The minute OB clinches the nomination. I am celebrating the fact that DC status quo is DEAD. The soul of the party now is in the hand of people and regular voters instead of lobbyists and big money.

One step closer ending the war.

If this does happen, I’d like to make a pre-emptive call for the triumphalists to STFU so they don’t look even stupider than they already do when she starts campaigning on Obama’s behalf.  She ran a good campaign but came in second—that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

There’s no reason to act like sore winners and a whole bunch of reasons to NOT do it, so let’s be gracious, shall we?

(Obviously, I’m not speaking to or for any of our lovely and talented blog hosts.  This is just me speaking as the Oldest Surviving Pandagon Commenter.)

There’s no reason to act like sore winners and a whole bunch of reasons to NOT do it, so let’s be gracious, shall we?

No time to waste as sore gloating winners or sore disheartened losers-- the important task for all of us is to get the show on the road and take on McCain.

hmmm....*rub palms in evil ways*

which repug forum should I go in and stir some trouble. *taps fingers* My tor is going to go over time.

No time to waste as sore gloating winners or sore disheartened losers-- the important task for all of us is to get the show on the road and take on McCain.

Precisely.

Oh good. About time somebody start doing stuff to patch thing up quickly.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/6/2/162355/0928

Leaked memo: McCain

Wikileaks has a leaked memo which appears to be an internal memo from the McCain campaign to team members targeting Internet-based campaigning. The strategy? Take advantage of Clinton supporters of a specific demographic, target and inflame their anger to the point that they vote for McCain out of spite and fearmongering

MEMORANDUM
To: (redacted)
From: S. Schmidt
Date: May 15, 2008
Subject: Clinton Strategy
According to both internal polling and exit polls by independent news
organizations, the Democratic Party is becoming increasingly polarized along
certain segments of its base. The recent result in West Virginia, while generally
unsurprising and definitely unlikely to cause any real shift in the race,
highlights the growing bitterness between certain supporters of Clinton and
the Obama camp in general. This unique situation has created an opening that
could help depress the turnout of key Democratic demographics in November.
The specific group we are targeting is a cross-section of white, female voters
over the age of 40. Internal polling reveals that this group is the most likely to
support John McCain after Obama wins the nomination. However, we expect
Obama’s numbers to improve following Clinton’s drop. Our job is to make sure
that number stays as low as possible.
Our limited financial resources and the media’s attention on the Democratic
race, however, prevent us from reaching this group. Our aim is to point out
specific issues that we believe resonate well:

1. Sen. Obama’s connection to Rev. Wright
2. His inexperience
3. His links to the corrupt Chicago political machine

However, we cannot fully achieve this goal without a greater commitment on
the part of McCain’s fundraisers and our various media partners. In lieu of
that, we have developed a number of inexpensive ways to reach this audience.
We have already worked to reinforce the Clinton campaign’s narrative about
the unfair treatment that some networks, specifically MSNBC, have given her
camp. We are also planning to unroll a new campaign to highlight Obama’s
experience deficit.
Simultaneously, our team has been testing new lines of attack through
independent pro-Clinton communities on the Internet. Our hope is that our
message here will spread by word-of-mouth. Our local community organizing
has also been successful. We have organized dozens of “meet-ups” across the
country for Clinton supporters, and we have used that time to stress the
importance of punishing the DNC for choosing the undemocratically selected far-left Obama. At the moment, this is nothing more than a headache for the
Obama campaign. With a greater commitment on your part, I hope to see it
metastasize into something much more.
Let me know if you need more detail.

No time to waste as sore gloating winners or sore disheartened losers-- the important task for all of us is to get the show on the road and take on McCain.

Damn skippy.

In addition to help raising money to pay off some $20 million-plus in debts

This is making me lose respect for Clinton.  The Clintons can afford to pay the twenty million with no discernible impact on their life… but if they insist that rank and file Democrats do, that’s twenty million that’s not going to electing Obama in the fall, and Obama not getting elected would absolutely screw over tens of millions of Americans, not to mention the Iraqis and (possibly) the Iranians.  Asking for help paying back the debt from her campaign-- which hsa largely been a vanity one since March-- is the height of selfishness and callousness.

A call for a full moratorium on Clinton-bashing and Clinton-supporter bashing, no matter how warranted or justified you might think it is.

In about 30 hours, Barack Obama will be the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, and those of us who are staunch Obama supporters MUST recognize how absolutely critical it is to get the vast majority of Clinton’s supporters on our team.  No more name-calling, no more bickering, no more attacks, justified or not.

