Should Obama Drop Out of the Race?

What happened to the Democratic Party?

I'm a lifelong Democrat. I've volunteered in countless Democratic campaigns. I've managed campaigns for Democrats. I was a Democratic candidate for statewide office in California. For three years, I was Chair of the California Democratic Party. But I don't recognize the Democratic Party today.

The party I knew loved a good fight, loved debating the issues, recognized the value of a high-profile, hard-fought primary battle -- and believed in giving everyone a fair shot. Today, the Democratic Party's turned into a bunch of weak-willed weenies.

What's going on? The party is blessed with two of the best candidates ever to run for president. The party's making history with the first African-American and the first woman having a serious shot at the presidency. In every state, the Democratic primary is attracting record numbers of new voters and building a huge, new pool of Democrats that will benefit all Democratic candidates in November. And how do party leaders respond? By trying to shut down the primary. This is insane!

Bill Richardson endorses Barack Obama. Good for him. But he can't stop there. He calls on Hillary Clinton to get out of the race. Patrick Leahy and Chris Dodd endorse Obama. Good for them, too. But, same thing. Both feel somehow compelled to add that Clinton should quit. Why? There is no more rationale for Clinton to drop out of the race than there is for Obama to drop out of the race.

True, Clinton hasn't locked up the nomination yet. But neither has Obama. True, even if she wins every delegate in every remaining primary, Clinton can not reach the magic 2024 delegates necessary to secure the nomination. But neither can Obama. True, Obama leads in delegates, the number of states won, and popular vote. But Clinton leads in electoral votes.

Plus, and here's the most important point: It's not over yet. Until it is, we can't be sure of the outcome. And it would be a big mistake to end it prematurely. There's been many a boxing match where one fighter won 14 rounds, only to get knocked out in the 15th.

All these Obama supporters calling on Clinton to drop out aren't helping their candidate, either. They make Obama look like he's afraid of a fight. And they themselves look like a stereotypical bunch of men telling a woman she can't hack it in politics, so she might as well get back in the kitchen.

No, Hillary Clinton should not quit this race. And neither should Barack Obama. They're both great candidates. Either one of them will make a great president. So let the primaries continue and let the voters decide. If Obama ends up the nominee, I'll do handstands on the White House lawn. But only if he wins it, fair and square.

Get more thoughts and pre-order a copy of "Trainwreck: The End of the Conservative Revolution (And Not a Moment Too Soon)" at www.billpressshow.com

Comments

[MitchW]

So there you have it- Obama supporters are sexist!
"...And they themselves look like a stereotypical bunch of men telling a woman she can't hack it in politics, so she might as well get back in the kitchen."
Right out of the clinton playbook.

[mengwise36]

If that is how you judge the play book, I like Clinton's better. Obama's play book is all about calling people who dis-agree racist. If you point out he is half white, you are a racist. If you point out that he has no experience, you are a racist. If you say he is lucky to be black in this race, you are most definitely a racist. If you say that black voters are voting for him because he is black, you are a racist. Need I go on?

I have said all alone, this country will see a black president before a woman president. I also blame Hillary's "loosing" squarely on those women who are not voting for her. If 90% of black voters are voting Obama, what are these women waiting for?

[crushinator]

I'm a woman and I do not support Hillary.

I actually take credibility, experience, positions, policies, votes, and motives into account when choosing a candidate. As a woman I am ashamed of HRC. I honest and truly wanted to vote for her but she continually disgusts me. I had hoped she would be different than all the typical politicians, but she's not.

"I also blame Hillary's "loosing" squarely on those women who are not voting for her. If 90% of black voters are voting Obama, what are these women waiting for?"

So you want me to vote for HRC simply because I'm a woman and she's a woman? How would that be different than blacks voting for Obama because he's half black?

And BTW, women over 65 are overwhelmingly supporting HRC because they probably see this as their only shot at a woman president in their lifetime. I'm young enough that I can wait, and not compromise the integrity of my vote along gender lines.

[triplbee]

What about black women? Who should they vote for? Most black voters---almost 60%---are women. How do they square in your calculations?

