Hillary Clinton Should Withdraw

The most likely outcome is that on March 5, Hillary Clinton withdraws from the presidential campaign and endorses Barack Obama.

At this moment, Senator Clinton has three options, two of which are acceptable, one of which would be disastrous for her and the Democratic Party.

In my view she should withdraw today, though she won't. Her second option is to campaign through March 4 at least but suspend all negative attacks and whatever happens, do it with class and grace as a unifier.

Her third option is to continue and escalate the negative attacks in a wrecking ball, demolition derby, scorched earth desperation play that will be rejected by voters and do permanent damage to her national stature.

Two facts are obvious. First, she cannot be nominated at a price worth the nomination. If she pursues the desperation dirt strategy it will be rejected by voters as her attacks were rejected in South Carolina, Wisconsin and nationally. Such a strategy would drive superdelegates to stampede to Obama and would be viewed as a direct attack on the prospects of the Democratic Party and a direct attack on the aspirations of political independents that would make her nomination both impossible and worthless.

The worst case for Senator Clinton is not that she loses the nomination, which is close to inevitable today, but that she loses in a way where she is seen as a destructive and divisive force that leaves large numbers of a generation of young people largely angry and bitter towards her for the rest of her career.

The second fact is equally clear. Contrary to myths perpetrated by the pundits in the media and their embarrassing misreading of the history of our times, neither the voters, nor the superdelegates, want any part of any effort to steal the nomination, corrupt the democratic process of the Democratic Party, or continue that politics of demeaning that the Clinton campaign has sadly trademarked in this year.

In the end, the superdelegates would never have considered violating and abusing the trust of the people who voted in primaries and caucuses. Equally ridiculous and offensive, the chance that Hillary Clinton could steal the support of elected pledged delegates is mathematically zero. The very notion that the Clinton staff would even consider this shows how far from the reality of 2008 the Clintons and their staff have been with tactics that have been a $150 million fiasco of division, mismanagement and self-destruction.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is a good person, a good Senator and a good public servant who has many years left in a career that could well ultimately lead to the presidency. She and her campaign have done some very bad things, in a very bad way. with very bad results.

It is time to begin a serious discussion of her upcoming withdrawal, and hope as Democrats and Americans that in the closing days of her campaign she acts as a healer and unifier who does credit to herself and a service to our party and our country.

Comments

[FlowerGirl]

Maybe this is the winning move!

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/hillary_clinton_tries_to_woo

That should raise her popularity quite a bit anyway.

[horacekent]

To the great people of Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island & Vermont,

Please do us all a favor & finally close the door on the Clintons.

You're the Closers. Lets do this thing!

~HK

[RobtBrock]

I would like to see the candidates argue the issues and to stop whining if someone "goes negative", bothers somebody, or hurts widdim's feelings. This is an election - not a church social on the lawn.

[davedave]

if she fucks this up for the democratic party, she will:

1) lose respect for her many accomplishments and become vilified as was nader.

2) lose any possibility of another run--spoilers can't just say they're sorry...

people--this isn't a game we can lose, we can't continue to flush our beloved nation down the toilet. iraq, supreme court, deficit, etcetera

bush/mccain--8 more years?

rinse repeat!

d

[myskylark]

I think Hillary Clinton should withdraw when she feels like it.

At this point the party is too damaged to win aginst McCain. I think Hillary would be a better candidate than Obama, and certainly a better president. But it really doesn't matter anymore. This has been a very bitter campaign. I have read the most vicious attacks by Obama supporters that have hardened my feelings toward their candidate. I'm sick of the stupidity that brought the party to this point. The insane jumble of different caucuses and primaries, with or without Independents and even Republicans, the wacky and biased apportionment in various states, and the total insanity coming up in Texas. If the party doesn't start immediately after the convention to rewrite the rules, make them uniform for all states, do away with the very undemocratic caucuses and insane apportionment methods I will absolutely re-register as an Indpendent. I'm sick of belonging to a party that is constantly tripping over its own feet, and making itself a laughing stock.

[altohone]

Too damaged to win against McCain?

Did you have Defeaty Flakes for breakfast?

McCain can be easily beaten by Obama.

Considering the strong support for Obama by independents, who we need to win, your argument at excluding them makes little sense. In any case, you'd be excluding yourself from having any say.

[irishgawdess]

"The insane jumble of different caucuses and primaries,..." is what is known as the "democratic process."

"...the wacky and biased apportionment in various states..." Republican Tom Delay did this in TX and it was judged unconstitutional by the Supreme Court... any wonder things will be "totally" insane there? Republicans act more buffoon-like, and they've proved it time and time again.

Obama's not responsible for what his supporters say. Candidates are responsible for the vicious attacks by their campaign staff on the opposition. Hillary's staff seems to be guilty of this charge, and I don't believe they're acting on their own say-so. However, they are scapegoated by Hillary when they get busted.

Don't pull away from the Democratic party just yet, it would be like walking away from a winning poker hand! This year should be a watershed moment, considering the last eight years. It would have been great had the "checks and balance" system worked, but what can you say when the executive branch works in secrecy and with total impunity. The secrecy and illegal actions of the current administration have created the "insanity" you see around you.

[TurnThePageGA]

Yeah wacky apportionments like Alabama where Obama won the vote by 56% to 42% but only got 27 pledged delegates to Hillary's 25.

[Silpat]

I think Hillary and Obama should withdraw because neither one of them is experienced enough to be President.

[ProgressiveNotLiberal]

I agree:

Negative attacks stop, especially the lies and innuendos!

She campaigns till March 4th with renewed class and pulls out on the 5th with style.

She won't do either. She will campaign with much negativity and she will stay in with any kind of win on March 4th. She is more about herself than she is the Country. Her Iraq vote showed that.

[grendl]

I don't believe she should withdraw. The entertainment value of her knock down drag out fight with Mr. Obama is priceless. A sleeping giant, the youth vote is finally waking up, and getting passionate about something. Okay, they'd rather be playing Halo or War Craft but this is almost as good.

The old guard, and conventional wisdom think this fight will be a pyrrhic one, and I said that myself many times, but looking at the numbers in Wisconsin, it doesn't seem as thats the case at all.

This is Pepsi versus Coca Cola, while old pops McCain is on his back porch shaking his head, cradling his sarsaparilla. This fight is young,SEXY and relevant, and DON'T YOU DARE PULL THE PLUG ON IT UNTIL ITS OVER. DAMMIT.

I speak for all voyeurs in this post, American Idol fans, UFC fans, fans of competition in general. We want blood. We want to see the lions and gladiators go at it. The stakes are so high, the mind heart and soul of the Democratic Party, and perhaps the nation.

So for those who call for an end to this, just look at the numbers in Wisconsin, and shut the hell up.

[rssrai]

I don't think she should withdraw, but I do think that she should stop the negative attacks. If she goes positive she will be respected and she could even score points.

[Countess]

I am an Obama supporter and I disagree with this blog. Mrs. Clinton should continue on until there is a clear winner but not before.

[research]

agreed.

[Maecenas]

I agree and I am also a supporter of Obama. Right now, I think it would be difficult statistically for Hillary to overcome Obama's lead, but it would be difficult to explain this to her rank and file supporters. I think Bill is right, if she doesn't win Texas, then it's over. If she loses either Texas or Ohio, she can concede the nomination without saying she didn't give it her best. By then, it should be obvious to almost everyone that winning the nomination wouldn't be an option for Hillary.