"I don't think the race is over until Sen. Clinton decides she is getting out" -- Barack Obama on MTP
Excuse me?
You know, I have heard so much about THE MATH, and am now a bit tired of saying the same thing over and over again. So here are two points I like to make:
Point 1- Obama supporters, surrogates, as-yet-undeleclareds (hummmm ... ) Brazile and Clyburn, cite rules so much, let me point something out very clearly. Have they noticed the simple fact the superdelegates can change their minds, and ONLY at the convention, their vote is final? So, unless one candidate concedes, we have to wait till convention to make sure who is the winner, regardless of anyone's opinion. In fact, I know that Obama and his supporters are fully AWARE of this fact. That's the REAL reason behind shouting for something like two months that Hillary should quit. (or Psychologically taking her out. We understand. It's all part of the game.)
Because, you know, the only way to stop the process and short-circuit it, is to force Clinton to withdraw. It's been a really tough horse race, one candidate is tired out, and is eager to call the race NOW.
And friends, let me remind you, neither in sports, nor in politics, is it ever customary to ask a person or a team to concede before the race is over and the buzzer is sounding. So, please remember that.
(more overleaf ...)
But, you'd say, it's harmful for the party. The race will go on and on. We won't have time to campaign for the general election.
In fact, the excitement over the primary could be very good for the party. (but then, do you trust the Democratic Party to be able to figure anything out right, and use this excitement? I didn't think so.) However, I leave that argument to others.
Since some of the doomsday arguments comes from the likes of Dean and Pelosi, who are (presumably) the Democratic leaders, let me add something that has gone unnoticed till now, and that is my second point.
It was the custom that candidates battle it out, and then the convention officially crowns one candidate as the nominee. Usually, everyone would then sing Kumbaya, there would be confetti and balloons, and the nominee will get a few percentage boost in the polls (the convention bounce).
Now, democrats in their ultimate wisdom (/snark) decided that (I am NOT making this up):
1- Oh, it will be a good idea to have a nominee early, like in February.
2- However, rules will prevent any state (except IA, NH, SC, and NV) from holding a primary prior to February 5th.
3- Democrats (and I am NOT making this up) gave BONUS delegates to the states holding primaries in March, and later. For example, a state could get AS MUCH AS 30% of BONUS delegates by holding its primary in JUNE. (you are following so far?)
4- Democrats also insisted on a system of proportional allocation of delegates.
5- Democrats also decided on a LATE convention date, to get the convention bounce. Apparently a version of memory loss had hit every democrat and they COULDN'T remember past the last 3 primary elections, to the times (Clinton, Mondale, Carter, and others) when the convention decided the nominee. [Bill Clinton clinched the nomination in June] .
6- DESPITE Florida 2000, democrats still had plenty of caucuses to go around, even though it's messy as heck, and impossible to confirm a fair election has taken place. Well, never mind Iowa, and who wants to offend party officials who wanted to build the party in this fashion?
7- So if your head is NOT spinning, you have followed that the democrats WISHED a nominee to be chosen early, but instead SET UP everything to get it to go as long as possible.
8- Never mind Florida and Michigan. Items 4 and 6 ensured that in the case of a very competitive race, the winner of the pledged delegate race and the popular vote leader weren't the same, as we see now. Democrats had added the superdelegates to the pot, so they could be tie-breakers. In case you thought, oh, wait, that's a neat way to solve this, you are suffering from intense optimism, and underestimating the ability of the Democratic Party to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
9- Faced with the complete MESS that they have created, the democratic elites (DNC, Pelosi, pundits, big heads....) are understandably and predictably MAD at .... THE VOTERS. Yes, how dare those pesky voters want to keep voting and at least have a LITTLE feeling that their votes matter?
10- Faced with pesky voters who can't follow the drumbeat and get the HINT who they are supposed to vote for, the elites are now MAD at the WOMAN (that is Hillary, and yes, I intentionally wrote that. Can you IMAGINE anyone telling Reagan in 76, Kennedy in 80, or any other WHITE MALE in a serious position of taking the nomination, to stop competing? Or as the pompous ass, Keith O put it, take Hillary to a room, and lay down the law?)
I feel like shouting, SHE IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, YOU MORONS, AND IT AINT A PICNIC.
Oh, I feel someone should remind Sen. Obama too: RUNNING FOR PRESIDENCY AIN'T A PICNIC!
UPDATE: I would like to add the link for the Democratic Party's delegate allocation, and the awarding of bonus delegates for choosing a later primary or caucus date. Here: The Green Papers.
UPDATE II: This is a clarification of the phrase 'you morons' above. I was referring to those named in item 10, specifically the elites such as Russert and KO. In no way, that sentence is directed at the readers here or at Obama supporters. Please don't take it as such. Thanks.
UPDATE III: Thanks to KnowVox in the comments, similar observations are made in an article by Steve and Cokie Roberts.Note: this diary is really a re-write of comments I wrote on The Left Coaster and The Confluence. I thought that it is worth making them into a diary.
Note II: the author of this diary is a Canadian, who unfortunately cannot cure him/herself of addiction to the American political process, despite the fact that the said addiction is very bad for the author's health.
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