The important Super Delegates negotiations, one BIG issue: ELECTIBILITY in the GE

[Nimrod2005]

A well connected person familiar with the backroom discussions by both campaigns said that the number 1 issue for those delegates, mostly Congress people, is who's name would they love to see at the top of ballots in November?

Who will bring out new voters? who can attract independents? Who can possibly get more pukes to cross over...etc?

If you are a blue dog Democrat, who gives you a better opportunity in your own district? Who can unify your district? one way or the other?...etc. If you live in a purple district? if you are a Democrat and it is a red distrcit?...etc....etc.?

The choices are:

1) Barack Obama
2) Hillary Clinton

[mkultra]

1. im guessing that you are inviting discussing

Let me just say up front that i currently support Obama. With that said, here are my thoughts:

Obama is not as well know as Clinton but his appeal is bringing in record numbers of new voters. I believe these are the sideline people who do not participate out of distaste.

Clinton has much stronger HARD support but she also has much stronger HARD against. Here numbers in the "hate" category are much higher than any candidate currently running. Most of this dislike is probably from the conservative base but some of this acrimony will bleed into the independents. Those people will be the ones we want to win in the upcoming GE as McCain leans centrist.

Both Obama and Clinton represent the opening of a new door for minorities.

Clinton shows strongly in the Progressive stronghold states which means that her hard support is from our base. This is both a blessing and a curse.

Obama does well in the south with the black voters who tend to be very evangelical. Obama does not go against the Christian grain as much as Clinton is perceived to.

As many know, for a progressive to win in these times, they MUST pick up the southern vote. This is what put Bill and Carter over the top.

Som in terms of electability, i score Obama higher as he has greater draw among the south and among indies.

[Nimrod2005]

2. I also give him credit for doing well in places like NM, CO, and the whole mountain region!

[pampango]

3. Electability is critical, but there is one caveat.

Many of the supporters of whichever candidate goes to the convention with the most elected delegates will have a sense of entitlement. They are both "breakthrough" candidates with passionate supporters. If the SDs pick the one with the most EDs (that's an unfortunate acronym) as also being the most electable, then no problem.

If, on the other hand, the SDs go with the candidate who has won fewer EDs, many of the "loser's" supporters will feel that they have "played by the rules" in promoting their "first of a kind" candidate, amassed the most elected delegates, only to be told their party "betters" that their man or woman is not the most electable.

Perhaps there are way to mollify the disappointed supporters of the "loser" (the one with more elected delegates in this scenario), but there is the danger of fracturing the party by picking the most "electable" candidate.

[mmonk]

4. Those that pretend to be overseers of mistakes of the people

had better tread lightly or the nominee no matter which may lose.

[mrJJ]

5. Win the Primary outright

Major problem... a once in a life time chance for either of the candidates to be the FIRST.

First President of Color whoose supporters mandate that their candidate tries to change the way politics are played in our USA

First Female President of an ex impeached President ... sorry couldnt help myself

No ones going to give ... This MUST be won outright in the primary.

But will the superdelegates at the convention decide to subvert the efforts of the movement for change? I have a feeling the fix is already in.

I submit that Billary 08 will cajole or pigeon hole his former party member underlings to "follow your old leader". Loyalty to the party must trump the mandate for change. Besides new and fresh ideas are bad, scary... The old ways are the best, stay with what we have.

When that happens.... and I submit that it will. All bets will be off. Does anyone think that these newley registered and independent voters are card carrying "My democratic party right or wrong.. follow me" types? Sen Obama being a Party loyalist will make the plea to his followers to unite behind Billary 08... my guess is that few will follow...

[557188]

6. John Kerry

How the fuck can people still throw out the electability myth when it was proven WRONG in 2004.

GOTTA GO FOR KERRY BECAUSE HE IS ELECTABLE! How did that turn out?

And someone comes in with "Kerry won the election was stolen...blah blah blah" when the election should've never been close enough to "steal" AND Kerry LOST the freakin popular vote!

The primary should be about issues first and foremost.