LAT's Rosa Brooks: It's your call, Hillary (A Must Read)

[Colobo]

Hillary? Hillary?

What? It's 3 a.m.? Yes, I know that. Look, I'm sorry if I woke you up. But you said you were fine with 3 a.m. calls.

I'm calling because we have a serious crisis on our hands. And I thought of you immediately, because you're right, you're the only person who might be able to defuse the situation.

We've got a problem with John McCain, Hillary. Remember him? I know, you've been so busy lately trying to destroy Barack Obama that McCain probably slipped your mind. That's why I had to call.

Hillary, listen: This country could be in serious danger if McCain becomes president. His national security policies are a recipe for endless conflagration, especially in the Middle East. Saying McCain's a "hawk" is an understatement. McCain makes Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld look like cute little parakeets. No kidding. Remember "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran?" Ha ha.

No, no, you're right, it wasn't funny. And by the way, McCain says your Iraq strategy would constitute "surrender ... waving the white flag."

What's that? You don't want to see McCain become president either?

Then withdraw from the Democratic race right now, Hillary.

Whoa! Don't get so irritated. It's just that the longer you stay in, the more help you give McCain and the right.

Stop being so mean? I'm not trying to be mean, Hillary. Please, get yourself another pillow if you want one. You're smart and you're tough, and you've blazed an important trail. But at 3 a.m. -- dark-night-of-the-soul time -- we need to be realistic.

Let's do the math together. Do you want to go find a calculator? No? Sorry, of course you're good at math.

OK -- so before this week's primaries, Obama had 1,192 pledged delegates, and you had 1,036. On Tuesday, you won in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island, and MSNBC estimates that after the results have been fully tabulated, you'll have eroded Obama's original 156-delegate lead by ... somewhere between seven and 13 pledged delegates.

Whoop-de-do.

What? Oh sure, you did manage to regain some momentum. And yes, I probably wouldn't even have called if it hadn't been for those infamous "red phone" ads you've been running. They're definitely effective ads, Hillary. By suggesting that Obama isn't fit to be commander in chief, you do seem to have shifted the dynamic; exit polls suggest that Ohio and Texas voters who made up their minds at the last minute mostly opted for you.

So is that your campaign's take-away here? That if you go all out to destroy Obama -- suggesting he's weak on national security -- you'll be able to eke out a few more victories in the primaries that lie ahead?

That's what I was afraid you were thinking. Only a few months ago, you were accusing Obama of attacks on you that came "right out of the Republican playbook." I should have figured you'd be studying that playbook yourself.

For the sake of your country, don't do this. You've got 12 contests remaining before the Democratic convention, and given the complex proportional system for awarding delegates, you'll have to win all 12 by 20-point margins just to break even with Obama in the pledged delegate counts. It's not going to happen. (And don't even think about Florida and Michigan. Trying to change the rules in the middle of the game will tear the Democratic Party in two.)

And as you chase after near-impossibilities, you'll be running a campaign aimed at systematically destroying the reputation of your party's front-runner -- the candidate who leads in the overall popular vote as well as the delegate count, the candidate who has shown an impressive ability to win the hearts of independents and even Republicans, the candidate who is attracting new voters in droves, the candidate who voters think stands the best chance of preventing Mr. "Bomb Bomb Iran" from becoming our next president and leading us into a future of endless war.



This week, right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh urged Republicans to vote for you instead of McCain in Texas and Ohio -- because "Obama needs to be bloodied up. Look, half the country already hates Hillary. But nobody hates Obama yet. Hillary is going to be the one to have to bloody him up politically."

You were right all along, Hillary: There is a vast right-wing conspiracy. The thing is, you've just become their not-so-secret weapon.

Here it is at last, Hillary, a genuine test of your ability to lead in a dangerous world. It's too late for you to win the Democratic nomination -- but if you stay in the race, you can sure help Obama lose the White House.

What are you going to do?

Hillary?

Hillary?

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/la-oe-brooks6mar06,0,4330281.column
This is powerful, and real.

[Colobo]

1. Let's kick this.

[Eurobabe]

2. K + R

:kick:

[Colobo]

3. It's a great op-ed!

[TheDoorbellRang]

62. She does give Hillary credit for being right about one thing

You were right all along, Hillary: There is a vast right-wing conspiracy. The thing is, you've just become their not-so-secret weapon.

That about says it all.

[jgraz]

4. What is she going to do? Do we really need to ask the question?

She's going to tear the party apart whether she wins the nomination or not.

