There comes a time when it becomes a blatant reality that

[rasputin1952]

the game is over...no matter how much hope, no matter how much talent is available, it just isn't in the cards to put a win on the table. I feel obligated to say that this is now the case w/the HRC campaign.

I have stayed on the sidelines through most of this Primary Season, (my candidate, dropped out long ago), essentially waiting for something decisive to come about...after yesterday's FL/MI hearings, that moment has arrived.

Virtually all of us have played some sport, we know that there is time when a win becomes a loss, whether it is the end of an inning or the sound of a whistle. All of us know that there is a point where pulling a win out is virtually impossible. When you are down 54-14 with 1.5 minutes left in the last quarter, you know you are going into the locker room preparing for the next game. When down 17-4 in the bottom of the 9th w/2 outs, no one on base, and the count is 2-2, you know that in just a pitch or or two, it will be over, even if the batter hits a homer or gets on base, the odds are astronomical that you can get 14 runs.

Sports figures have generally learned to take a loss with grace, politicians seem to have missed that point. Naturally, the stakes are a lot higher in politics, but when you have two candidates that are both very well equipped to handle the position of PotUS, it is wise to go with the one that has the backing of most of the voting population, even when it appears that lead is slight. Primaries, like playoffs, move the best team forward to take on the opposition for the crown...we need to be fighting the GOP on the ground, not replaying situations that have already happened.

HRC did a great job, she has gone farther than many suspected, it is time for her to hit the locker room, and state that she will put her energy into beating McCain and the GOP in general, she can still be a potent weapon against McCain and the GOP, and not only on the Senate floor.

Americans are a magnanimous people, we rally behind those who accept defeat gracefully and accept that there are inevitable losses, (as a Seahawks fan, I know this well...:blush: ). We tend to distance ourselves from the "I was robbed" scenario, particularly when we have paid so much attention to the game. We know who won and who lost, be it inches or yards. Our instant replays are there for all to see, we know what has happened. What I saw yesterday was a grand attempt to not disenfranchise those who knowingly broke the rules and then cried foul when a penalty was attached. We don't like that in sports, we don't like it in politics as well. Most of us have complained about judicial decisions that disenfranchise individuals or show a lack of justice.

What I saw yesterday was compromise, precisely what this nation should be doing. With that compromise, I think we should move forward, take on those who would do us even more greivous harm, (McCain and the GOP), and take back our nation. Now is the time for us to come together and deal a blow to the neo-cons that they will never recover from.

OK...my little rant is over, ending, once again, with an appeal for all sides of thsi situation to come together and defeat the bastards that would destroy our great nation.

Thank you for taking the time to read this...:)

[Bicoastal]

1. Thy Mod hath spoken!

[anonymous171]

2. K&R

[bunnies]

3. I love this post.

:loveya:

[PretzelWarrior]

4. well spoken

thanks for the inputs. I'm hoping we hear a LOT MORE of this type of statement from superdelegates, party leadership, admins here....we all need to get beyond this here in the early days of June.

[NanceGreggs]

5. No ...

... thank you for taking the time to write this and share it.

:kick: and REC'D!!!

[Rick Myers]

6. Amen, my friend!

Pick your metaphor, but it IS over. Let's go get John W. McSame!!!

[tridim]

7. Nuke GD:P

Just do it.

Please.

[MercutioATC]

8. ...so let's wait for that last batter to strike out.

From an Obama supporter, claims that "it's over" at this late date might be true but they're counterproductive.

We have a week to wait. After almost 16 months, can't we wait seven more days so we can legitimately claim the trophy?

[phrigndumass]

9. Losing with grace would earn my respect

I'm willing to give that respect to Senator Clinton, if she's ready to receive it.

[Vattel]

39. self-delete

[Major Hogwash]

10. Politics is a contact sport.

We have been contacted.

And we aren't going to be sporting about it in our response.

[babylonsister]

11. Great post! I'm waiting for her to hit the locker room, then I will

hopefully be as magnanimous as you. Again, thanks for this little ray of sunshine.

[Barack_America]

12. I've been waiting so long for a mod or admin to speak to this.

Thank you.

[rasputin1952]

13. I think I should add that this is my opinion only, I am posting as a

member of DU, not specifically as a Moderator, and I do not infer representing Admin or DU in this thread.

