Hillary won't drop out. Know why?

[etaoin22]

It is only relatively recently that the conventions were designated to be four day infomercials for candidates and choices made long before.

It corresponds to the ever-lengthening campaign, and the fact that the spigot of cash for candidates doing poorly switches off. ( in the media age, a Kennedy or a Humphrey can't walk through the small towns of Wisconsin introducing himself to the locals, and handing out his own literature, so that cash is critical). (Or whatever cash was needed for JFK in 1960 was well in the purview of what his daddy was willing to invest....)

From a distance, I believe uncontested conventions -- except for the renomination of a popular president -- are bad for the USA.

I urge Hillary to keep on keeping on, all the way to Denver.

NB there is no particular reason for Hillary to wish to be VP to Obama. She is likely to have far more power now as a senator, than as 2-I-C, and her optimal career may be to enjoy a multi-term senate career.

[silverscreenselect]

My own feeling is that she wanted to distance herself from Bill and wanted to run on her own merits, that's why she is Hilllary and not Clinton.

A lot of Hillary supporters identify, especially women, identify very closely with her. "Hillary speaks for me" is a popular slogan. It's more than just separating herself from Bill Clinton; it's a feeling of first name basis familiarity that many people have. This is one reason why I think a lot of Obama supporters and the Democratic Party powers-that-be underestimate the strength of the identification these supporters feel for her and assume they will just get back in the fold behind Obama. Some will, but many won't.

It's ironic that one of the few other politicians who come to mind as being commonly referred to by their first name by supporters was Bobby Kennedy.

[TheConfessor]

It's ironic that one of the few other politicians who come to mind as being commonly referred to by their first name by supporters was Bobby Kennedy.

It just illustrates the pragmatism of going by your first name when you have other famous politicians in the family with the same surname. The principle applies to both males and females. I don't think anyone was trying to diminish RFK by calling him Bobby.

[etaoin22]

It's ironic that one of the few other politicians who come to mind as being commonly referred to by their first name by supporters was Bobby Kennedy.

It just illustrates the pragmatism of going by your first name when you have other famous politicians in the family with the same surname. The principle applies to both males and females. I don't think anyone was trying to diminish RFK by calling him Bobby.

Oh, come now. Maybe not all, but certainly some. And I am not even thinking about "Wild Thing".

[SportsFan68]

. . .

A lot of Hillary supporters identify, especially women, identify very closely with her. "Hillary speaks for me" is a popular slogan. It's more than just separating herself from Bill Clinton; it's a feeling of first name basis familiarity that many people have. This is one reason why I think a lot of Obama supporters and the Democratic Party powers-that-be underestimate the strength of the identification these supporters feel for her and assume they will just get back in the fold behind Obama. Some will, but many won't.
. . .

I got a couple of disheartening E-mails over the weekend. If Clinton goes out, lots of Pittsburghers will vote for McCain or vote only down ticket.

And the reverse is true. Some young Obama locals have told me that they'll switch back to unaffiliated if he goes out. They'll probably vote for Clinton because of Bush3 but won't work for her or anybody.

[BackInTex]

I got a couple of disheartening E-mails over the weekend. If Clinton goes out, lots of Pittsburghers will vote for McCain or vote only down ticket.

And the reverse is true. Some young Obama locals have told me that they'll switch back to unaffiliated if he goes out. They'll probably vote for Clinton because of Bush3 but won't work for her or anybody.

Why, that's GREAT news!

[SportsFan68]

I got a couple of disheartening E-mails over the weekend. If Clinton goes out, lots of Pittsburghers will vote for McCain or vote only down ticket.

And the reverse is true. Some young Obama locals have told me that they'll switch back to unaffiliated if he goes out. They'll probably vote for Clinton because of Bush3 but won't work for her or anybody.

Why, that's GREAT news!

You're welcome.

Somebody, I think it was SSS, was right. We can't stand prosperity. We gotta find some way to gum it up. All the gains in local and state races we've made over the past dozen years seem to go up in smoke at the top of the ticket.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

I got a couple of disheartening E-mails over the weekend. If Clinton goes out, lots of Pittsburghers will vote for McCain or vote only down ticket.

