No matter what happens, we will win in 2008

[StrongBad]

Just by giving a cursory reading of the threads around here today I can tell that tensions have risen. People are concerned that we may not have a presumptive nominee until July at the convention. It's understandable and it's also quite obvious that Hillary Clinton is the source of this flare-up. It seems that she will be forever changing metrics of success to buy time and extend this process onward indefinitely.

Yet how warranted is the hysteria surrounding our rapidly diminishing chances for 2008? In my opinion, not very.

This country is in a state of chronic dissatisfaction and restlessness not matched since the days of the late 1970's when Carter was president. It could quite possibly be argued that events this time around are worse and contain fewer positive prospects for the future in sum. Oil prices are not coming back down anytime soon, the economy is perpetually testing the threshold between recession and stagnation, the war in Iraq has been waging for longer than anyone expected and it has come to be perceived that it was based on a series of lies to begin with.

Furthermore, the current administration and President are polling at approval levels that are the lowest in the history of the discipline.

The last time we experienced similar circumstances we were in charge. And we subsequently felt the electoral shock-wave that put us on the margins of executive power for the next 12 years. They dubbed it the Reagan Revolution, but in reality people were just restless and the entrenched party couldn't defend themselves or rationalize why things were not going well in America.

So as long as the nominee makes it their campaign theme to tie John McCain to the past, the republicans, and the current problems, it should be easy for the Democrats to win come November. For the scenario has reversed and we are not currently the entrenched party in power.

Personally, I want Obama to be our candidate because this theme suits him infinitely more than Clinton. He is a fresh face, young blood and people identify with his vision and goals for the country. Yet should the ridiculously small probability become fulfilled and Clinton become our nominee, we should still not give in to anxiety and fret because it is the Republican's responsibility to defend what's happened to America for the past eight years.

[Seen the light]

1. I COMPLETELY agree

So many cowards on DU that are afraid of big bad McCain if Hillary takes this to August. Sure, she'll be an annoyance, but Senator Obama wins no matter what.

[frogcycle]

3. namecalling is unbecoming

I am not "afraid" of mccain - he is an empty vessel. But the OP presupposes a fair and honest election. I could label anyone naive enough to believe that with all sorts of pejoratives, but I won't waste any more time here.

[Kittycat]

2. If Clinton decides to go to the convention...

She knows without a doubt that she's lost, and her remaining goal is to destroy the Democratic Party. That will be her only remaining option to take it there.

[mdmc]

4. agreed

my blue state bubble cant fathom a mccain term. I think even the bfee would prefer someone else.

[ShadowLiberal]

5. History also shows we lose in 08

I'm a very pessimistic person I'll admit, but I've been convinced for a year and a half that we were going to lose the presidency in 08, and I haven't changed my mind lately (though I have changed reasons for why I think we'll lose overtime).

If you look back at history, the party that settles their nomination battle first in a presidential election usually wins, especially when the other party has a long and drawn out battle that goes to the convention, then they practically always beat the party that took months to get it's nominee. I say 'practically always' because I may be wrong, but I don't think I am, I can't think of a single incident in which the nomination fight went to the convention for one party and that party later won the white house that same year.

[AllentownJake]

6. Last instance was 1932

However something was going on at that time I can't put my finger on it.

[FogerRox]

7. After the Great Republican Stock Martket Crash, came The Great Republican Depression

The yellow mark on the left is abour 1929, the mark on the right is GHW Bush's 1989-1990. I need to add a 3rd mark for G Bush jr.