So what if it isn't decided today?

Aside from the last couple election cycles, the nominee has almost never been decided this early.  Let's all take a deep breath and let the process work.  The process helps us vet our candidates so that we really know who they are and how they stand up under pressure.

On the whole, I lean toward Obama but would happy vote for Sen. Clinton if she is our nominee.

Instead of getting too distracted by what happens today, let's spend our time and energies talking about their agendas.  

Having the nominee decided in June has been the historical norm rather than February. I realize that Super Tuesday has compressed this in the past couple cycles but it is far from the norm.

I would like to see both of our candidates illuminate their entire platforms rather than trying to pick apart the rather small differences between them.

I would also like to see us spend more of our energies nailing Sen. McCain to his record rather than being aghast that Sen. Clinton is working hard from a weaker hand or that Sen. Obama may or may not have said something to the Canadians about NAFTA.

In a reasonable world, either Sen. Clinton or Sen. Obama will get the calls at 3:00am a year from now so let them explain why they should get that call and also what they are going to put in place to mitigate the effects of those calls.

•  tips?

  by Dave from Oregon on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:58:09 AM PDT

  •  you make too much sense

    So refreshing around here lately!

    by sunshineonthebay on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:59:20 AM PDT

•  So what if it isn't decided today?

  That would suck.

  by sheddhead on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:01:23 AM PDT

  •  Why?

    Why would it suck now instead after Super Tuesday?  Or before?

    Why would it suck now instead of two weeks from now?

    by Fabian on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:11:25 AM PDT

    •  Because on Super Tuesday

      it wasn't all hate and smear, all the time.

      Starting about a week later, that's how one of the campaigns started to go.  It's gotten worse, and worse, ever since.

      It would suck.  

      by sheddhead on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:29:22 AM PDT

      •  Exactly

        If it was on the up and up I could take it.  But the constant attacks on subjects not about the issues is a little disheartening.

        by kdee on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:34:05 AM PDT

        •  And it's eating away...

          To be honest, if it's not over, I'm ready to start contributing to the "effective and decisive Low Road Campaign" to once and forever defeat Clinton.

          I wish I didn't feel that way...  so I just pray it's over.

          by sheddhead on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:58:58 AM PDT

          •  Listening to a piece on Air America

            I was reminded that primaries can be particularly ugly affairs. People pull no punches and the winner can easily go on to win the general election.

            The speaker pointed out that in 1960, the Humphry/Kennedy primary was very ugly with lots of nasty comments about Joe Kennedy's attempt to buy the job for his son.  

            Let's all support our candidate during the primary. If our candidate loses in the primary, let's think of John Roberts and Sam Alito and then focus on getting the Democrat elected president.

            by Dave from Oregon on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 01:53:16 PM PDT

•  I'll have no problem with waiting, except

  that the "kitchen sink" is getting so full of BS that neither candidate may win in November.  Then we get four more years of Bush/McCain.

  by Templar on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:03:09 AM PDT

  •  exactly

    If this campaign were actually still about issues and policy, instead of turning into a mudslinging, all out brawl, I would not mind a long campaign.  However, right now Clinton is mostly just trying to hurt Obama rather than make the case for herself.  The longer she raises money from Democrats to attack the basic qualifications of the probably Democratic nominee, the more it will hurt us in the long run.

    by WahooMatt on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:11:13 AM PDT

    •  I'm seriously considering that Hillary's game

      plan may now be to destroy Barack's chance of winning in November so she can run again in four years.  Some may disagree, but frankly at this point I wouldn't put anything past the Clintons.

      by Templar on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:21:47 AM PDT

      •  This is it for Sen. Clinton, if she loses in 2008

        then she will not get a serious chance again.  

        by Dave from Oregon on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:25:04 AM PDT

        •  Not if Barack is the nominee and he loses.

