The Dems' Difficulty: A Contest for the Liberal Vote

The American Spectator ^ | April 3, 2008 | Tom Bethell

[2ndDivisionVet]

I have lost count of the number of times commentators have hinted that Hillary Clinton should get out of the race. The ring-leader, for a while, seemed to be New York Times columnist David Brooks. Has he signed on as an unpaid adviser to the Democratic Party? Probably not, but he is really concerned that the Democrats are "probably going to have to endure another three months of daily sniping." Meanwhile old John McCain is getting a free ride! What worries Brooks is that the voters are being subjected to "squabbling every day," and that will only turn the voters off and hurt the Democrats.

Ruth Marcus in the Washington Post likened the "bickering" between Hillary and Obama to "cranky toddlers" in the midst of a "long hot car ride." Again, to the detriment of the Democrats.

I have a rather different take on this. I think that the protracted contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will indeed hurt the Democrats in November. But not for the reasons given. There is something rather more important than "bickering," and no one seems to have pointed it out.

Notice, incidentally that the press bias is always in Obama's favor. Their hints and nudges are always directed against Hillary, although rarely do these critics bring up the embarrassment of her Bosnia sniper-fire "misstatement."

[2ndDivisionVet]

Let us hope so.

[Mark]

I need something salty to eat.

[xuberalles]

I'm all for it!

[TheThinker]

I'm not sure I buy the idea that Obama is getting stronger in his struggle against Hildabeast. Obama does seem to be getting stronger in relation to her but not necessarily as a presidential candidate.

He's certainly getting richer but Hillary is siphoning some of that off. She has little credibility in attacking him as her recent attack about Pastor Wright illustrated.

She can't attack Obama about anything racial, which is what he's all about. The main problem with Hillary, besides having a terrible speaking voice, is that she voted for the Iraq War.

Obama backers get to wash away racial sins (supposedly) and vote for the anti-war candidate. He's a two-fer for hard lefties.

Yet, the longer this contest is protracted, the more defections of moderate Dems to John McCain when Hillary loses.

[TheThinker]

I need something salty to eat.

Cracker-corn?

[Son House]

There’s only 124 delegates difference, and Clinton is the only one who stands a chance at stopping the New York Times endorsed Republican, good thing she’s there for them.