I hope she stays through May--it's good for Obama

[ginnyinWI]

The negative aspect:
People say this primary is divisive, and it is--but the party will be able to heal as long as we have enough time to do that before the election. If she is out by June, there should still be enough time.

The positive aspects:
On the other hand, having HRC still in the race is keeping interest focused on the Democrats, money flowing in, volunteers signing up, and people registering to vote. It is a net plus at this point to have two in the race.

The Democrats have the media focused on them and are able to get messages out on health care, Iraq and the economy. Instead of one candidate talking about these things, we have two. She's promoting basically the same policies that Obama is, with relatively minor differences. All done on her dime. We can't assume that if she were out, Obama would be taking in as much as the two of them are now doing together.

Each of them seems to have stopped attacking each other, and begun to attack McCain. This is making all the difference! This helps Obama because again, two are attacking the GOP candidate instead of one, and neither is contributing to added division in the party.

But the attacks she's already launched against him have also been good. She threw stuff out there much too early, making it harder for it to do as much damage when the GOP gets a chance to do it a few months before the November election. Notice they aren't doing much of this themselves right now--they know it's too early. But Hillary doesn't care about that, needs to make use of it now, so Obama's been able to effectively respond now.

Even though partisans like us are impatient to get the GE started, continuing the primary season could be the best thing for Obama. If there's anything else out there to try to undermine him with, I hope she uses it. He'll be able to keep showing the super delegates how well he can run a campaign.

[babylonsister]

1. If the media would focus on policies, that would be one thing. But

they focus on the 'scandals': hospital-, sweetie-, missile-, Wright-gates, instead of issues. Or they focus on who said what about who. Sigh.

[PA Democrat]

2. Agreed. The media's coverage of the primary race is about as appealing

as watching cage match wrestling for me. The only thing covered is who is getting in the most below the belt punches and kicks. The issues are rarely discussed and when they are, never in detail.

[ginnyinWI]

3. well even in that way, she helps.

We know that the media always has to have their story, their scandal of the day. Right now they've got three candidates to work with, and HRC is providing them with a lot of copy. She makes Obama seem presidential by comparison.

[democrattotheend]

4. They'll do that in the general too though

[niceypoo]

5. If Obama talked about policies, the media would have more than BS to focus on...

...and so would Obama's supporters

[babylonsister]

6. He does; you just don't listen, as usual. You've got tunnel vision.

Not my problem; you've been here long enough to read all about his policies if you cared to. All you can do is try and smear Obama and his supporters-you can't even defend your gal. :nopity:

[40ozDonkey]

7. The more people see of Obama, the more his favorables rise.

Must be infuriating to both the Clinton and McCain camps.
Let it go through June. By the time Obama comes out the nominee the Republican smear machine will have no recourse but to use old shit.
Meanwhile McCain's embarrassments will come on a week-to-week basis, and the media can pounce on that.

[John Q. Citizen]

8. I'm of a mixed mind about it. On one hand, the fear mongering, the elevation of McCain over

Obama, and the race baiting by the Clinton Campaign has been a big, elephant in the room negative.

On the other hand, the best case scenario for the Dems would be to have enough supers migrate little by little to Obama so that he has enough supers that a states elected pledged delegates could put him over the 2025 mark, in may or June. (June 3rd is the date of the last two primaries, SD and MT)

That would allow the Dems to proclaim Obama had won the primary/caucus elections, (since the election would be what put him over the top,) It would provide cover for the supers, in that they could rightfully claim that they hadn't selected the nominee, and it would provide cover for Clinton, because she wouldn't have to concede without either candidate reaching the 2025 mark. She could concede based on Obama's total delegate count being over 2025, or she could go to the convention and use her minority delegation to try to win platform planks, etc.

Once Obama goes beyond 2025, a whole lot of supers could come on board or switch to Obama from Clinton and then FL and MI could be quickly and easily negotiated.

[grantcart]

9. I agree and telling her to get out is counterproductive anyway.

She isn't going to listen to anyone and it is resented by her followers.