Congratulations to Sen. Clinton.

She did it.

She managed not to blow double-digit leads from only a few weeks ago in Ohio and Texas.

She proved that an all-out kitchen-sink-AND-the-house negative assault can make voters fearful, distrustful, worried, as though we hadn't already learned that from our current President and his cronies.

She gave Sen. McCain plenty of fodder for the fall election, not only against Obama, but against herself, should her candidacy succeed, since he certainly has MORE experience than herself...and, in Iraq, no better judgment at voting away her sworn responsibility as a member of Congress the power to declare war.

She's proved she will do anything to win, and yesterday she won the popular vote, as well as a minor delegate gain.

She's also doing a spectacular job of dividing a party I didn't think could be divided, and potentially squelching a groundswell of enthusiasm from new voters.

Since winning is obviously the only thing that's truly important to her, in spite of what she says, I congratulate her on winning...yesterday, if not tomorrow. Yet, it's pretty obvious that Pennsylvania may follow Ohio, especially when Sen. Clinton continues to make us fearful and distrustful of Sen. Obama and his candidacy.

Am I bitter and disillusioned? Not for losing. I didn't mind the Super Tuesday split; I thought that was a hard-fought, fair contest. I thought and said it was a great day to be a Democrat, to have two such wonderful candidates.

But today, Sen. Clinton makes me ashamed to be a Democrat, because she's helping to make a case to others that when push comes to shove, we'll fight just as dirty as Republicans. She helps these people make their case that we're no DIFFERENT than Republicans, an argument I fought constantly during the 2000 and 2004 elections.

Maybe I was wrong.

I said repeatedly at the beginning of this campaign that I liked all three--now two--of our candidates, and that I'd be happy to see any one of the three as President of the United States.

That's no longer true. I now know what we'll get with Sen. Clinton, and she's lost me.

Congratulations to her for that, too.

Last fall, I didn't think there was a snowball's chance in Hell that Democrats could lose this election, but Sen. Clinton has helped to pave that path to a Democratic inferno.

I am convinced that if Sen. Clinton is the Democratic candidate for the President of the United States that she will lose to John McCain.

And if this happens, the congratulations should go to her for this, too...as well as to us.

Meanwhile, I'm in this to the bitter end, and I'll continue my support for Obama, and tolerate Clinton if she wins...but only tolerate. And yes, she'll get my grudging vote. This may not seem to make me a very good and loyal Democrat.

In the '60s, I hated bumper stickers that read: "My country right or wrong." I didn't think we SHOULD support the bad deeds our country committed; I felt we should stand up against them, on principal. It's what makes us great.

I feel the same way now.

I feel the same way about my party.

Shame on her for preying on the worst that's in us, and shame on us if we continue to heap reward on somebody who no longer deserves it.

I'd much prefer congratulating Sen. Clinton for acting honorably; perhaps someday in the future she'll surprise me in this regard, but the onus is now on her, and it's hard to earn back my trust.

--Lee

Post edited by: Lee Nordling, at: 2008/03/05 12:39

Post edited by: Lee Nordling, at: 2008/05/06 09:53