MyDD :: (Poll) Should Hillary Concede?

(Poll) Should Hillary Concede?

by Al Rodgers, Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 04:42:30 PM EST

► A backlash has occurred.

Hillary's strongest surrogates Ed Rendell, Hillary Rosen, and Charlie Rangel have gone public with their disapproval.

Frankly, give Hillary her space!

Yesterday's outcome was completely unexpected, completely out of the blue, completely unforeseeable.

There's no way anyone could have seen the end of the primaries season. I mean, who even buys a calender, these days.

► Time to take a pulse.

► Bonus Clip

Poll

Votes: 77
Results : Vote Link : Polls

Tags: Poll (all tags)

Permalink :: 24 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: (Poll) Should Hillary Concede? (2.00 / 2)

Why can't people just give her a few days? She will eventually.
Talk about the party trying to drive Clinton supporters even further away. There is no reason for any backlash. Yesterday's speech was for her supporters, and that's all. We needed to hear something positive like that. We've stood by her all this time, and many of us are angry and disappointed at the moment. She talked positively about Obama, she talked about a united Democratic Party, what more do you want her to say. She has received more votes than any other person in the history of presidential primaries, and she's not even allowed to give a positive speech about the achievements of her campaign and her supporters.

by musicpvm on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 04:50:58 PM EST

Internal backlash (none / 0)

these people aren't just anyone, they're Hillary's strongest supporters.

let me repeat it again - it's her strongerst supporters who are now speaking out.

if you have a problem with Rendell, Rosen, Rangel, then it' an internal problem.

"McSame: He's Constipated and Ready to GO!

by Al Rodgers on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 04:58:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Internal backlash (2.00 / 1)

I could care less what any of them say. I stand by Hillary and only Hillary. The constant attacks on her for not conceding last night, no matter who they are coming from, do not help in any way. As I said, many of us are already angry and disappointed and a "backlash" against Hillary isn't going to get us any more excited about supporting Obama, it will only push us further away. Isn't unity what you guys want, for Hillary to concede so the party can be united? Well attacking her and forcing her to concede is a pretty fucked up way to start uniting the party.

by musicpvm on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:05:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

so Hillary's supporters don't count (none / 0)

Oh I see, you say only Hillary counts, her supporters don't count. Funny, cuz in your original post, you said it wasn't about Hillary, rather it was about her supporters.

congratulation, you've now gone around in circles.

"McSame: He's Constipated and Ready to GO!

by Al Rodgers on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:07:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: so Hillary's supporters don't count (2.00 / 1)

Hillary's supporters = average Americans like me, not politicians who make all their decisions based on politics.
There is a big difference.

If you want unity in the party, if you want Clinton supporters to support Obama in November, the party needs to allow Hillary to concede when and how she feels is right. I expect it to happen soon. But comments like yours and a backlash against her will only hurt unity.

by musicpvm on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:14:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

once again you misfire (none / 0)

I didn't criticize Hillary.

No, it was her own camp. Perhaps that's hard to accept.

as for party unity, it's a two way street. Hillary gets nothing if Obama loses. McSame will not appoint her Chief Justice or Secretary of Defense. Whether she likes it or not, any future beyond being a Senator rides on the November outcome. So yeah, go ahead, cut your nose off to spite your face.

"McSame: He's Constipated and Ready to GO!

by Al Rodgers on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:25:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: (Poll) Should Hillary Concede? (2.00 / 1)

I do have some sympathy for this perspective. However - think about the way this sounds... Will you be willing to grant John McCain a week or two to get used to loosing, and to soften the blow to his supporters, after he looses the general election in November?

by Virginia Liberal on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 04:59:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Comment of the day (none / 0)

that's a great way to put it.

Let say Hillary wins in November, and McSame refused to concede, and instead made a case to the Electoral College. Would voters be cool with that? Of course, not.

"McSame: He's Constipated and Ready to GO!

by Al Rodgers on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:10:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Comment of the day (2.00 / 1)

It's not the same thing. Hillary has NOT refused to concede, she just did not publicly announce her decision yesterday. And she is not making a case to anybody, she has not continued fighting for Florida and Michigan's delegates, she has said nothing negative about Obama recently. Read "She has his back" on the front page.

If you cannot even give her and her supporters a few days after an emotional primary campaign that has lasted over six months, it says a lot about you, and it makes Clinton supporters really wonder about unity. A few days or even longer will not further worsen party unity. But comments like yours will.

by musicpvm on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:23:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Comment of the day (2.00 / 1)

Personally, I believe that a lot of this is about lack of trust.
Remember, most Obama supporters liked and respected Hillary Clinton five months ago. But now, we simply don't know WHAT she will do.

From our perspective, Clinton supporters have had a couple of months to get used to the idea of her losing this contest. I mean, it isn't as if everything hinged on these last three contests. It's not as if Hillary has closed the delegate gap AT ALL in the past month.

So at this point, we're left wondering, what's the point? Why not concede? Or at least ACKNOWLEDGE that he's passed the delegate threshold. What's keeping her?

