Bad News for the GOP
I know everyone is hanging on Hillary v. Barack - but I’m just sick of it. The only way Clinton can win is if 100% of the vote in Florida and Michigan is counted and if that happens, then you better hold onto your hat because the next Presidential primary is going to be starting on November 6th of this year. Why follow the rules if there is no consequence? Of course, all of the super-delegates could gang-up on Obama and throw Hillary over the top - which is starting to sound like a good idea (in a totally difference sense of the phrase). But this would truly risk enfuriating a lot of Democrats because it is seen as entirely anti-democratic (in every sense). Many wonder if black voters would trust a Democratic Party that suddenly decided they didn’t want to have their nominee be the black man who has gathered more primary votes for President than most recent nominees.
It’s interesting that very little speculation has been about what would happen to Hillary’s supporters if she doesn’t get the nomination. If black voters are faithfully Democratic, then they are no more so than the aging feminists that have formed Clinton’s hard core of supporters. As important are the soft core of blue collar voters that just don’t seem to be willing to vote for the black guy in the race. If you don’t want to call it racism; then you have to point out how much Hillary Clinton has in common with John McCain (which is the point of my latest cartoon).
But there is still reason for the GOP to shake in their boots. Mississippi isn’t supposed to elect Democrats, but 409 votes are all that stands between Travis Childers changing that (and then OpenLeft will have another BushDog to whip). Then there is the case of Louisianna to go along with Bill Foster in Illinois. It’s getting to be that no Republican seat can be said to be safe (and we’ll add Mike Ferguson’s CD-7 and Jim Saxton’s CD-3 in New Jersey as both open seats now appear likely to go to Democrats).
Here’s the important thing to remember, though - don’t look for these districts to provide the badly needed swing votes in Congress. While Foster appears to be firmly on the progressive side of the scales, neither Cayazoux or Childers can be described that way. They’re Democrats, but they aren’t to be taken for granted. I consider this a good thing. It’s always good for the majority to represent an ideological plurality. One of the reasons the Republican majority became so hated is that they tolerated no dissent. Democrats have to be careful not to follow that line of hubris.
Unless and until one of the Democratic Presidential candidates picks a running-mate, everything is pretty much window-dressing. Obama can’t knock-out Clinton because she is still holding those illegally won delegates in her pocket. Clinton isn’t going to quit unless she is stricken dead by God Himself. It’s going to the convention - so it will be a fun show in Denver. But nothing else matters. So it is lather, rinse, repeat. Yawn.
Who says watching paint dry isn’t fun?