          Individuals have lost presidential primaries and come back in four years to be their party's nominee.

          by Templar on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:31:49 AM PDT

          •  agreed, Sen. Obama would get another shot

            but I do not believe Sen. Clinton will get one. This is it for her.

            by Dave from Oregon on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 01:48:01 PM PDT

•  I think having the nomination process..

  go on for a while only serves to strengthen the Democrats.  It keeps us at the top of the "page" in the news.  McCain is practically an afterthought and he will continue to be as long as the Democrats are still in play.  

  by JustJennifer on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:03:30 AM PDT

  •  The down side to this argument...

    is that it gives McCain plenty of time to make nice with the radical right without having to pay a price for doing so in the media.  He accepted the endorsement of that odious jackass Hagee the other day with not that much coverage in the national media (at least not that I saw...)

    by Samantha Jones for President on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:06:48 AM PDT

•  Problem

  McCain probably becomes official as the Republican nominee today. And the longer our two candidates are beating up on each other is more free time for him to pile on, and basically do so unchallenged.

  This is not a huge issue, if we are talking a few weeks or even a month. But if this drags out into summertime, you are leaving very little time to get your message out in the general. And getting side-by-side with McCain can only help our cause, and the sooner the better.

  by Otis29 on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:04:22 AM PDT

  •  with eight short weeks between the Convention

    and the November election!

    by Templar on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:05:51 AM PDT

•  And remember - it's the system

  not any candidate that is at fault.

  If people wanted an earlier decision, they should have pressed for a more condensed primary schedule.  I find the whole "Drop out!" meme to be annoying and undemocratic.  Kucinich and Edwards were both on my ballot.  I was glad to see that.

  Freedom of Choice!  

  by Fabian on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:05:15 AM PDT

•  I am less concerned with when this monkey show

  ends and more concerned with when it started. If each Presidential election becomes a 2 year event, we are screwed.  The money, mental energy and attention to real problems which are lost is very disturbing to me. The commercial press seems to have no problem with this. Wonder why.

  by el vasco on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:05:21 AM PDT

•  Pennsylvania!

  America Starts Here!

  by terrypinder on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:05:47 AM PDT

•  I LONG for the day

  where "vet" once again means a place where you take your sick animals.

  by 1 20 2009 on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:08:23 AM PDT

  •  I get your point but hasn't "vet" always

    meant to verify one's credentials, background, fitness for a job?

    by Dave from Oregon on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:18:59 AM PDT

•  Then we eagerly await the informative diaries

  entitled "Hillary **** anti-Obama ***** I So Want to Type the Word "Bitch" But I'm Above That." All 5,000 of them. And that's just tomorrow.

  I should build a Hillary-Hating Blogger template.

  by Little on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:09:49 AM PDT

  •  Oh, I've already written one.

    In my head - it's called Hillary is Teh Evil.  I go on to say Hillary is more evil than anyone and everyone, even if and especially if the evidence is contrary.  Because to some people, the sentiment is the important thing, not the substance.

    If Hillary started cheerleading for Obama tomorrow, there would be diaries saying that she wasn't sincere and was just trying to pander or save her image or....

    I keep thinking of Blazing Saddles these past few weeks.

    by Fabian on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:18:55 AM PDT

    •  Hillary has a Penis

      And another penis! And they are both Teh Evil penisies.

      When Hillary comes out and supports Obama that will of course be said by tiny-minded followers, too many of which unfortunately call this place home.

      P.S. Go Obama.

      by Little on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:22:26 AM PDT

•  If it isn't decided today

  then Obama will just continue to make his case, and will be toughened up for the general election. I think his campaign can stand up to the extended scrutiny that a prolonged primary campaign will produce. If it can't, then he should not be the nominee.

  by khwalker on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:17:57 AM PDT

  •  damn, this "recommend" key only works once :)

    by Dave from Oregon on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:20:28 AM PDT

  •  Generally I'd agree

    But if the extension of this nomination process includes one candidate's continued implication that the Republican nominee is a better candidate than her Democratic opponent, that could become a problem in the general - for all Democrats.  

