Change

[H2O Man]

This week, Andrea Mitchell reported on MSNBC that high ranking people from the Clinton campaign had told her that they recognized Hillary Clinton had lost the democratic primary contest to Barack Obama. I rarely take anything reported in the corporate media on face value, but it has been interesting to note the change in the tone of the Clinton campaign this week. It was particularly encouraging to watch Senator Clinton participate in the coordinated democratic response to President Bush’s attack on Senator Obama.

Yet one question remains: if, as Andrea Mitchell reported, the Clinton campaign is aware that Obama has won the contest, why is Clinton still in the race?

Several possibilities come to mind. Perhaps it is to try to raise money to pay off the growing campaign debt. Or it could be that they hope that some scandal will come up before the convention, which will make Obama unacceptable to the party. It might be that Hillary is so convinced that she is the best qualified democrat, that she can’t see what is obvious to her supporters. Maybe she is hoping to become the vice presidential candidate. Or, possibly, she is focused on 2012.

On Friday, I spoke with someone who I trust and respect, and this is what she told me: Hillary Clinton is aware that Barack Obama is going to be the democratic nominee. She is staying in the race primarily out of a sense of obligation to her supporters, which is also best understood as being part of her loyalty to the democratic party. She believes if she dropped out now, that her most loyal supporters would interpret that as the party leaders forcing her to drop out, something that has not been done with male candidates in past years.

I was told that Senator Clinton is staying in so that democrats in the remaining primaries will have the opportunity to cast their votes. There are also issues to be resolved involving Florida and Michigan. The goal is to keep as many people committed to the process, and invested in the fall campaign as possible.

Senator Clinton is not engaging in attacks on Obama; instead, she is concentrating on her campaign’s strengths. These are the things that she will be in a position to advocate for being included in the party’s platform. The Obama campaign is not pressuring super delegates to endorse him immediately, because there is no need to increase the bad feelings between the supporters of the two democratic candidates.

After the June 3 primaries in Montana and South Dakota, Senator Clinton will step aside, and will endorse Barack Obama’s candidacy. She will work hard to push for the things that are of the most importance to her and her supporters in the platform. And she will work very hard to help secure democratic victories in November.

Both campaigns are fully aware that there are forces looking to exploit the acrimony that defined parts of the primary contest. By endorsing and strongly supporting the Obama campaign, Senator Clinton will be making clear that she wants her supporters to vote campaign and vote for Senator Obama. Thus, anyone who continues to promote a divisive program that either supports McCain, a third party candidate, or not voting, will be easily recognized as having an agenda that has nothing to do with support for Hillary Clinton.

The democratic presidential primary has been one for the history books. And part of Senator Hillary Clinton’s political legacy will be that she helped bring about a huge democratic victory in November, 2008.

[antigop]

1. and she can further her political legacy....

She can return to the Senate and make healthcare her #1 priority.

She can be the Senate sponsor of HR 676 -- Medicare for All. There is no Senate companion bill to the House bill yet.

She is on the Senate HELP committee, isn't she?

She can help move universal health care in the Senate.

She could also pick some other major issues -- the environment, etc. -- and become the Senate voice for these issues.



jmo

[H2O Man]

19. The Senate could

benefit from members cooperating with a democratic President on an agenda that provides for the American people, rather than corporations. Hillary Clinton could provide valuable leadership there.

[bigtree]

2. That assessment is backed up by reports from the trail

--- Tonight, the only reference Clinton made before the Portland audience to Obama was complimentary – pointing to how he voted for measures that lessened the strain from high fuel prices on consumers. “There were two state of examples of this in the last seven or eight years, both Illinois and Indiana -- in fact, my opponent voted for it when he was in the Illinois state senate – had a gas tax holiday, and consumers got the benefits of it,” she said.

There was a silence on the telephone line as well, with Clinton’s campaign holding no conference calls with the press – a main source of the trench warfare between Obama and Clinton’s camps in recent weeks. What could be seen as too negative to be said by Clinton herself in public was told to the press by her communications team – Howard Wolfson, Phil Singer, and Geoff Garin – all of whom remained strangely quiet.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/05/17/politics/fromtheroad/entry4104606.shtml


my post today:

Hillary Clinton on the High Road in Oregon
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6009305

[H2O Man]

20. It seems realistic.

No one is going to be 100% happy with the way things turn out at the convention. But we can meet the needs of the majority of people by combining efforts, and winning the White House as well as making gains in Congress.

