same: Barack will still have won MORE STATES, have MORE PLEDGED DELEGATES, have MORE POPULAR VOTE, and will still & always be MORE ELECTABLE than Hillary Huckabee!!!
Voters of IN and NC: You have the power to: "Stop The Drama: Vote For Obama"

OBAMA '08

[ThunderclapNewman]

A newly elected president is expected to install his choice as head of the party.

[IntelligentDesign]

Howard Dean is not Grand Chancellor of the Democratic Party; it is not within his authority to issue an edict as to override the voice of the people.

[SaintZak]

"Why is everyone in the Democratic afraid to tell Hillary Huckabee to give it up, already????"

My theory. If the super delegates were to move in a wave to Obama now and put him over the top, or party leaders insisted Clinton drop out she would be screeching until the inauguration that she was shafted, the party truncated the primary process, states and voters were disenfranchised . Once the last primary is over June 3rd the rug has been pulled out from under her. Obama will have more votes, more states and more pledged delegates. The super delegates can throw their weight behind him and it will just be the logical, sensible thing to do. The Democratic party is trying to minimize the Clinton meltdown. I still think she'll at least try to mount an independant campaign, but with all the primaries completed she'll look completely foolish if she tried.

By waiting til the beginning of June the Democratic party is probably saving itself alot of grief. It will be the difference between Hillary Clinton: victim of the system and Hillary Clinton: loser.

[scorpioleidy]

Very insightful, very logical ... and I think you're right!

[Roses]

I think your right too. What you say is very logical, stopping it now and forcing Hillary out will perhaps result in a realistic independent campaign. However, with allowing her to stay and fight, it may result in just depleting her energy fighting a losing campaign for the Democratic nomination. Very good insight.
Obama '08

[willowbarcelona]

Wait: it's Governor Dean's 50 state strategy that is working and Terry McAuliffe's and Mark Penn's micro-targeting just a few states that is failing.

This really is a contest between Dean's broad plan for the Democratic Party's future to go into "red states" to take back the Reagan Democrats and McAuliffe's and Penn's cynical leave any "red state" by the side of the road strategy, so that contests remain the most contentious and divisive, and most profitable for media outlets, imaginable,

[hopefulintexas]

This must be a call for Obama to start thinking about withdrawing because he CANNOT be referring to Hillary in saying she will know when it's time to go and go.

I have never felt that I would literally hate for someone to be elected President, but I can say that about Hillary.

[whiteboyblues]

I have never felt that I would literally hate for someone to be elected President, but I can say that about Hillary.

I hear you... in Texas too.

[ronni]

I have never felt that I would literally hate for someone to be elected President, but I can say that about Hillary.

I hear you... in Texas too.

Hey, don't leave out St. Louis too.

[MacDad]

we should all fear a some one who seeks power the way she does

[Dawnn]

Dean has been saying for weeks that someone needs to drop out so we can focus on McBomb. But everyone should know that Hillary will not drop until the inauguration next year.

But seriously she doesn't need a term in the White House at all. She was in there for 8 years. That's long enough. This is AMERICA, not a dynasty kind of nation, for example, Britain or Monaco.

[lisakaz2]

It's not that I disagree with you, Chairman Dean. I just don't see HRC ever dropping out. Moving the goalposts more times and finding a sliver of reason to justify saying "if" or "but" as to why she deserves the SDs awarding her the nomination -- that's more like it. She don't care about the party or winning in November. Maybe call it being a sore loser, whatever. I just know if the situation were reversed, the pressure on Obama to suspend his campaign would be unbearable.

[NaplesTaco]

http://api.photoshop.com/home_736445af772e4abd94b5acaf2a9117cb/adobe-px-assets/ea42a8473e5146a9b4985a97e3ccc0de

For anyone who appreciates history. Lincoln and Douglas had historic debates in the 1800's for a seat in the Illinois Senate. It was not just One on One debates it was famous for how the press covered the debates.

Douglas, the Democratic candidate was well liked by the press and the full text of his speeches were printed in the Newspapers. Meanwhile, Lincoln, the republican candidate had his speeches edited before they were printed in the Newspapers. Lincoln had an anti-slavery stance while Douglas was pro-slavery. Lincoln went on to win the seat in the Senate.

Lincoln kept notes outlining the differences between the truth and fiction during the debates and went on to publish a book about the entire process. That book helped him win the Presidency.

The above link is a comical portrayal of those debates in contrast to the ones called to by Sen. Clinton of NY.

I wonder how history will smile upon us all?

[Scarllatti]

Good job. I love your sense of history. I now realize that it was not just now that the so-called media (press) have not served the cause of the American people. Keep it up!!!

