Barring an Edwards miracle, I hope he endorses Obama - and together defeat Hillary

[RiverStone]

It may be the only way folks.

Some folks hung on to Gore well past the time a presidential run announcement was realistic...
Some folks refuse to vote for anybody other then Kucinich...
Some folks will not acknowledge that John is probably out of the race, and hope he stays in till the convention...

I respect and understand all the above sentiments.

And Edwards is my personal choice of the 3 remaining contenders...

But, barring a miracle in SC - if John has another very poor showing the ONLY way Obama's victory can be assured is if Edwards supporters reluctantly, but definitively migrant to the Obama camp.

If enough don't, we will not elect a candidate of change and renewal and vision.

We will elect the corporate status quo.

I know, Edwards supporters may pitch me shit for this --- but if Obama is the only Hillary alternative we have left, dammit - we must do all we can to increase the odds of an Obama victory.

You might not like hearing it, but soon it may be the ONLY way Obama can win the nomination.

I'd much rather see Obama as our nominee than Hillary!!!

Just facing the reality of the situation. :think:


On Edit added: Still hoping for an amazing Edwards comeback - but we really are almost out of time. It may pay off to have a very solid plan B: be for OBAMA!

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. I have no problem with that.........n/t

[ursi]

16. me either!

[lapfog_1]

2. Actually, we will only NOMINATE the corporate status quo

The other side will elect the corporate status quo.

[robbedvoter]

3. That would require yet another turnaround - not that anyone would pay attention

[Guaranteed]

4. Very important post. Thanks for the reminder. nt

[zalinda]

5. No thanks, he a big bag of wind n/t

[CoffeeCat]

6. I've heard people suggest that if Edwards quits...

his supporters wouldn't necessarily go to Obama, and that Hillary might
get a good share.

I find that really difficult to believe.

I certainly don't know every Edwards supporter in the universe, but I met
many throughout the campaigns, and the Obama and Edwards people that I met
were galvanized against the idea of Hillary.

There seems to be a lot of reciprocity between the E and O camps.

Maybe other Edwards supporters will chime in.

[goodgd_yall]

15. I'm an ex-Edwards supporter

And now I support Hillary.

[ursi]

17. And I support Obama

[jbm]

46. me too..n/t

.

[golddigger]

22. Well this Edwards supporter...

will switch to Hillary Clinton if it comes down to it. And you can thank some of the Obama supporters for my decision. I will leave it at that.

[cali]

31. You have to do what you believe is right, but allowing

posters on DU to influence your vote in any way, strikes me as strange.

[OneGrassRoot]

43. New posters can be taken with a grain of salt...

but for some of us who have been here for several years, becoming familiar with certain members and respecting their stance, and then seeing the absolute vitriol they're posting with in reply to anyone not FOR their candidate...well, it does have an effect, especially when coupled with paying attention to what's being said by candidates in the "real" world. A bigger picture emerges when you step back and take it all in.

[golddigger]

44. Cali, I guess I woke up in a bad mood...

I love all our candidates compared with the putrid filth that is the GOP field. And I believe anyone of our candidates will make mince meat of whoever their nominee is. And I apologize if I offended anyone.:hug:

[CoffeeCat]

33. Are you talking about the Obama supporters on this site?

Or are you talking about Obama supporters in general?

[golddigger]

37. Some yes, not all! n/t

[golddigger]

39. It's the rebellious side of me...

I don't like to be told who I should vote for if my candidate doesn't win the nom!

[in_cog_ni_to]

28. I'm an Edwards supporter and

I'm finished with Obama. His invoking REAGAN, of all people, into our election, was the last straw...AFTER his "let's come together, play nice with criminal repukes and sing Kumbaya" crap. NO THANK YOU. I want these criminals to pay for what they have done. Maybe Hillary will want revenge on the "vast RW conspiracy" thugs? We can hope.

[CoffeeCat]

32. With all due respect...

I am not a Reagan fan. I despise his policies.

However, it is historical fact that he, as Obama said, "changed the trajectory" of the Republican
party. He galvanized the Republican party and created a movement.

Obama didn't endorse Reagan's policies. Clearly, Obama's policies are not Reagan's policies.

Obama was talking about Reagan's ability to coalesce a consensus in his party.

No way is he saying that he'll play nice with the criminal "repukes" as you said. He's
a Constitutional scholar, who is outraged at what BushCo has done. He's been against the
war from the beginning. He and Edwards are not going along with the neocon agenda.

You might look at Clinton's "yes" on Kyl/Lieberman. As if the Lieberman co-sponsorship doesn't tell
you enough, that vote was a marketing plank for Bush to go after Iran. She voted "yes". I'm sick
and tired of people defending this blatant olive branch to the neocons--by pointing out that Obama
wasn't present for the vote. Voting YES on the Iraq war, and then AGAIN voting along with the
neocons again on Kyl/Lieberman.

