My Patience is Growing Very Thin

I, like many, am growing somewhat tired of watching a race that is all but over.  That in itself has not pulled my patience to the breaking point though.

The way that Hillary Clinton has run her race since March of this year, where she essentially lost the nomination, is what has been stretching very thin my patience.

Watching her so called victory speech last night has nearly permanently ended any sense of admiration that I could have possibly ever had for her.  Make no mistake, after Kerry's loss in 2004, I was well prepared to support Hillary Clinton for President, but that intention is being pulled as close to the breaking point as I can imagine.

Clinton's Racist and Sexist Victories  I remember clearly and admiringly when John Edwards declared at an early debate that he did NOT want votes from people that wouldn't support either a woman or a person of color.  The Clinton's on the other hand have played the "Gender Politic" card for all its worth and repeatedly.  "Women should vote for Clinton because she is a Woman" -- this refrain has been telegraphed by not only surrogates and supporters, but by the candidate herself.  Over and Over and Over.

Perhaps the media and others have well indeed injected sexism into this campaign, but none more than the Clinton campaign.

The Clinton campaign has been getting into its stride on the support of an increasingly Racist electorate support.  Rather than making the Edward(ian) declaration that She didn't want the votes from people that wouldn't support a person of color, she has rather fanned the flames by jumping and capitalizing on the nontroversy of Jeremiah Wright and the "as far as I know, he isn't a muslim" faux paranoia.

Her two recent landslide victories in West Virginia and Kentucky were so significant because of the Self Identified Racists in those states.  It is very hard for me to stomach that a "leader" in the Democratic Party is doing victory laps on the shoulders of overt racists.  It is shameful that she hasn't condemned this kind of support, but it is abjectly disgusting that she is trumpeting this support instead.

Process over Substance

The Clintons could have been making a substantive argument, specifically against the Bush/McCain legacy over the past weeks.  Instead, their arguments are repeatedly over and over about the process.  Since she has clearly failed on the Substance argument, her remaining refuge lays in the flawed arguments regarding the process.  And it would be one thing if the flawed arguments weren't so disingenuous.

It Is Time

Barack Obama has won the majority of Elected/Pledged delegates.  There is no shortage of super delegates that have made declarations that it would not be in the interest of the party to overturn the Pledged Delegate leader (and in this case, winner).  The Clinton campaign is now in the process of trying to move the finish line from the unanimously agreed 2025.  This in itself is somewhat embarrassing to watch.  But the Clintons won't be satisfied until the Super Delegates step onto the Race Track just as Barack Obama is about to cross the finish line, hold him back and pick Hillary Clinton who has clearly "fallen and can't get up" and carry her across the finish line.  At times, I am patient, but my patience is wearing too thin.  It is now time for the Super Delegates to hear from their constituency.

As a Virginian, I have been giving Senator Webb the benefit of the doubt that he would 'do the right thing' on his own, the following is the letter that I wrote this morning:

Dear Senator Webb

I believe that the time for endorsing the de facto Democratic Nominee has arrived.  I was a supporter of yours against your Primary challenger, Harris Miller, wherein I believed that you had a chance to win Virginia, which I was happy to see that You did, and Harris did not.

Now comes the time to endorse Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic Nominee.  He won Virginia overwhelming with the same kind of support that carried You to victory in Your primary and general election challenges.  He has now obtained the majority of the pledged delegates.  Like the choice between You and Harris Miller, it was obvious to me that You could win Your Senate seat in Virginia and Harris could not, it is equally obvious that Barack Obama could win Virginia in the General Election whereas Hillary Clinton can not.

I sincerely hope that You can see that it is time to endorse the next President of the United States of America and winner of Virginia’s 2008 13 Electoral Votes, Barack Obama.

I would sincerely urge You all to do what You can to end this sooner rather than later.

•  Tips for Patience or Not!

  by josephk on Wed May 21, 2008 at 09:33:53 AM PDT

  •  You've been far more patient than I've been

    I got fed up with Hillary's campaign "tactics" many months ago.

    by Sagebrush Bob on Wed May 21, 2008 at 10:00:33 AM PDT

•  The superdelegates are completely spineless

  You'd expect them to endorse en masse today after Obama won the pledged delegates, but instead they are waiting even longer.