[nohat]

I think if Ferraro has said that Hillary wouldn't be running if she wasn't a woman, that she is therefore lucky to be a woman, there would have been a hue and cry---from Hillary, or someone, calling it sexist.

[stepintothelight]

Give me a break ... From the beginning Hillary has been playing out her own little estro-fest!!! And if you point out his politics ... His Record .... Well ... then it's political. Call a spade a spade if your dark heart desires. The fact that your post deals with the color of his skin as applied to behaviors ... Makes your statement ... well ... RACIST!!! DUH!!!

[billsmile]

Bill Press' radio show has been talking about Hillary Clinton's run for the White House for years.

If she were to drop out now, Bill would be out of material.

[AmericanIdle]

More electoral votes?!? Last time I checked those only count for the general election and have nothing to do with the primary. All her lead in "electoral votes" means is that she won more big state primaries, but so what? Do anyone honestly think Obama can loose New York or California?

Using electoral votes as a measure is just one of the last flimsy straws at which the Clinton campaign is grasping. The only way she can win moving forward is to destroy Obama's electablitly and thereby pissing off a big chunk of the Dem's base and seriously hurting the party well into future. All the Democrats with any sense are calling for Hillary to stop before she succeeds in helping the Democratic party to once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, as well they should.

[utd]

Hillary is leading in electoral votes? My probability time machine is broken but it's good to see yours is working, careful though I hear you can rip a hole in the space time continuum wearing that tin-foil hat. I'm fine personally with this going into June, but Mark Penn and Hillary can't keep up with what they are doing. The policy issues are exhausted, so Hillary started going for fear, going for the jugular. I'm sorry but I just don't think it's a good idea for her to stick around, and I'm not alone. She has a right to do as she likes but her chances of winning are almost non-existent at this point, even her own staff has said it. In a month it will be guaranteed that she will not win, not becasue she doesn't have the delegates, neither will Obama as you pointed out, but because she will NEVER be able to get the delegates. So, stay in and hurt the party, or get out gracefully before she totally disgraces herself and her name and drops even lower in respect and approval?

[swoosie1]

It is so clear that what you say is true. It was nice to see a column on the Huff Post that does not try to enlighten me on Obama or convert me to his cultness.

[nohat]

I agree.

[Bluesman48]

Bill, you are a nice man, but Hillary is hurting the Democratic Party. She has run a horrible campaign, just jaw-droppingly incompetent, and she has plumbed the depths of dirty tactics. She is mathematically eliminated by now, something the media are finally reporting. Divisiveness and accusations of sexism on the blogs and elsewhere are being flung against the wall. At one time the Dems had a slam dunk this Novemner, now look what's happened. Let the winner win and let the healing begin.

[ChrisS13]

She has run such a terrible campaign and Obama has run a near perfect campaign. Not too mention Obama has been given almost a free pass by the MSM. Yet, he can't put her away and has a slim 100+ delegate lead, what does that say about Obama?????

[Squirtapotamus]

It says he's an honest and smart candidate committed to serving his country and healing the wounds of the divisive politics of the last 8 years. Perhaps his idealism about creating a more perfect union is naive. Perhaps the country is not ready for his message. If so, it is still a noble goal. One that I support.

[LindainSFNM]

Sad to say, but apparently he should. You know the Clinton folks never said Obama shouldn't run. The Clinton folks didn't call on Obama to get out when his numbers were low. The Clinton folks didn't call on Obama to get out of the race when he turned negative. The Clinton folks didn't call for Obama to get out when he got dogged with mega contraversy. But apparently as Hillary's number and elections increase in wins, they call on Hillary to get out, why, because they have found they can't win based on a fair election?

Obama won't be able to ask John McCain to get out. So if he can't win based on a fair election, maybe he should concede now.



...and WAY TO GO BILL PRESS!!! You're reading our minds!

