NPR: Democrats May Switch to GOP if Favorite Fails

[CatWoman]

In the early days of the Democratic presidential contest, voters partial to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama told pollsters they'd be happy with either one as the party's nominee. That was before the campaign entered its hand-to-hand combat phase.

Recent polling shows that almost 30 percent of Clinton supporters and nearly 20 percent of Obama supporters say that if their preferred candidate doesn't win the nomination, they'll vote Republican.

Perhaps the last place you'd expect to find a Democrat willing to vote for the other party was the California Democratic Party's annual convention last weekend in San Jose. But even among these hard-core activists, people were badmouthing their party's possible presidential nominees. Mention Clinton's name to Obama supporter Charlotte Pierce, and disdain is evident in her voice.

"I just think that Hillary is upset because she thought she was going to rise to the throne, and it's just not happening," Pierce said. She added, "I'm disappointed in what Hillary has done. She's slung a lot of mud very unnecessarily."

Another Obama backer, Quinn Gardner, is so turned off at the thought of a Clinton victory that he's thinking the unthinkable. "It's a question we've been talking about a lot today, saying if Hillary Clinton got the nomination, would you still vote for her," he said.

"I don't know at this point," he said, sighing. "I wish I had a better answer. It's tough."

Nearby, at the Hillary Clinton table, supporter Candace Bashin gave Obama the most backhanded of compliments.

"I think he's a very attractive man," Bashin said. "He looks great in a suit." But she described herself as more of a "policy person." Hillary, she said, "knows her stuff."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89364384

[joshcryer]

1. Two words: "unity ticket"

Perhaps the only way if we can't start to stop being assholes to one another.

[leftrightwingnut]

3. I cannot see how someone who has won half, more or less, would not have first crack at the VP slot.

Half the popular vote or half the delegates, take it either way.

It would be ludicrous not to give the nomination to the candidate with slightly more than half.

Turn that argument around: it would be equally ludicrous not to offer the VP slot to the candidate with less than half.

Obama is leaving the door open. At this point, the VP slot is Hillary's to refuse -- or simply piss away.

[scheming daemons]

17. Because our goal is to win in November... and Hillary is ticket poison...

...

[CTyankee]

2. "Democrats" who would so blithely go to McCain are not Democrats, IMO.

And besides, what are we to make of all the new Dems coming into our party as a result of Bush's f*ck ups and the hunger for change? Thousands of new Dems this past year signed on to the Party and voted in the primary elections.

And this is bad, how?

[DemVet]

5. Exactly.

We need their votes in the GE regardless of what they call themselves or their party affiliation.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

4. Idiots.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

6. I don't care how McAssIsGrass loses: the head-to-heads don't show him winning, regardless...

...of who he runs against. If some dems vote for him out of spite, who cares as long as a D still takes the GE?


ed for clarity

[crankychatter]

7. self delete

zip

[SIMPLYB1980]

8. Well the Obama people were and are still blasting "we will not vote for Clinton

under any circumstances" all over the internet and to our faces in public so we just thought we would out do you a little.

From a Clinton supporter that will hold his nose and vote for Obama, while telling pollsters and Obama supporters in public that I won't. Hey it's the way you wanted to play it what with the swift boating of the Clinton's on race.

[CTyankee]

9. at the end of the day the Dems will "come home."

I don't see the point in all this bashing. I voted for Clinton in my primary and I am perfectly happy to vote for Obama in the GE if he is the candidate. I don't BS anyone about this. Maybe I'm weird but I've lived long enough and through enough presidential campaigns, going back to 1960 (now, that's OLD), that getting all worked up and vowing not to vote for each other is just wasted energy and could have a terrible effect on the election.

We need to just get busy and start in against McCain. Beating him up is a better, more creative, use of our time!

[SIMPLYB1980]

10. Thank you and I understand, but I can only have shit thrown in my face

by people I thought were my friends before I start throwing it back, and I'm talking about people I really know, not people on DU. So I have been throwing it back in their face lately, and guess what, they have been much more understanding of my views and why they should not bash Clinton the way they have been doing. Calling Clinton and her supporters racist was a very stupid thing to do. The funny thing is that no matter how upset we get at each other we can all agree on McSame so that is a silver lining. I can't read minds, but I hope they fell like me and are just playing the "game", and when it comes down to it they will vote for Clinton or Obama.

[UALRBSofL]

14. SIMPYB1980 I have to disagree with you on this

After reading Obama played the race card going into the SC primary and leaked material to the MSM and his camp got caught doing it, it occurred to me what was going on.

The race card was a carefully made decision when Obama did not blow out Clinton in NH. He has no natural constituency so they had to manufacture one. They know they would fragment the party but reasoned probably that Dem's would have to come together for the GE. He had to play the race card for SC because of the Clinton's’ long history of civil rights but that is not enough to win the nomination. Next they went for the “creative” educated class by appealing to their vanity as visionary and able to see into the future and what others “just do not get.” That also is not enough to win the primaries so who could they rope in next. They went after the angry guys and general all around misogynists.

It appears that they believe they have time to repair enough of the damage after the nomination is won but before the election because the alternative will be so horrible. The problem of course is how truly pissed folks are at these strategies and that a large number of Dem's do not hate McCain perhaps enough to vote for Obama regardless. The rifts in the party may never fully heal.

[SIMPLYB1980]

18. Sadly I know what you are saying to hence my disgust.

But i will not under any circumstance vote for McCain.

[AlinPA]

19. It will be hard to vote for Clinton after that sniper lie. I would vote for her,

but still would think her story is a bald faced lie.

[Blondbostonian]

12. Oh please

Stop with the false indignation. This crap is coming from both sides. I've read repeatedly on here that Clinton supporters wouldn't vote for Obama.

Swift Boating my ass. Your girl will sell her soul for the nomination. I will still vote for her in November though

[Warren Stupidity]

11. Keep pushing the defeatist meme's.

Unrally the troops! All is lost!

[CatWoman]

21. I wasn't aware that "I" was pushing anything

:shrug:

[Warren Stupidity]

22. Right. The link made you do it.

The new cop-out on DU. It ain't me. I didn't say it.

[CatWoman]

24. you know, your crystal ball could do with a serious tune up

I'd like to make people aware that "issues" such as this is out there - it does not mean that I'm an advocate for such behavior.

your name suits you well.

[mrJJ]

13. BLANK

In the General I'll vote for the Dem Senate & Congressional seats in play in my state. If HRC is on the VP or Pres slot, I'll just leave the position BLANK. I'm not a card carrying Dem so my vote for that position shouldn't matter in the least. I do however; wish the Democrats a succesful 08 GE.

[DerekJ]

15. Please note, that the current polls of Obama against McCain include those 30%.

So he is wining, with or without them.

[featherman]

16. Ho Hum.... it's April. Long, long campaign coming up

[redqueen]

20. Wow they are really shopping that meme!

This is surely an interesting election.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

23. dmsRoar: So?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5381762&mesg_id=5381762

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

25. Uh huh.

Right after they all move to Canada.

[CatWoman]

26. Howdy, Professor

:)

:hi:

[Skidmore]

27. McCain wishes.

I would never vote FOR McCain. I would write in Obama.

[DearAbby]

28. Of Course...when you think progressive

McCain is the second choice :eyes:

[CTyankee]

29. Uh, no. Not if you are a Democrat.

n/t.

[beltanefauve]

30. Two words:

Supreme Court. As long as we keep repeating those two words, we'll all be able to come home together, albeit with a lot of nose-holding from the "losing" side of our primary. NPR is just as bad as the rest of the MSN in keeping this as contentious as possible.