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Friday, April 25, 2008

What I will defend Hillary Clinton for doing...and what I won't
Posted by Jill | 6:59 AM
As someone who really didn't get the chance to vote for my choice in New Jersey's primary, I'm hardly in a position to tell the denizens of North Carolina, Indiana, and the other states and possessions yet to have their presidential primaries, that they should have to take a pig in a poke. And for all that it would certainly be easier to have this primary race over with and a presumptive nominee chosen now, the fact of the matter is that we don't. So while I wish with every fiber of my being that Hillary Clinton would take one for the team, there's only so much griping I'm going to do. And I'll defend her right to take her campaign right up to the convention -- with the following rules:

1) No do-overs. You agreed to the party rules in Florida and Michigan and you didn't complain then. So you have to live with them now.

2) No more moving the goal posts. Every state matters. Primaries and caucuses both count. No more of this talk of how the only processes that are important are the ones you win.

3) No more doing the Republicans' dirty work for them. If you have substantive policy differences with Barack Obama, then air them. Insist on a REAL debate with real policy questions -- about health care mandates, about Middle East policy, about global warming, about the housing debacle, about job outsourcing, and about the current food and energy crises. Let the remaining voters decide based on the differences in the way you would address these problems. No more negative ads, no more Obama/Osama bullshit.

4) Explain why you think you're the better choice, but stop this crap about how the world will come to an end if Barack Obama gets the nomination.

5) If by the beginning of June, there's no way you can obtain this nomination without strongarming and bullying delegates, threatening them with the Wrath of Clinton if they don't fall in line, then for God's sake do the right thing, drop out, and throw your support behind Obama. He's going to need it. The future of this country is more important than you, your ego, your idea that what you thought was a shoo-in for you wasn't, your competition with the Bush family for who can do a better job with a restoration.

Barack Obama still might lose in November, but if he does, that doesn't mean you would have won. Today's Republicans are the dirtiest, foulest people in the history of American politics. They know how to appeal to Americans' worst instincts and impulses, and history shows that their tactics work -- but only when Republicans use them because we EXPECT it of them.

And if you do this, I might even consider supporting you in 2012 -- assuming we all live that long and assuming you cut the crap about nuking Iran. Because if John McCain is president, we're going to need you to take a leadership role in putting the brakes on him, because he is completely batshit crazy. Lately you've been talking as if you are too, but I'm willing to chalk that up to having to be tougher than the boys are -- unless you continue what looks to be a campaign tactic of trying to ensure an Obama defeat in the fall to hold the Democratic nomination open for you in 2012.

If you do that, then both this fall and in 2012, you can go Cheney yourself.

It's up to you.

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Anonymous Anonymous said...
I looked at 2 videos on youtube
"Bosnia and back again",and "The clinton chronicles,"after viewing this information you get a great firsthand picture of how and why they act this way.~I pity the fool~ that sees this info and still looks at the Clintons the same way
4/25/08, 10:54 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Why doesn't the media ask her why she signed off on the rules of the contest at the beginning.

the clinton chronicles are eye opening and bosnia and back shows the real hillary.Did she forget she was taped on all thee issues?
4/25/08, 11:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
This is really silly. Obama can't win and he should be the nominee??
Obama's electability is the real problem, voters don't trust him, that is the reason this is still a race. You may like Obama, but are you sure that you want to lose in November?
Many people does not want to lose, that is the reason Obama is not getting the votes.
4/25/08, 2:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Umm, if Obama gets the nomination even though Hillary won the popular vote (including MI and FL), me and the rest of Hillary's half of the party will vote McCain.

Those votes don't go away just because you don't like the results. When Dean made his foolish decision, no one knew that the two states would determine the outcome.

Sorry, but I'd rather have a republican than tolerate this sh*t in my own party.
4/25/08, 3:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
In a year when the GOP had no electable candidates, we are trying awfully hard to hand them the election anyway. Great post, Jill. I just linked to it under the "Wish I'd written that" category.
4/25/08, 5:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
i agree with susan, the older voter, and am way older than she. also waiting for some light on an earlier question here: where were those young, newly-inspired voters when obama's numbers were counted in pennsylvania.

some of us are ready to support him--even though ignored by his campaign--because we think he has more substance in his ideas than his handlers have been willing to reveal. perhaps i dream.
4/25/08, 6:03 PM  
Blogger Distributorcap said...
that was a heckuva post jill...

every day i am continued to be amazed by the amount of poison in the political air
4/26/08, 12:12 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Thanks anonymous for the you tube videos info,it cuts to the chase for me, these clintons are a corrupt power hungry immoral twosome good riddance to the trash.
4/26/08, 12:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Let me get this straight; we have just gone through the worst 8 years of governance since Richard Nixon, and Hillary supporters will vote for McSame if she doesn't get the nod? Insanity. I am in her demographic but I am an ardent Obama supporter; her plans for that "Umbrella" over the middle east scare the shit out of me, but I will hold my nose in Nov and vote for her if she manages to steal the nomination because, um, she doesn't have the numbers to win fairly despite what her supporters say (MI and FL are off the Table: she agreed to this before the primaries when she thought that she was the presumptive nominee), so she, and her supporters, should stop being cry-babies over the issue.

Great OP-ED, BTW.
4/26/08, 8:07 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Let me get this straight; we have just gone through the worst 8 years of governance since Richard Nixon, and Hillary supporters will vote for McSame if she doesn't get the nod?


I have thought from the beginning and still think now that as long as the Democrats come together once the nominee is chosen there is no way we can lose. I will be willing to forgive and defend a lot of what Hillary has done during this campaign cycle. History will prove that it has been pretty tame and not nearly as nasty as the media wants us to think BUT I will not defend her if she does not jump right behind Obama right away if he gets the nomination. I know there is a group of Clinton supporters that say they will vote for McCain if she is not the nominee (I am not one of them even though I did vote for Clinton) it is way more important too me that we have a democrat in the White house in the fall. Clinton had better work just as hard as she is now and fight just as hard as she is now too make sure that a Democrat is in the White house in Nov even if it isn't her. If she doesn't then that is the one thing I will not defend nor forgive her for. Dem's in 08 more seats in the house and in the senate and one in the White House. Change really will come no matter which Dem gets into office as long as Dem's come back together.
4/30/08, 8:29 PM  
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