Sen. Clinton: I’m Here, Get Used To It

National Review Online: With A West Va. Landslide In The Bag, The Obama Steamroller Goes On

(National Review Online)  This column was written by Byron York.

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If the Democratic presidential race were a runaway, if Barack Obama were, say, 1,500 delegates ahead of Hillary Clinton, then there would likely not be so many anguished cries for Clinton to quit the race.

Just look at 1992. Bill Clinton is fond of saying he didn’t wrap up the Democratic nomination until June 2 of that year, when he won the California primary. That’s technically true, but Clinton was the clear winner long before that. Nevertheless, former California Gov. Jerry Brown stubbornly stayed in the race, even though going into June 2, he had 388 delegates to Clinton’s 2,059. (Clinton’s total was, at the time, 86 short of locking up the nomination.)

Brown hadn’t been taken seriously since losing the New York primary on April 7, but he kept at it. His campaign became so quixotic that in late May, during a visit to an elementary school in South Central Los Angeles, a nine year-old asked him, “What do you plan to do to get more delegates to win this campaign?” “That’s a very good question,” Brown answered, according to an Associated Press report. “What do you think we should do?”

There was no good answer, but who cared? Brown could stay in as long as he liked because his presence didn’t really matter. But Hillary Clinton’s campaign, which is not only not 1,500 delegates behind Barack Obama but might, by some reckoning, catch up with him in the popular vote total - and in any event remains excruciatingly close to Obama in all measures - is different. Obama’s supporters, in the campaign, in the Democratic party, and in the press are desperate for her to leave the race precisely because her support is so substantial; her continued presence is a daily reminder of how profoundly divided the party is at this moment.

Her landslide 67-26 victory over Obama in West Virginia - she won by 147,410 votes - won’t change that situation. The oft-repeated fact that no Democrat since 1916 has won the White House without winning West Virginia won’t change it, either. But together, those two facts show just how far Democrats have ventured into uncharted territory this year. If Obama is to win the White House, he’ll have to do it in a brand-new way, winning states that Democrats haven’t won lately with diminished support in states that have been important to Democratic victories in the past. Clinton’s campaign reminds Democrats of that, and it makes some of them nervous.

The West Virginia results were as across-the-board as you can get. She won 57-34 among men and 70-24 among women. She won 64-25 among voters who attend church more than once a week and 64-34 among voters who never go to church. She won 69-24 among voters without a college degree and 54-39 among voters with a degree. She won 69-25 among voters who make less than $50,000 a year and 58-34 among voters who make more than that. She won 65-28 among voters who think the economy is the most important issue, 57-37 among voters who think the war in Iraq is the most important issue, and 68-23 among voters who think health care is the most important issue. She won 67-26 among white voters. (We don’t know the breakdown among black voters, because they were too few in number - West Virginia is 95 percent white - for exit pollsters to calculate, although results in other states suggest that blacks probably voted 90-plus percent for Obama.) She won 67-25 among voters who have a union member in their household and 63-31 among voters who don’t. She won 56-38 among voters under 30 years old, 63-27 among voters between 30 and 44 years old, 65-27 among voters between 45 and 59 years old, and 68-28 among voters 60 and older. Among all voters, 70 percent want the campaign to continue, against just 24 percent who want it to end as soon as possible.

It’s no wonder Obama didn’t give a speech last night. But Clinton did, and she made it clear that the Democrats who are just dying for her to leave the race will have to just die for a while longer.

“Now, there are some who have wanted to cut this race short,” she told supporters in Charleston. “They say, ‘Give up. It’s too hard. The mountain is too high.’ But here in West Virginia, you know a thing or two about rough roads to the top of the mountain. . . . I am more determined than ever to carry on this campaign until everyone has had a chance to make their voices heard.”

Clinton repeated her insistence that delegates from Florida and Michigan - “all of their delegates” - be seated. “I believe we should honor the votes cast by 2.3 million people in those states,” she said. Her demand was pooh-poohed in some circles of the commentariat, but the question for Democrats is: Why is that such a radioactive proposition? This is the party that got rather excited over 537 votes in Florida in 2000, the party that would like to pass something called the Count Every Vote Act, the party that has consistently favored greater enfranchisement over stricter enforcement of the rules (and sometimes the law). Sure, Clinton wants to change the agreement that existed going in to Florida and Michigan, but circumstances have changed, too. Since when have Democrats been such sticklers for unbending rules? Why do so many in the party insist that millions of votes in two key states be counted only if they don’t matter - that is, if the result is a fait accompli - and not be counted if they do?

