Time to get serious
15 August 2008 2:10 am by Taylor Marsh
… My sources say the Obama campaign was enthusiastic about the idea of
putting Clinton’s name in nomination, having independently reached the conclusion
that it was the best way to honor her achievement and do more to win over
her supporters. “The conversations with her folks were very cordial
and we’ve been able to work very closely with them as we unify this party,”
Obama spokesman Bill Burton told me in an email. “We couldn’t be happier
about how things are going with Senator Clinton and her team.”
This is exactly what I’ve felt out of the Clinton camp.
…and now it’s time to heed Joe Conason’s wise words, as well as his warnings. Today’s must read is A
pre-convention memo to Hillary Clinton:
… With too many of your supporters, donors and advisors undermining Obama
and threatening to mar the Democratic convention — and with you and President
Clinton still permitting doubt to linger about your own enthusiasm for the
presumptive nominee — such talk merely sets you up to be blamed for his defeat
in November. Should Obama fall in an environment poisoned by post-primary
malice, his supporters will not be quick to forgive — and the most unflattering
caricature of your own motives and character will prevail.The inevitable retaliation would inflict fatal damage on any prospect of
a future presidential candidacy for you or of your someday winning the Senate
majority leadership. Rather than making history as the first serious female
contender for the presidency, you would be remembered and resented for ruining
the chances of the Democratic Party’s first black presidential nominee. …
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For a very long time I’ve been extremely concerned by the acrimony and what
it would do to Senator Clinton going forward. There is nothing in it for her when her recalcitrant Hillraisers and
other supporters whisper dire predictions about Obama in November, or threaten
to hold back their support for Obama because they’re upset about what happened
in the primaries or because they think Obama cannot win. It’s one reason I refused to post the video that made the
rounds, because it in no way serves Hillary or the power base she’s built. It just hardens belief that Clinton doesn’t care if Obama wins, actually doesn’t want him to win. Something I’ve
said for a very long time is that no one knows what the outcome will be and
sniping know it alls who think they do are pulling trouble we don’t need out
of the air that gets in our way. Clinton once said this is not a game. Well,
it’s time for people to take that to heart. But as Conason also writes today, channeling what I’ve been thinking for weeks, there’s really no reason for doubters out there not to give it your all.
So let’s state the obvious as bluntly as possible: If it is true that Obama cannot win, as so many of your disgruntled friends insist, then you have absolutely nothing to lose by giving him the fullest possible support from today until Election Day. Get it? You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, in fact, by smothering the recriminations of the primary season in good will and hard work. Then if Obama loses despite your wholehearted backing, that will be the fault of him and his campaign team, and they will have no reason to blame you.
If you are one of those Democrats who support Hillary, but also believe Obama can’t win in November, how
does it help Clinton to make sure that happens, so she gets tagged with the
loss from which she’ll never recover politically? I know, I can hear it now. She’ll get blamed anyway. That’s nonsense if Hillary and all of us do all we can.
Now, fast forward to the convention to visit in our mind’s eye what would play out best after Hillary’s name is put
in nomination, something we all want to see and enjoy, because of the history
making moment it will be.
…But when the floor count reaches the point where Obama has won, that will
be the last opportunity to end this persistent shadow campaign. That is when
one of your most prominent supporters should ask the chairperson to end the
roll call and let the convention nominate the senator from Illinois by acclamation.
Such a generous scenario would fulfill your obligation to your party and your
values and redeem the inspiring speech you delivered on the day that you conceded
the nomination.
That’s what I hope to see from Hillary. It’s what I have always believed could happen, because of who Hillary is. This election matters too much to our country for anything less to play out.
