Obama unable to begin campaigning for GE due to ongoing primary

[CalvinballPro]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/sanders-reshapes-obamas-2016-plans-221560

Despite his steadily rising popularity, the president’s expected role in 2016 as the Democratic Party unifier is on hold for another three-and-a-half months, if Sanders keeps his campaign going through the July convention.

I know the 2008 primary went long, and I have no right to demand Sanders quit, but I would hope that he could at least think strategically enough to know when to wind it down. Instead, he's ramping up the attacks, which are just going to be used against us later. So disappointing.

[SunSeeker]

1. Another way Sanders is hurting Dems. nt

[liberal N proud]

3. That was my first thought as well

What has BS done for the Democrats?

NOTHING GOOD!

[kjones]

6. Spite-er man!

Spite-er man, Spite-er man
Fucks up whatever, in spite, he can

[Stand and Fight]

14. I love you! That's bloody brilliant! LOL

I would make it Spite-Her Man though.

[yeoman6987]

7. When did Hillary leave the campaign in '08? I forgot.

I would say that if Bernie can still win the primary then he should stay in. I think they should not use super delegates in the totals right now. In fact for future primaries, I think they should be used at the convention only.

[CalvinballPro]

12. June 7. But it was a completely different schedule, and some states lost delegates for moving up

the calendar too far. (Michigan.)

The convention that year was in late August.

[yeoman6987]

13. Thanks. I would imagine Bernie will assess things in May

after the April primaries.

[Tarheel_Dem]

17. He has already said that he's staying in until CA votes. That's in June. n/t

[yeoman6987]

18. Oh ok. I hadn't heard that. It's totally his decision.

[SunSeeker]

15. Did you also forget that Dubya was President in '08?

I don't think the Dem nominee was hurt by Dubya waiting in the wings not being able to campaign for the Dem nominee.

[cosmicone]

2. I think President Obama should just call the election on math

and endorse Hillary to start campaigning.

Bernie is not a democrat and doesn't have the best interests of the party in his mind. He is only for himself.

[BlueMTexpat]

5. I can't believe that Prez O will wait much longer

than after the April 26 results, especially if Bernie continues his current tactics.

[BlueMTexpat]

4. IMO, his ramping up of attacks on Hillary

as opposed to the GOP shows him as the ordinary politician he truly is, not the person of spotless integrity that he made himself out to be at the beginning.

Bring them on!

Hillary's clearly on the high road and her surrogates are not making outlandish or unacceptable statements. This is the much better choice and will serve her well in the GE.

[CalvinballPro]

8. Hillary really just needs to stick to Obama's 2008 winning strategy: let delegates speak

No one needs to stoop to Sanders' level at this point, because it will only reflect negatively on our candidate. I hope all of her surrogates have gotten word or are just smart enough to know on their own to just maintain, keep calm, and carry on.

"Never argue with an idiot. They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."

Edit: in the interests of following my own advice, I am trashing GDP. Place makes me so angry I lose my cool too often.

[BlueMTexpat]

10. I believe that they have received the message.

She's run a classy campaign and is way ahead at this point. There is definitely no need to resort to mudslinging.

But they all should certainly continue to set her record straight when Bernie and his spokepersons distort it or outright lie about it.

In the meantime, the Ninas, Cornells, Susans, Tims, etc. continue to make themselves less credible spokespersons - and their candidate less credible as "Mr. Integrity" - literally every time they open their mouths.

[cosmicone]

9. Bernie has as much to do with integrity

as a snail has to do with speed.

[BlueMTexpat]

11. I really didn't believe that

until this past weekend. I'd given him the benefit of the doubt on everything until then.

But deliberately meddling to overturn an official caucus result - even when that deliberate meddling did not change that Hillary still remained the winner and is still WAY ahead in delegates - was the final straw for me.

It was the principle. When a candidate holds him/herself to be the most principled, that candidate had better behave in the most principled way. Bernie did not.

[Cha]

16. This is "politico" so I'm taking it with salt.. anyway, I'm betting that President Obama

is going to step in at the right time.. and not be dictated by BS dragging anything further down to hurt the Democratic Party.

Thank you for this, Calvin

[Tarheel_Dem]

19. As with most things, I trust Pres. Obama's judgement here. There's no point in pissing off a third..

of the party if you don't have to. It makes the job of "bringing us all together" that much harder. I think PBO knows that Democrats prefer Hillary, and folks like Sarandon & Robbins aren't Democrats. In fact, they've gone out of their way to harm Democrats.

[CalvinballPro]

20. And I agree, but the more time we have to do that, the better. eom