MyDD :: Democracy takes a backseat

Democracy takes a backseat

by DaveOinSF, Fri May 23, 2008 at 04:55:01 PM EST

I'll be the first to admit that Barack Obama will be the Democratic presidential nominee. The Democratic primary process is not one in which the ascertainment of the will of the voters is the desired end-product. It is a system of rules and procedures by which a result is obtained. Obama's campaign has worked that system well, especially caucus states, and so will receive a greater than 50% of the votes of delegates at the Denver convention.

What he will not have done is to win a plurality of votes in the Democratic primary season. This does not matter. As I've said before, the process was never meant to ascertain the will of teh people, and so superdelegates are under no obligation to change the media-created narrative that Obama is the winner by taking a pesky little thing like the voice of the people into account. To do so would take courage. Superdelegates have none.

I don't like it, but that's the way it is. I will have a great deal of soul-searching to do to determine whether I believe McCain will or will not destroy the Republic as president. I tend to believe he will not, and that just might be good enough for me. We'll see, however. What I do know is that since I arrived at the conclusion that Obama would become the nominee (that would by May 6, btw), he has done nothign to try to win my vote, and done a heck of a lot to antogonize me.

1. The superdelegate parade. Geez. I know you're going to be the nominee. What does this parade accomplish? It further highlights how your nomination is the result of process rules and not democracy. And not repudiating the faithless pledged delegates? Uncool. Let the process end on June 3 before breaking out the parade. Geez.

Ignoring WV and KY. Hillary went to the Black State of the Union in New Orleans at the height of your 11-in-a-row bubble, taking valuable time away from campaigning in the must-win states of Ohio and Texas and during a period when she, her husband, and her campaign were accusted of racist pandering. She had lost the black vote, she knew it, but she was going to fight for it anyway, even if it didn't matter. You could have done the same in Appalachia. You did not.
The self-coronation in Iowa. What the heck was that?
Florida and Michigan. What do you lose by relenting? Nothing. So why do you continue to resist the only honorable solution and seat the delegates based on their votes? Is it more important for you to say that you did not give in to that horrible woman than it is to appease her supporters and maybe win them over?

That's the end of my rant. Go Puerto Rico.

Tags: quasi-rant, Barack Obama, Teh Rulz (all tags)

Permalink :: 12 Comments :: Post a Comment

Unless you refuse to count caucuses (none / 0)

he has more votes.

The DNC runs the show. There are rules for a reason. Why is this hard to understand? Did you have no discipline growing up?

John McCain on social security.

by heresjohnny on Fri May 23, 2008 at 04:59:21 PM EST

Did you read (none / 0)

Of course I know there are rules. That's why he will be the nominee. Duh. And no, I am not ignoring caucuses.

99% perspiration

by DaveOinSF on Fri May 23, 2008 at 05:01:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Did you read (none / 0)

I did and he has more votes so that doesn't make sense. Also, he didn't offend whites like her camp offended African-Americans so there was no need for him to apologize. By the time WV & KY rolled around he had this wrapped up. No need to legitimize her campaign any further.

The honorable solution to FL & MI is for their respective representatives to shut the fuck up, admit they violated the rules, say that they won't do it again, and accept their penalty like adults or get the hell out of the Party.

BTW, if think McSame has better policies than Obama you should vote for him and stop crying about Obama not trying to get YOUR vote as if you are some special princess. He's going to be the President of the United States, unless he came over and kicked your dog, he doesn't need to apologize to you personally or kiss your ass.

John McCain on social security.

by heresjohnny on Fri May 23, 2008 at 05:31:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I'm so tired of ignorance, whether choice (none / 0)

or natural occurence

...even INCLUDING the caucuses.

Estimate w/IA, NV, ME, WA* Obama 17,592,320 47.6%
Clinton17,648,299 47.7% Clinton +55,979 +0.15%

Can you feel it, huh, huh, huh?

Hillary is winning and will win.

by LindaSFNM on Fri May 23, 2008 at 05:37:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I'm so tired of ignorance, whether choice (none / 0)

Did you forget that there are people in MI who cast their ballots for Clinton and Uncommitted who wanted to vote for Obama?

Well unless he's assassinated like Clinton said Obama will be the nominee.

John McCain on social security.

by heresjohnny on Fri May 23, 2008 at 05:44:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I'm so tired of ignorance, whether choice (none / 0)

Ah, so you disagree with Alegre, who made it very clear that Obama should get votes in Michigan when she wrote that "Democrats include EVERY VOTE - according to the wishes of the voter" (Emphasis mine).

It's very clear from exit polling that a sizable number of Michigan voters wished to vote for Obama. Any count in which he receives zero votes in MI is clearly in violation of the Alegre Rule.

Join the Matthew 25 Network and help Democrats win the next generation of evangelicals.

by mistersite on Fri May 23, 2008 at 05:58:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Superdelegate parade? (none / 0)

1) What campaign, Republican or Democrat, has ever been quiet about endorsements?

2) They're holding back. They're releasing their names a few at at time to spare her (us) from another round of "Everybody's picking on me!"

by BlueinColorado on Fri May 23, 2008 at 05:12:53 PM EST

Re: Democracy takes a backseat (none / 0)

Why don't you send your list of demands to the campaign. It makes little sense to come up with some list, show it to us, and then proclaim that he has to accede to your will in order to obtain your vote.

by rfahey22 on Fri May 23, 2008 at 05:14:31 PM EST

How many states did Hillary skip? (none / 0)

Hint... it was a lot more than 2 of them

by CaptainMorgan on Fri May 23, 2008 at 05:18:24 PM EST

Obama's been remarkably restrained (none / 0)

If he'd just steamed on full speed ahead, you would be complaining that we're being unfair to Clinton. The fact that the endorsements are coming in a few at a time and he's not declaring primary victory yet is on your behalf, so you don't feel as though we're discounting Clinton.

She's being allowed to get her strong, cheap wins for fundraising to help her get out of debt. I don't see what would be gained in challenging her in states where she has 30%+ leads.

In this avalanche, the pebbles get to vote.

by Dracomicron on Fri May 23, 2008 at 05:19:45 PM EST

Dave, good diary (none / 0)

only I don't know that B O will be. I know the establishment and the punditry is pushing for him, but the voters have a different mind and are already triumphing with Hillary leading. Who would have imagined that the all the media and Conservative hacks would be fighting so hard against one Democratic woman who wants to champion for the PEOPLE. She is WINNING despite ALL THEIR EFFORTS. Isn't that just amazing and exciting?!?

by LindaSFNM on Fri May 23, 2008 at 05:42:32 PM EST

Re: Dave, good diary (none / 0)

Winning what? The irony of your two comments combined is priceless.

John McCain on social security.

by heresjohnny on Fri May 23, 2008 at 05:58:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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