BOTTOM LINE:  Barack Obama will be the Democratic Nominee, but he will not have won the nomination in the “mandate” fashion that every one of his predecessors has done for the past 40 years.  Hillary Clinton may have lost, but she will have lost as one of the STRONGEST second place finishers in the history of the Democratic Party.  Her supporters couldn’t pull off what was needed to take the nomination from Obama, but you can bet your ass that they are strong enough to take away the Presidency from him if we aren’t extremely gracious towards them from here on out.

Let me summarize:  BARACK OBAMA WILL NOT BE THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES UNLESS AT LEAST 90% OF HILLARY CLINTON’s SUPPORTERS VOTE FOR HIM IN NOVEMBER.  FACT.  DOING ANYTHING, ANYTHING AT ALL TO ALIENATE THEM FURTHER AT THIS POINT WILL BE DONE AT THE PERIL OF BARACK OBAMA’S CANDIDACY.

ANYTHING AT ALL TO ALIENATE THEM FURTHER AT THIS POINT WILL BE DONE AT THE PERIL OF BARACK OBAMA’S CANDIDACY.

I will be happy to make nice with any Clinton supporter as soon as she concedes. However, according to her surrogates she plans to continue her struggle to the convention floor. This is unacceptable to me.

Red Robin -

Your point may have some validity, but right now isn’t the time to debate about whether or not Hillary deserves to be placated.  As one of the strongest second-place finishers in Democratic Primary history, some fence-mending is necessary, and some concessions MUST be made for how close she came to being the nominee.  And the honus is on Barack Obama and his supporters.

We CANNOT, CANNOT win against McCain if there are substantial hard feelings left behind with Clinton and her supporters.  For some, there is no amount of fence-mending that can be done.  But for most, the rift can be closed, provided that Obama acts as a gracious and magnanimous nominee, and does not give the impression that he’s blowing off Clinton or rubbing his victory in her face.

It may be a tough pill to swallow, but some ass-kissing is going to be needed to get the amount of Clinton supporters on board that we will need to win in November.  If we act like condescending jerks - sore winners if you will - we’re only hurting our own candidate’s chances at victory.

November will not be a cakewalk, no matter what Kos may think.  He also seemed to think that 2004 was going to be a cakewalk, IIRC.  That didn’t work out so well.  Don’t underestimate the ability of the GOP to make a seemingly impossible victory come to fruition, and don’t underestimate the Democratic Party’s ability to shoot itself in the foot.  Pissing off Clinton and her supporters would be shooting ourselves in the foot.

I say all of this as an incredibly staunch Obama supporter and someone who has been excited about his camapign since 2006 before he even announced.

QUOTE: “However, according to her surrogates she plans to continue her struggle to the convention floor.”

Believe me, I’m with you on this.  But I don’t think that this will be the case… the writing is on the wall, the Clinton rally tomorrow and the forthcoming SD endorsements of Obama will bring this race to a conclusion in the next 48 hours.

Let’s give her the benefit of the doubt over the next 48 hours - that she will end this race after the final votes tomorrow and once Obama has surpassed 2118.

If she opts to continue a bloodbath all summer, I agree, all bets are off.

But I truly, sincerely, and wholeheartedly believe that Hillary will be suspending her campaign and calling for her supporters to rally around Obama once 2118 is reached, by Wednesday morning at the latest (I’m thinking tomorrow night, but he might be just barely shy, depending on how and when the “Gang of 17” decides to make their endorsements known).

I’m with DTG.  We have 5 months to run a national campaign and beat McCain.  There is no time to do stupid end zone dances just because one very strong candidate just barely beat the other very strong candidate in a photo finish.  Time for handshakes, back slaps, and “Good game” before this intra-team scrimmage moves on to the real thing.

DTG-- Fair enough.  If paying off Clinton is the price, then Obama will probably have to do it.  But if she makes that one of her conditions-- instead of, say, healthcare reform or a commitment to reproductive justice-- I don’t have to respect her for it.  Obviously, though, I won’t be going to MyDD and Talkleft and talking smack. No point.

I would support Hillary all the way to the convention. She deserves the opportunity to make her case all the way there. This nonsense about Obama having had the nomination wrapped up months ago was self-fulfilling prophecy.

I would support Hillary all the way to the convention.

And if she suspends her campaign and works for Obama, what’s your plan then?

just as I thought. It ain’t over yet. She needs that money (she is $30-40m in the hole.)