The only answer we can come up with is 'something sleazy'. Like, she's going to try to strong-arm her way onto the ticket.

You may be right, she's just taking a couple of days. But the delay is freaking everyone out.

by EvilAsh on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:37:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

how would Clinton supporters (none / 0)

react if a Black male candidate refused to concede after he lost to HRC?

Is tolerating bad behavior by HRC and her supporters going to help bring them into the fold?

At what point do the rest of us take a stand and say, time to behave like normal participants in the political process?

Rrrinnggg... Time to change the government.

by Carl Nyberg on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:31:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: how would Clinton supporters (none / 0)

why oh why do you have to bring up race and gender? What does that have to do with this discussion???

by jentwisl on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 06:11:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: how would Clinton supporters (2.00 / 1)

Huh? Ted Kennedy, Jesse Jackson and Gary Hart went to convention and nobody said a word. At least she still has a mathematical chance, unlike them. The superdelegates don't vote until Denver. What could happen between now and then, you ask?

The media's uncontrolled rush to judgement that currently proclaims him the sure nominee, could also send him crashing to the ground if the wrong story comes out.

Obama should be willing to fight to the convention. Let's not pretend this race hasn't been extremely close, nor pretend it's mathematically impossible for an upset. It isn't..

by pradeep on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 06:13:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

you guys are too funny (none / 0)

"McSame: He's Constipated and Ready to GO!

by Al Rodgers on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 07:36:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: (Poll) Should Hillary Concede? (none / 0)

"Why can't people just give her a few days?"

How many days qualify as "few"? From our perspective she had many months to contemplate how she'd react if she lost. And many weeks to plan it in detail once the outcome became certain.

And her decision on "how to react?" was "prolong the drama as much as humanly possible".

See, you seem to think that she's taking some time before her decision:

June 3 -> (Time) -> Decision to concede.

I think on the other hand that her decision was to prolong this:

Decision NOT to concede EVER -> June 3 -> (Time) -> (More Time) -> (Even More Time) -> Denver!

by Aris Katsaris on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 06:09:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: (Poll) Should Hillary Concede? (none / 0)

Well, some her supporters and "supporters" kinda got kit by a Mac truck yesterday because they weren't paying attention.

I think she's giving them all time to come to the realization of what's happened before she formally concedes and endorses Barack.

by neonplaque on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 04:55:13 PM EST

Re: (Poll) Should Hillary Concede? (2.00 / 2)

Wether her political supporters would move to Obama at the speed of light today, nobody doubted that, they are politicians and have nothing to gain by staying with her while she negociates her support. Her voter who are under no political pressures stay with her.

For what is worth, here is what I think she wants from Obama in increasing order of importance.

1) VP

Money
She wants obama to publicly give his support to some of her black political supporters who are feeling some backlash from their communities in the form of primaries challenges. This is very important for her long term political future.

She'll give up 1) to get 3) and part of 2).

But feel free to be outrage by her behavior all you want, what do I care.

now you

by TaiChiMaster on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 04:57:01 PM EST

so why did you post a comment (none / 0)

You're too funny.

If you don't care what people think, then you shouldn't have posted a comment.

"McSame: He's Constipated and Ready to GO!

by Al Rodgers on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:13:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: so why did you post a comment (2.00 / 1)

I post comment to educate people. It's a public service.

by TaiChiMaster on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:17:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Well (2.00 / 1)

That's if you truly believe she had a real chance at being the nominee after February. How much space do her attack dogs like Lanny Davis and Geraldine Ferraro need? How long does the party and our other candidates have before we need to get our General Election battle plan together? How much longer can cash-staved downballot candidate wait before they can make up for the loss of donations that went into the presidential primary? How much longer does EMILY's List need before they start paying real attention to candidates like Kay Hagan, Christine Gregoire, Jill Long-Thompson and Kay Barnes who were just about ignore during Ellen Malcom's efforts on behalf of Hillary.

Politics is not for the fragile. She knows this watching her husband's campaigns. And if she thinks this is tough, what would she have done as president if insulted by the Presidents of China or Russia? The hill was too steep once she lost Wisconsin and the past three months was simply about convincing superdelegates to reverse the course of pledged delegates.

The space she needs is the space away from Bill Cliton, Terry McAluffe and Mark Penn who keep pushing her on and push her donors to blackmail Nancy Pelosi, the Obama campaign and everyone else who do not give them what they've been used to: Thair way.

by RandyMI on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:08:21 PM EST

Re: (Poll) Should Hillary Concede? (none / 0)

It is much better she does not concede and goes on raising money from her own supporters to pay off her debts rather than coming to Obama supporters asking for donations to pay for her mistakes.

(at the time of this post her pitch to her supporters asking for money on her website runs "Show Hillary your support. Throughout this campaign, Hillary has promised to stand up for you. Show Hillary you're standing with her by making a contribution to our campaign today" >
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/home/?spla sh=1)

by My Ob on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 05:16:02 PM EST

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