I would think that mentioning Reagan as a President who "changed the trajectory" is not as grievous
as voting along with the neocons.

Lastly, I didn't catch the details, but Hillary Clinton has mentioned some of her favorite Presidents.
They were talking about this on "Meet the Press". One of her favorite Presidents---in Hillary's own
words, was Reagan.

[Labors of Hercules]

35. Have you forgotten?

Bill Clinton is jolly good friends with Reagan's Vice President?

And HILLARY herself says Reagan is one of her "favorite" presidents. She didn't talk about Reagan in a HISTORICAL context like Obama did, oh no, she just thinks Reagan was a "great president".

Obama was specific about "Reagan the politician", and said nothing that I, (a tree-hugging liberal that's as anti-Reagan's legacy as they come), would disagree with in an historical context.

[mnhtnbb]

48. My feelings, too. I never was intrigued with Obama.

[stravu9]

50. I'm With You!

!

[cboy4]

7. Sadly, I view your scenario as really nothing but

apples and oranges.

To me, it's like what difference does it make?

[RiverStone]

8. I still see a difference...

Between the old guard and the new.

Obama may be less of a difference then Dennis or Al would have been, but he at least is cut from a different time and cloth.

Hillary is so beholden to the corporate DLC, how can folks NOT see her as the candidate of the status quo. I can't fathom it.

My wish list went something like Gore, Kucinich, Edwards, Obama.........................................................Hillary.

It may be a compromise, but I can at least still get excited about Obama!

[cboy4]

11. I understand your reasons. For me, I'm having difficult

trusting Obama.

And the behavior of some of his supporters isn't helping to win me over.

I know I shouldn't allow that to influence me, but I can't help it.

I guess we'll see how things go.

[IsItJustMe]

13. Thinking the same exact thing. I will vote for BO or HRC in the GE, but if I had to pick one in the

primary, well, honestly, I would put flip a coin. Heads BO, Tails HRC. Just no enthusiam here.

[ruggerson]

9. I'd say a good 40% of Edward's vote will go to Clinton if he drops out

candidates usually can't order their supporters to march in lockstep to another candidate.

[Tarheel_Dem]

10. I'd say a good 20%.....see we can both pull numbers out of our ass....

[burythehatchet]

34. I say 12.76%

[stillcool]

12. I'm hoping for the same thing..

what happened to the Clinton's? It's like their masks have fallen off, revealing way more than I was ready to see. A few weeks ago I considered all these candidates basically the same. What a difference.

[Triana]

14. Since I live in a state where my vote won't matter anyway..

in the primary for sure -- and likely in the GE ...I'll likely just write in Edwards both times if he's not on the ballot.

[IDemo]

30. Tell me about it..

That is likely what I will do as well (in the GE, anyway).

[Kucinich4America]

18. Hillary is absolutely unacceptable under any circumstances.

There must never be another Bush or Clinton in the White House again. We may be past the point of recovery as it is. 8 more years of this shit would kill the country for sure.

[RiverStone]

19. I almost agree completely...but,

We who do not want Hillary have already expressed WHY we don't want her a million times.

That's not enough.

We need to band together as THE ALTERNATIVE vote. Bitching alone won't do it.

I'd suggest all who plan to (or wanted to) vote for anyone BUT Hillary band together. Obama, Edwards, Kucinich, etc...

Yea, it really could not be that simple, but any plan is better than just saying we don't want her!

Everybody knows why already.

[XOKCowboy]

20. I hope I'm wrong...

but I think that we're shooting ourselves in the foot again. Hillary and Obama both have HUGE negatives for the uninformed electorate. One is black and Hillary is a Clinton. There are a large number of people that, due to racism, sexism and the hard-core anti-Clenis crowd will never, ever vote for either. I don't have a problem with either candidate about those issues but I also refuse to vote for them because they're either black or a woman. I have a problem with both because of their policies and loyalties.

A year ago here on DU everyone was more populist than Jim Hightower and Molly Ivins because we were so sick of 7 years of B*** rule, the bloody Iraq Occupation, the rape of our civil liberties and a slim majority in Congress that was rolling over for the Repugs every chance they got. We finally get a candidate who espouses the true Progressive agenda and won't be owned by the insurance companies, energy companies, defense contractors or lobbyists. Yet since the Corporate Media says it's Obama/Hillary the lemmings go along and the one true Progressive candidate struggles to get his message out.

