New ABC News/Washington Post poll shows that a majority of Democrats want Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., to stay in the 2008 nomination race if she loses Ohio or Texas

One response to “New ABC News/Washington Post poll shows that a majority of Democrats want Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., to stay in the 2008 nomination race if she loses Ohio or Texas”

1. M WAHEED JADOON | March 24, 2008 at 5:27 am |

   With last night’s victories in Ohio and Texas, one thing is clear: the
   momentum has swung back to Hillary Clinton. Voters in both states
   agreed that Hillary Clinton would be the best Commander-in-Chief and
   the strongest steward of our economy. In fact, according to last
   night’s polls, those who decided who to vote for in the last three
   days overwhelmingly favored Hillary [CNN exit polls, 3/4/08]. It’s
   time for a second look.
   Ohio is the barometer: Hillary was successful in Ohio, the state that
   for the last quarter century has picked our president. As everyone
   knows: As Ohio goes, so goes our country. Historically, it’s one of
   the bellwether states and it decided the last election. And the
   demographics of the upcoming contests in Pennsylvania, West Virginia,
   Indiana and Kentucky closely mirror those in Ohio. Hillary looks
   strong in all four states.
   In recent years, every President has won two of the three following
   states: Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. Hillary has already won two of
   those and, according to all polls, is leading in the third –
   Pennsylvania.
   This race is extremely close and more than 5 million Democrats are
   likely to vote. After 28 million votes have been counted, the popular
   vote contest in the Democratic primary is within one-tenth of one
   percent. Applying the same level of turnout to the remaining contests,
   there are still more than 5 million Democratic voters – 17 percent of
   the total – who are likely to participate in this contested primary
   race. After 41 primaries and caucuses, the delegate count is within
   roughly 2 percent.
   In the primaries, Hillary has demonstrated that she is the best
   positioned candidate to carry the core battleground states essential
   to a general election victory — particularly the large industrial
   states of Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and the critical swing contests
   in Florida, New Mexico, Nevada, and New Jersey.
   The vetting of Obama has just begun. The press has only begun to
   scrutinize Senator Obama and his record. The corruption trial of Tony
   Rezko is getting underway this week, yet many questions about Obama’s
   relationship with him remain unanswered. Hillary, on the other hand,
   has withstood fifteen years of substantial media and Republican
   scrutiny, including many months of sharper scrutiny as the front-
   runner. If the primary contest ends prematurely and Obama is the
   nominee, Democrats may have a nominee who will be a lightening rod of
   controversy.
   Several of Hillary’s base constituencies (women, Hispanic, labor,
   elderly and under $75,000) are key to a Democratic victory in
   November. Senator Obama has not brought these voters out in the same
   numbers.
   The two groups that fueled President Bush’s victory in ’04 were women
   and Hispanics, and they are among Hillary Clinton’s strongest
   supporters. From 2000 to 2004, Bush’s support among Hispanics rose
   from 35% to 44%. And Bush’s support among women rose from 43% to 48%.
   That five point gain among women and nine point gain among Latinos
   gave Bush his victory in 2004.
   Women reached an all-time presidential election high of 54% of voters
   in ’04. As a factual matter, an outpouring of women for the first
   woman president alone can win the election. Hillary leads all
   candidates among women.
   These political and demographic trends project positively into the
   general election and strongly favor Hillary.
   The Red States: The central strategic argument of the Obama campaign
   is flawed. Senator Obama argues that his success in Democratic primary
   contests held in long-time Red States means he will carry those states
   in a general election. In reality, there are no “Red States” in a
   Democratic primary – there are only Democratic voters who live in
   Republican states and represent a small percentage of the general
   election population.
   Of the eleven core Republican states that have gone to the polls, Sen.
   Obama has won ten: Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, Alabama,
   Alaska, Kansas, South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana. John Kerry
   lost each of these states by fifteen points or more.
   The last time a Democratic nominee won Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, North
   Dakota, Kansas, and Alaska in the general election was 1964.
