Obama says that Hillary should stay in the race

by puma, Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 01:57:46 PM EDT

I disagree with some Dem calls for Hillary to drop out. I think that she should stay in and I am an Obama supporter.

Well Obama was asked today in a news conference that was shown on CNN whether Hillary should drop out. He said no she shouldn't. "She should be able to compete, and her supporters should be able to support her as long as they are willing or able."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/03/obama-clinton-c.html

I say that Hillary should stay in this race as long as she wants. If she wins, I plan to support her.

I think calls for her to get out now are just dumb. I think that some of those calls are from people who are getting scared that we Dems will be too divided when this process is all over and the eventual Dem nominee will be too damaged.

I disagree. The eventual Dem nominee will be bruised but battle tested. I actually think that this prolonged primary process has negatives but it also has positives ie Dems developing roots in 50 states; they are getting to be better campaigners; all the negatives are coming out now which gives time for the candidates to deal with them; Dems are registering in record numbers, etc.

As long as Dems unite, we will be fine. I think that nerves are a little right raw now but I think that we Dems will unite around the Dem nominee in the Fall for there are too many important things at stake such as the Economy, the Iraq War, and the Supreme court.

Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton (all tags)

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

Meanwhile, I wish they could agree to campaign against McCain instead of against each other. I think we've seen plenty of them debating each other. We'd learn more about them now by watching how they formulate strategies against the GOP.

But would the surrogates ever cooperate with this plan?

by Petey 2008-03-29 02:03PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

Hillary staying in is fine. Throwing the kitchen sink and comparing the all but certain nominee of her party unfavorably to McBush is not.

Hopefully the candidates and operatives of both camps have gotten the memo to knock it off.

by Liberal Avenger 2008-03-29 02:04PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

Yeah that's been my biggest issue. I agree that the longer session HAS made Obama a better campaigner and candidate. And to an extent it has sucked the air out of McCain's coverage a lot (which is why I thibk Polls have drifted toward him... nothing negative is being reported...yet). But the tear down campaign she started and he has reciprocated with is bad for the party. I am hoping she is seeing how it is hurting her numbers and she will quit that and focus on policy differences, etc.

by yitbos96bb 2008-03-29 04:38PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

Hillary's choice is simple. Stay in and lose with grace and dignity, or stay in and destroy the Clinton brand name for good.

by Liberal Avenger 2008-03-29 05:17PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

lol.

I have seen this movie before.

His allies tell her to get out , then he comes out and wants to look magnanimous.

Its a tired act and like they say the dog don't hunt.

I sincerely hope his allies continue to tell her to drop out . Thats the best thing hat can happen to her right now.

Imagine just about 160 pledged delegate difference with 10 states remaining and her set to win Penn and several other states and she is supposed to drop out .

Its really bizarre.

It is not his place to tell her to drop out or stay in.

by lori 2008-03-29 02:04PM | 0 recs

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Yeah, good thing Clinton doesn't send surrogates

... out to attack Obama and then claim she knew nothing about the attacks.

Heh.

by Bob Johnson 2008-03-29 02:09PM | 0 recs

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Re: Yeah, good thing Clinton doesn't send surrogat

The difference is she is not claiming to run a new type of politics.

That is what is called false advertising.

by lori 2008-03-29 02:12PM | 0 recs

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I love this defense.

"We're anything goes!"

by Bob Johnson 2008-03-29 02:27PM | 0 recs

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Anthing goes...