[FrankBlackFrancis]

Are you serious? If the numbers were reversed you honestly believe the Clinton camp wouldn't be screaming for him to drop out? You think if Hillary won 13 primaries in a row they wouldn't have told Obama to get out? The reason she should get out is very simple and obvious. She can't catch Obama unless she twists the arms of hundreds of super delegates. You can take Texas out of Hilalry's win column too. Wow, you people can really suspend belief.

[iv08]

Bill - There are just so many things wrong but let me pick what I think was your worst analogy. Yes, sometimes a boxer will win 14 rounds and then get knocked out in the 15th. The problem is that we're more concerned with that boxer that just fought a 15 round fight having to face another "boxer" who has been resting. I wouldn't take my chances on either of the boxers beating turning around and beating a fresh boxer after a 15 round fight. Thats what we want to avoidl

Lindain -
I actually am in awe of your comment. I honestly didn't think it was possible for a post to show such a small amount of grounding in reality. However, kudos to you for your fierce fight against the truth. I mean Obama's "numbers were low" before Iowa, so thats probably why they didn't call for him to drop out since then. Moreover, Clinton decided to "throw the kitchen sink" at Obama, yet he's the negative one? Obama's numbers are now back to their "pre-Wright" positions, sinking Hillary's "this controversy makes Obama unelectable" argument. And finally Hillary's "number and elections increase in wins"? She's still 10 points down nationally and he's still won more than 2x the states she has.

[BoredAtWork16]

If Obama has won twice as many states then he should have clinch the nomination by now because its not like each state allocates a different amount of delegates or anything.

[tumrel]

So now electoral votes are to decide the democratic nominee, when did this happen. Hillary Clinton can stay in as long as she wants and if the debate is on the issues then maybe it would be good for the party, but it hasnt been and Bill Press is fully aware of that. The truth is that Hillary has to win something like 75 % of the remaining delegates and when u take into consideration the states remaining, including polling and the demographics of same, she can only win if Obama is somehow destroyed. Now in my opinion, if the that Rev Wright video didnt destroy him then it probably aint gonna happen. Now they can go on attacking each other for the next 5 months and create larger and larger percentages of supporters of each candidate who will vote Mccain in the general if u like,but some dont think that is whats best for the party. The issue differences between the 2 candidates have been debated and Hillary cant win this thing on the issues and u know it and she knows it. And stop with that back in the kitchen crap, Hillary Clinton is a brillant, capable woman and no one doubts she is up to the job. She was just unlucky to run into the best candidate the dems have had since 68.

[krisellyn]

HuffPost's Pick

Bravo! The voice of reason! But if Obama wins the nomination, I'm still voting for McCain. All those pundits that refer to the 28% of Hillary backers that claim they won't vote for Obama assume it is a loyalty issue. Meaning, we want our candidate to win, so in a fit of pique we vote across party lines. They also assume we'll come around come November. Think again.

Did it ever occur to these people that there is something fundamentally wrong with Obama? And that is why we won't vote for him? I can not vote for a man that sat in the pews of Wright's church for 20 years and when he had kids, thought it was appropriate to raise them around like-minded parishoners. This is not a black vs. white thing. There are plenty of black pundits that agree with me. There is something wrong with Obama, and I will not vote for him.

[ndnndpendent]

Your'e a typical Clinton supporter that toxified this campaign season---you can't make a valid justification for her to stay in the race without savaging Obama on a personal level. She's burning a lot of bridges as she goes down in flames and now she's almost 9 million in debt. How are the Clinton supporters going to spin that? Obama was responsible for her inability to manage money?

[FrankBlackFrancis]

Frankly if you are so bitter you'd vote for a Republican you are exhibiting what is wrong with the Democratic Party. Don't forget to change your party affiliation, you won't be missed. TYake a hard look at who Hilalry hangs out with in bible study and who has endorsed McCain. If that's your reason fo rnot voting for Obama, good riddance to you.

[utd]

McCain = 2 SC justices = No more Roe v Wade
McCain= at least 4 more years in Iraq = God only knows how many more dead
McCain= furthering of failed economic polices = more jobs lost, more wages threatened

I think your perspective of "fundamentaly wrong" is a little skewed.

