Everybody knows that there were protesters outside the DNC meeting. But mose of them weren't from Florida or Michigan. They were from places like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and New York. This is more proof that yesterday wasn't about Florida and Michigan.
I noticed something when reading the press coverage of yesterday's protests outside the Democratic National Committee's Rules and By-Laws Committee: most of the protesters for Hillary Clinton which were quoted in press accounts were NOT from Florida and Michigan. Here's a sampling.
The Baltimore Sun described the complaints of a Hillary supporter from New Jersey:
"Beatriz Ocampo, a paralegal who drove down from Hoboken, N.J. to join the rally.
Her beef is mostly with the Democratic National Committee and its Rules and Bylaws panel, which is meeting inside, because of the party's decision to strip Michigan and Florida of its delegates to the summer nominating convention...'It's resented by her supporters that party leaders are trying to throw her under the bus,' said Ocampo."
The Washington Times quoted Clinton protesters from Pennsylvania and North Carolina, both of whom say they're defecting to McCain in November; the times also ran a now classic photograph of a citizen from Bend, Oregon:
"We are all a nation together, there are 50 states, not 48,' said Constanta Nour-Hinkle, 35, who traveled by train from Reading, Pa. today to attend the rally. 'I felt I needed to make my voice hear and I wanted to show solidarity with the 2.3 million voters [in Florida and Michigan] whose voices were not heard...'It would be the first time in my life I would vote Republican for president," said Mrs. Nour-Hinkle, 35. "I think Obama is an empty shirt, the same as [President] George W. Bush but only a Democrat,'...
'I can't stand for the Democratic Party if they don't stand for voters' rights," said Mr. Overton, who traveled from his home in Chapel Hill, N.C., to attend the rally. The party "would no longer exist to me as a party.'"
Newsweek found a Clinton supporter from Texas to talk to, and a Hillary/McCain supporter from Kentucky to take a picture of:
"Jehmu Greene, 35, a member of the recently formed WomenCount PAC, thinks the protests could actually help the party. Greene said she made the trip from her hometown of Austin, Texas, in part because she believes that if the votes from Florida and Michigan aren't counted, Democrats will lose in November. 'This is a beautiful thing, people who wake up and get on a plane, get on buses and travel for hours and travel for thousands of miles to have their voices heard," she said. "It is why this country was founded [and] it is absolutely making this party stronger that this race is so contested, that so many new voices have come in.'"
The woman who was ejected for making a scene at the meeting? Firedoglake reports that she is from Long Island, New York. The New Huffington Post (via 2political Junkies) chimed in with a summary of of the conspiracy theories heard at the protest:
'[Obama] is a cult. His campaign is an anti-woman cult.'
'I will actively campaign against him.'
'You know who is backing him is George Soros. It'll be George Soros, not Obama, who is running the country.'
'South Dakota is totally rigged for Obama because of Tom Daschle. Obama's going to win South Dakota because he's buying it and rigging it.'
'[Obama] is a socialist! You know what the Nazi Party was before it was the Nazi Party? It was the Socialist Party.'
Clearly, continuing this campaign for three more months, as the Clintonites are threatening to do, would NOT be helpful to the party's chances in November. Ending the Clinton campaign is going to be painful, whether it's now or in August. Super Delegates should realize that it's better to take care of a painful thing you don't want to do sooner than later. Super Delegates should realize that the fate of our party is riding on them being able to display leadership over the next three days. Enough Super Delegates endorsements to allow a pledged delegate from Montana to put Obama over the top are desperately needed.
Also, we need to think about what to do as a party. I think that the vast majority of the protesters at yesterday's meeting--the few, the proud, bitter Hillary all-the-way supporters--are unpersuadable. I don't think these people are going to rejoin the party in November. We might be better off making a play for disillusioned evangelicals who are upset over the war, AIDS policy, and poverty. These people are considering Obama, but are leery about abortion. Could a pro-life running mate like Senator Bob Casey or former Representative Tim Roemer be the answer to this train wreck of a primary?