...but you're not allowed to fight back. That's 'bullying'.

by brit 2008-03-29 03:44PM | 0 recs

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excellent

so your argument is: I do not care if she is a bully, because he promised not to be.

by kindthoughts 2008-03-29 02:36PM | 0 recs

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Re: Yeah, good thing Clinton doesn't send surrogat

Who cares? Isn't she supposed to be the "fighter"? If she can't stand up to Obama, how is she going to stand up to the Republican attack machine? If he's supposed to be about a "new type of politics," she's supposed to be the old-school brawler who can win dirty. But, she's not doing that.

by rfahey22 2008-03-29 03:09PM | 0 recs

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He was asked the questioned and he answered it

I thought his answer is fine.

by puma 2008-03-29 02:10PM | 0 recs

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Re: He was asked the questioned and he answered it

Since Obama is running a 50 state strategy and has been to all states so far in this primary campaign, of course he is ready to keep on going,

he's got a few more to win,

and where he doesn't win, he at least can gain as many pledged delegates as possible, such as in PA.

It works, he's won most delegates in Texas so far, the third teir of delegates selection is goingon today, so we'll see what happens after that. 67 more delegates I think at stake today.

Actually thinking about it, Clinton had always said that the race would be 'over Feb. 5th" in which case those states that had not voted would have been disenfranchised and since she had been the 'frontrunner' for a year by a hefty margin of 25% she assumed it would be her 'winning' on Feb 5th.

I wonder if she had 'won on Feb 5th" would she be out now demanding that all people should be voting so that their 'votes counted"? Hmmm, how interesting to think of that.

by Wary 2008-03-29 02:55PM | 0 recs

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Nice spin

You Hillary cheerleaders are starting to remind me of the Ron Paulbots, there's not an ounce of reality in your agenda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqDY7zvMQ QI

by Jeff Y 2008-03-29 02:14PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

So not his place to tell her to drop out.. but also not his place to tell her to stay in...

Talk about damned if you do and damned if you don't.. it seems nothing that he could do will please you. Maybe try opening your mind a little and not being so single minded.

by Winterblink 2008-03-29 02:27PM | 0 recs

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He's done the same thing with

"race baiting".

Folks, Obama is the "charismatic" leader who only has to lift an eyebrow, and the eager synchophants know what to do. Go out and rip someone to shreds.

The man is scarey to me.

by mnicholson0220 2008-03-29 04:02PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

That was Big of him. She will stay in and win. people are getting sick and tried of his arrogance.

by orion1 2008-03-29 02:10PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

Yeah .

Very patronizing.

Its almost depressing.

A huge turn off.

by lori 2008-03-29 02:11PM | 0 recs

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Yeah

...and morons like you will continue donating cash to Hillary so she can pay off her campaign debts.

IDIOTS!!!

by Jeff Y 2008-03-29 02:19PM | 0 recs

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Huh?

Very patronizing.
Its almost depressing.
A huge turn off.

by lori on Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 06:11:44 PM EST

After a week in which Hillary was caught red handed in a bold faced lie, you call Obama "patronizing"?

Keep drinkin' the kool-aide, this place seems to have a never ending supply of it.

by Jeff Y 2008-03-29 02:23PM | 0 recs

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Jeff, you are not long for this world.

By "this world," I mean MyDD.

Calling people "IDIOTS!" is not a way to endear yourself to the community.

by Bob Johnson 2008-03-29 02:31PM | 0 recs

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My guess is the 'depressing' part may be related

... to the week your candidate has had.

by Bob Johnson 2008-03-29 02:29PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

Hillary has been caught in one bold face lie after another, watch the WHOLE video...I mean it's not like she doesn't already have a track record of out right lying or anything....

Hillary is still in this race because she needs to pay off her huge campaign debts and if you cheerleaders want to continue paying off that debt, be my guest.

by Jeff Y 2008-03-29 02:36PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

I get the feeling that you really loathe Obama (I can understand not liking many of his supporters but I'm talking about the candidate himself) and I'm not sure why. His policy positions are very close to Clinton's, no? He is not a destructive presence, merely conducting his campaign as vigorously as she is.

Will you vote for him if Hillary loses this?

by mady 2008-03-29 03:10PM | 0 recs

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Not really

Obama seems to be doing just fine. He is up in both the Rasmussen and Gallup poll over Hillary.