[slinkerwink]

3. That's my take on it as well.

[K Gardner]

4. Perhaps Mitchell wasn't in on the conference call with "bloggers", where she encouraged them

to make the bogus cases she presented "over and over and over". I, too, believed she had stopped the attacks until I heard the call.

"I believe I WILL WIN. I believe my opponent COULD WIN."

She needs to stop encouraging her lunatic internet fringe to continue attacking if she is sincere about stopping.

[bigtree]

5. she shouldn't encourage folks to advocate for her?

I find this attack on her 'pep talk' to be amazingly petty. The Obama camp has an entire website of talking points which they encourage supporters to adopt and broadcast.

And, voters aren't a 'lunatic fringe' for expecting the rest of the race to continue unabated, effective with their support.

[redstate_democrat]

7. Hey

[K Gardner]

9. ROFL !

[bigtree]

10. most folks are mature enough to accept that their votes may not be decisive

But our democracy is based on their participation, whatever the outcome. I wouldn't assume that most voters (or Hillary Clinton) feel the least bit diminished because her rival appears to be prevailing. Just thought I'd let you know.

[K Gardner]

8. Her pep talk was based on misinformation and lies. That's the difference.

[bigtree]

11. I've seen and heard myriads of scenarios for this election

I'm not going to go around calling those opinions lies, no matter which camp they come from. Voters will decide this election in the end, I believe. All of the handwringing over the politics and strategizing is just silly prattle over background noise.

[K Gardner]

12. At this point in the "primaries", I agree with your last sentence :-)

[bigtree]

13. we're 'weeks' away from the end of the primaries.

I don't expect any surprises. What a race.

[H2O Man]

14. 2 weeks 3 days

What is happening will likely not seem satisfactory to Obama supporters -- for Senator Clinton is specifically reaching out to her supporters. Also, as we witnessed with Edwards, a strong showing allows a candidate to influence the democratic party's platform. And Senator Obama has shown himself to be fully able to reach out to find common ground with people he competed against in the primary.

Strange times. We will never forget the 2008 democratic primary. And we won't let the republicans forget it, either.

[AtomicKitten]

6. Her continued presence in the race is giving her supporters false hope that is making them bitter.

They are vultures perched on the precipice of the nomination, her surrogates still trying to bury Obama every chance they get among the tee-vee talking heads, to what end?

Hillary is giving them false hope in saying she can still win this thing. Short of a coup which she and they are apparently fine with, they wait, wishing and hoping that Obama crashes and burns.

I don't find that picture anywhere in the ballpark of being helpful toward party unity. That bitterness is being cultivated and Hillary has made it very clear she intends to harvest it in her now pointless quest for the nomination.

Democrats will not issue a sigh of relief until she concedes, all the while the party's precious resources and time wasted waiting for her to do the right thing.

[LiberalAndProud]

15. I think so.

I hope so.

[quiet.american]

16. Suspected as much, but it's too soon for me to get misty-eyed over Clinton. nt

[rosesaylavee]

17. I am glad for all of us

that it is coming to an end. I would highly expect that Clinton gets an offer to participate at a high level in the coming DEM administration. She of course can continue to do good work in the Senate too.

You can't say she held back and didn't give it all she had.

[Occam Bandage]

18. Sounds about right, but her campaign's bogus "popular-vote winner" push doesn't mesh.

[grantcart]

21. well I suspect that Wednesday will be a relevation

A lack of fund raising will suck the air out of the Clinton campaign.


It is curious that after a sustained period where 30 delegates were rung up over 5 days yesterday and today were very light with only one super and one add on - almost as if the Obama campaign had pulled back a little.

The well coordinated attack on caucuses and trying to undermine the valididty of caucus delegates plus the lack of a compromise on MI and FL seems to indicate that the Clinton campaign is still interested in staking out a claim for something - even if it isn't the nomination for President.

The reason that nobody has forced a 'male' candidate out in the past is because the traditional reason for dropping out is financial but that doesn't seem to apply in the Clinton's case.

[H2O Man]

23. Several weeks ago,

a friend who is an attorney explained some of the financial problems the Clinton campaign was experiencing, which were not being reported in the media. He said they made it difficult to stay in, but also difficult to bow out.

[ekwhite]

22. Thanks for a positive post

Thanks to the Clinton campaign for toning down the rhetoric against Obama. I hope you are right - I would like to see her and Bill campaign for Obama in states where they are popular, like Pennsylvania and West Virginia - it would go a long way towards restoring her reputation. I see no reason at all for her not to remain in the remaining primaries - it is only a couple of extra weeks. I will be more relieved to see her and Obama agree to a compromise on seating Michigan and Florida.