Throwing in the Towel

Call me battle fatigued.

Yes, I'm an Obamamaniac (is that what they're calling us these days?) and yes, I wanted HRC to lose yesterday. But despite the members of Hillaryland are saying, that I wanted her to lose/concede because I'm (1) a misogynist, (2) afraid that left to run its course, that the primary will ultimately go to HRC, I'm dispelling those myths by revising my views. I don't care who steps aside, since both candidates have compelling arguments (BHO: higher delegate count currently, better message of home/change; HRC: higher potential delegate count with Michigan and Florida, more years in national politics) – I just want someone to step aside.

Why? Because this is my nightmare come true. Because we are losing sight of the forest for the trees. Because we are re-entering the twilight zone years of 2000 and 2004.

Once again, a party that should be united against sketchy executive politics that have run this country into the ground, that has the middle-class on its knees and begging, that has us fighting an endless, expensive and pointless war, and that has forsaken the country's children, families, health and wealth in pursuit of the profligate needs of the few; once again, that party is divided and bickering.

Yes, Democrats, we are behaving like a bunch of pre-schoolers.

I am sick of the argument that the people just need more time to decide. Seriously, if you don't know which candidate you support after 15 months, 20 debates, thousands of rallies and speeches and bazillions of hours and pages of punditry, you might as well just flip a coin and be comforted in the knowledge that they're both pretty damn fine candidates, and so it really doesn't matter which way you go.

Because we are quickly sinking into the worst case scenario: where exit polls are showing fans of Hillary, who once said they would be happy with Obama if Hillary dropped out, hardening in their opposition to him; where Obama's original hopeful message of cooperation and collaboration will increasingly get buried under petty word-smithing (like his responses this morning: that Hillary's wins not being decisive enough, that he needs to sharpen his Clinton critiques – why didn't he just graciously applaud HRC for her campaign finesse and move on?); where both candidates are getting sullied, and leaving only McCain to emerge as the squeaky clean one.

Why can't we take a page from the Republicans? Their party should be the one in disarray. They are facing a demographic shift that does not favor them, a President with historically low ratings and a primary race that was pretty darn devoid of inspiration. But once again, they have positioned themselves to cannibalize on Democratic in-fighting, by coalescing behind the most centrist candidate, one with great appeal to independents, by having a colorful primary that kept the party (somewhat) in the news, and now, by giving their candidate the time to rest, raise money, and develop a strategy for winning the general election. All they have to do is find a VP candidate who was against the war but a traditional conservative (you know, to bring those evangelicals and Rush Limbaugh back into the fold) and they'll be on their way.

And I can already tell you what their best strategy will be: to convince the democrats to stay home on election day. How will that happen? If Obama loses, we know that the floodgates for the African-American voter will slam shut (unfortunate, but likely). The longer the bickering goes on, the more diluted the messages of change and hope, and there goes the strongly Democratic 20-34 demographic that has absolutely been making its voice heard in these primary races. If HRC loses, and the Linda Hirshmans of the world get their way, women will blame Obama for his unfair, bullying and misogynistic ways and stay away.

So watch as the Republicans cheer on the Democratic primary, mud flinging and all.

I was thinking last night about how to get out of this quagmire. Unlike many of the other posters on this board, I don't think a Clinton/Obama Obama/Clinton ticket is the solution. They are too similar, both too historical. Edwards would be a far better choice for either as a VP candidate.

The only rational thing I can think of is to have both sides (yes, it would have to be both sides) call a truce on the primary, and let it finish on its own terms. Let the candidates trust the citizens of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Mississippi, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Oregon to vote for the candidates based on what they already know. No more debates, no more Obama in turban pictures, no more 3am phone calls, no more White House Records, no more aspersions. Let the candidates pick the one issue that they are most passionate about and let them spend the rest of the primary season mobilizing their supporters to start the process of change that they both talk so enthusiastically about. Hello? Aren't they both Senators? Isn't there, like, real work they can be doing?

I know – total pipe dream. But how wonderful if we could see change even before we elect one of these two fearless leaders into the White House. Wouldn't that be truly…. revolutionary?

Kady is raising the white flag over at Loaded Dice.

Comments

[PunditMom]

As I keep saying, if the political shoe was on the other foot, no one would be calling for Obama to step aside. I certainly don't want a Democratic house divided, but no one called for Huckabee to step aside in the GOP race. I can't imagine anyone asking a man what people are asking Hillary to do.

[debbie - i obsess]

You know, Joanne, I hadn't thought of that. You're right.

It's just so frustrating to watch us potentially sink ourselves like this.

[selfmademom]

I agree, but I do feel in a way that the closeness of the race is making it a very exciting political environment. I feel that it will rally Dems to be more excited and get more involved because they're voice will really count. Maybe I'm just a dreamer, but that's how I'm trying to look at it.