The senator argued that there will not be a nominee on Tuesday saying, “So, when the voting concludes on Tuesday, neither Sen. Obama nor I will have the number of delegates to be the nominee. I will lead the popular vote, he will maintain a slight lead in the delegate count. The decision will fall on the shoulders of those leaders in our party, empowered by the rules, to vote at the Democratic convention.
Speaking directly to superdelegates, Clinton said, “I do not envy the decision you must make. But the decision has to be made. And in the final assessment, I ask you to consider these questions. Which candidate best represents the will of the people who voted?” Clinton said. “Which candidate can best lead us to victory in November, and which candidate is best able to lead our nation as our president in the face of unprecedented challenges at home and abroad?”
Clinton, as she has done for the past four election day speeches, made a direct appeal for money, urging people to go to her Web site. “I cannot complete this journey without your help. We have two contests left. We have South Dakota and Montana, and you can make a difference by visiting hillaryclinton.com.”
I'd love to hunker down and start taking on McCain in earnest, and I'd love the help of Clinton supporters in making sure that we don't get 4+ more years of George W. Bush in the White House. If Hillary Clinton had clinched the nomination, I'd be ready to do the same, rallying for her. Yes, I would have been sorely disappointed that my preferred candidate didn't prevail (in fact, I was originally for Edwards, so my first preferred candidate already HASN'T prevailed) -- but after a bender or two, I would have been ready to suck it up and get ready to make sure a Republican doesn't occupy the White House in 2009.
So yeah, I'm ready for unity with Clinton and her supporters.
But SENATOR CLINTON IS NOT READY FOR UNITY. She has specifically rejected it. And while I don't think her most hardcore supporters accurately represent all of the people who voted for her, Senator Clinton is actually discouraging party unity, and many of her supporters are taking the cue.
Look, I even think it's her right and privilege to keep fighting until the last primary is over. But see what she's saying above: she says that after ALL of the primary contests are over, and the counting is done, and Barack Obama wins by every measure (her "popular vote" propaganda having been debukned nicely by many people in the last few days, including this excellent front page diary by RenaF)... well, Hillary Clinton says she's still in the race.
She's saying that she will not accept the clear results of this long, long primary season, choosing to insist that the rules be changed in some way -- ANY way, really -- that says "Hillary Clinton wins."
She does not want unity. Period.
She apparently wants drama. She wants chaos. She and her man Ickes proved that yesterday, arguing for an outcome that was completely counter to ANY spirit of unity. (Sidebar note to ingrate Ickes and co: you're not happy with the results yesterday? Fine. The next offer is: the original rules stand, you get nothing from your Stalinist one-name-on-the-ballot election. / rant.)
So yes, I'd love to unify as a party. But Hillary Clinton and her hardcore supporters are pointedly refusing that unity, choosing a very unreasonable, destructive route instead -- one born not out of a need for justice, but rather a sense of entitlement.
It was a tough race, and a close race. Senator Clinton has earned the right to take it to the end. And if, when the last primary is over and all is counted, she graciously accepts the results and begins her public support of Obama, I'll applaud her and welcome her formidable skills in helping to defeat John McCain.
But if she keeps it going any longer than that, she's simply an enemy of the Democratic party, and my enemy.
We've been hearing whispers for a few weeks now about how Clinton is ready to accept the reality, and is preparing to work for Obama as soon as the final contest is over. I'd love to be pleasantly surprised, and see that happen. Maybe she's just keeping a good game face on until the end, like John Edwards did.
Her track record suggests otherwise. As does her rhetoric tonight.
So until I hear Hillary Clinton 1) concede defeat 2) promise not to challenge Obama's legitimacy as the candidate, and actually 3) get out there and stump for him, then please spare me the lectures about unity. You can't unite with someone who doesn't want it, and you're a fool to pretend there's unity when there's none.
There IS no unity in this party right now. God willing, there will be after Tuesday. If not, that will be the choice of one person: Senator Hillary Clinton. And she must be treated accordingly -- as an enemy of Democratic victory in 2008, and an obstacle to our Democratic candidate's fight against John McCain.
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