Oh, wait. That was just a dream I had last night. Clinton's still in (it's probably better for Obama that she is such a fighter) and is getting revved up about West Virginia, a shoo-in state for her. Commentators will continue to ask, "Why can't Barack Obama win those white, blue-collar voters? How will that play out in the general election?" They will continue to not ask (or to not ask as much), "Why can Hillary Clinton barely pull 10 percent of the black vote? How will that play out in the general election, especially if she wins the nomination using tactics that, perceived or otherwise, stole the nomination from Barack Obama?" We will continue to hear Clinton's camp spin the Michigan and Florida angle as if the whole thing was Barack Obama's fault — I heard it a million times last night — and that the poor voters in Michigan and Florida would have their voices heard if only Barack Obama hadn't been so unreasonable. Although, I will hand it to the Clinton camp. Through great adversity last night — i.e. every Republican, Obama supporter, or neutral saying otherwise — they still managed to maintain that this was a wonderful night for Clinton.
I'm also not of the school of thought that says this was such an amazing night for Obama. Sure, he won North Carolina by a lot, lost Indiana by a little, and proved, to some extent, that the Wright scandal that the media played up like it was the second Watergate did not matter as much as everyone thought it did. Also, most political-types take this as an indication that he's got it in the bag. But really, it won't be a wonderful night for either of them until this thing is over and one of them has the nomination. Until then, every gain that doesn't result in the end of the race for the nomination has got to be at least a little bittersweet at this point.
*I saw the word "eke" in headlines on multiple major websites. I figured it was a requirement.
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OMIGOD!!! I thought she really did bow out!! I was so excited until I kept reading!! Darn it, Lauren! LOL!
Because the swing states have large white blue collar populations that tend to vote somewhat arbitrarily with no particular focus on their best interest. They, the undecideds and the moderates, decide elections. The exception is Florida in which the AARP set and Latinos have a lot of influence.
@ljkelly: LOL, I thought the same thing when I read that. Clinton is NOT gonna stop however I am rooting for Obama, good to hear that he won in Carolina.
I still say we should settle this with rock, paper, scissors. Anderson Cooper could host. Its more efficient and it takes the burden of superdelegates. Loser gets VP
Why should she bow out? Half the democratic party supports her, she shouldn't stop.
Exactly! *M*, I agree. People conveniently forget that. Yea, keep dreaming (for now), Lauren! If he gets the nod I just hope folks on my side come out for him. My husband is a left-leaning independent and is not going to vote for Barrack despite me pleas to just vote dem. My indifference to Barrack doesn't help my case in getting my husband to vote the ticket. I'm on the fence as are other ppl I know. Not going to vote repub, but they say they'll just stay home. It's a two-way street, but sometimes Obama supporters forget that. HRC supporters have been called low class, poor, uneducated, stupid and racist and I think Obama (and his supporters) are going to regret that very soon: he may get the nod, but he's not going to win the presidency.
I don't know how Obama or his supporters can forget that there is a two-way street when polls constantly indicate that many Clinton supporters say they won't vote for Obama in the primaries. I certainly think that Obama is making a great effort trying to reach through the combination of media bullshit and his own personal shortcomings in this arena to appeal to those voters. Clinton voters have been called names… Obama supporters have been called names… whatever.
I think that at this point Clinton, a la the entire GOP, has written off an overwhelming majority of blacks as a lost cause. I have zero intention of voting for anyone but a Democrat (if it's HRC, I might cry all the way to the polling place) in the general election, but, again, there are people on both sides who don't share that sentiment. If Clinton does what she says she will and whole heartedly works to get Obama the presidency when/if she concedes the nomination, then a lot of pouty people might come around. Then again, they might not. What can we do about it? It's not like there aren't furious Obama supporters who are going to sit out the general if she gets the nod. If Obama won't win the presidency because of "offended" HRC supporters, then I have a hard time believing HRC would have fared any better if she had actually managed to secure the nomination like everyone thought she would a year ago. At this point — due to her own short-comings as a candidate, she has found herself in a position where if she wins, it will be in such a way that it will make a large portion of the base feel as if something was unfairly stolen from them, whether that's wrong or right. Not exactly something that encourages people to leave their house and vote for someone.
BMD- I will vote the lesser of two evils. If your husband stays home tell him I said he should not complain if John McCain wins and we go to war with Iran.
Lauren, you really shouldn't tease us like that. I was thinking I missed something. LOL! Anyway, I agree that if HRC somehow finds a way to STEAL the nomination from Barack, I will still vote for her. I will be cussing, fussing and cryin all the way to the voting booth, but I could never vote for McCain. And as a someone whose parents both dealt with the indignities and horror of segregation and marched for the right to vote, I could not sit home either.