[DarwinsBeagle]

If the drudgery of these campaigns go on the way they have been, no democratic nominee will be elected by the time the convention comes. Let alone June.
Dean is completely wrong about this.
Obama needs a new stratagy, a new message. He has to leave Jeramiah Wright in the dust. He has to leave his church. If he doesn't he'll leave Blue collar voters to Hillary. Obama has to reclarify his message of hope and cut his losses with his "underground hate church".

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

Superdelegates will be with Senator Obama. They just have to play this thing out and be fair to Hillary. It cannot be perceived that she was treated unfairly. She and her followers would have a hissy fit.

[DoubleAbsolut]

Aren't they already?

[lisakaz2]

Yep.

[hopefulintexas]

I hope you're right. The sea change with the press is disconcerting.

[SCG2]

It's three against one. McCain Hillary and Bill vs. Barack The press gives them equal air time, so by definition Obama will get a 1/4 fraction of that time to respond to three people.

[shubes61]

He's still the frontrunner, but he lost the last primary... so now he's under attack... the pendulum swings.

They're out to sell newspapers and ad space... my brother works for the ABC affiliate in western New York, and he's always saying that it's about "infotainment" and ratings, not about anything really important and newsworthy.

[nellie]

Isn't it interesting, though, how the press "changes" it's view onObama, and suddenly the big story is how the press has changed it's view on Obama.

It's all a game. Don't pay any attention to it. In fact, let the media know you're turning them off.

[EggsBolinski]

The hissy fit is gonna happen sooner or later, why not make it sooner? Let's get it over and let Obama be Obama in contrast to John McCain.

[Clarabell]

Elizabeth Edwards' OP-ED in the New York Times, April 27 "Bowlilng 1, Health Care 0, is a wonderful article and pretty much says it all. One thing she says is "Did you, for example, ever know a single fact about Joe Biden's health care plan? Anything at all?"

The MSM picked these two candidates (by ignoring the rest), then creamed Hillary and are now working on Obama, just as I predicted and have posted over and over. As you can see, Rush Limbaugh is now being up front about how his plan works to destroy the Democratic party.

The loyal Republicans will stand by their man, while many of the Dems -- or hired trolls (hard to tell the difference at this point) -- fight it out and finish off the two Dem candidates. The Retards know how to fool the fickle Americans and we will all probably be left once again, holding the bag.

[speakingtruth2power]

Regardless of who is our next President,

we will be left holding a bag full of IOUs!

Just the thing to pass down to our kids!!

[wmbear]

INCLUDING ONE ***BIG*** IOU...

for $9,200,000,000,000....

[Clarabell]

I know, I know, but the sad thing is that "things can always get worse."

[IntelligentDesign]

Maybe this infighting is a good thing, maybe the Dem party should split and create a third party, which would then prompt the GOP to follow suit and we would end up with a four party system - Hillary has already distanced herself from traditional Democratic principles, and at least half the GOP can't stand John McCain.

This would be fine with me personally because I do not want to be associated with a party that advocates the obliteration of a sovereign nation.

[rocketJsquirrel]

good and interesting point. they say bob barr is running too, which would give the more conservative voters somewhere to go if mccain strays too far to the middle. this trend toward the middle by clintons and mccain/lieberman ilk would eventually unite, but wouldn't last long as they are all old.

[richcpl]

It's time to start listing the uncomitted superdelegates. We need a daily running tally, w/ their explanations for not committing while their party sprints to the cliff.

[McFlipFlop1]

The lists are all out there on the web.

[Vantunow]

There are only 298-300 uncommitted delegates left. MAJORITY of them are from States that Obama has won handily or going to win handily such as Oregon and North Carolina.

Out of remaining 408 delegates, I belive it would split 204 each by the time last primary on June 3rd is held.

That would leave Obama about 100 short and Hillary about 230+ short. So she would need 76% of the uncommitted delegates, who are again, mostly from Obama States.

Her only hope would be to damage him to the point that his current delegates give up on him.

EVERYTHING I have seen so far is that, that is not going to happen. Came too far, to abandon ship now.

[POdVet]

Either that or the Rezko trial actually gets covered by the MSM instead of being buried like it has been. It will be front page news if he gets the nomination, and it will end his career. 99% of the people don't even know that the Obama/Rezko property deal involved property only reachable through Obama's land, and Rezko never used it while Obama took care of it. Then add in non stop stories on his vaulted community building actually being a paid position in a sham non-profit organized by and benefiting Rezko and you have either a 3rd party President or all Hail the Chief John McCain. Either way Obama will lose and badly, but then he could go to work for his cousin Mr Cheney at Haliburton.

[maw327]

Great idea. And enough of this uncommitted nonsense. This campaign has become too vicious. The superdelegates need to put their cards on the table for the sake of the party so that the winning candidate can focus on beating McCain. McCain's just coasting worry-free at this point.

[abby4ever]

True.