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Savannahmann

(3,891 posts)
Wed Jun 18, 2014, 06:34 PM Jun 2014

Hillary and the 11% issue

We are told in one thread that only 11 percent of Democrats want someone more liberal than Secretary Clinton to be the party nominee. Another thread asks if we consider ourselves as part of the 11%.

Both threads are wrong. The first thread is trying to bully people into joining a movement they are at best less than enthusiastic about. It's the common peer pressure approach, come on man, don't be the only one who isn't doing this. It derides and belittles the strong individualist streak that exists in us as individuals, and tells us that our individual opinions are worse than worthless, they are damaging to the overall goals of the party.

The second one attempts to buck up those 11% by showing how on this site, we tend to make up a majority of the active users. That is also a bit off base, because the issue isn't what percentage of DU this group or that belief makes up. The issue is far larger.

The Pro Hillary for anything crowd know one thing is true. The 11% that they are attempting to get back into line are the ones who man (or women) the phone banks and call people to talk about the candidate. They're the volunteers who donate money, time, and enormous amounts of energy to get a candidate elected. A candidate without those believers, without those volunteers who drive around on election day and carry people to the polls can't win. So by pushing to get the 11% on board early, the movement is obvious, get those 11%, the active participation of those who have volunteered for many elections, signed on early. This prevents the sudden arrival of some more left candidate who may announce early getting this army of support. If everyone is in line behind Hillary early, and Elizabeth Warren announces later, then those who wanted to switch would be told of the horrific crime of treason to the candidate, and the obvious problems of an extended fight between candidates for the nomination. As is the usual, the people who did switch their support would probably be accused of helping the Republicans, the Libertarians, The Koch brothers, or who knows who else would be the boogieman.

I think at this point the polling and news stories about the inevitability of Hillary are at best premature, at worst, an effort to astroturf the groundswell of support Hillary is certain to need to get the campaign going.

Now, my suggestion. This November, we are looking at the toughest fight any of us have seen in an effort to hold the Senate. That observation is not new, I have made it for months now. The Rethug plan has been obvious since day one. Take the Senate. Take the Senate and force legislation down President Obama's throat. After Election day this year, when we see the results of our efforts, then we can take the time to examine the field of growing candidates for 2016.

But there is nothing more important than the Senate this year. Not the perpetual flood of Hillary the Inevitable stories and posts. Not the nonsense of a bare minority holding out hope for a more liberal candidate who wouldn't be "electable". We've seen those before. We've heard the arguments in 2008 when we were told that a Black Man shouldn't be nominated because he wasn't electable. The nation was too racist for a Black President. We heard it all before.

For now, focus on the near term issue. Focus on the one things we can't afford to lose. The RW can't get the legislation they want through Congress because a Democratic Senate is the filter that makes sure that any legislation is acceptable to our side. We lose that filter, we lose the last two years of President Obama's administration. The best we could hope for in that case is a flurry of posts about how President Obama vetoed this, or that, or the other.

The Senate my friends, that is the one issue we must not lose sight of. Even while we are being swamped in Hillary is inevitable posts and stories. Secretary Clinton may indeed end up being the nominee, but I'll worry about who the nominee should be once we save the Senate.

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