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Would not expect you to be speaking for them

I reached a similar conclusion two weeks ago

[JVS]

14. Great post and GO STEELERS!

[reflection]

25. Woooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

Here we go Steelers, here we go!

[JVS]

27. Here we go Steelers, here we go!

[bonito]

16. Me hopes your right

But something tells me otherwise.

[K Gardner]

17. Perfect post to end the night on. Beautifully and intelligently written.. thank you ! K&R

[crankychatter]

18. a little kick - nt

.

[Swamp Rat]

19. k&r

[blondie58]

20. great rant, rasputin1952!

thank you!

[Myrina]

21. Amen and pass the BBQ sauce

... roasted ELEPHANT is so bland without it.

:kick:

[frickaline]

22. K&R

[WeDidIt]

23. As a Cubs fan, I understand Hillary going to the finish line

Heck, the Cubs are on top of the National League right now and this could be the year. No matter what, I won't give up until they are either world champs or are completely eliminated from all possibility.

[rasputin1952]

46. While I am not a "fan" of the Cubs, like the Mets, they earn my respect...

I could find myself going to a Cubs game if I were in Chicago, but I woldn't travel to Chi0Town just to see them...(I actually know someone who did, w/some friends, he left Nebraska on a Sojourn for the Cubs!...they lost the 3 games he went to 2 years ago...:( )

[NashVegas]

24. It's Her Choice If/When to Step Down. No One Else's But Hillary Clinton Gets to Decide

People can rant all day long about HC still being in the race, but it is her decision to make, whether to step down or to take it to Denver.

[scheming daemons]

30. If she threatens to take it to Denver... and everybody ignores her... then functionally...

It's no different than Mike Gravel threatening to "take it to Denver".

[bridgit]

26. On the field of sports endeavor, there are those that are seen moving the ball...

up field down field beads of sweat flying from their brow reflecting the physicality involved they are tasked even further than even the game may require beneath the mountainous negativities of still others in the bleachers and beyond offering no value but to throw the game by way of reaching through the membrane of sports observer, into the field of play, and snatching a ball that should have been caught as a matter of the field of sport, and fair play.

There are others, often a pampered lot, that are observed standing with the cheerleaders amidst a hail of fluttering pom-poms, perfect straight white teeth, and back flipping mascots, waving to the crowds they are no more required than to smile and dispense cheers that ryhme...to the ear.

If the game is of no consequence, then that is, for the most part, the end of the matter. When a call is made against a favorite player, and one will be; then all these matters will be revisited.

[Seabiscuit]

28. Sorry to burst your bubble, but as Yogi Berra said: "It ain't over 'til it's over".

Why is it so difficult for Obama supporters to accept that blatant reality?

Every day for the past 3 months (before Obama began tanking) dozens of Obama supporters on this board have begun threads declaring "it's over" and calling Obama the "presumptive nominee".

Repeating a falsehood, even until you're blue in the face, doesn't make it true.

Sadly, that fundamental falsehood has been the bedrock of all other falsehoods promoted by BO supporters throughout this time.

[scheming daemons]

31. Tanking? Despite being attacked from two sides, he STILL leads McCain in national polls.

...and leads Clinton by 10 points in national polls.

[SoonerPride]

32. Obama is our nominee. He hasn't "tanked" You are sadly mistaken.

Sorry for your loss.

[NashVegas]

34. I Saw A "Unite and Embrace Our Nominee" Post On the Night of Iowa

Geez.

[The Doctor.]

43. Why can't you get behind Edwards?

Really, your confusion is amazing.

[Doityourself]

29. Two Big Thumbs UP!!!

[helderheid]

33. The HRC campaign is NOT OVER, and we MUST support it!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6225459&mesg_id=6225459

[EnviroBat]

38. Sorry for your loss...

Standard answer. Check back with us on Wednesday.

[MessiahRp]

41. Doh... He/She means HRC as in "Human Rights Campaign"

Rp

[The Doctor.]

44. BUsted!

(Ya think the avatar would have given something away)

[EnviroBat]

42. Duly noted...

"This forum frightens and confuses me..."

[CardInAustin]

35. Agreed

If she can win 100% of the remaining superdelegates and win every pledged delegate on Tuesday night then keep going. Otherwise, it is time to go after Tuesday night. She has fought a good fight, but appealling every ruling that does not go your way and taking a losing fight to the convention to prevent party unity is NOT the good fight. It is far from the good fight.