I just think that MYDD people here think he is arrogant but the fast majority of people do not according to the new Pew poll.

by puma 2008-03-29 02:12PM | 0 recs

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Yeah

...and morons like you will keep donating money to Hillary so she can pay off her campaign debts.

IDIOTS!!!

by Jeff Y 2008-03-29 02:17PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay

I wonder puma, do you think that all the members of the coordinated chorus of Obama media and political surrogates demanding that Clinton withdraw were talking out of school? Or is this kabuki theater, meant to swing superdelegates while keeping Obama's nice guy image?

I suspect it's the latter, but I am not especialy offended by it. It is pretty skillfully done, and less damaging and personal than some of the other attacks they have employed. It certainly is not a "new kind of politics", but rather the same old politics we are used to seeing.

I'm sure they never expected to bully her out of the race. They were hoping to swing some superdelegates to their side. Clinton may have called their bluff by framing the issue as one of letting all the votes be counted. I hope Obama's statement signals that they are standing down from their surrender demands. For now. Until they can think of a new rationale.

by itsthemedia 2008-03-29 02:14PM | 0 recs

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I think some of these Dems are

just freaking out with polls showing that a certain percentage of Hillary voters won't vote for Obama and some Obama supporters won't vote for Hillary.

But I think those polls are just "in the heat of the moment" polls.

Once the reality hits that the next president will most likely chose 2-3 new judges on the Supreme court replacing some of the liberal ones, that fact alone may scare Dem voters. They will learn that they may lose Roe vs Wade as well as other important rulings.

It scared me and I originally said that I wouldn't vote for Hillary in the general but now knowing that I will definitely vote for her if she was to win the nomination.

by puma 2008-03-29 02:23PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay

Obama speaks for himself. His supporters say a whole range of things on this.

Those who say Hillary should drop out are trying to take a more statigic approch to winning the White House in the Fall.

I see their point, but I don'r agree with them.
Let Hillary run as long as she wants to.

While I think Hillary continuing to run is futile, that is not my decision to make. It is her decision alone to make.

Personally I think Hillary's tilting at windmills detracts from voters being able to view her as a rational Commander and Chief.

by Lefty Coaster 2008-03-29 02:32PM | 0 recs

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OK, so you are on record now ...

... that the candidates are not responsible for statements by their supporters, even be they senators, former VP candidates, or what have you? I'm glad to hear it.

by itsthemedia 2008-03-29 04:30PM | 0 recs

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Obviously

Their internals are showing that it is backfiring.

by Trickster 2008-03-29 04:54PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

good diary - BO's comments would seem more sincere if he hadn't suggested the long movie theme yesterday though.

by canadian gal 2008-03-29 02:24PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

I think most people would say that this has gone on too long. That's not the same thing as saying that someone should drop out.

These candidates have been going almost non-stop since last fall. That's a long time.

by bawbie 2008-03-29 02:35PM | 0 recs

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That doesn't hold water

In light of this week's coordinated chorus of calls on her to withdraw. It's impossible he could've made those remarks without awareness of that context.

by Trickster 2008-03-29 04:55PM | 0 recs

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Yes, and maybe he could kindly call off

his attack dogs?

by mnicholson0220 2008-03-29 03:56PM | 0 recs

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He was being the gracious winner.

It's the way he is. He won't call publicly for her to withdraw. That is up to others.

by Travis Stark 2008-03-29 02:32PM | 0 recs

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Nice positive diary.

Thanks for writing it!

by Beltway Dem 2008-03-29 02:46PM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama says that Hillary should stay in the rac

Ah shucks Obama.....
How sweet of you to give permission for Hillary to stay in this race.........
I just don't know what us feeble minded women would do without your guidance..........

by jbohio 2008-03-29 06:27PM | 0 recs

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Obama should drop out if he wants unity

He has no chance in November anyway.

by engels 2008-03-29 06:36PM | 0 recs