[CitizenE]

So what you are saying in essence is because you dislike Obama's pastor, the record of disasters for the past eight years, which McCain for most part seems sanguine about repeating for the next four is preferable? That is, the six lines quoted in youtubes in re Wright are more important to you than 100 years in Iraq, no attempt to solve the health care problem, a tax code that gives away our treasury to the already wealthy while forever indebting our children, a judiciary rife with corruption, a supreme court willing to fix presidential elections, and international prestige sinking ever more deeply along with the value of the dollar, a man who thinks its funny, a joke, to sing about bombing a sovereign nation, known for hair trigger fits of temperment? A man who tells you he's against torture one minute and votes for it the next? A man who out one side of his mouth condemns evangelists as agents of intolerance and out the other embraces Jerry Fallwell, who once declared that 9/11 was America's onus for its homosexuals. A man who recently when a vote in the Senate did not go his way called our nation's capitol, home of the Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson monuments, a "City of Satan." Well then, I guess you have your values straight.

[mostest]

"So what you are saying in essence is because you dislike Obama's pastor, the record of disasters for the past eight years, which McCain for most part seems sanguine about repeating for the next four is preferable?"

Why do you try to mitigate and water down Obama's infinity and loyality to his pastor? Obama said in his "seminal" race speech (you know the speech he gave that suddenly made everyone aware of racism and the history of race relations in American, Who knew!) that Rev Wright was as much A PART OF HIM as his white grandmother. Check the transcript, he said that. I believe it is even on YOUTUBE unlike his 2002 "seminal" speech on Iraq.

So the question should be, Did you consider your pastor as much a part of you as your grandmother? If you do, you probably admire your pastor a whole lot.

Bottomline: Obama believes what Rev Wright believes which is a RESENTMENT of America . That is whay Obama should not be president of the United States.

[vanessa04]

"So what you are saying in essence is ..."

You don't get it. This, and other associations speak to Obama's judgement. And he has CONSISTENTLY made poor choices in his associations. His lies about those associations speak to his character. His assumption that his lies and his double-speak matter not at all to his electability speak to his arrogance.

He is an arrogant liar with poor judgement. THAT'S why millions of Americans will NOT vote for him in November.

[richardsgirl]

Based on your profile, you were never going to vote for Senator Obama anyway, and you are now using the Wright issue to justify a decision you made even before the issue came up. Personally, I find it fundamentally wrong when one judges a pastor and his church by a series of soundbites taken out of context and presented solely to misrepresent both the man and his mission. I do agree that it's not a black vs. white thing, and this is even more apparent in the membership of Trinity which is a diverse congregation of black and white congregants, as well as others from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. I doubt if any of those in Reverend Wright's congregation would share in your limited perception of their church. In fact, Few people in general, including black pundits, who actually know the truth of Reverend Wright and Trinity United Church of Christ would share your judgment. We all have a right to choose who to vote or not to vote for, but it helps to be honest about our reasons for doing so; if not with each other, than at least with ourselves.

[ChrisS13]

What context was he saying that Hillary has never been called a niger???? What context was he saying that Italians looked down there garlic noses???? What context was it that he was saying Bill Clinton did black people like he did Monica??? What context was it to tell GOD to DAMN America, meaning WHITE AMERICA. What context is all that supposed to be taken in? What context is saying that the govt. invented Aids to kill off black people? What context is blaming all white people for the mis treatment of AA's in the past? Please enlighten me.

[Cathexis]

I'd feel a lot less hesitent if there wasn't so much intra-party negative campaigning going on, officially and among supporters.

[nazgul]

Should Obama drop Out of the Race?

Should You Have Done Some Research Before You Wrote This Article?

The contest is decided by DELEGATES.
Hillary CANNOt win more DELEGATES.
The superdelegates have never overturned the results of a Presidential primary.

The Dems have nothing to win and everything to lose by dragging this battle out.

[mostest]

Maybe you should have done some research as well.

The propose of the SDs is to make sure the strongest most viable Democratic candidate is nominated to win the general.

