Four Things the Obama Campaign Couldn't Resist Doing To Anger Clinton Supporters

The follow are four things that the Obama campaign couldn't resist doing to anger Clinton supporters, supporters that Sen. Obama needs in the general election if -- if -- he is the nominee.

1. Couldn't resist waiting one day after Sen. Clinton won West Virginia by 41 points to announce John Edwards endorsement.

2. Couldn't resist waiting to win majority of ALL delegates (not just pledged delegates) to do victory lap speech in Iowa the night Hillary won Kentucky by 36 points.

3. Couldn't resist waiting to win majority of all delegates to announce Jim Johnson as VP search committee head -- the first candidate in my memory ever to do so while his chief opponent is still fighting for nomination -- and winning in last primary in crucial border state by 36 points (Kentucky).

What's the rush?

Obama wouldn't confirm or deny the that Mr. Johnson has been appointed to head the VP search effort. That makes many Clinton supporters feel uneasy about Senator Obama.

4. Couldn't resist listing Bill Richardson as under consideration for Veep - the one Red Flag name that infuriates even moderate Clinton supporters the most -- not because he chose to endorse Sen. Obama, but the way he did it, i.e., his inability to avoid making negative comments about Sen. Clinton while doing so -- another person who sometimes can't resist the temptation of not being gracious when he should be, a great disappointment to many of his former close friends from the Clinton camp and which will not be forgotten.

Comments

[D2D2]

One more thing...
Any candidate should take seriously the move from a primary process to a national election. It is erroneous to assume that Senator Obama or his supporters acted to "anger" Senator Clinton. Rather, I think that Senator Obama recognizes the extremely high likelihood of his becoming the Democratic nominee, and with that responsibility comes the need to prepare for the long, difficult run leading up to the November election.
Given the excellent campaign run by Senator Obama during the nomination process, it is more likely that he now acts in an effort to increase his chances of becoming president rather than to "anger" a fellow candidate from the nearly-concluded nomination process or her loyal supporters.
With all due respect, I do not believe that Senator Obama owes Senator Clinton an apology for winning. He does, however, owe the Democratic Party his best efforts in securing the presidency. Part of his effort will be reaching out to Senator Clinton and her supporters, as you well know. Therefore, as a progressive, shouldn't you assist him an effort to unify the Party rather than writing articles such as this?
It is time to end divisiveness within the Party. When can we all start working together?

[ebbtide]

PS, no one is trying to anger the Clinton supporters. Obama won, she lost. and a lot of us do not care if supporters threaten to jump to McCain. They are irrelevant at this point. Simply irrelevant and have no leverage at all.

[bongogirl]

Hillary committed political suicide.

[bobbybee]

Regarding #3: if the Obama campaign isn't confirming or denying that Mr. Johnson is heading the VP committee, how is it that they made the mistake of announcing that very fact?
Seriously - Mr Obama (and I mean the senator, not "his people" or "his surrogates") has been extremely gracious throughout this campaign. He has consistently congratulated her on her primary victories, while Mrs Clinton either ignores his or belittles them as meaningless. He has consistenly encouraged her to stay in the race for as long as she wishes. He has never personally questioned her capacity to serve as commander in chief. He has not insisted that the only primaries that matter are the ones which he wins. He has not decided to renounce his own signed pledge to not honor the Florida and Michigan primaries. He has not made any statement comparable to the "hard-working voters, white voters" statement of Mrs Clinton.
Really, Mr Davis - is the behavior of Obama's campaign really that offensive?

[Johnnn]

Nice to see you posting here, Lanny.
As if Hillary supporters didn't have enough reasons to vote for McCain in November. I want to see
Obama pick that Judas Richardson for a running mate. What can the Obama people say to me then?
I think I speak for the millions of Hillary supporters when I say this is the most miserable primary process I've seen in the 40 years I''ve been following politics. For Obama to pick an Obama sycophant
(that means ass kisser) instead of a Hillary person, would be the final insult.
Every time the Democratic Party treats the "Reagan Democrats" like doormats, they lose in November. But this lesson is never learned for good. This same mistake is made over and over again.

