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Tag(s): Democratic; Democratic Policy; Economic; Elections; Manufacturing; Party Politics Democratic; Party Politics Republican; Pennsylvania; Politics; Presidency; (more...) Republicanism (less...)
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April 23, 2008 at 05:58:15

Headlined on 4/23/08:
For the Good of the Party and America, an Obama-Clinton Democratic ticket

by Stephen Crockett Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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Hillary Clinton should end her bid for the White House. Obama should offer her the Vice Presidency. Clinton should accept the offer. It would be a bitter pill for both to swallow but it is what both the Democratic Party and the American nation desperately needs. Neither Clinton nor Obama should place their personal ambition, pride or emotions ahead of the needs of the American people.

Clinton won a big victory in Pennsylvania but the election was tainted by the highly negative campaign and by serious election equipment and logistical flaws. At this point, she could easily withdraw with honor. Clinton is certainly not responsible for the defective voting equipment or the thousands of Republicans who switched their registrations in Pennsylvania to Democratic but were denied their right to cast even provisional ballots.

Brad Friedman of Brad Blog predicted in advance on his website and in an interview broadcast on my Democratic Talk Radio show that the election process in Pennsylvania was going to be a disaster logistically. He told our listening audience in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (WGPA SUNNY 1100AM) and our Internet audience that after the problems arose that the type of voting machines used in Pennsylvania made it impossible to fix errors likely to arise. The voting machines used made it impossible to verify the count or audit the results. Pennsylvania election laws and processes tainted Clinton’s victory through no fault of her own.

This writer believes she won big in Pennsylvania but the voting process was so bad that many voters will always doubt the size of that victory.

Regardless of the Pennsylvania win, Clinton has almost zero chance of gaining the Democratic Presidential nomination without changing the nominating rules to seat the delegates from Michigan and Florida selected in unfair primary elections. Even with those delegates counted, Clinton has very little chance of gaining the nomination. It would take a nearly complete sweep of the remaining election contests in places like North Carolina, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, Montana, South Dakota, Puerto Rico, Guam and Idaho along with gaining most of the Super Delegates. Basically, it would take a whole series of miracles for her to gain the nomination and place her in a very weak position in terms of defeating McCain in the Fall.

Counting on a series of miracles to win a nomination that would split the Democratic Party in half is a pretty poor campaign strategy. Staying in the race would cast Clinton in a Democratic spoiler role in the minds of the American people should it result in a McCain victory in November. It would ruin her place in history.

A McCain victory would be an absolute disaster for the American nation. It would be basically a third term for Bush Republicanism and the insane policies that have wrecked the American economy. It would mean a foreign policy of endless, pointless, bloody wars. Make no mistake about it, John McCain is a war-monger who has no clue about how to run an economy.

McCain would pack our federal courts with the same kind of partisan, ideologically driven, Far Right judges that Bush appointed. Helping to elect McCain would gut the Bill of Rights and essentially destroy American Democracy. McCain would be both stubborn and inept in the White House just like Bush.

McCain is and always has been a tool of Corporate forces in politics- just like Bush. He and his wife are likely worth hundreds of millions of dollars although the so-called “straight talker” has refused to expose their full family finances. McCain is hiding his conflicts of interests and financially self-serving political position by hiding behind his wife! It is shameful and dishonest.

Electing McCain would mean millions more Americans would lose their homes, their savings and their jobs. It would mean the near collapse of the American dollar, the almost total destruction of America as a manufacturing nation and the end of our military dominance because of economic collapse. The destruction of our Constitutionally guaranteed personal freedoms started under Bush would become complete. It would be in a very real sense a third term for George W. Bush.

McCain was a war hero in Vietnam but since then he has been a disaster for working Americans. Read about McCain at McCain Revealed.com http://www.mccainrevealed.com if you think I am over stating the case against a McCain Presidency. His record and policy positions are about 95 % the same as George W. Bush. The American nation cannot afford a Bush Presidency. Clinton and Obama should make any sacrifice necessary to spare the American nation of this impending disaster. I am calling on their proven patriotism to work together as a Democratic ticket to defeat Bush Republicanism in the form of John McCain. Please save the American nation! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Written by Stephen Crockett (host of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com and Editor of Mid-Atlantic Labor.com http://www.midatlanticlabor.com). Mail: 698 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, Delaware 19702. Phone: 443-907-2367. Feel free to publish or post without prior approval.

www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com

Stephen Crockett is co-host of Democratic Talk Radio and author of the Democratic Voices opinion column.

