The Democratic Party is Collateral Damage in Clinton Campaign's War

[K Gardner]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/democrats-no-good-scena_b_90160.html

The last set of positive scenarios for the Democratic Party is disappearing, leaving a series of increasingly unattractive options in its place. The Party is at risk of becoming collateral damage in the Clinton campaign's war for the nomination. If the Clinton team has found a pathway to the nomination that won't decimate the Party's chances in November, now would be a good time to share it.
It may not be enough just to persuade superdelegates to overrule the primary process and vote for her. Since the arithmetic's overwhelmingly against her, she may also need to convince the party to seat Michigan and Florida's ill-gotten delegates.

The only way that's not a complete disaster for the party is if a) Obama avoids going negative against her in response to her slash-and-burn tactics of the past week, b) she wins Pennsylvania and the horsetrading takes place immediately thereafter, and c) Obama is persuaded to abide by (and actively endorse) that deal by accepting the VP slot. Even so, a number of currently-mobilized volunteers could well be disillusioned and withdraw from the process.

And how likely is that scenario, anyway? Not very. Obama's already turning up the campaign rhetoric, so we're going to have two more weeks or more of the two remaining candidates slashing away at each other while McCain plays elder statesman. Clinton's negative tactics paid off for her personally this week, but at tremendous cost to the party. If Obama wins the nomination now, the Republicans will have heavy artillery to use against him -- artillery built and hand-delivered by Sen. Clinton and her campaign.

<snip>

If there is any scenario for her continued candidacy that grants her victory and doesn't gravely damage Democratic chances, it's incumbent upon Sen. Clinton to tell us what it is. Otherwise the Party's sole goal should be to end her campaign as quickly as possible, before any more harm is done. How likely is that? Not very. That leaves the party with a probability of victory in November that diminishes with each passing week between now and August, unless a decisive victory brings an end to to the conflict.

[billbuckhead]

1. Neither candidate can win without superdelegates

This system is a trainwreck and the engineer should be blamed, Howard Dean.

[tabatha]

3. What did Howard Dean do?

[tridim]

5. All Dean has done is follow the rules..

Which I guess is a bad thing as far as Clinton supporters are concerned.

And please don't bother to deny it, it's all right here on Clinton's official delegate website: http://www.delegatehub.com

[tabatha]

2. Excellent article.

All Clinton supporters should read it, especially the comments - with an open mind.
And especially what Thom Hartmann is reported to have said - one of the fairest radio hosts in the country.

[JohnnyBoots]

16. What did Hartmann say?

[AtomicKitten]

4. K&R

[shenmue]

6. That's hilarious, since Obama supporters are star-lovers who don't mind cutting the party in half

They are Obama-crats, and don't have the slightest idea of what a political party or the Democratic principles could possibly mean.

It's a shame the voters are actually paying attention to the candidate with a record in the Senate (hint: not yours), and the noise and fanfare around the cult of personality is dying away.

Another Obama supporter citing an editorial as proof of something. You've got to love this. It couldn't be better comedy if you tried.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. this takes the cake.

one of the more exciting pols in our time comes around, begins maturing and makes better and better decisions and appearances, and this *** insults millions of voters for cheering him on.

Comedy? what a crock.

[K Gardner]

11. Your post is an example of the collateral damage she leaves behind. Thank you.

[roguevalley]

12. bringing up ken starr doesn't hurt us? Get used to the repugs who

have nothing to beat that drum and she is the one to blame. shit. months more of monica and all the rest. thanks, hillary.

[Mme. Defarge]

7. K&R!

[grassfed]

9. Hillary is toxic

Over a million dead in Iraq and literally millions more maimed, disfigured and traumatized with inadequate or no medical care (thanks Hill), Abu Ghraib, rendition, torture, katrina.... The world can't afford the McCain presidency that her nomination would ensure.

Obama's fresh blood and energy is an existential threat to Hillary's acolytes, nesting snug on the corpse of a stagnant and ineffectual Democratic party.

[madfloridian]

10. Recommended. There is no good way out now.

Even a do-over will leave so much bitterness. I have followed this from the beginning, I am angry and I am bitter already.

I called Bill Nelson's office today. I said I know Bill doesn't care what we think, but maybe he would be interested to know it was turning us against Hillary. The aide listened.

It is doing that. We had a good chance to win this year. It is now all screwed up. If Hillary comes on TV, we turn it off now.

[FrenchieCat]

13. Ditto in this household. We turn off the TV when she comes on.....

which is sad that this is happening, because before, it was only Bush that we did that to. :(

[madfloridian]

17. We never felt that way before...it is sad.

Hubby is angrier than I am...now that's bad.

[tabasco]

14. Hillary is all for Hillary.

She knows it is harder to beat Obama than to beat McCain.

That is why she will not release the tax records and her White House records to Democratic voters.

She will be forced to reveal the records if she becomes the nominee.

There must be some stinky stuff in those records or they would be public already.

Hillary would give us a compromised candidate in the general election, AS LONG AS IT IS HER!

She will not allow Democrats to properly vet her.

Hillary puts her own ambition above the good of the Democratic party.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

15. "Collateral Damage" - that's the perfect description for what Hillary is doing to our party.

[Justitia]

18. Good article. The Clinton Machine is a Pox on Our Party & they are killing it. -eom

[nomorewhopper]

19. i concur

even though she can't overtake obama by any rational means, she vows to stay in the race and fight to the bitter end

[MH1]

20. k& r