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Monday, March 31, 2008
Driving Miss Hillary
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A parade of Democratic superdelegates has begun to form with the sole purpose of Driving Miss Hillary to someplace in the country — anywhere she wants to go, so long as it’s not Pennsylvania or Ohio or any other state holding a presidential primary.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is expected today to join Pennsylvania’s Bob Casey and Vermont’s Patrick Leahy in pressuring Miss Hillary to hang it up. Party Chairman Howard Dean expressed surprise that Leahy had gone so far as to invite Miss Hillary out of the race. “Having run for president myself,” said Dean, “nobody tells you when to get in, and nobody tells you when to get out. That’s about the most personal decision you can make after all the time and effort you put into it.”
In Indiana, a May 6 primary state, Miss Hillary rejected the advice Leahy and others are giving. “I thought we of all people knew how important it was to give everyone a chance to have their voices heard and their votes counted,” she said.
What she fails to understand, of course, is that the “count every vote” and “every vote counts” arguments are, like Voter ID arguments, not intended for intra-party affairs. Those are weapons to be used only against Republicans. Oh, Miss Hillary, were you a bit more devious and savvy politically, you’d well understand these rules.
Despite the parade of superdelegates, she actually has more commitments from that group. Barack Obama has 217; Clinton has 250, without counting those from Michigan and Florida.
Democrats are panicky because the Rasmussen tracking poll covering Wednesday through Saturday puts John McCain up 3 points, 47-44, over Obama and up 10 points, 50-40, over Clinton.
Howard Dean wants the superdelegates to commit one way or another by July 1st to avoid going to Denver, site of the August convention, with knives drawn.
Neither Clinton nor Obama would be my first choice. And, admittedly, I’m enjoying watching the delegate-selection process ensnare Democrats in a trap of their own making. But still…
It is presumptuous of all party officials to insist that Clinton drop out. This is it for her. Now or never. The minute she drops out she’s spoiled goods, packaged up with Bill and carted off to the landfill to await the evening sweep of the bulldozer.
She has, as Dean noted, earned the right to carry on as long as she sees fit. And that’s sincere, whether the brawl benefits McCain’s chances or not. If McCain doesn’t blow it, he can beat either Clinton or Obama — whether the nominee is chosen by throwing Miss Hillary under the bus or by letting every vote count.