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14 comments

Hartford, Connecticut, lawyer, grandfather, Air Force veteran.
Green Party Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, First District Connecticut: www.fournierforcongress.org

Author/publisher, Current Invective www.currentinvective.com
Steve FournierHartford, Connecticut, lawyer, grandfather, Air Force veteran.
Green Party Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, First District Connecticut: www.fournierforcongress.org

Author/publisher, Current Invective www.currentinvective.com

Good of the Country

For the good of the country, no more Clintons in the White House, please. For Republicans who claim to be Democrats, these two are the models.

by Steve Fournier (32 articles, 17 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 43 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 9:19:39 AM

GW is a proud American from NY State, concerned about media manipulation and overconsumption. He believes in fiscal responsibility, small government and strict ethics. He recently changed careers to become an inner city schoolteacher. A firm proponent of international adoption and curbing overpopulation, he hopes to adopt a third child and enjoys history, "honest" music and art and obscure vinyl records.
Gustav WynnGW is a proud American from NY State, concerned about media manipulation and overconsumption. He believes in fiscal responsibility, small government and strict ethics. He recently changed careers to become an inner city schoolteacher. A firm proponent of international adoption and curbing overpopulation, he hopes to adopt a third child and enjoys history, "honest" music and art and obscure vinyl records.

Hillary IS the problem and here's why...

An Obama/Hillary ticket would be awful. The beating heart of Obama's frontrunning campaign is the call for change in DC.

Obama's supporters have coalesced around the idea that we can reduce the power of entrenched politicians. In winning a majority of Democratic voters support, Obama has shattered records for fundraising with the smallest contribution size, the highest number of individual donors and "cleanest" money by far in any major campaign - less PAC money, SIG money, issue-specific or industry-specific money.

Hillary's has been a campaign of smears, negativity, distortion and even lies, far more then Obama's.

This is what the US is voting for today - an end to the influence of "experienced" power brokers and an end to the influence of corporate cash and lobbyist cash on our government. Hillary and Bill Clinton had a chance to do this, but instead crafted sweetheart trade pacts with Asia, making Hillary's pals at Wal-Mart multibillionaires and benefiting the Pan-Asian donors that funded the Clinton campaigns while destroying American manufacturing. Then, the midnight pardons were inexcusable breeches of public trust.

Obama is the best chance for cleaning up DC.

by Gustav Wynn (60 articles, 38 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 281 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 1:09:49 PM

R. Queisser has been an unabashed progressive activist since the '60s. After 28 years in non-profit health care management he left that field, disgusted at the mess commercial health insurance companies have created. He now resides near the Canadian border where he does ontological work repairing gashes in the fabric of truth created by "conservative" politicians & pundits.
R. QueisserR. Queisser has been an unabashed progressive activist since the '60s. After 28 years in non-profit health care management he left that field, disgusted at the mess commercial health insurance companies have created. He now resides near the Canadian border where he does ontological work repairing gashes in the fabric of truth created by "conservative" politicians & pundits.

No Way Hillaray!!

No way should this old dog, Hillary Clinton, be considered ready for the White House.

She was wrong on Iraq for 3-1/2 years, while she voted for the banking industry's bankruptcy bill, then she took another 2-1/2 years to figure out (only with the help of massive public resistance to the occupation) that we really should withdraw from a conflict we can't win.

Now, she is dead wrong on Iran. Truly, she will never pass the "commander-in-chief" exam; she has flunked too often to re-take it.

by R. Queisser (7 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 62 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 2:22:20 PM

I am a father, a husband and an organic vegetable farmer living out in the sticks somewhere in California. My academic background is in philosophy and I consider myself morally preoccupied. When I'm not farming I'm usually reading, nonfiction.
Jim EldonI am a father, a husband and an organic vegetable farmer living out in the sticks somewhere in California. My academic background is in philosophy and I consider myself morally preoccupied. When I'm not farming I'm usually reading, nonfiction.

which party is "the Party"?

I don't accept the premise that the Democratic Party is in any important way distinct from the Republican Party. As far as actual policy goes, they've proven that they are just Republicans with a different name. Together they are The Duopoly; the Big Money Party; the Elitist Party; or whatever you want to call them. Different name, same modus operandi. Pro-war, pro corporate welfare, anti universal healthcare, anti civil rights, etc etc.... yawn.

by Jim Eldon (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 66 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 3:49:09 PM

A sentient being trapped in the American political diorama.
coyoteA sentient being trapped in the American political diorama.