[BoredAtWork16]

No, the purpose of the super delegates is to do exactly what the voters do. That's what Pelosi is saying, and since she is the one who, not only, kept her promise in the 2006 election and took it to Bush and his croonies but single handlely got us out of the Iraq war. America salutes you Mrs. Pelosi.

[nazgul]

They NEVER have overturned the vote, they've said they won't overturn the vote, and they WON'T OVERTURN the vote.

[mellene]

I wish the press would quit fixating on Clinton and Obama and torture the Republicans and McCain now. The Democrats don't need any enemies--they've got the press to kill their victory in '08.

[mengwise36]

No victory is guaranteed until the final ballet is casted. Those who thinks that the Democrats will have an easy victory in 2008 will wake up looking at President McCain the day after election.

[slamkitty2]

I always loved the ballet. When is that final casting? Can we all join in?

[CBS]

Let's clarify WHY some are asking her to drop out because this is key. The TYPE of campaign she has run is the issue. She and Bill C played the race card early and heavily. Let's face it...they stopped short of calling Obama "boy" but we all heard it anyway. 2) She clearly stated that REPUBLICAN John McCain was more qualified to be Commander in Chief than Obama.

So Bill, I think you should have rounded out your piece by giving people the FULL story on why there are these calls. But then, you are a Hillary campaign operative so you are not completely objective in this matter, nice try though.

[mengwise36]

Am I to believe that you are completely objective in this matter? Trust me, objectivity has long ago being thrown out of the window, more on Obama's side but then that is just my opinion which is hardly objective.

With that said, let's not pretend that the reason you laid out is anywhere near being objective. The "TYPE" of campaign she run is subjective to your interpretation. From my perspective, Obama's campaign has been "negative" from day one when he questioned Hillary's judgment, when everything negative said about him is something negative about black people therefore racist, when he said that his supporters may not vote for Hillary if she is the nominee.

[FrankBlackFrancis]

Hillary's judgment regarding a vote to give the president authorization to attack a country that posed no threat to us. I can provide plenty of negativity on Hillary's side, including her "celestial choir" mocking of Obama and her endorsement of McCain over Obama' experience. Claiming all her opponent has is a speech. How about her threatening to sue in New Mexico to stymie caucus goers? How about her threatening to sue in Texas for the same reason? How about her lack of class in conigratulating her opponent for his many wins? The attacks from her campaign have been personal and very Rovian. It was her campaign that started the Muslim rumor. This may shock you, but I was objective. Edwards dropped out, then it became clear Obama was not going to get caught in the pledged delegate count, states won, or popular vote. Hillary's campaign tactics merely cinched it for me.

[CBS]

I was pointing out that Bill Press was not objective in this matter. He glossed over important slimy tactics that Hillary has employed since day one. Had she run an honorable campaign there would not be the call for her to step down. As I said before, the Clintons called Obama everything short of "boy" yet we all heard it. This alone disqualifies her. We do not need more racial division in this country yet she has been fanning it from day one. For her political gain. She is destined to fail and the only question is whether her exit will be a class act or more of the same.

[conned]

Its just that the fight has already been won...Come on now, her chances of winning are at about 5%. If she were running a decent, substantive, or positive primary campaign, I would have no problem with her staying in the race. But she is only tearing down the party and the nominee in her selfish pursuit of power. She all but endorsed the Republican for god's sake!

[mengwise36]

You need to stop reading Obama press release and start thinking for yourself for a change. Without MI and FL, with Super delegates divided roughly according to the popular vote, Obama's chance of winning 2024 delegates is 0%. You want to argue with that statement, be my guest.

[FrankBlackFrancis]

I've never seen an Obama press release, but I can do math. By your logic, the super delegates voting roughly along with the popular votes Obama would indeed have the needed 2024 delegates. They both need super delegates to get to that mark, it is true neither can without those super delegates. However, Hillary would need roughly a hundred more Super delegates than Obama to pull even with him. This would be disastorous and be the undoing of the party.

[CBS]

According to CNN Obama needs only 400 more delegates to get the nomination......

