If there is one image that both haunts and drives me, it's the one where George and Laura Bush gleefully greet President John McCain and his wife on the front steps of the White House, welcoming them to their new home on January 20, 2009.
At that moment, Bush will realize that, in fact, he does have a legacy, that people really did like him, and that his leadership was strong enough to get someone just like him elected to carry on his incredibly narrow-minded and moronic policies.
And somewhere on the steps of the capital building, Joe Lieberman will feel a deep sense of validation.
All because we couldn't put our party first and unite around a candidate.
At that moment, a man who admittedly knows little about the economy will inherit a recession and mortgage/housing market crisis.
At that moment, a man who had actually gambled his political future on Iraq will feel obligated to do "the will of the people" and commit our troops to 100 years of, well, whatever it is we're doing over there that "helps/liberates/etc." Iraqis and the Middle East in general.
At that moment, hundreds, if not thousands of American lives that might have been saved under an Obama or Clinton presidency will be committed to death in Iraq, as IEDs and suicide bombers take them out one by one over the next four years.
At that moment, we will all regret the fact that we spent an entire summer ruining the reputation of the Democratic Party by learning to constantly engage in petty, back-and-forth, one-upsmanship type games.
We'll regret that, while the republicans learned to get along and support their candidate (it's inevitable folks), we were debating on Sunday mornings and throwing hissy fits about whether Michigan and Florida should get a revote.
We'll regret that, while McCain raised millions of dollars for the general election, we paused to listen to the endless spin about superdelegates and Texas "wins".
We'll regret that we spent our seemingly boundless energy on what some pastor in Chicago said five days after 9/11 (what brash things did you say during that time?), whether or not Geraldine Ferraro is a racist, what Norman Hsu and Tony Rezko say about a candidate's integrity, who plagarized from who, who is "ready on day one", 3:00 am phone calls and God knows what else.
At that moment, the Democratic Party will be reeling from the fact that, even under the most favorable of circumstances, we still couldn't win.
Imagine, of you will, what we'll be thinking on Jan. 20, 2009 if we don't get our shit together...
- The chances to have our once in a lifetime candidate (Obama - the numbers don't lie, he'll eventually be the nominee) will have been dashed... beaten by a W-loving 72-year-old neoconservative.
- Hillary Clinton's political career will be over. After being unable to graciously concede to Obama in the spring, she'll be blamed for the McCain presidency more than anyone.
- Why didn't Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Howard Dean and other party leadership show some backbone by standing up to the Clinton machine when there was still time? These people will share in the blame as much as Hillary.
- We'll go back to our working against a president so that maybe, just maybe, Obama will decide that he has one more run in him in 2012.
We can't afford a summer of this back and forth, "gothca!" type campaign. It's killing our chances of retaking the White House and achieving a fillibuster-proof congress.
All of this will occur because Clinton and Obama supporters can't get along. But, alas, I have the answer! If Hillary graciously drops out now, but sides will get exactly what they want.
And for the Hillary supporters out there, please realize that, as sad as it may be for you to see her go, she would be a HERO for graciously dropping out. To come so close, but yet still realize that winning and party unity are what matter, may be one of the most selfless and game changing moments in political history. Obama supporters would stand in awe of Hillary's ability to drop out despite coming in a close second place.
If she were to graciously drop out now, or at least before the summer, she would share in the win as much as Barack Obama.
I'd support her whole-heartedly if she ever ran again. If fact, I'd start putting $24 a month aside starting now so that I can make a nice $2,300 contribution to her campaign when she announces that she's running again in 2016.
I'm serious. I will strongly support you, Hillary. You have the power to put a Democrat back in the White House, you just have to realize that it isn't you...at least not until 2016.
Drop out now and we win. Stay in and we probably lose. It's your choice.