Seems appropriate

Let’s see where these candidates get their money to convince you to vote for them;

Hillary Clinton;

Goldman Sachs $413,361 Morgan Stanley $362,700 Citigroup Inc $350,895 Lehman Brothers $241,870 JP Morgan Chase & Co $214,880 EMILY’s List $213,266 National Amusements Inc $210,010 Kirkland & Ellis $179,676 Greenberg Traurig Llp $177,800 Skadden, Arps et al $167,796 Merrill Lynch $165,042 Cablevision Systems $145,313 Time Warner $144,977 Microsoft Corp $143,459 Bear Stearns $141,835 Latham & Watkins $138,598 Patton Boggs $137,200 Ernst & Young $126,865 PricewaterhouseCoopers $121,939

Barack Obama:

Goldman Sachs $421,763 Ubs Ag $296,670 Lehman Brothers $250,630 National Amusements Inc $245,843 JP Morgan Chase & Co $243,848 Sidley Austin LLP $226,491 Citigroup Inc $221,578 Exelon Corp $221,517 Skadden, Arps Et Al $196,420 Jones Day $181,996 Harvard University $172,324 Citadel Investment Group $171,798 Time Warner $155,383 Morgan Stanley $155,196 Google Inc $152,802 University of California $143,029 Jenner & Block $136,565 Kirkland & Ellis $134,738 Wilmerhale Llp $119,245 Credit Suisse Group $118,250

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Which party is the party of big business (hint: they both are)?

2. Do you believe campaign cash has a direct impact on legislation and policy?

3. Do you believe either Clinton or Obama is free to act on behalf of the American people instead of catering to corporate America?

How can liberal Democrats decry the infusion of corporate cash into the political process when both Clinton and Obama have received more industry campaign cash than their Republican opponent? How can the Democratic Party be the “party of the people” when they, too, are funded by corporations and their lobbyists? If you’re an advocate of “lesser of the evils” voting, understand that you’re endorsing a corporate-funded agenda.

Big business likes things just the way they are. They get what they want in Washington at your expense. If you’re hoping for change, voting for corporate-funded candidates is not the way. The rich will get richer while the poor get poorer. Corporations will prosper while the US Treasury goes bankrupt. Solutions to real problems like addiction to oil, global warming, decaying infrastructure, affordable health care, declining literacy rates, and a real social safety net cannot happen when government caters to profit-seeking corporations instead of the American people.

What we’re left with is truly the best democracy money can buy. As we all know, or should know, that’s no democracy at all.

by coyote (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 73 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 6:56:52 PM

August Adams is a CPA and holds a Masters Degree in Psychology. He is an activist striving to create a fair and just world for all.
August AdamsAugust Adams is a CPA and holds a Masters Degree in Psychology. He is an activist striving to create a fair and just world for all.

Good Stuff

Thanks

by August Adams (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 442 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 8:45:26 PM

Misunderstanding Corporate bundling

Thanks to coyote from pasting this from a salon article, among other places

1. First, let's clarify for those who may not know - any donation made to a presidential candidate must be limited to $2100 (something like that). These "corporate" donations are not checks written by the companies, they are given by individual employees of these companies, only up to the maximum amount allowed. The firms do bundle them together to try to get favored status, no doubt about it.

But now notice how many contributed to BOTH candidates. Wall Street wants to be at the table, no matter who wins, so does this imply any wrongdoing by Obama? Did he solicit these contributions or are the firms just covering all bases?

Also, this argument is ridiculous if you look at the contributions Obama has taken in from ALL sources and then compare these donations. If you truly believe he's acting in behalf of his donors, then his biggest donors by far are unaffiliated citizen contributors giving less then $225 each. Those donations exceed ALL these corporate donations put together by more then double! There goes that whole argument!

2. Do you believe campaign cash has a direct impact on legislation and policy?

This is the crucial question! I believe the answer is yes and no, depending on the candidate. Look at their records. Hillary sat on Wal-Mart's board for six years, and presto, her husband opens trade with China to make the Arkansas-based box chain the biggest employer in the world. Many politicians perform for their donors, unfortunately. Has Obama? He's received donations and favors from Tony Rezko, but I haven't heard of any favorable legislating he did in return. Obama has also introduced election reform bills in the senate and talks about a major overhaul if elected. I'm choosing him as the lesser of three evils for now and we'll see.

3. Do you believe either Clinton or Obama is free to act on behalf of the American people instead of catering to corporate America?

I hope so! They are by far his biggest contributors! See above...you may be misunderstanding the whole election contribution process. Bundling is merely collecting donations by like-minded employees of a company or organization, nowhere nearly as bad as using corporate cash. It's each citizen's right, it's legal, and it's a small portion of Obama's overall total...

by Gustav Wynn (60 articles, 38 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 281 comments) on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 11:31:35 PM

I am married and live in Richmond, Virginia
HelenI am married and live in Richmond, Virginia

fuggitaboutit

Obama and just-about-any-other Dem. is better. Obama and Boxer is my choice. Hillary is disgusting.

by Helen (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 18 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 7:32:55 PM

Just a rock'n roll girl caught between DC and NY. Currently doing PR for a non profit called the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund.
Suzanne SmithJust a rock'n roll girl caught between DC and NY. Currently doing PR for a non profit called the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund.

