The Nation editors: Will Democracy Win?

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http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20080324&s=editors

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Adding to the tension of this moment for all Democrats is the knowledge that scorched-earth tactics are at least partly responsible for Clinton's success on Super Tuesday II. Through its fearmongering over terrorism and national security and by taking advantage of smear campaigns against Obama's patriotism, race and religion, the Clinton campaign has already sunk fairly low--but it could very well sink lower, threatening to negate the early promise of this historic contest, which has seen a massive spike in voter turnout, particularly among the young and minorities, and the enthusiastic rise of progressive values and issues. If the campaign continues this descent during the long slog to Pennsylvania on April 22 and beyond, the ultimate benefactor may well be neither small d-democracy nor the Democratic Party--but Senator John McCain and the GOP, who no doubt will spend the time taking notes and sharpening knives. Given the electoral challenge it faces, the Clinton camp ought to think long and hard about how it chooses to wage the remainder of this campaign.

Still, the Clinton campaign isn't doing anything the right won't do if Obama is the nominee, so his campaign could benefit from learning how to take this punch and counterpunch. And Obama has been fair game for some of Clinton's attacks: on NAFTA, for instance, his campaign's fuzziness--embodied by the embarrassing spectacle of top adviser Austan Goolsbee telling Canadians not to take seriously the candidate's tough talk about renegotiating the agreement--has created a vulnerability that Clinton has every right to exploit.

First, Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean and state legislators should move rapidly to schedule new elections in Florida and Michigan--caucuses if primaries can't be arranged by June. Both campaigns may object to this; they should be ignored. The results of the earlier rogue primaries--Obama's name wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan--cannot be counted. And the race is too close for these states to be excluded. This process must start immediately.

Second, the superdelegates must understand that it would be a disaster if they overturned the verdict of the voters, however contested and close that verdict might be.

The true potential of this groundswell for change--as a movement and then as an enduring reality--exceeds the immediate electoral fortunes of either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. But, its fate, at least for the moment, is tied to how this nomination fight is conducted. After all these years, electoral politics is again a vehicle for raising expectations and spreading hope. It would be a shame if, in trying to settle the nomination, Democrats managed to lose sight of this larger vision.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Why is the Nation perpetuating the NAFTA lie? Goolsbee never said

anything that was at odds with Obama's public position, and did not tell the Canadians to disregard what he said--and the Canadians admitted it and apologized--I guess some myths just become fact if they're repeated enough and not fact-checked.

[Demeter]

2. My Money Is Not on Democracy--But All My Life Is Bet On It!!