If they were counted now - even if some of them were counted now - things might be quite different. According to the Real Clear Politics total, when one includes estimated vote totals in caucus states (a factor which favors Obama) plus results from Florida (which favor Clinton), but nothing from Michigan, where Obama’s name was not on the ballot, Obama’s lead in the national popular vote is 411,915. That figure is less than Obama’s margin of victory in his home of Cook County, Illinois, where, according to the Illinois Board of Elections, Obama won by 429,052 votes. By other counts, Obama’s lead is far less than his winning margin in Cook County. In other words, take away Cook County and Obama is the loser in the national popular vote race. He’s the president of Chicago.

Nevertheless, the Obama steamroller goes on. “This race, I believe, is over,” former Democratic party chairman - and Clinton supporter - Roy Romer told reporters on an Obama conference call Tuesday morning. “It is time for the party to unify, to get beyond the primary season, and to begin the general election.” His words echo those of dozens of top party figures in recent weeks. But they haven’t quite answered Hillary Clinton’s fundamental question: Why?

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
- William G. McAdoo

[sjc_1]

After June 3rd, count the pledged delegates that the voters voted for. Then the uncommitted and super delegates can decide who the best candidate would be. That is the fair way to do this.

[it_oldtimer]

I shall, thank you!

Or I''ll vote for Hillary, if she''s nominated.

Anything but a Republican! Voting for any Republican just goes against all that I believe in and hold dear. They are all about personal financial gain and often outright greed, and I personally find those particular core-values deeply repulsive and shallow.

McCain has drifted so far from his former core-values that, in my mind, he''s totally sold himself out to the far-right just to get their backing. He''s just become far too *** for me to respect any more, in that regard, I guess.

[ranger1948]

oldtimer
I do not belong to any pary. To vote blindly for a party no matter what is plain stupid in my opinion. I always look at the issues and what the platforms are a candidate runs on. I also do not support McCain as i am against the war in Iraq and really i haven''t heard him address he problems we are facing here at home. So go ahead and vote for obama, i don''t care. See what it gets you if he is elected.

[it_oldtimer]

If you would vote Republican (or not vote at all) simply because Mr. Obama wins the nomination, then you were never really a true Democrat to begin with, in my opinion.

Vote for McBush if you wish, and see where that gets you. Register Republican, who cares?

Hillary did everything wrong that a candidate possibly COULD do wrong. That''s hardly Mr. Obama''s fault, now is it?

Get over it, and lets all get safely beyond this past era of Republican horrors.

[ranger1948]

If obama wins the democratic nomination then the democrats will lose my vote and many others.

[glenncinca-2009]

Nonloyalisti:

What planet are you from? BHO is a moderate? Noooo... Not with the most liberal voting record in the senate.

And McCain being extreme fanatical right? Again, Noooo... He is centrist on most issues as a matter of record.

Before you spout your ignorant messages, please do a little homework first.

[briannorwood]

"Sen. Clinton: I%u2019m Here, Get Used To It"

Hey Hillary, YOU LOST, GET USED TO IT!

[noloyalisti]

Obama is a half-white moderate politican so I have no idea what ignorant propaganda some of you people are swallowing. He has very right wing ideas on Israel because of the powerful violent extremist AIPAC lobby. He is also big time into big corporations and big military spending. He is not coming out talking about our horrible foreign policy of imperialism or our unsustainable economy of sprawl and energy waste.

What you have is Obama in the center, Hillary on the right and mcBush at the extreme fanatical right.

[barbjc1]

To messiahx4eve and all other readers of these comments and columns. Messiahx4eve is 100% correct, there is absolutely no where in the Constitution that states we have to pick from just TWO parties. Americans, you want CHANGE then do it. Use your WRITE IN privilege during the general election, THAT ALSO INCLUDES FOR CONGRESS.
This is my personal view, Hillary Clinton and Ron Paul should both run on an Independent ticket. Wouldn''t THAT mess with the good ole boys minds.