You people

have me worried. I cannot bear another 4 - 8 years of this madness. Not voting b/c both parties are the same is not the answer! Too many progressive/liberals don't vote as a way of "boycotting" the system. It's bullshit. I'm sorry, but it is. Many minorities don't vote because they see the election process as just a bunch of white people arguing, and their sucky situation not changing. This too, is bullshit.

Apathy and ignorance have led to this nightmare. Please vote. This insanity has to end, if for no other reason than to get back at the pubes (repubs.), get a less right wing court and make somewhat of an apology to the rest of the world.

by Suzanne Smith (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 20 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 8:28:47 PM

Stephen Crockett is co-host of Democratic Talk Radio and author of the Democratic Voices opinion column.
Stephen CrockettStephen Crockett is co-host of Democratic Talk Radio and author of the Democratic Voices opinion column.

Great points!

I am in complete agreement with your post. Nicely said!

by Stephen Crockett (127 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 113 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 9:12:42 PM

Robert Sargent is co-owner of a Washington State commercial printing company with operations in Seattle and Redmond. He has an Economics degree from the University of Washington and occasionally plays alto sax with the Husky alumni band. An amateur economist, investor and photographer, and fiscally conservative moderate at heart, Robert has been a "yellow-dog Democrat" since the Bush administration "began screwing up the world beyond repair". Active in local and national political races, Mr. Sar...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Robert SargentRobert Sargent is co-owner of a Washington State commercial printing company with operations in Seattle and Redmond. He has an Economics degree from the University of Washington and occasionally plays alto sax with the Husky alumni band. An amateur economist, investor and photographer, and fiscally conservative moderate at heart, Robert has been a "yellow-dog Democrat" since the Bush administration "began screwing up the world beyond repair". Active in local and national political races, Mr. Sar...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Yeah,

I think Suzanne is hot also, Stephen, but I decided not to flatter her. In all seriousness, I would have completely agreed with her comment even without the picture.

by Robert Sargent (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 26 diaries, 303 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 11:41:10 PM

Richard Mynick is a US citizen who, despite the best efforts of the corporate media, noticed something disturbing about how the 2000 election was decided, & felt it augured poorly for democracy.
Richard MynickRichard Mynick is a US citizen who, despite the best efforts of the corporate media, noticed something disturbing about how the 2000 election was decided, & felt it augured poorly for democracy.

Hillary is not only unworthy, she wouldn't accept the VP

position. She'd rather destroy Obama, let McCain win the election, & hope that this would give her the chance to try again in 2012, when McCain would be too old to try for a 2nd term. If the country, world and her party all go to hell in the meantime, she more or less feels, "Well, them's the breaks!"

In the last 7 years, Hillary-plus-Bill stood up to take courageous principled positions against Bush a combined total of zero times. (Not that any of the other Democrats are any better, of course.)

Haven't we had enough of the bullsh*t with family dynasties, already?

Hillary & her husband are both narcissistic Rove-style sociopaths.

by Richard Mynick (2 articles, 3 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 1168 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 8:39:20 PM

Offer it to Hillary and see

If she refuses, it would prove she is putting personal ambition over the good of the Democratic Party and the nation. Even her strongest supporters would see that as the situation.

The offer would prove that Obama was not doing the same should she refuse his offer.

Both candidates have followings of supporters that we need to keep McCain out of the White House. How are we going to defeat McCain without Obama's following among African-Americans, young people and idealistic new voters? How are we going to win without the support of women, working class voters and senior citizens? Collectively these groups are unstoppable and on their own the individual coalitions can be beaten by McCain.

Both candidates have significant negatives but largely by different groups of voters. As a ticket, this negativity factor declines dramatically.

On the DNC Blog this morning, the most devoted Clinton supporters were attacking this column as being slanted in favor of Obama and attacking Clinton. Here it is getting the opposite take. The reaction from both camps was expected. I support the Democratic cause over the personal ambition of either candidate and stand by the column.

by Stephen Crockett (127 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 113 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 9:10:53 PM

Why Obama wins the nomination by the numbers

MSNBC has Clinton with 1,596 delegates which means she needs 429 more to win the nomination.

They have Obama with 1,728 delegates which means he needs 297 more to win.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22811059/

My count has Obama with 3 more Superdelegates than MSNBC from very recent announcements. However, regardless of those 3 delegates, Obama will almost certainly not lose enough of the remaining races by large enough margins to deny him the nomination short of a string of miracles.

by Stephen Crockett (127 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 113 comments) on Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 11:21:09 PM