  Maybe they are all seeing which candidate will give them the best deal, like vulchers.

  by jimmyhoffa2222 on Wed May 21, 2008 at 09:36:06 AM PDT

•  Welcome to the club

  Get in line, take a number.

  by droogie6655321 on Wed May 21, 2008 at 09:38:50 AM PDT

  •  I'm #000003 n/t

    by Terre on Wed May 21, 2008 at 09:41:52 AM PDT

    •  Damn

      I'm No. 1,247,788

      Trade?

      by droogie6655321 on Wed May 21, 2008 at 09:43:18 AM PDT

•  The party is complicit in this.

  By not speaking up against such race-baiting, and the exploitation of gender politics, the party is complicit in dragging us back to the Reagan/Gingrich years.  In case the party or the CLinton campaign hasn't noticed, times are different.  Liberal is not a dirty word (except on Faux News), people want a government that functions again.  We don't need to pretend that Democrats are just stupid and need to emulate republicans.  It's a different dynamic.  The train has left the station.  Except Hillary and Bill exploit the old memes, while pretending they're populists.  We've been here, people.  Hillary Clinton is no populist.  What did the Clintons do for Appalachia anyway?  

  By not taking the stand that John Edwards took (I had forgotten he had said that), they become the party of the lowest common denominator.  

  Every superdelegate sitting on the fence should be ashamed.  I will write my daily email to my worthless congressman, Rahm Emanuel.  Frankly, Howard Dean should have been stronger about this, too.  He is still the face of the Democratic party.  He's let us down in this regard.

  by 57andFemale on Wed May 21, 2008 at 09:44:54 AM PDT

  •  I was very Proud of Edwards

    when he made the statement that he didn't want the votes of sexists or racists ... and it is entirely disgusting that the Clinton campaign has not only sat passively by, but rather capitalized and promoted "victory" through it

    by josephk on Wed May 21, 2008 at 09:51:50 AM PDT

•  *Snore*

  Please wake me when this diary is over.

  I'm truly sorry a fair number of people on this site don't like to watch democracy in action.  I think it's indicative that we live in an age of instant gratification.

  In any event, the superdelegates were introduced into the Democratic nomination process to help avoid nomination, by popular vote, of a weak candidate.  I don't think letting them see both candidates through the entire primary season will hurt anything.  Those of you that think the fact that the process has gone on as long as it has has been detrimental to Obama don't have much faith in your candidate, like he's some kind of china figurine that'll break if mishandled.

  He'll be nominated.  Just chill.

  by TheOrchid on Wed May 21, 2008 at 09:45:48 AM PDT

  •  Not at all

    i don't think that Obama is weak at all -- it is evident to me that any expression that i have made here in this diary regarding weakness is about the weakness of the Clinton campaign -- Proudly declaring victories on the support of racists and gender politics -- is weakness imo; talking process rather than substance is weakness imo

    fighting for what You believe is one thing -- the Clintons are not fighters, rather they are spoiled brats throwing a temper tantrum and it needs to end

    by josephk on Wed May 21, 2008 at 09:55:19 AM PDT

•  Be smart, not patient

  Obama has the nomination.  As long as Clinton stays relatively non-negative (and let's give her a little credit for this lately) there is no harm in letting it play out a little longer.  It is the gracious and generous thing to do and will be appreciated by her and her supporters.  We need them all in November.

  by rf7777 on Wed May 21, 2008 at 09:58:33 AM PDT

  •  Positive vs Non=Negative

    see, at this stage, i think that she needs to transform from the 'relatively non-negative as of late' to an actual positive tone

    focusing on process, boosting Your own sense by touting the euphemistically named 'white working class' instead of condemning over racists, praising the likes of FauxNoise and Karl Rove -- for me, my patience has worn pretty f'ing thin with these 'non-negatives'

    by josephk on Wed May 21, 2008 at 10:12:02 AM PDT

•  Her behavior is loserish

  Did anyone catch that reference Hillary made to the Karl Rove memo that was leaked that argued she was the stronger candidate? How sorry and pathetic do you have to be to cite one of the Dems greatest enemies?? I was listening to the Bill Press show this morning on Sirius Radio and he said that he thought she deserved more respect for staying in the race for so long. I can't agree with that. She's behaving like a loser. I'm sorry I can't think of a better term. Desperate arguments don't engender respect. I think Rove leaked that memo to give Democratic voters "buyer's remorse."