On a practical level she needs to think about 2012. If she truly believes that Obama won't win then she should be thinking about 2012. Lets just say that Obama loses the general election (he won't), and the Dems start looking at who will face McCain in 2012. Well, if HRC fights through Tuesday and bows out she will be the prohibitive favorite going into that campaign. If she takes a losing battle to the August convention, nitpicks every rule, goes back on her earlier agreements, and is seen as THE reason Obama lost in 2008....she would be DOA for 2012. The party faithful will not forget and she will have zero chance in 2012.

So, if she doesn't want to do the right thing for the right reasons....she can do it for selfish reasons and still look good.

[eagertolearn]

36. Most agree to let it play out through this week.....

But when she gets her supporters thinking that the election has been stolen by the Obama campaign for not counting all votes (Michigan and Florida) or that her and Obama are neck to neck (yesterday she said again as she has said the last few weeks that she has the popular vote and is very close with delegates) it is not good for the democratic party. Her husband has been saying all week that Hillary is being pushed out(kind of blaming it on her being a woman). The Clinton's are playing with the emotions of their supporters when the reality has been this last month that it was almost impossible for her to catch up. I know this is politics but it is not helping the party. Let it play out this week, but when the week is over I hope Hillary Clinton will be able to support the nominee like she has said she would.

[rasputin1952]

40. There is nothing "stolen" about all of this...

I figure it has been played pretty well on the up and up, some glitches, sure, and the pushing of the notion that HRC is losing because she is female is patently absurd. If that had an iota of truth, she would not be where she is today, she would have bowed out long ago.

The whole thing comes down to an impressive ego trying anything to keep afloat. Mathematically, it is virtually impossible for her to win, regardless of what straws she grasps at. I am not so egotistical that I would not accept a situation where I know I am going to lose; at that point, I accept the situation and prepare for the next thing that comes along. Of course, that is just me, and i realize that if the roles were reversed in this particular situation, just about every Obama supporter would be calling out "racism", something else that is patently absurd.

Tomorrow, the final die will be cast, we shall see how this finally pans out, and I am hoping that grace and dignity rule the day. The groundwork for reconciliation must be laid, for the largest animal in the house is McCain and his neo-con GOP. That battle must be joined, and won decisively by a united Democratic Party that will bring Indie's and disillusioned R's over for one of the greatest landslides in history.

Nothing would be better for this nation than to have an Executive branch and Congress firmly in the hands of a Progressive...(outof this whole mess, that's all I want, and I believe that's what we need).

[literacyadvocate]

37. Neutral and on the point!

The ability to compromise displays a strong character among all parties involved and as you pointed out, that should be the saving grace.

[trickyguy]

45. Definitely take back the nation before it becomes the "fascist shift" that Naomi Wolf warns

about in her small book entitled " The End of America".

I just finished it for the second time and it is definitely a call-to-arms.

She says "We are at war to save our democracy" and I believe she's right.

This whole primary season has scared the hell out of me. It's a game I usually don't play.

But I want the best for this country. I know Obama is the best.

Yet I'm terrified by the whole neo-con culture that will do anything to get their way.

And I include the Clintons in this. For them the game is not yet over.:evilfrown:

[rasputin1952]

47. Neo-cons have shown themselves to be about amoral as a political

group can be in this country.

They use the GOP as a springboard for their ideology, (one which believes that only the wealthy and powerful should have a role in political aspects of this country), and the Republicans I know, are finally starting to realize this.

Years ago I read about how the religious fundementalists chose to take of the GOP; it came down to one thing, which party would be easiest to manipulate to "fall into line" with their ideology. D's were seen as far too intellectual and diverse to accept what the fundies wanted to pass off. The GOP was a party that generally accepted "orders". Seems a little prophetic now, but that is what they came up with at the time.

This is not the GOP of Lincoln, TR, or Eisenhower...this is a bastardized version that left responsible fiscal policy and basic human rights in the dust. Since Nixon, (and he did some good things), the GOP has become little more than a cash cow for those who would destroy everything we hold dear just to make another dollar off of the government, all the while decrying how "welfare recipients" are sucking the nation dry.