Government of the People or By the Faction?

The New Media Journal ^ | May 9, 2008 | Frank Salvato

[NewMediaJournal]

Now comes news that George McGovern has called for Hillary Clinton to withdraw from the Democrat’s primary race. Pardon me for my raised eyebrow but how much of a fool would someone have to be to take campaign advice from the man who got slaughtered by Richard Nixon? Losing an election by a landslide really shouldn’t qualify someone to dispense political advice unless it’s how to deliver a concession speech without looking bitter.

The facts, as they present, make it abundantly clear to anyone not blinded by political emotionalism, anyone not hoodwinked by the bumper-sticker gotcha games of this election cycle, that the Democrat’s primary race is simply too close to call. Those backing Barack Obama, who insist that Hillary Clinton can’t win, are factually in error. With the existence of “superdelegates” and two disenfranchised state electorates the wildcards are in place. In fact, there are several scenarios that could play out that would see Hillary Clinton as the Democrats’ nominee. Whether any of them will play out remains to be seen but stranger things have happened.

The larger point here is this. To insist that a candidate – any candidate from any party – remove themselves from political contention when the contest is too close to decidedly understand the winner, when neither candidate can amass an insurmountable number of committed elected delegates, is to usurp the election process. Unless the Democrats want to go down in the history books as having been a dictatorially elitist political regime in the 2008 election cycle they must allow the convention and the convention process play out, a scenario that the DNC leadership is scurrying to avoid at all costs.

[frankiep]

Losing an election by a landslide really shouldn’t qualify someone to dispense political advice unless it’s how to deliver a concession speech without looking bitter.

Losing and being a total failure shouldn't qualifiy someone to dispense political advice, but this is democrats we're talking about here where the bigger failure you are, the more credibility you have. See Algore and Jimmy Carter.

[massgopguy]

As McGovern goes, so goes Massachusetts.

[tillacum]

I think ole mcgovern has been approached by the nobama committee to ask hillary to step aside. The msm and soros group REALLY want an anti-American as president. I don’t care how nobama says he loves America...he doesn’t. He doesn’t even love his grandma...her threw her under the bus when he defended wright.

[Hemorrhage]

>> As McGovern goes, so goes Massachusetts.

Was Mass jettisoned from the country in 1972? I was under the impression that Massachusetts had been at least somewhat useful since McGovern had his ass whipped.

They’ve been big in professional sports for a few years — Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics of late. The Departed was a good movie. Love the Dropkick Murphys — an Irish heavy metal/bagpipe band out of Boston.

Nah, Mass has been far more useful than George McGovern. As George McGovern goes, so goes ... George McGovern alone.

H

[free_for_now]

Interesting. The reason Clinton still has a chance in this election is the existence of super-delegates. Super-delegates were introduced by the Democrat Party after the debacle of McGovern’s candidacy. Party leaders wanted to prevent the nomination being given to a candidate who was popular with the left-wing of the party but unelectable because he/she could never appeal to the bulk of Americans whose views are more moderate. Seems that they were instituted for just this type of scenario. Obama is radical, and his anti-American associations will make him unelectable. Unfortunatley for Hillary, Obama is black. If they don’t want to destroy the party, the super-delgates can’t go with the more moderate candidate because that would be seen as racially motivated. That Obama can’t be elected in the general election doesn’t matter because he has negative coattails. If he isn’t nominated, the fear is that African-Americans will stay home in droves, not only losing the White House, but hurting the election chances in Congress as well.

[Billthedrill]

Whichever way it does go the Dems have some serious damage control to do in Florida and Michigan. Followers of either of the two candidates will be exhorted to fall in line behind the anointed one, but in a state where both your vote and your preferred candidate were discarded by the party elite a little disaffection is going to be unavoidable. Whether the Republican committees in those states are capable of taking advantage of this is the question.