I'm an Edwards guy as long as he's in the race. I think he's the best candidate with the best ideas. I also think he's the most electable Dem in the GE. I will also vote for the Democratic nominee no matter who that is. I'm disgusted with the nominating process and the mainstream media so far in this election but I'm a Democrat through and through.

I'll probably have to end up voting for Anybody But A Republican once again. I've been doing it since Nixon. Just once I'd like to see the best candidate win.

[Radical Activist]

21. A Clinton nomination would be a disaster for the party.

If she loses, we get an ugly Republican agenda.
If she wins, we get a slightly less ugly Republican agenda.

[Tarheel_Dem]

47. My biggest fear with Clinton being on the ticket, will be the

negative impact on down-ticket races all across the South. So far, we've been in a good position to increase our margins in both houses of congress, and pick up some governerships. I just don't think we want a Clinton bringing down the party AGAIN.

[Radical Activist]

51. and the midwest

there's something about her that people in the midwest really don't like.

[Perry Logan]

23. Maybe a new wave of bullshit accusations will do the trick.

[B Calm]

24. Obama needs to stop praising scumbag republicans

like Ronald Reagan!

[in_cog_ni_to]

29. DAMN! I couldn't agree more!

:grr:

[Iceburg]

25. If he was wise, and I believe strongly that he is, then he won't endorse either ...

but offer a unifying message to the party, and release his candidates to follow ther own hearts. Edwards will put the good of the party and its ideas above his own personal aspirations and that is one reason why is so appealing as a candidate.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

26. Obama will be lose in November after getting smeared as being a Muslim.

I'm already hearing it from right-wing idiots and I don't discount their BS anymore. He will already be fighting an uphill battle over race with too many ignorant people ready to believe the worst. It will be ugly and effective. Progressives don't want to hear this seamy side but it will play a major role in making the small swing needed to win in this deeply divided country.

[RiverStone]

27. And Hillary would lose because....

She is so polarizing even among Democrats.

She may get a plurality of Dem votes, but not an enthusiastic majority. Many Dems would either vote reluctantly for her (after being dragged to the polls) or not at all.

I see so very little excitement for her from almost every Dem I know. And believe me, plenty of RW idiots have a very well rehearsed battle plan all ready in place against HRC.

In both our arguments, we FEAR a backlash. The difference is Hillary's negatives are well established. Obama's are mostly just conjecture.

I think if the country risked voting for a man from such a diverse and new cut of cloth, that we would be surprised that indeed - American's want a president that would unite the majority. I'd say Obama is a far better uniter then Clinton.

And Edwards - damn shame his message never caught on. I'll never get that one.

[Tarheel_Dem]

49. Bingo!

One of my best friends and co-worker comes from a Democratic family that embodies the "Reagan Democrat". They voted for Reagan both times, GHWB the first time because he was Reagan's Veep. In 1996 they came home & voted for Clinton. By '00, they had developed "Clinton Fatigue", so they voted for Bush II. That didn't work out as they had hoped, so in '04 they voted for Kerry.

This year there's no one on the Republican side that inspires anyone in their family so they were all prepared to support Edwards. Since it now looks like Edwards won't be a factor, they have turned their support to Obama because they don't want a replay of the 90's, and neither do I. They have decided they could never pull the lever for HRC, and that's why I fear we will get slaughtered if she's the nominee.

[whatchamacallit]

36. On the Presidential Hwy, my off-ramps in order:

Kucinich Ave - Edwards Ave - Obama Ave - Oops missed Clinton Ave, fuck it just keep drivin...

[K Gardner]

38. I'm inclined to agree with you. I am having a hard time pulling my support for Edwards,

but am having an even harder time imagining Hillary Clinton as our nominee. If Edwards votes are in ANY way responsible for her wrapping up the nomination, our country will be set back more years than I care to think about. I feel between a rock and a hard place.

[Tatiana]

40. I really have a hard time understanding why people won't vote for a certain candidate because of

his/her "supporters." I remember there were some crazy Dean, Kerry, & Clark supporters out there. That didn't make me feel like I wouldn't support any of the candidates.

We're electing a President, not their supporters. It's the merit and policies of the candidates that we need to be analyzing to determine who we vote for.

[fenriswolf]

41. super delegates make up 40% of the count

they will decide if its obama or hillary. Make no mistake about, they people in positions of power and money will decide who the dem nominee is along with the media. we have no control of who will be president.

[Yael]

42. John was asked about this -- "do you have to win SC"

He said, no. He is collecting delegates.

Something to think about.

[RiverStone]

45. And if you were to predict how John may use those..

...delegates come convention time, what would you predict Yael?

Ironically, John may have more to do with electing Obama or Clinton then Obama or Clinton!

As an aside, if he maintains his "change candidate" theme - I can't imagine John or his delegates wanting to align with Hillary. Does that make sense?