[Eurobabe]

5. She's going to hand the Oval Office to McBushler

[Colobo]

6. She should accept being Obama's running mate.

[Eurobabe]

7. NO, NO, NO.

No war monger, and no to the Clinton shit pile that follows. NOOOOOO!!!!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. You are not the first to think this...Have a look!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=4919942#4921028

Only she suggests the opposite scenario...

[Hamlette]

47. he should secretly promise her a seat on the Supreme Court

as a lawyer, that's a much bigger plumb than VP. She'd take it and she'd be fine there.

[dysfunctional press]

50. wouldn't obama have to accept her as a running mate first?

and the way she's been using repug tactics against him, why in the world would he? :shrug:

[jgraz]

9. Of course she is. How else can she run again in 2012?

[eridani]

8. It's true that the righties don't yet hate Obama

On a regular basis I get really vile and sexist anti-Clinton emails from my rightwing whacko brother. Obama has yet to penetrate his conciousness.

[Beacool]

10. What should Hillary do? Stay in the race!!!!

If Obama can't take the heat, then he deserves to lose the White House.

:shrug:

[Shakespeare]

12. This is not about whether Obama can take the heat.

This is about what the party can endure.

[Growler]

16. Exactly!

> This is about what the party can endure.

Ding! Ding! It's nice to read a post where someone gets it! Unlike the Hillary-bots that somehow believe that having fewer delegates, no money, and deep hatred of half the country entitles their candidate to destroy the presumptive Democratic nominee before the Republicans do. Lunacy!

Hillary has become a water-carrier for the neo-cons. How sad. She could have been a good President, but I won't vote for her now or any time in the future.

[Beacool]

18. Well, then too bad for the party.

It is clear that half of the Democratic voters prefer Hillary. Therefore, the party better take that into consideration. If they dismiss the more than 13 million people who have so far voted for Hillary, they'll do so at their own peril.

[Shakespeare]

23. I was an Edwards supporter.

So don't talk to me about what democratic voters prefer. Obama leads, and it is mathematically impossible for Hillary to catch up to him. He's not my candidate, but he is certainly the winning candidate, the preferred candidate, at this point in the race.

And you want to rip the party to shreds so your candidate can pointlessly duke it out a little longer. Lovely.

At what point do you say "you know what, the other candidate has an insurmountable lead; let's unite and go forward against McCain"??

[Beacool]

25. 100 delegates is not an insurmountable lead.

Edwards was a good candidate, but he never got any real traction. Obama and Hillary are very close in electorate and popular votes to just dismiss her. Either these two people run together or we're going to have a split party for the GE. There's a lot of bad blood between them right now, but that's politics and they can put it aside the same as others have done before them.

[HooptieWagon]

26. Huh???

As good a day tuesday as Hillary had, she only made up a dozen or so delegates out of the four states combined. how the hell is she going to make up a 100 point deficit with only a dozen states left? Obama's picked up a couple dozen superdelegates in just the past week, Hillary has lost 6 in less than a week. It. Is. Over.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

38. What do you consider insurmountable then?

BTW, I'm glad to see you believe that Hillary's supporters will be able to put aside the "bad blood," as you call it, now that Obama has the nomination wrapped up.

[crud76]

57. Who

gets Edwards' delegates? Hmmm.

Since the corporate media knocked out both of my choices early on, I'm with Hillary until the GE.

[dysfunctional press]

49. welll...someone's going to have to be "dismissed"...

because slightly MORE than half the Democratic voters prefer Obama. you had better take THAT into consideration. or do you feel that dismissing the majority of the voters who have so far voted for obama is acceptable?

what would you consider to be a realistic outcome that would not "dismiss" hillary for not winning?...:shrug:

[leftcoastie]

48. I am sad to say

there are too many (including myself) rethinking about whether we can pull the lever for Clinton if she's the candidate for the Republican "Lite" party. She will destroy the Democratic Party.

I used save my anger for the neocons, but now that HRC is "con"ning her own party, I am furious. Her tactics are disenfranchising.

In my opinion (based on nothing) it appears she would be happy to have McCain win against Obama so she could run in 2012. The problem is who will be McCain's running mate?

That doesn't bode well at all for the general.


:grr:

[Oldenuff]

59. Stay in the race Hillary??

But I'm entitled to the Presidency wails Shrillary.

[Cha]

11. This is good but it's bugging me

that everybody is writing she won Texas but they're not considering the other half of the primary..the caucuses. The hybrid primary, if you will.

It will be interesting to look back on these pleas when it's over and see how long it took for hilary to let go of her grasp.

