We Haven’t Picked a Democratic Candidate Yet?!
This is starting to get ugly, folks. Despite all hopes for a Clinton-Obama dream ticket, neither candidate has made a move in that direction. Both candidates have said that it’s too early to discuss possible VP picks, though the closer we get to the Democratic Convention without a clear winner, the bigger the rift in the party is becoming.
A recent poll from Quinnipiac University (yeah, we’d never heard of it before either) shows that both Democrats would beat John McCain if the election were held today. But CNN reported that West Virginia exit polls from yesterday indicated that majorities of both candidates’ supporters would not support the other Democratic candidate in the general election—and that’s where the problem lies. Whoever the Democratic candidate is, they’re going to need their fallen opponent’s supporters in order to win. The longer this fight continues, the bigger the rift in the Democratic party will get and the harder it will be to bring the two sides together behind either Obama or Clinton.
That same poll reported that 45 percent of Democrats want Obama to be the nominee and 41 percent want Clinton. But 63 percent said Clinton should keep running, and 60 percent said Obama should pick her as his running mate if he is the nominee, so basically we can conclude that the American people (or at least the Democrats) don’t really know what they want.
In any case, Hillary Clinton is fashioning herself as the underdog, and now that she’s won West Virginia she’s “more determined than ever” to keep on fighting. Media outlets can’t decide how to react; some insist that her win in West Virginia was a big deal, while others are saying that in the grand scheme it really doesn’t matter because Obama has the nomination sewn up.
I’m going to go take a nap. Someone wake me when we’ve picked a Democratic candidate.
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People who say they wont support the other Democratic candidate are fooling themselves. They won’t have the stomach to see another 4 years of Republican rule, especially not by John “Warhawk” McCain.
Ben R.
May 14, 2008 at 11:51 am
Congrats on the google link!
Congrats
May 14, 2008 at 12:36 pm
If Obama was elected, you don’t have a country to worry. Why worry about your stomach now??????? Obama is going to turn America into Sub-Africa.
Microtek
May 14, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Clinton is being selfish any way you cut it. Either she’s pushing on for the VP ticket or to try and soften the blow of her full out removal, for herself over Obama. It’s obvious what’s happening; she’s lost! If she really wanted the VP seat, she’d use her leverage in this race to fight for that, shift her focus and convince her base to move with her. Nope. She’s senseless. She cares about number one. She is attempting to hold Democrats hostage with an army of supporters who can be equally as victimized when she loses the nomination
Shame on you, Hillary Clinton!
Andy
May 14, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I think it’d be wiser to treat this subject like an egg swinging on a table. We are talking here about people who seemingly consider race as a problem, ie, people not prepared to vote for a black candidate. The one million dollar question is how fierce/bad this unpreparedness is. I think there is some level of risk here to consider and anticipate. I am an Obama supporter and all this thing is now getting disgusting….
youbamb
May 14, 2008 at 12:46 pm
You’ve never heard of Quinnipiac?
They’re not a huge university, but their polling outfit is one of the premier polling units in the northeast.
Chump
May 14, 2008 at 12:47 pm
The hell with the Dems- I say Hillary needs to run for president even if the dems do not run her. She will beat both Obama Hussen and Mcwar.
cal
May 14, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I want a president to take my tax money and actually spend it on things like roads and bridges. Make Company’s tear down 100 year old industry and put up new better ones.
How about making lots of fire walls for our Forests so that before they burn ( every year ) they don’t burn out of control… Maybe they should cut down trees and plant other types of trees.. like Evergreens in there…to solve the problem….
Hydrogen Fuel from water is a good answer… can we get a president to do that?
How come I don’t hear about Hillary running as an Independent yet?
I voted for Obama. I’m a retired white city worker.
TekWiz2001
May 14, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Yes, we haven’t picked a democratic candidate because the leading candidate is not the right one to face the Republican comes November. Hillary is the right candidate for the following reasons:
1. She won (must) the popular vote.
2. She has more experience on economic issues, security matters and
foreign affairs.
3. She is the senior Democrat in the government service and the US
Senate.
4. The view that Barack is the one who can create change in
government or in Washington because he is new and is attracting
people from both sides is a fallacy and may even border on fantasy.
The reality is that it needs one who has the right experience
in government, one who has the knowledge, actual experience, and
and gut-feel of the difficulty and conflicting interest, to become
the better agent of change for the better. And those qualities
are better imbibed in Hillary.
5. Hillary is open and amenable to the idea of having Barack as her
vice presidential candidate. This is crucial for it will spell
clearly a united Democratic Party, and a very strong ticket to
defeat the Republican Party.
LEE PETERSON
May 14, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Why Lee Peterson’s comment is laughable:
1. She won (must) the popular vote.
-Absolutely, positively incorrect. Even if you count the *against party rules* popularity contest in Florida. Have you ever watched CNN?
2. She has more experience on economic issues, security matters and
foreign affairs.
-She has so much experience that she said she doesn’t listen to economists when it comes to the gas tax issue. Every good economist says it’s a terrible idea and just an attempt to pander to the people. Good job, Hillary. Let’s do something that will help very little in the short term while digging ourselves into a bigger hole. Do some more research on this issue. Most of her “experience” is being first lady (she only has one term more as a senator). In reality, Barack has more experience being an elected official than Hillary (he was a state senator in Illinois for eight years).
3. She is the senior Democrat in the government service and the US
Senate.
-Are you serious? She is not a senior democrat. She is still a junior senator. You want to talk senior Democrats? Try Joe Biden.
5. Hillary is open and amenable to the idea of having Barack as her
vice presidential candidate. This is crucial for it will spell
clearly a united Democratic Party, and a very strong ticket to
defeat the Republican Party.
Of course she is, she’s losing and if she were to cheat and win somehow, Obama supporters would be ridiculously upset. Why on earth should the second place person be offering the winner VP? If she were the nominee, thousands and thousands of voters would be disenfranchised.
Thanks for the laugh, though. You people are a riot sometimes with your illogical, poorly researched arguments.
Jasett
May 14, 2008 at 2:39 pm