Were the superdelegates to nominate Hillary Clinton, despite Barack Obama gaining a plurality among the pledged delegates, they would run the risk of alienating black voters in November.
But what exactly would that mean? In how many states do black voters make the difference? I ran some rough numbers over at Robert Emmet -- check them out. Depending on how much of a drop-off you assume, it could cost the Democrats 10 to 76 electoral votes.
Barack has been in the Senate for three years and has ushered 15 bills into law, three of which are huge with regards to how the US government conducts business. He was also intimately involved in the ethics reform plan that has begun to move the Senate toward a more transparent operating stature.
You candidate is an empty suit, bereft of an meaningful accomplishments and has been forced to lay claim to the accomplishments of others in order to bolster a lackluster resume that was mostly a reflected image of her husband's rise to fame.
Sorry. That's why she is losing. It has nothing to do with Barack or his supposed lack of experience that remains extremely effective in everything he has ever done.
because of Hillary Clinton & because of Barack Obama. Obviously, nothing
like it ever before. And something that may tear the Democratic party apart.
The curious thing is, though, that all this tumult is ONLY in the Demo party.
If blacks are seriously distraught over what's happening, what could happen,
are they going to desert the Demos? Not for the Repos they aren't.
Interesting aside: a lot of Repos departed the GOP over Nixon, or Reagan, or
Bush. Those still left in that party are obviously hard-core demented 'conservatives',
with no use for anyone of a leftish persuasion, or for hardly anyone of a non-whitish
complexion. Now, that is arguably what creates a truely troublesome, dangerous
condition in American politics: people are STUCK in their political parties, like them
or not. Discuss!
But then, more bizarre still, is the suggestion that who cares if black people don't vote. It won't matter that much. Huh? I thought we were democrats with a small d. I thought we wanted people to vote, wanted people to get involved.
What's the bottom line? If the rich, powerful, elite, mostly white insider hacks get to choose who runs, and black people turn their back because once again they have been disenfranchised -- who cares? Is that what this article means? Well, I care. For one. I care a lot.
And by the way, if the superdelegates disregard the votes of the citizens and select Clinton, she'll lose a lot more than the black vote. She'll lose my vote, and I'm not even beige.
And, younger voters who have begun to realize that it is their futures that are at stake would be especially disillusioned. They are the ones who will inherit the dysfunction that our generations have created (the demise of social security and medicare, wars around the world, lack of jobs paying a living wage, soaring health care, global warming, etc., etc.) They seem to understand that they must begin to participate in the election process or the status quo will reign supreme.
So long as the race is perceived as won or lost fairly, I do not believe that there will be a rift in the Dem party. The greater fear, as I see it, is not so much crossovers to the GOP, but that disillusioned voters will simply not vote at all. We shall see.
Suppose the Demos nominate Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama.
What are african-americans gonna do about it anyway?
Vote for the Repo man? Not hardly.
But, that's over 12% of the electorate. Potentially, NOT VOTING.
(Alternatively, suppose the Demos were to piss off jewish-americans.
What are they gonna do it about anyway?
Vote for the Repo man? Well, yes, probably they will. That's 2% of the electorate.)
Is one of these propositions more offensive than the other?
If the Demos nominate Clinton over Obama, what does it
matter how many Obama supporters of all colors & creeds
are pissed off. What are THEY gonna do about it?
Vote for the Repo man? Most likely, no.
So, it'd be ok to choose Hillary Clinton, you imply.
You're taking a big chance, that pissed off Demos &
independents are NOT going to vote AT ALL.
But I think you know that.
Let the system work its magic.
surprisingly enough, I was impressed, as I was not expecting such a well
considered statement. Indeed, this is part of what has to happen on the
way to picking the Demo candidate. I misjudged you.
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Do Democrats need the black vote?
By Robert Schlesinger
How much do black voters matter to Democrats in a presidential election? Try 76 electoral votes worth. ...
I started with the 20 states that John Kerry won in 2000; then using CNN’s exit polls I estimated the number of black voters in each state and the number that voted Democratic. I found that black votes numbered more than Kerry’s margin for error in six states: Pennsylvania (21 electoral votes), Michigan (17), New Jersey (15), Maryland (10), Wisconsin (10), and Delaware (3).
Of course there’s no scenario under which black voters simply don’t show up. Instead, the danger is depressed turn-out. So, again using CNN’s exit poll numbers, I ran some estimates of what would happen if a smaller percentage of blacks turned out:
- At 90 percent black turn-out, Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes slide into the GOP column.
- At 75 percent black turn-out, Pennsylvania’s 21 electoral votes go Republican.
- At 70 percent Michigan’s 17 electoral votes turn from blue to red.
- At 50 percent the GOP collects Delaware’s three electoral votes. ...
AMEN Patrice - I'm with you - Blacks are not to blame in this fiasco. Check your mirrors people!
First of all, the DNC made rules regarding the primaries and two states, Florida and Michigan, defiantly (no matter what they say about Republican interference) broke those rules and now want to have their votes counted. They could have gone to the DNC WHEN THE STATE GOVERNMENTS CHANGED THE DATE OF THEIR PRIMARIES AND ASKED FOR ADVISE BUT THEY DIDN'T. They are disqualified for breaking the rules, not because they have a right to vote and are being denied, they are disqualified because they didn't care what happened in January and now they do. Or maybe they don't maybe HILLARY CLIINTON DOES!!!!
Hillary went on Jay Leno last night and spoke to this issue, saying Obama could have had his name on the ballot in Michigan, and made his choice not to do that. She continued to double speak her lies about how she believes all have a right to have their vote counted.
Hillary doesn't have anything on her side at this point except herself saying this is wrong. She absolutely would not be calling for the votes to be counted IF SHE THOUGHT SHE WOULD COME OUT A LOSER IN THOSE STATES. WHO COULD DOUBT THAT!?
I'm sure the same will be true if they decide to give the nomination to Obama as well.
J U S T C A L M D O W N.......