[jericho4119]

HRC lost all leverage - assuming second place has leverage - the minute she voiced "assassination" as her rationale for still being in this race. Regardless of the "context" in which she invoked the ultimate in political power moves, it was a bridge to far.

[SatinPanties]

The main thing the Clinton Campaing has done:

1. Change the rules according to how it suits their campaign best.

2. Make up mathematical equations that will only favor Sen. Clinton.

3. Only Delegates are important... unless we get fewer in which case only the popular vote counts...

4. It is understood that the vote in Michigan and Florida will not count for anything... unless I need them at the end in which case we must not disenfranchise them.

[Johnnn]

Here's a big question for you, Satin: If Obama has the nomination locked up, with or
without the Florida and Michigan delegates, what does he gain by alienating those two states?
Do you know how hard it will be for Obama to get 270 electoral votes without Michigan and Florida?

[TheOtherMaven]

Florida is a Republican lock as long as the Florida Republican Party and Diebold/ESS et al have anything to say about it. Hillary Clinton wouldn't win Florida either.

If you think Michigan would vote Republican out of spite, you're assuming the whole state is crazy. They're not.

If you keep on playing the same game with the same few big states, you will keep on losing when the Republicans manage to steal just one away from you (they usually manage to steal at least two). Expand the board to the smaller states (like Virginia, which is teetering on the edge of going Democratic) and you not only change the game, you make it harder for the cheaters to win.

[CTmom13]

He polls higher then her in MI but nice try......How does Sen Clinton poll in VA, CO, NM, IA? oh and CA, he beats her there too now since they had buyers remorse.....It's OVER in 7 days we will all be celebrating

[mthespian]

Here's a question for you: If Obama's campaign eventually caved and gave Hillary everything she wants in her current theory of how the rules work and she still had fewer delegates, do you believe she would actually stop?

[jmpurser]

So the things that really infuriate Clinton voters is Obama acting like the winning candidate? Thanks for the tip.

[blaqntelligence]

LOL.......

[broilinginhouston]

How stupid do you think we are? Senator Clinton's said she's taking this fight to Denver. Does that mean Senator Obama should wait until the first floor vote's done to begin his VP search? What will that give him, 18 hours maybe, to settle on a candidate? With surrogate hacks like you spewing pablum like this, it's no wonder the Clinton campaign's where it is today. I'd suggest you direct your "anger" where it belongs -- at the nearest mirror.

[lynnn]

Well said. I wonder what Lanny would reply to that?

[Johnnn]

You Obama people are on the threshhold of a real revolution. A bunch of kids electing a kid
President. In case you think I hate this prospect -- you're right. I hate it. Wonder who I'll be voting for in November.

[lynnn]

1) Obama is not a "kid"
2) You'll vote for the man who still thinks there is a Czechoslovakia, a man trying to make a "League of Nations", a man w/no health care plan. Yea good luck w/that.
3) Hate is an irrational emotion, try using logic and reasoning skills to make a decision.
4) Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

[gimmeabreak]

An overwhelming majority of us are not "kids", Johnnn. The way we prove our maturity (even the "kids") is by understanding that this is a political contest and that we will remain loyal to the party - no matter who the nominee.

I have met some of the "kids". My daughter is one of them. She shows much more maturity than someone like you who would rather run crying from the playground, ball in hand. Go off and vote for McCain. As others here have said, if he wins, you'll get the government you deserve just to spite the rest of us.

Smooth move.

[CitizenE]

The one thing Lanny Davis couldn't resist doing (aside from the extremely trivial accusations above) go on and on and on and on and on attacking Barack Obama with guilt by association---one of the oldest bait and switch fallacies that every lawyer is educated to eschew--to Reverend Wright, shamefully playing on racial fears and prejudices, even after Obama's historic address in Philadelphia.