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/candidates/barack.obama.html

That definitely seems do-able.

[Bluesue]

When was the last time you saw a Democrat act as though they were running against a republican instead of a fellow democrat - talk down the democrat while talking up the republican? Send a message that "If I'm not the nominee, my republican opponent is a better choice."

Has a Democrat ever accused the Democratic party of disenfranchising voters? Meanwhile, seeming to encourage PLEDGED delegates that the rules allow them to switch their votes. Would that be the ultimate disenfranchisement of the voters who thought they voted for a delegate to support a particular candidate? If there isn't a clear winner at the convention after the first ballot, then I believe a change is permissable. Before that it is not.

[mengwise36]

Reading your comments twice, I realized that you are a Obama supporter. So I have two comments to counter your argument:

1. If Obama has not "talked down" Hillary by challenging her "judgment", where would his campaign be? Where would they differ? He tore down the front runner with his "negative" campaign but now he is the front runner, no one can use "negative" campaign anymore? Why? Obama has some kind of monopoly on "negative" campaign that I did not know of?

2. Unless you heard some sub-frequency message, I do not think Hillary said McCain is better than Obama. She said he had more experience, which is true, and that he loves his country, which is also true. Since when is it not allowed to praise the Republicans? If that is the case, I think Obama needs to retract his statement, not just sub-frequency message, that "Republicans has good ideas".

[FrankBlackFrancis]

Reading your comments I can see you are a Hillary supporter. Obama rightly criticized
her judgement regarding her votes as a Senator, which is exactly what should be looked at critically. She did not merely say McCain had more experience, she said all Obama has is a speech. I don't know how any Democrat can accept her statements regarding this issue. Her campaign is being run like we'd expect a Republican's to be run, against her own party and the likely nominee. She has openly mocked Obama and his upporters as being delusional. Give me a break, let go, she lost and she's lost while playing dirty.

[Bluesue]

Let's not forget Bill's comments. I think between the two of them they're sending a message that McCain is a good alternative to Hillary.

Questioning judgment does not equate to tearing down. You need to go back and listen to Hillary over the last several weeks.

How do you feel about Hillary sitting down and making nice with the guy who funded the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy? As one who supported and defended by her and Bill in the past, I found that a real slap in the face. Now that she needs Scaife all is forgiven. To me that said a lot about her character and that her ambition trumps all considerations of appropriateness.

Oh, and then we have extortion of the DNC and Nancy Pelosi by her big bucks fundraisers.

And loyalty is more important than country or party and if you aren't loyal to the Clintons, you're a Judas. Where have we seen loyalty play a prominent role before? Heck of a job Brownie.

[MPeter]

Obama win appears big in Texas delegate battle
By Anna M. Tinsley, Aman Batheja and Sarah Bahari | Fort Worth Star-Telegam
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008
Barrack Obama appeared to have scored a clear victory over Clinton on Saturday in the second step of Texas' multi-tiered process for selecting its delegates to the Democratic National Convention. With results available from about half of the district conventions held statewide, the Associated Press reported that Obama had won 59 percent of the delegates headed to the state party's June convention to Clinton’s 41 percent. That translates into 1,858 delegates for Obama and 1,270 for Clinton.

Tens of thousands of Texas Democrats turned out for Saturday's district conventions in a chaotic day in which many of the meetings in Texas' large cities lasted late into the night. Some delegates — confused and frustrated by hours-long delays, disorder and disorganization — gave up on the process and left, still not sure if their vote counted. “Please move a bit faster,” urged delegate Whitney Larkins, who attended the largest senatorial district in Fort Worth gathered at the Will Rogers Coliseum. “Have some consideration. Think about those of us who took time out of our lives to participate in this.”

[Readbetweentheelevens]

"True, Obama leads in delegates, the number of states won, and popular vote

[and in most money raised and in most new voters].

But Clinton leads in electoral votes..."

[but not in the number of delegates gained after super Tuesday; and her lead grows smaller every day]

But most importantly, her campaign is broke, showing she doesn't have the support that counts.