   Even if Obama is “transcendent,” as his campaign has argued, the
   historic electoral trends and the current political environment
   suggest that translating those primary wins into November success will
   be close to impossible.
   In short: Hillary is better positioned to carry the battle ground
   states that Democrats need to win in November and Obama’s victories in
   deep red states do not .
   Hillary is the only Democrat with the strength, leadership, and
   experience to defeat John McCain. Senator Clinton is seen as the best
   prepared to be Commander-in-Chief.
   Nationally, 57% say Hillary Clinton is best prepared to be president,
   39% Obama [CBS/ NYT, February 24]
   Hillary Clinton is seen as best able to take on the Republicans on
   their own turf – national security and terrorism. She is seen as a
   strong and decisive leader (a seven point advantage over Obama
   nationally).
   Hillary is seen as the one who can get the job done – leading Obama
   nationally by 13 points [USA Today/ Gallup, 2/24].
   Hillary is seen as the candidate to solve the country’s problems,
   leading Obama by 10 points [USA Today/ Gallup, 2/24].
   John McCain will diminish any perceived advantage Obama has with
   independents. As has been widely discussed, one of John McCain’s key
   constituents is independents. And against McCain, Obama will be framed
   by the Republicans as too liberal (he was ranked by the National
   Journal as the most liberal Senator); untested on national security;
   and vulnerable on issues that would make him unelectable in November.
   These issues may be surmountable in a Democratic primary but will be
   an Achilles heel with independents in a general election.
   The McCain Roadmap: McCain has already foreshadowed his campaign’s
   construct against Obama: His vulnerability is experience and judgment
   on national security.
   McCain: Obama’s ‘meet, talk and hope approach’ is ‘dangerously naïve
   in international diplomacy.’ “Meet, talk, and hope may be a sound
   approach in a state legislature, but it is dangerously naive in
   international diplomacy where the oppressed look to America for hope
   and adversaries wish us ill.” [McCain, NYT’s The Caucus, 2/22/08]
   McCain: Obama is an ‘inexperienced candidate who once suggested
   bombing our ally, Pakistan, and suggested sitting down without
   preconditions or clear purpose with enemies who support terrorists.’
   “Each event poses a challenge and an opportunity. Will the next
   president have the experience — the judgment, experience informs and
   the strength of purpose to respond to each of these developments in
   ways that strengthen our security and advance the global progress of
   our ideals? Or will we risk the confused leadership of an
   inexperienced candidate who once suggested bombing our ally, Pakistan,
   and suggested sitting down without preconditions or clear purpose with
   enemies who support terrorists and are intent on destabilizing the
   world by acquiring nuclear weapons? I think you know the answer to
   that question.” [Post-Wisconsin Primary Victory Speech, 2/19/08]
   Steward of the economy. Hillary Clinton leads both John McCain and
   Barack Obama on the economy and health care. In the latest LA Times/
   Bloomberg poll (1/22), Hillary leads McCain 52/28 on health care and
   43/34 on the economy.
   Hillary leads Barack Obama on health care by 21 points nationally [USA
   Today/Gallup, 2/24].
   Florida. There is an additional reality that must be considered – the
   1.75 million voters in Florida whose votes will not be represented at
   the Democratic convention. How we handle this swing state will affect
   our Party’s potential of carrying it in November (Democrats lost
   Florida in 2004). This is a state where the playing field was level –
   all of the candidates had their names on the ballot and none
   campaigned in the state.
   Michigan. Nearly 600,000 Democrats voted in Michigan, but right now
   their votes are not being counted. Democrats barely carried Michigan
   in 2004 (by only 3% — 51 to 48). If our party refuses to let them
   participate in the convention, we will provide a political opportunity
   for the Republicans to win both Florida and Michigan. Recognizing
   their importance to Democratic success in November, Hillary has called
   for the delegates of both states to be seated at the convention.
   Hillary has the money to compete. In February, the Clinton campaign
   raised approximately $35 million – averaging more than a million
   dollars a day. This deep level of support gives Hillary the resources
   she needs to compete between now and the Convention.

   From BlogHillary:by Harold Ickes, Senior Advisor & Mark Penn, Chief
   Strategist
   Posted here by Randy…Rcalypso

   WORLD DEMOCRACY MEDIA GROUP
   M Waheed Jadoon

   Email: WAJADOON@YAHOO.COM