This is one reason why I hate politics, and very specifically in this case, the "people in the know", the higher ups in whatever political party they happen to be in, trying to dictate to the average Joe who to vote for. Howard Dean's comment a few weeks ago really ticked me off, that Clinton should drop out.
HELLO?! At that point, Indiana and we here in NC had not yet voted!! What right does he or anyone else in the Democratic upper echelon have to tell us what our choice has to be, when both candidates could still mathematically win the nomination? His statement - not that he's the only one who has been calling for Clinton to drop out to "save the party" - read to me, as someone who hadn't yet gotten the chance to vote, as, "We know who we want, your vote doesn't matter, we're going to get this decided ahead of time. Now go on off you, go play with your toys, let those of us who know better and have more power take care of everything."
Gee, the last time I checked, I lived in the USA, not one of those countries where elections really are a sham because the people never truly have choices in who to vote for. At the time the statement was made, I had not decided who to vote for, but I resent the implication that just because I'm an ordinary voter, just because we voted later on in the year, that my vote doesn't mean a thing. So long as either candidate has the mathematical possibility of winning, it's still a race, and EVERY vote counts.
Yes, one or the other of them dropping out would get everybody working on the same thing a lot sooner. But it is their decision whether to go on or not, and as long as both of them have a mathematical shot at the needed numbers, I say they should both feel free to stay in, and let the voters decide. If there was absolutely no way at all Clinton could get the numbers now - and I've not heard anybody says it's a mathematical impossibility yet, if they have, I missed that report - if it's impossible to get the numbers, then yes, drop out. If you've got the chance though, then I think it's up to you to decide for yourself if you can go on or not.
And because certain people in certain positions of power have long hated the Clintons, the cynical part of me has to wonder: If the numbers were reversed, would they be so quick to ask Obama to drop out? Or would the spin then become, "He's still fighting the good fight, he's still got a chance, he needs to hang in there?"
Good grief, but I've been in/been around/seen TV and TV news for too long...
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Date: 2008-05-07 06:56 pm (UTC)HELLO?! At that point, Indiana and we here in NC had not yet voted!! What right does he or anyone else in the Democratic upper echelon have to tell us what our choice has to be, when both candidates could still mathematically win the nomination? His statement - not that he's the only one who has been calling for Clinton to drop out to "save the party" - read to me, as someone who hadn't yet gotten the chance to vote, as, "We know who we want, your vote doesn't matter, we're going to get this decided ahead of time. Now go on off you, go play with your toys, let those of us who know better and have more power take care of everything."
Gee, the last time I checked, I lived in the USA, not one of those countries where elections really are a sham because the people never truly have choices in who to vote for. At the time the statement was made, I had not decided who to vote for, but I resent the implication that just because I'm an ordinary voter, just because we voted later on in the year, that my vote doesn't mean a thing. So long as either candidate has the mathematical possibility of winning, it's still a race, and EVERY vote counts.
Yes, one or the other of them dropping out would get everybody working on the same thing a lot sooner. But it is their decision whether to go on or not, and as long as both of them have a mathematical shot at the needed numbers, I say they should both feel free to stay in, and let the voters decide. If there was absolutely no way at all Clinton could get the numbers now - and I've not heard anybody says it's a mathematical impossibility yet, if they have, I missed that report - if it's impossible to get the numbers, then yes, drop out. If you've got the chance though, then I think it's up to you to decide for yourself if you can go on or not.
And because certain people in certain positions of power have long hated the Clintons, the cynical part of me has to wonder: If the numbers were reversed, would they be so quick to ask Obama to drop out? Or would the spin then become, "He's still fighting the good fight, he's still got a chance, he needs to hang in there?"
Good grief, but I've been in/been around/seen TV and TV news for too long...