  by Aspe4 on Wed May 21, 2008 at 10:04:10 AM PDT

  •  Karl F'ing Rove

    i didn't even mention that one!!! ... talk about embarrassing

    if it wasn't so sad, it would be hilarious ... all i can say is that i am glad she ain't my senator

    by josephk on Wed May 21, 2008 at 10:08:15 AM PDT

•  I have written Webb repeatedly

  to no avail. As a Virginian, I am disappointed with my senator. Guess he doesn't want to distract from his book tour...

  That being said, I think the lack of a superdelegate flood is strategy. Obama doesn't want to alienate Clinton voters and has to avoid the perception of being "handed" the nomination. He wants voters in the last three primaries to put him over the top.

  by kat68 on Wed May 21, 2008 at 10:16:39 AM PDT

  •  I e-mailed Webb on this too ...

    ... and also got no response. Based on his "Meet the Press" comments last Sunday, I get the impression that he finds both Clinton and Obama too liberal to satisfy his Blue Dog/Reagan Democrat points of view.

    I hope he will endorse Obama soon, but am not holding my breath.

    by philimus on Wed May 21, 2008 at 10:50:36 AM PDT

•  don't you know, racists, like lobbyists

  are people too!

  by Dreggas on Wed May 21, 2008 at 10:18:32 AM PDT

•  the only thing I really resent

  The only thing I really resent in this is that Obama's getting no credit for the graciousness he's been showing Hillary.  The odds on her winning are now so thin that her optimism is starting to resemble a mental illness.  I'm not calling for her to drop out, because she has the right to keep running if she wants... but, it is absolutely hopeless and she's making a joke of herself at this point.  It's ludicrous that we're expected to take this seriously anymore.  But Obama has been kindly playing along and saying "the race isn't over yet" and complimenting her "tenacity" (when it's really no more than delusion at this point).   And it's costing the Democrats valuable time and money that should be spent fighting McCain... but, we have to placate Hillary instead, because she's (a) a Clinton, and (b) a woman, who'll scream "sexism!" if she's made to follow the same rules of logic that any male candidate would be expected to adhere to.

  Instead of getting credit for his kindness in this, Hillary's supporters are just hating Obama more and more and more with every passing day.  And that ticks me off.

  by shadetree mortician on Wed May 21, 2008 at 10:18:44 AM PDT

•  josephk

  GREAT POST.

  by vegasj on Wed May 21, 2008 at 10:26:11 AM PDT

•  My theory

  Personally, if I was 31MM in the hole financially because of  running in a race I can’t mathematically on any rubric win, I would call it quits.  Would have called it quits at 5MM.

  But enough of the reasons.  Whenever stuff doesn’t make sense the bottom line is money or time.  So I have a theory.  

  My theory is that Hillary is secretly a generational politician of the old school order.  The demarcation line between democrat and republican doesn’t matter with her, as evidenced she prefers McCain over Obama.  She prefers old over new.  Her allegiance is to the old way.  She doesn’t want change. She might want order, but she doesn’t want change.  WV and KY and SC primaries are indications of that.  To go even further, I believe she and the old guard, have aligned themselves and are together, trying to figure out a way to destroy the true change candidate of this new younger, SMARTER, discerning,  generation.  And since the Republicans are finding it difficult to get a believable platform together, to run on against the phenomenality of Obama and his refreshing message of truth, Hillary, as a diversion, are buying them time.  For which she may even get paid for her services say 31MM or whatever it takes.

  by publicv on Wed May 21, 2008 at 11:12:36 AM PDT