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Where is the DNC Leadership?
When is the DNC going to put a stop to the bloodbath between Clinton and Obama? What started out a few months ago as a good debate on the issues has turned into a torrid affair that is making the Democratic Party look like a bunch of losers who can't get their house in order.
This last two weeks has demonstrated the total lack of leadership on the part of the Party and has left a bitter taste in this long time supporter of progressive Democratic leaders and issues.
Someone needs to get to Senator Clinton and get her to stop trashing the Democratic Party as she uses a Rove playbook in her attempt to discredit her Democratic opponent for the nomination. With her win in Pennsylvania using extremely negative tactics, we know that unless someone stops her, she will bring out even more negative, debasing and disgusting tactics for the remaining 9 contests.
I'm not saying that she should quit the race if she is willing to talk to the issues and make the Democrats look like the progressives they are supposed to be. But if she persists in going negative against Senator Obama, she will end up losing the race for the White House and could quite possibly destroy any chance for the Democrats to increase their majorities in the legislature.
I know that I'm not alone with this feeling I have. Just check the editorial pages of the Nation's dailies and you'll see that there are a lot more of us who want this nonsense to stop.
I have been a contributor to the DNC and various Democratic candidates, but as long as this fiasco goes on, I cannot offer my support to the Party.
Comments (8)
They've been scolding Hillary for months now. Nobody likes scolds. It's a shame Democracy has you down - should have taken a look at the ingredients, worse than the sausage.
April 23, 2008 1:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Every time I bring up Ronald Reagan at TPM, I get pilloried... but here goes:
The Dems need follow Reagan's 11th Commandment.
The DNC is really hoping that Obama gives them a reason to support him. Tonight on NPR a PA Congressman (Dem/uncommitted super) was talking about following the "will of the people". The host pointed out that Hillary just want (overwhelming) his district and state. And the Congressman talked about not overturning the will of the people.
So someone got the memo!
At this point, it's almost too late to pull the plug on Hillary. June 3rd is only 5 weeks away. And that will not be a long stretch as we have a bunch of primaries in there. To pull the plug on Hillary now is to anger the Hillary faithful.
Hillary has enough momentum to continue the campaign on cash fumes -- even though if she doesn't win, the people she contracts with will probably not get paid anytime soon, if ever.
So, the DNC, by being timid blew the opportunity to halt the blood bath.
This will go on for 5 more weeks. Then the DNC will look at all the votes and are hoping that Obama still maintains the lead in terms of number of votes and delegates (excluding FL and MI). And then the supers will jump in.
That way they will say they ran a "fair primary" and "everyone had their say". Obama will forever be known to some as the one who prevented HRC from getting to the White House. For the rest, they will feel empowered because no one told them that they couldn't vote.
It's called politics. Of the timid.
But these are Dems, after all.
April 23, 2008 1:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
I disagree. I think the party insiders are hoping the Clinton can pull off something that could be considered a popular vote victory. Then they cut a deal to give her the nomination with Obama as vp. They know that is the only way to truly unite the party for the ge. They're not pulling for Hillary and would have been happy with a convincing Obama win. but its too close at this point to unite the party behind either one alone. They cannot and will not give her the nomination without her winning the popular vote. Still a long shot for her.
April 23, 2008 3:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oceankat,
You are totally dreaming.
For starters, at this point, neither one can use the other as VP. The GOP would have a field day with that one -- mostly because of Hillary's constant caustic comments.
Also, the Elders are *not* pulling for her. Kennedy has endorsed Obama. Pelosi has been coy, but has constantly talked in terms of who has the majority (which favors Obama). Howard Dean is pushing the superdelegates to decide. I just quoted a PA Congressman above who is typical of undecideds who don't want to jump on Hillary although their constituents did.
These are all beneficial comments to Obama.
These are all indications that the party is, in fact, waiting for Hillary to turn over all her cards and *then* say to her, you've had your run, it's over.
That way she will not be able to whine and cry about not being given a chance.
April 23, 2008 3:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. Hillary needs to lose in a way that will prevent her to do anything about it. She will still whine, but that's fine as long as she can't inflict major damage on the party.
April 23, 2008 4:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
For starters, at this point, neither one can use the other as VP. The GOP would have a field day with that one
---------------------------------------------------
JFK and LBJ were reported to dislike each other and insulted each other during nomination fights yet joined forces Reagan and Bush had an extremely divisive primary battle and ran together. There's nothing that has happened that precludes it. But like I said she has to win the popular vote and that is a long shot.
I could list high level super endorsements for Hillary same as you did for Obama. Your list doesn't prove your point. Also both have gotten super endorsements in the last week so clearly some supers disagree with you. Those that went for HIllary surely didn't wait for Hillary to turn over her cards so they could tell her she had her run, its over.
Its all speculation as to whether the supers are timid but looking to give the nomination to obama or looking for the best way to unite the party. But they certainly are waiting for something.
April 23, 2008 4:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
After NC and IN you will see movement.
Anything before that would alienate Hillary voters and create more defectors.
After all, she just won the largest remaining primary by 10 percent. Intervening to stop it now may seem like a rational choice to you, but to many of her supporters it would seem like theft and a horrible affront. Surely you can see that, even if you don't agree.
When he wins NC people will start to flip. IF he wins both NC and IN you will see a wave.
So if you want to see the primary come to an end ASAP, go to Mybarakobama.com and volunteer to make some phone calls in Indiana to get out the vote.
April 23, 2008 3:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
The DNC leadership hasn't and isn't ending this yet because, well, they're Democrats. By embracing diversity, they give up much of the authority to tell other people what to do--and apparently too many are worried about people not liking them to even try PERSUADING those other people one way or the other. That would mean making a decision and standing by it. Oooh. Scary.
It's nowhere near as bad as the Republican "because I said so" leadership, but still frustrating as hell.
Had Obama won the initial Texas primary, leaders could probably have stepped in more easily. Probably their best chance in the last month was when Obama DID win Texas, through the caucuses, but that was a slim one, as the Clintons and their supporters are suspect of the primaries. It's possible they can legitimately flock to Obama if he wins Indiana AND North Carolina. But I can't see them stepping in before that. So we're in for another ugly two weeks.
If Obama doesn't win Indiana and North Carolina, then Clinton's got an increasingly good argument for staying in, and the leadership has even less authority to try to convince anyone otherwise.
April 23, 2008 5:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
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