Clinton Not Done After Today
Posted by
Kevin
Obama is poised to win all three of the Potomac Primary states today and poised to win rather convincingly. A big win will probably put him at least a few delegates into the lead. But there is no reason for Clinton to drop out at that point. As long as she has the money to campaign in Wisconsin and on March 4th, I fail to see why falling slightly behind Obama after a month of contests in which Obama was expected to win should mean the death of her campaign. Ohio and Texas are supposedly favorable ground for Clinton, and if she has the money to compete, I see no reason she should not compete. I am tired of the need of the press and political consultants to just get all this messy voting stuff done and over with. The purpose of primaries is to allow for Democrats to vote on who they wish the nominee to be. That more people than usual are getting the opportunity to weight in on the contest is a good thing. And, as long as the two camps don’t go nuclear on each other, I fail to see why having battleground states awash in Democratic messages and Democratic candidates is bad for the general election.
There is just no reason for Clinton to give into the odd desire of the media and give up.
Where are you seeing the media ask her to give up? I have not seen any of that. Quite to the contrary, everything I hear is they will remain in a virtual tie unil the convention.
Comment 2/12/2008
Ted
The Ny Times article, various discussion about how Clinton should know that her campaign is floundering, how the string of losses will have a huge impact on her ability to compete on the 4th. Maybe I am paying more attention to that chatter, and thus seeing more of it than there really is, just because its a pet peeve of mine.
Comment 2/12/2008
[…] Kevin from Lean Left has had his fill of the elite media’s undemocratic cheedleading: I am tired of the need of the press and political consultants to just get all this messy voting stuff done and over with. The purpose of primaries is to allow for Democrats to vote on who they wish the nominee to be. That more people than usual are getting the opportunity to weight in on the contest is a good thing. And, as long as the two camps don’t go nuclear on each other, I fail to see why having battleground states awash in Democratic messages and Democratic candidates is bad for the general election. […]
Pingback 2/12/2008
I’m not seeing much of that either, but I think the NY Times is just figuring out that Clinton is not in fact inevitable, and they (long after most observers) are just now taking Obama seriously.
Comment 2/12/2008
I’m not seeing calls for her to step down. What I do see is an emerging consensus that her campaign is in trouble.
I’m as frustrated as you are with the constant spinning and counter-spinning over who has “momentum.” A lot of it is, as you suggest, completely fatuous. But having said that, it does seem that the Clinton campaign is facing real, concrete challenges right now, and it does strike me as legitimate for the media to report on them.
Clinton is lagging in fundraising. Her support among African Americans has completely evaporated, and her numbers among women are surprisingly soft. States that looked like sure wins for her a couple of months ago are falling, one after another, to Obama, and national polls are swinging in his direction. She just fired her campaign manager. He’s closing the superdelegate gap. Her push to get the Florida and Michigan delegates seated seems to be foundering.
All of these are facts, all of these are legitimate stories, and all of them point in the same direction — Obama is gaining strength, and Clinton is growing weaker.
Doesn’t it make sense to report all this, and to recognize that it adds up to a potentially crucial shift in the dynamics of the race?
Comment 2/12/2008
Please, oh please, let Hillary stay in the race. She would be better than Barack “Empty Suit” Obama.
Comment 2/12/2008
As I recall, the media was ready to write Clinton off if she lost New Hampshire, so I can definitely see Kevin’s point.
Comment 2/12/2008
She’s not done after today, but she’s a little bit closer to done.
Comment 2/12/2008
I’d vote repulican before I’d vote for another Clinton. It’s time for a new day & new blood running this country.
Comment 2/13/2008
Did you hear the joke about the political parrot?
Parrot: Barrackk! Barraaack! Polly want Obama! Polly want Obama!
Pet Owner: Hmmmm. Polly used to like crackers.
(I gotta million of them.)
Comment 2/19/2008