[jsarbee2]

Hmmmm.... I seem to remember some political genius once saying that politics is a contact sport. "If you don't want to play, keep your uniform off." And then that same brilliant man telling us that "if a candidate doesn't want to get beat up, he shouldn't run for office."

And then once upon a time, there was this phenomenal candidate who was going to be the first female President ever before her campaign blew it. She had this really good line that went something like this: "I’m with Harry Truman on this. “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Just speaking for myself, I’m very comfortable in the kitchen. So if the heat goes up its okay with me, because we’ve got a lot of tough problems.’’

How did it come to this Lanny? How far have you fallen? How low are you all willing to go? How much longer are you going to blame everyone else for her failure and how much longer are you going to continue to incite division in the party by purposely coming into what you know is hostile territory and posting your sad little laments about how evil and stupid all of the Obama supporters are?

[bazokbros]

jsaebee2-Funny! If the Obama camp hadn't done the 4 points that Lanny is pointing out, then they should have been fired. Nothing the Obama camp did was under-handed or malicious using the above strategies. It's a presidential contest. I guess we are to assume that the Clintons out of sheer respect for Obama, wanted him to catch up in votes and delgates because they are such team players.

Clintonistas are coming across as perpetual victims and making it less likely for people to be empathetic to their cause.

[heather11483]

I fail to see how these points are negative, except in the way you've spun them here. And I think it shows unbelievable narcissism, on the part of those of you in Hillary's camp, to somehow cry foul over the fact that Obama is winning fair and square. Look, it happens! Not every candidate can win, okay?

Furthermore, I don't really think you want to be throwing accusations around when it comes to candidates never missing opportunities -- Yours took every opportunity to help the GOP pile onto Obama with every gaffe he made and every pander she tried, and on three separate instances created opportunities to bring up assassination. And then tried to accuse Obama of keeping it going when in fact he called for us to put it behind us!

Let's not throw stones in that particular glass house, mkay?

[Citizenofreality]

What is this, junior high? The grievances from the Obama camp would be as long, if not longer. It is time to grow up and unite to face John McCain in November.

[PorkBelly]

Fourteen things the Clinton Campaign couldn't resist doing to Anger Obama Supporters

1. Planting questions at a town hall
2. "as far as I know"
3. Bob Johnson
4. Geraldine Ferraro
5. 3AM red phone
6. Me & McCain have passed the CIC threshold & Obama "has a speech he gave in 2002"
7. Osama bin Laden ad
8. "Jesse Jackson won SC"
9. Fake NAFTA controversy
10. "Fairy tale"
11."He wouldn't have been my pastor"
12. MI & FL are like Zimbabwe, Women's suffrage, & the Civil Rights movement
13. "hard-working, white people"
14. "Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June"

That took me about 90 seconds, BTW. I'm sure I could think up another 14 quite easily.

[Johnnn]

What Geraldine Ferraro has said -- all of it -- was important for her to say. It will give you insight into what many Hillary people are thinking, if you care. She at least says it out loud.

[PorkBelly]

The Clinton supporters who are thinking the same thing that Ferraro said are bigots.

Sorry but that is the truth.

And saying it out loud is nothing to be proud of.

[AsaNisMasa]

lol, Lanny you need to put the pipe down. Since when has West Virginia been a crucial state in ANY election?

Here's a little tip: the race is over.

[allonfla]

# 5 - Running a brilliant campaign.

As if the Clintons would provide Senator Obama and his supporters any type of "courtesy". Give me a break! the Clintons had all their opponents in this race declared losers when she said it would be over on Feb. 5th.

Can anyone write an article about the trouble SHE WILL have getting the votes of Obama's supporters if---if--IF---he doesn't get the nomination?

Appearantly, his ALL powerful supporters are being blamed for alienating her supporters, costing her the election, sexism, race-bating, inflaming her RFK comments, global warming, etc... So wouldn't that make us the hardest to convert?