Fears grow that Obama can't win - Historical Headlines

[peoli]

Sat 31 May 2008 19.01 EDT


With senator Barack Obama poised this week to clinch his party's nomination for President, there are growing fears in some quarters that the Democratic party may not be choosing its strongest candidate to beat Republican John McCain.

Senator Hillary Clinton has been making that argument for weeks. Now some recent polls and analysis, looking particularly at vital battleground states and support among white voters, have bolstered her case - even as Obama looks certain to become the nominee.

Obama supporters reject this argument and point to his record of boosting Democratic voter turnout, especially among the young. But sceptics in the party, already nervous about nominating Obama after the furore over outspoken pastor Jeremiah Wright, are growing increasingly concerned. 'There is an element of buyer's remorse in some areas. The question is whether it gets really strong now or in September - or even after the election is over, if he loses,' said Steve Mitchell, head of political consultancy Mitchell Research.

Another boost to Clinton's case came late last week after a pro-Obama preacher gave a race-tinged rant against her at Obama's church in Chicago. In a recent sermon Michael Pfleger - a long-term Obama backer who is white - mocked Clinton as an entitled white person angry at a black man having beaten her. His angry, red-faced speech, in which he mimicked Clinton weeping, was played repeatedly across American cable channels and the internet.


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jun/01/barackobama.uselections2008

The pundits in 2008 had no clue how to frame what was happening and how Obama was winning over Hillary Clinton who was assumed and expected to be gifted the nomination over no name, no experience candidates like Barack Obama and weak challengers like John Edwards who during the campaign fathered a child with a woman that he slept with, cheating on his wife who had cancer.

[G_j]

1. Great find

K&R!

[peoli]

2. Thanks! It feels totally relevant to current fears within the party

[Caliman73]

3. I like history.

It often shows us our sometimes silly patterns of behavior.

I do understand the fears that people have when someone who is on the inside starts to get beat by someone not so much on the inside. The thing is that it is also a part of the cycle of experience. Sometimes the "inside" isn't enough for people, it doesn't help them enough or speak to their issues.

Unfortunately that was the situation with Trump. People were frustrated to a certain extent. Of course Trump is a damned liar and never had any intentions of helping anyone but himself and his wealthy friends, foreign and domestic.

Any Democratic nominee can win if the people come out to vote. We have bigger numbers, way bigger numbers than Republicans. Our goal is to support the nominee, whoever it is, and vote the Democratic Party into office in the House, Senate, and Presidency so that we can repair the damage Trump has done and make life better for every American. I believe that EVERY person running for office under the Democratic Party banner wants to do that.

[peoli]

4. "Any Democratic nominee can win if the people come out to vote."

True Facts

[Caliman73]

5. That is what makes things frustrating.

People are decrying this candidate or that candidate and saying, "This candidate is going to get beat..." and "That candidate bought their way into..."

I have my preferences for who I would like to win in the Primary. I agree way more with certain candidates and policies than others. That is how democracy functions.

What I WILL NOT DO, is refrain from voting, or bad mouth, or drag, or not support a particular candidate because they were not my choice in the primary. We cannot afford to do that.

There are a lot of pundits out there saying all kinds of things about this race.

The only thing that matters in this race is that THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE MUST WIN. It doesn't matter if Russia was trying to help to sow chaos or if they bumble around and have weird interactions with voters, or if they used their billions to get on the debate stage and stumbled, or any other permutation of crap that is out there.

The Democratic Party has to have more members in the House, in the Senate, and has to have its candidate in the White House come January 2021...PERIOD. If it is Bloomberg...great! If it is Warren...great! If it is Biden...great! If is Sanders...great, Klobuchar...great! Buttigieg...great! ANYONE from the Democratic side is preferable to Trump.

[berni_mccoy]

6. K&R