    And sorry, that was one hell of a run-on sentence I just typed!

    by Otis29 on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:23:11 AM PDT

•  Gag

  The thought of this going on much longer just caused me (to use an overused expression) to throw up in my mouth a little. I'm really hoping the candidate I'm rooting for will seal this deal up asap.

  by henna218 on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:33:16 AM PDT

•  I'm aghast

  as an Edwards supporter who changed to Obama late I think Hillary's campaign has shown she isn't fit to be President. Luckily I don't think she'll win.

  by cacamp on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:52:59 AM PDT

•  I've thought all along an extended season

  would be a good thing, since there's so much excitement in all these states, and there's more voter investment when they get to cast a vote that matters in a primary or caucus.

  I've noticed that this sentiment of mine is in inverted proportion to how much time I spend on dKos.  If I spent half as much time here as I used to, I would be screaming for this season to be over.  But these days I spend very little time on dKos, and even then I devote most of my reading to diaries that have to do with something other than the candidates or election.

  Meanwhile when I talk to people offline, there is nowhere near the negative perceptions, the predictions of doom-and-gloom-and-a-Repug-victory-if-this-season-continues, and so on.  If I hung around the more plugged-in activists, sure, I'd probably hear it.  But mostly I talk politics with people who aren't that plugged in - they know the bare bones, but not which surrogate has been saying what and all the other inside-baseball stuff that gets discussed in more activist circles and on dKos.  And frankly, the majority of American voters fit into that not-real-plugged-in category.

  So, on balance, aided by my relative absence from dKos (I'll be back full-time once the primary season is over, not that anyone cares), I still think an extended season is a good idea and that it would be fine if it continued beyond today.  I remember how exciting it was to cast a vote that mattered in my state primary, and I'm glad that Texas, Ohio, RI and Vermont voters have that opportunity today.  And if Wyoming, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania voters also get to experience that, so much the better.  

  At this point, I believe that Obama will win the nomination in the end, but so much the better, frankly, if he's inoculated now against what will be thrown at him in the general.  Get it all out of the way now so that it's old and boring news six months from now - there is nothing worse from the viewpoint of average Americans than old and boring.  (No, I don't think inoculation is HRC's intention, but it can work out that way for Obama nonetheless, and he and his campaign are smart enough to make sure that's the way it works out.)

  by Black Knight on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:53:37 AM PDT

  •  Actually, I think that IS Hillary's intent

    Why would she be hitting him with Nerf bats if it wasn't?  If she really wanted to fight dirty (all this "kitchen sink" bs) she could just make stuff up like the Rs do.  Not that I haven't seen kossacks accuse her of it, of course I have.  (Shows how much attention they pay to what the Rs really do.) But the Hillary-Hate isn't as bad here as it is on HuffPo, so I'll hang around.  (Besides, DK does a much better job of letting me know who to call about what - things like telecom immunity - and that's worth trying to dodge the haters.)

    by bfitzinAR on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:57:30 AM PDT

•  Groundhog day

  Here in PA it will be six more weeks of silly season. We will be asking Barack and Hillary not to come over for dinner anymore. Registered DEMs will be keeping their phones off the hook to keep from getting "friendly" reminders to vote, to support Obama, to support Clinton, to canvas, to talk to their neighbors, to call other Democrats, to donate time, to donate money and, oh yes, to vote on April 22.

  I am not much of a praying man, but I am praying for Obama to close this thing out tonight.

  The alternative is much too painful for me to think about.

  by Montco PA Dem on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:06:08 AM PDT

•  If we were looking at less than 6 more weeks of..

  this, I wouldn't be so worried about not ending this tonight.  But, we have what, MS and WY, over the next two weeks, then PA weeks and weeks later.  I have to think Obama will take both MS and WY, so were stuck with no real news until 5/22.  That's a long time.  

  by Dan Hogan on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:19:55 AM PDT