And the reverse is true. Some young Obama locals have told me that they'll switch back to unaffiliated if he goes out. They'll probably vote for Clinton because of Bush3 but won't work for her or anybody.

Why, that's GREAT news!

You're welcome.

Somebody, I think it was SSS, was right. We can't stand prosperity. We gotta find some way to gum it up. All the gains in local and state races we've made over the past dozen years seem to go up in smoke at the top of the ticket.

I believe that the people who support Hillary are more likely to go out and vote. Younger people can be flakes when it comes to voting.

[JBillyGirl]

From a distance, I believe uncontested conventions -- except for the renomination of a popular president -- are bad for the USA.

I urge Hillary to keep on keeping on, all the way to Denver.

Ah, but this is no ordinary year. For starters, the 2008 campaign got going in early 2007, several months earlier than than even recent campaigns, so many, many people are especially sick to death of the Primary Season That Will Not Die.

Second, usually the non-incumbent party has maybe three or four weeks of campaigning for the ticket to build its own momentum before the other party has its own convention. This year, due to the timing of the Olympics and God knows what else, the Democrats have all of three days, at most. It's going to take longer than that to put differences aside and get behind the nominee, and a bloody floor fight would make it all the more difficult.

And then there's the fact that the years of the last two seriously divided Democratic conventions, 1968 and 1980, proved disastrous for the party in the general election. I think one of the main reasons (perhaps the main reason) that so many people have been pressuring Hillary to drop out -- prematurely, I think, at least for now -- is because they're afraid of this kind of history repeating itself.

Hillary has the right to continue her fight to the convention if that's what she really wants. But IMHO after next Tuesday's primaries, barring a major Obama implosion, she really needs to think long and hard about (1) exactly what she would have to do to turn things around in Denver and get the nomination; (2) how many people she might alienate by doing it; and (3) what kind of a party she would have left when she was through. There will come a point when this all has to end, and it'll be better for the party if it comes well before Denver.

[BigDrawMan]

. . .

A lot of Hillary supporters identify, especially women, identify very closely with her. "Hillary speaks for me" is a popular slogan. It's more than just separating herself from Bill Clinton; it's a feeling of first name basis familiarity that many people have. This is one reason why I think a lot of Obama supporters and the Democratic Party powers-that-be underestimate the strength of the identification these supporters feel for her and assume they will just get back in the fold behind Obama. Some will, but many won't.
. . .

I got a couple of disheartening E-mails over the weekend. If Clinton goes out, lots of Pittsburghers will vote for McCain or vote only down ticket.
------------------
Uh..."goes out"???
She has lost.
It "is" over, and has been for some time.
I said the same thing about voting for McCain if Obama lost.After he won 10 in a row and was assured of the win, I threw my support to Hillary if she was against McCain.
Lotsa Burghers I know will vote for McCain because he isnt black.That's as far as they go on "issues".Many are/were union members.

ha


And the reverse is true. Some young Obama locals have told me that they'll switch back to unaffiliated if he goes out.
..............
The can stillvote in the general if they are unaffiliated.

Do they think he is going to suddenly quit the race????

Now?!?!?!

After sewing it up?!??!

Did they think the Broncos would surrender that Super Bowl they won once they had the lead near the end of the fourth quarter?!?!?

Are they getting enough oxygen?!?!?

[hf_jai]

Obama has not yet won. The media wants you to think he has.

[earendel]

My own feeling is that she wanted to distance herself from Bill and wanted to run on her own merits, that's why she is Hilllary and not Clinton.

A lot of Hillary supporters identify, especially women, identify very closely with her. "Hillary speaks for me" is a popular slogan. It's more than just separating herself from Bill Clinton; it's a feeling of first name basis familiarity that many people have. This is one reason why I think a lot of Obama supporters and the Democratic Party powers-that-be underestimate the strength of the identification these supporters feel for her and assume they will just get back in the fold behind Obama. Some will, but many won't.

And without meaning to "play the race card" a lot of African-Americans support Obama because they identify with him (rightly or wrongly). No matter how I look at it I can't see anything good coming out of this protracted fight - the supporters of whoever ends up losing (probably Clinton) are not likely to energetically support the ticket in the fall - unless Obama and Clinton run on the same ticket.