As Dave Neiwart points out over at FDL, the results for Hillary in North Carolina and Indiana were less than she needed, and may have destroyed her chances with the superdelegates. Her speech sounded suspiciously like a concession speech. Now anyone counting Hillary out until she formally says she's out is taking a big chance, this is the energizer bunny of candidates. But let's assume she will decide the gig's up and to throw in the towel and turn our eyes forward.
Obama has his work cut out for him. The possibility that a lot of Hillary's white working class base could turn to McCain or stay home should be a real worry for him. There's been a great deal of bitterness and anger on both sides of the fight. And, to be crass and point out the unpalatable truth, there isn't a lot in it for Hillary to back Obama in a more than pro-forma "going through the motions" fashion. If he loses, she's the presumptive nominee in 4 years, after all. If he wins, she probably has to wait 8 years, and she's not getting any younger. If she really wants to be president, well, Obama's still in the way. Now I'm not saying she won't help Obama even if such thoughts are going through her mind, no doubt she understands what another 4 years of a Republican presidency would mean. Still, there's help, and there's going all out. And there's a lot of space between the two.
So if I'm Obama; if I'm one of Obama's advisors, no matter how much I may share the view of some associated with the campaign about Hillary, I'd be thinking real hard right now about what it's going to take to bring her and Bill on board in a big way, so that they do everything possible to really deliver the votes of their supporters.
For Bill, probably a seat on the Supremes if the opportunity comes up (and it will, if Obama is elected.) For Hillary? Probably Senate Majority leader--it's not like Harry Reid really likes the job anyway.
For our hopes of there being a Democratic President taking office in 2009 I trust that similar thoughts are going through Obama's mind. Because he's going to need all the help he can get.
Read more reactions from Huffington Post bloggers to the Indiana and North Carolina primary results
opponent look pale and inadequate in comparison. She is a fighter who has the support of millions of Americans.
Senator Clinton will drop out when her supporters say it is OK.. The primaries end in early June so there is plenty of time for Senator Clinton to withdraw without cannibalizing her. This is disrespectful toward women. Obama better be cautious about having his surrogates call for Senator Clinton to withdraw or he may lose die-hard Clinton supporters as follows.
Senator Clinton is recognized by working Democrats as a hero capable of restoring their part of the American dream.
Senator Clinton is recognized by middle aged women as a hero on the verge of breaking the glass ceiling bringing dignity to women’s issues.
Senator Clinton is recognized as a hero among senior citizens as a true contender for the Presidency. The only female president that they may see in their lifetime.
Senator Clinton is recognized as a hero to young girls who long to be a fire- fighter , a senator and now President of the United States.
Senator Clinton is recognized as a champion for minority groups like Hispanics giving their cause a voice.
Senator Clinton would make a spectacular President. Senator Clinton is bright, she’s strong, she’s passionate, she’s enthusiastic, she’s resilient, she’s full of hope for the future and she is determined to give us the kind of future that us Americans deserve-all Americans.
Bill Clinton on the Supreme Court? He was DISBARRED!
And Hillary as Majority Leader? 1. This is not Obama's decision to make. 2. She couldn't win THAT election either.
Nope... this isn't a joke.
It isn't even funny.
i can't stand the mofo personally, but i do wish you would get your shtuff straight, vbond.
I for one don't want to make Rush Limbaughs opeation chaos work for Republican's by joining in on a fight against someone of my own party .
So who will it be folks a Democrat in November who can change things around in this government or a Repulican who will continue with Bush's plan to distroy our country and seel it off to foreign countries ? Stop feeding into these Republican bloggers smear tactic's game that can only divide us.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-07040
This will be plasted all over MSM in the General Election if it isn't dealt with now.
Obama strategists don't get this point or won't admit it. The republicans are hoping Obama will be nominated. Obama ran into major brick walls (e.g., white blue collar) within the Democratic party primary sphere. He will fare a lot worse in the general election.