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/2/184346/0900/166/527659

Ickes: Hillary won’t quit ‘till Obama helps with her debt

In a conference call with major donors this afternoon, contributors were told by Harold Ickes, a senior Clinton adviser, that she was unlikely to pull out of the race until the issue of her massive debts was resolved. The New York senator has lent her own campaign at least $11.5 million.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/foreign/tobyharnden/june2008/cashtalks.htm

I would support Hillary all the way to the convention. She deserves the opportunity to make her case all the way there. This nonsense about Obama having had the nomination wrapped up months ago was self-fulfilling prophecy.

Earnest, is it really important to be that way?

Clinton is not dropping out.

All those who were willing to give Senator Clinton the benefit of the doubt, believing that she would think about the party and election being more important than herself can now go have a stiff drink and feel stupid.  Yes, that includes me.

“Earnest, is it really important to be that way?”

...oh seeker, with your sneaky literary theater references…

Seeker recognizes that I’m a little Wilde. Mnemosyne, I think that if she conceded and supported Barack, I would end up voting for Barack, but not because of her endorsement. I supported John Edwards early on, and after he dropped out, I considered which of the remaining candidates I would support. Obviously, I decided in favor of Hillary. I hate that people are considering her a spoiler just because she’s vigorously contesting the nomination, just because it once appeared inevitable that he would get it weeks ago.

I was never one to jump on the “But Gore won the popular vote!” train in the 2000 election, so I won’t here. I would suggest, though, that she presents a candidacy that would be equal to or stronger than Barack’s, and that is something superdelegates should consider. I honestly wish they would just combine to form a power ticket.

all contested nomination on the floor ends in lost of party.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_National_Convention

The most historically notable—and tumultuous—convention of recent memory was the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, which was fraught with highly emotional battles between conventioneers and Vietnam war protesters and a notable outburst by Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley. Other confrontations between various groups, such as the Yippies and members of the Students for a Democratic Society, and the Chicago police in city parks, streets and hotels marred this convention.

The 1980 convention was the last convention for the Democrats that had even a sliver of doubt about who the nominee would be. (Ted Kennedy forced a failing vote to free delegates from their commitment to vote for Jimmy Carter). The 1976 convention was the last where the vice-presidential nominee was announced during the convention, after the presidential nominee was chosen. (Carter choosing Walter Mondale). After the “ugly” conventions of 1968 and 1972, the parties realized it was in their interests to show a unified party to the nation during the convention, and to try to eliminate any dissent. And as the conventions became less interesting, and television ratings have declined (as they have on average for all television shows),[2] the networks have cut back their coverage significantly, which in turn has forced the parties to manage what is televised even more closely.

“Seeker recognizes that I’m a little Wilde. “

Thank you for that much needed laugh.

God, I love it here!  Wits, intellects, jokers and somdomites.  I do not wish to be elsewhere.

God, I hate puns.

As I pointed out a month ago, there are other financial reasons Mrs Clinton can’t quit.  Once she drops out, her money dries up, and the McCain-Feingold Restriction on Speech Bill makes it illegal to raise money to pay off personal loans made to her campaign after the convention.  She could continue to raise money to pay off other creditors, but not herself.

Hillary will not give up until there is a democratic presidental nominee she said so herself and Obama has not clinched the nomination yet though he is very close.None of the presidental nominees have
experience because none of them have ever been in the white house seating in the oval office making
the toughest decisions they will ever make in life.

I would suggest, though, that she presents a candidacy that would be equal to or stronger than Barack’s

Are you kidding? She’s been all but unvetted this entire campaign, and the GOP have spent the past 4 years doing oppo research on her and Bill’s various shady dealings. The problem with her “experience” argument is that she hitched her wagon to Bill’s presidency - and with every bad decision he made in the close of his administration.

If you thought that Obama was damaged, at all, by the all-smoke-no-fire mini-scandals he’s successfully weathered, you haven’t seen what they would do to Clinton, with her personal history.

She’s the essentially unvetted candidate, here; if you think Monica Lewinsky was the last major scandal she’d have to endure you’re fooling yourself. She’s the weakest possible candidate against McCain and a GOP attack machine, because her and her husband have given them so much ammunition.

How is she going to be the “stronger candidate” with a tenth of the money? She can’t pay the bills she has now, much less the bills she’d incur in a general candidacy. It looks like she’s done, here, which is good; she was the one single candidate this election who could have turned a blowout victory into a narrow loss. There’s simply no cogent argument to the contrary.