[johngoodnews]

I think that Howard Dean and the DNC insider clique are trying to validate through manipulation of the delegate count with DNC-controlled-outcome caucuses and the invalidation of the pro-Clinton states, Florida and Michigan in this election, a failed attempt in his election to take over the Dem Party when he disastered his candidacy by failing to connect outside his cliquish support base. Silly Rabbit, don''t you know tricks are for kids? The losers in all of this, of course, are the American people. Both the Democratic and Republican Parties are so out of touch with Everyman American, that it is a wonder that he continues to put up with it from them.

[lvdragonlady-2009]

old300d - You believe everything you read and everything someone says right?
You have to be a member of the GOP or maybe just an idiot. But you have that right.

[ksh1022]

This Hillary supporter will not become a Obama supporter. If we put up the racist, far left, baby, then we should loose to the repubs.

[old300d]

Obama is a 20 year member of a racist groupthink cult.

Obama has been brainwashed and is a brainwashed groupthinker.

He is using the ideas that divide people he learned at T.U.C.C. to divide the Dem party and given the chance the whole nation.

Warning to Dems ! Don''t under estimate the truly evil messages he has been supporting for 20 years !

Hamas gives poor people food too. They also fill the peoples heads with crazy ideas.

That is why they give people food ! So they will listen to them.

Just like the Nation of Islam and the T.U.C.C.

They give people food so that they can brainwash them ! ! !

Pure evil ! ! !

[paris1969]

Only in the Democratic Party ... would people call for the "best candidate" they have had in recent history ... to quit the race! It seems the Democractic Party leadership, including John Edwards, want to force the people to accept a John Kerry-like candidate ... even though clearly the evidence is against him!!

[paris1969]

Only in the Democratic Party ... would people call for the "best candidate" they have had in recent history ... to quit the race! It seems the Democractic Party leadership, including John Edwards, want to force the people to accept a John Kerry-like candidate ... even though clearly the evidence is against him!!

[hungry1968]

It''s all about the delegates.

Instead of hoping for a scandal to break, (or waiting for your staffers to create another one for him), why don''t you add up the delegates, see how many you need to win AND how many are remaining, and bow out gracefully?

Your claiming that YOU are more electable, and that you''re MORE popular with WHITE blue collar workers, is only hurting his campaign, and is making McCain MORE electable.

Since you have NO CHANCE whatsoever, why stay in? Just to hurt Obama?

[stn_sage]

Fortunately, your presence won''t be a problem much longer. It only remains to be seen what your status in the Dem party is after the primary?! Now, that half the party ''hates your guts''!

Behind-the-scenes calls for your banishment will continue, no doubt! You could join Joe Lieberman---another traitor to the Dem party---as an Independent!

tibu987 - your posts speaks for a lot of people, Dem
and non-Dem alike! :{

[nelsonyraque]

Finally someone who gets it! In my life I have never seen an election where a candidate has been shut out, double-crossed, misrepresented like Hillary!

If Hillary was a man, the articles would not read, "The election is over." They would read, "Brave, persistent candidate should stay to the finish!" The media has dealt more punches than even the politicians and super-delegate ''JUDASES'' who pulled their endorsements as soon as things looked tough for Clinton. Edwards being the biggest Judas of all!!!
And then there is the REVERSE RACISM! OMG Hillary can''t order juice and toast for breakfast without coming off as a racist. I have never seen so many hateful black leaders attack a Democratic candidate.

Just look at KATIE COURIC''S INTERVIEW!!! Kept asking over and over if she was on par with McCain because of her failure to have more black voters. Of course, Couric is just foaming at the mouth to attack a fellow woman, because she herself is threatened by the notion of a woman in the oval office.
In short, blacks and whites will vote for Obama. And so will men who are misogynists, and women whom have been ''woed'' by his charismatic speaking.
Then why is Clinton still in the race??? Because she is a WOMAN!!! Women don''t give up easily, not on their spouses, our their children, or their beliefs.
She is proudly representing women and lower-income workers. A meek bunch, but then again, "the meek shall inherit the earth," -not necessarily the candidacy.

[abmitus]

BlackYowe,

You got it wrong. Y