If Obama does make it - - - after the luau they'll have with FLORIDA & MICHIGAN - - - it will be to Obama's good to include all those from MI, expecially, to be counted! I don't care how they do it, but they must get ALL FIFTY STATES IN !
Besides, Obama winning is not a bad deal - just as long as Mrs. "C" gets the VP nomination. Remember, as a VP - they cast the deciding VOTE in order to break a standing Senate tie.
I can at least TRUST HER to vote for the people and not vote for corporate interests. With Obama as VP...........well, I'm not sure he'd vote WITH the Democrats, as he's known to have voted MANY TIMES with the GOPpers!
Our Health Care is at stake!!!!!!!! We're the only country without it !!!!
No, my objection to Clinton would not be qualificaitons or his character (after all, we recently had a racist vote suppressor and currently a sex harrassing boss), but his age and relatively frail health. GWB managed to get young fascists like Alito and Roberts in. They'll be screwing Americans over for another 20 years. The Supreme Court needs bright, young progressives who will defend individual's rights.
The Clinton "kitchen sink" strategy of destroying him instead of building herself up is exactly the kind of politics Obama feels belong to another era, a politics he is determined to, against all odds and in the face of unrelenting cynicism, change.
If I place myself in Obama's shoes, with his passion to affect change from the bottom up, not from the top down, I would find myself at a loss as to exactly where to place these two. Senator Clinton has morphed into someone that even long-time friends don't recognize. Former Labor Secretary under Bill Clinton Robert Reich said yesterday in an Air America interview: "I've know this woman for forty-two years and I have to say; my God, what's happened to you?"
Funny, a black man not letting people vote. What a hypocrite BO is! Or maybe he feels entitled to disenfranchise voters as payback for all the government evils listed by Rev Wright?
I'm kind of surprised that black voters have marched in lockstep behind BO. Especially when he consistently moves them to the back of the bus so that white supporters will appear behind him on TV. In the NC acceptance speech did anyone notice that behind BO it was a sea of white faces? And it was the black vote that got him elected in NC. And why do they just swallow trashing Rev Wright when Wright was responsible for creating BO's political base in Chicago?
BO has already lost. Dems lose again. There's nothing he can do to bring together the party he has divided so cynically by playing the race card and then accusing everyone else of doing it.
Gotta give it to the guy--the suit is empty and the rhetoric is cheap but he manages to get people to drink the KoolAid. Too bad the Repubs will beat him BIG TIME.
I predict a McCain landslide.
This whole thing smells like Karl Rove's hand in it !
Remember, most of the Clinton voters who said they wouldn't vote for Obama also wouldn't vote for Clinton in the general--they were Republicans just like you.
You think a 5'3" senescent crank who can't tell Sunni from Shiite is going to look better than Barack Obama? Well, I hope you are wrong.
Oh, please, Br'er Fox, please don't throw me in that there briar patch!
The Clintons are fighting so hard to stay in because they privately feel that whoever wins the nomination is a shoo-in to beat McCain in the fall. The country wants change, and McCain's brand is the opposite.
Even if Obama pays the Clintons' campaign debts, offers the VP position, and gives Bill something to do, they'd still undermine him. Or worse. Seeking their support is a bad deal for him. They want the Presidency so bad they can taste it, and their plan is to use their remaining leverage to seat the Florida and Michigan delegates at the DNC meeting on May 31st, African Americans be damned. Their objective is now to damage Obama enough that he loses to McCain. Nothing else makes sense from their perspective.
To think otherwise is to ignore human behavior both in general and in particular. Obama won't be getting any help from the Clintons, and luckily, he doesn't need it.
She wasn't known for her legal mind. She graduated in the bottom third of her law class. The Congressional legal advisor for the Watergate hearings was so taken aback by her lack of legal ethics, he regrets not having initiated disbarrment hearings against her. Nor can I see her PROTECTING the rights of Americans. Sadly, Obama would be a PERFECT candidate for the Supreme Court.