[UPDATED, 4:13 PM CST: Read the Christian Science Monitor's article today about an awkward and hostile breakfast between veteran members of political media and Clinton campaign advisor Harold Ickes]
The time has come. We need Hillary Clinton to exercise her well-honed political leadership and resign from her run for the presidency.
A Barack Obama nomination looks all but inevitable, as the New York Times released a new poll indicating strong gains by the Illinois Senator in popularity, electability, and breadth of support.
Tonight’s debate on MSNBC between Clinton and Obama will be their last showdown before next Tuesday’s “Make or Break” primary for Clinton — Ohio, which is still polling slightly in the former First Lady’s favor, and Texas, which it seems has swung into Obama’s camp.
Anything short of a double-digit lead and the seating of the Florida and Michigan delegates (Dear Howard Dean, please don’t do it) spells disaster for the Clinton campaign.
We have reached a point in this campaign in which Hillary Clinton is no longer asking voters to make up their minds, she’s asking them to change their minds. Barack Obama has won 26 contests to Hillary’s 11. Even considering votes in Florida and Michigan (where his name wasn’t even on the ballot), Obama leads the popular vote by around one million votes.
In order to gain any significant bump tonight, Hillary would have to pad her lines with the type of empathy we saw last week, and wage a fierce attack on Obama while appearing calm and collected. Most likely, she’ll hit him hard on the health care literature distributed by the Obama campaign last week, which she alleges is false.
Regardless of her debate performance (which usually depends on Obama’s ability to deflect her criticism with a smooth, well thought-out response or a humorous sound byte), she only stands to prolong the inevitable and deprive Obama of the time he needs to raise the funds necessary to defeat McCain in November.
Hillary continues to argue that Barack isn’t ready, that she’s been pitted against the GOP machine and come out on top. But despite every ugly punch she’s thrown at Obama, he’s ducked it, or dodged it without breaking a sweat. He isn’t a tit for tat guy. This is important, because neither is John McCain. Both men are focused on the present and the future, not rehashing old history or beating dead horses. I think a campaign between these two men would be an issue, position-based campaign. The contrasts between the two are so stark that they don’t need to dig up dirt to beat one another on the issues.
Hillary stands to tarnish her reputation out of an inexplicable desire to win, at all costs. But it seems voters, particularly Democrats, are tired of the politics of selfishness. They want and need a candidate who puts his people first. The world needs an America led by that type of individual. Hillary has proven, time and time again, that she is not that candidate. Senator Chris Dodd’s endorsement of Obama today exemplifies how veteran Democrats, well-versed in foreign and domestic policy and having stood the tests of numerous election and re-election campaigns, have made an informed decision not to support Hillary.
Hillary isn’t helping herself by damming a tide that seeks to change this nation. For the good of her nation, she should stand down. And, if, in the interest of her self-centered-ness she needs another reason, let it be to protect the legacy she touts, and that of her husband, before they find themselves doomed, like Jimmy Carter, to stand for their failures and not their many successes.
Tags: barack obama, chris dodd, debate, drop out, hillary clinton, Ohio, polls, popular vote, Texas
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Oh Lord her campaign has been one embarrassing misstep after another with no personal accountability. What’s next? I hope she doesn’t “lose it” tonight and bitch-slap him. Who will she blame then?
I’m an Obama supporter - and I was calling on her to drop out in January. But now, I think it might be best for her to stay in the race for a while longer.
unsolicitedadviceforhillary.com
she is paying consultants that advise her to stay in so that the consultants can make more money.
@1 Meh, wouldn’t be surprised… would probably blame it on random sources that said Obama’s been pimpin hoes.
@2 Why? At this point there really isn’t any logical reason to unless something shady is working in the background…
@3 Exactly
I’d like to take a moment to say that pie… is awesome… and I highly recommend that everyone goes out and gets a pie, or bakes one, I don’t care what kind of pie is it, whether it be pumpkin, apple, or cherry. I’d also like to say that Obama loves pie, and is also quite fond of cake.
This is an incredibly well-written post.
Regarding her consultants’ advice, I thought this comment on a TPM post was pretty funny:
M. Penn at 7 a.m.:
“Ready? Okay here’s the plan: You get right out there and scream at Obama. I mean really shriek at him. Daggers darting from your eyes, the whole nine yards. It’ll totally work. People will see that real scarey rage and say, ‘Damn I wanna vote for that.’ Take my word for it.
“That’ll be $876,448.62, please.”
I agree.
Although as long as she throws in the towel on March 5th I’ll be pleased. If she loses Texas, she should quit… I mean what can be the rationale there? Obviously if Obama can pull off wins in Ohio & Rhode Island too she’d have to give in… and that’s why I’m pulling for him to upset in those 2 states (along with the landslide he’s sure to win in Vermont) .. That would be the final nail… I cant imagine how they could continue the campaign at that point.
So.. fingers crossed. Sweep Hillary on March 4th!
Isn’t Obama the one usually compared (in a good way) to Jimmy Carter? And Abraham Lincoln.
Obama is compared to JFK, that his new ideas of reform and change. but i think he will have the ability to unite this country. However, like a lot of other americans i am concerned about the economy problem.
Wait a minute… Hillary has NO intention of dropping out, nor should she. My take on things is this;
I believe Hillary should stay in to show she will fight to the end, to show dems and repubs alike what she and the democratic party are made of. This also benefits Obama..
With that said, I DON’T believe Hillary should use the Super Delegates to usurp Obama. That would go against Democratic America’s wishes, in my opinion.
I think Hillary should stay in until it is MORE than clear that the democratic party AND AMERICANS CHOOSE OBAMA.