[Colobo]

13. She won't be able to overtake Barack, so relax.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

15. I love Rosa Brooks, and I read her whenever I can!

She really knows how to get you thinking...

This is outstanding!

K&R!

[Zachstar]

17. Awesome!

Thanks for posting!

[Colobo]

19. Rosa Brooks is right.

[Oilwellian]

20. And that's the way it is...

the ringing truth. :D

[JackORoses]

21. and the award goes to...

[barack the house]

22. Pure genius.That writer rocks!

[David Zephyr]

24. I always enjoy reading Rosa Brooks in my LA Times.

K&R.

[Diane R]

27. Fabulous. I hope this becomes a chorus.

[Laelth]

28. k&r for the truth.

I have doubts that Hillary is listening.

:shrug:

-Laelth

[democrattotheend]

29. This is pretty funny

I think it's premature to call for either candidate to drop out, but this article is pretty funny.

[Liberal Dose]

30. Wow. Just wow. Thank you. nt

:kick:

[Voice for Peace]

31. kicking, recommending nt

[Sir Jeffrey]

32. K & R nt

[Bluerthanblue]

33. k&r

[Bluestar]

34. The LA Times has become a right wing rag

This person has no credibility with me. Hillary should just "step aside" and give Barack what he wants? I think not. She has every right to continue this nomination process until its end result. She has every right to point out what she perceives to be differences between her and her opponent. Most primaries have not been decided until May or June. Obama supporters should just deal with it.

[damonm]

40. Your avatar is certainly appropriate...

Because ANYONE who can call the LA Times a "right wing rag" is not from THIS planet...:wtf:

[Bluestar]

54. Oh really? Have you read this paper lately?

I see that you are from No Cal. The LA Times USED TO BE very liberal. Since they were purchased by the Chicago Tribune several years ago and now sold to another right wing nut case they have shifted to right wing politics.

The newsroom has been in constant upheaval and scores of journalists fired to be replaced with sales people who fill the pages between the two articles left with pages upon pages of advertising. I may be "off this planet" but I know more than you do.

[high density]

56. Obama Supporters = Right Wing now?

Jeeze.....

[Bluestar]

61. Don't put words in my mouth or in my post

I said the LA Times has (in my opinion) become a right wing rag and therefore, this person has no credibility with me. I did NOT say that Obama supporters are right wing. Read more carefully.

[RainDog]

63. but her right is wrong in this case

she is tearing the party apart. she, for the FIRST TIME EVER, said the republican candidate was better than her opponent in her own party?!?!?!?

She compared Obama to Ken Starr?

She should gracefully concede because the more she does this b.s., the harder I find it to consider voting for her. I've said in the past I would vote for whoever wins, but that was before she starting promoting republicans over democrats in what must be one of the most shameful opportunistic moments in recent campaign history.

She's making the republicans really happy now. She's tearing the democratic party apart.

[Johnny Potpie]

35. Hillary has

Hillary has already made it abundantly clear that McCain is a better option than Obama. She has committed treason to my core values and principles. And she seems bent to burn our house down on the way out if she can't have her way. HOW ANY DEMOCRAT CAN SUPPORT THIS WOMAN AFTER THIS ATTROCIOUS BEHAVIOUR IS BEYOND ME!!!!! :puke: :mad: :puke: :mad:

[Mme. Defarge]

36. K&R!

[skipos]

37. I agree with most of this. nt

[Creideiki]

39. For party unity

Why doesn't Obama pull out?

Does Obama not care about the good of the party?

Why does Obama want the Republicans to win?

[damonm]

41. Because he's....winning?

:spank:

[verges]

45. Because Obama

has a serious lead. And barring divine intervention (and it didn't happen for Huck, do you really think it'll happen for Clinton?) he will win the nomination. Right now, Hillary is doing McCain's job for him. If there is truth to Rushgate, that Repubs did vote for Hillary, not only did she not get the most delegates, she didn't win the popular vote fair and square.

In short, the math is not on her side at this point. And it cannot be regained. Look at the numbers.

[DWilliamsamh]

64. Um... because he's WINNING... and she can't catch him....

Her only shot is if she win's 75% or more of the delegates remaining to be committed. She would have to win each remaining state by a 40 point margin to do that. That ain't gonna happen.

Her only hope is that the super delegates overturn the will of the people as expressed by pledged delegate count. And every day that goes by seems to bring more super delegates into the Obama ranks. That's why.

[me b zola]

42. K&R

[npincus]

43. she can't be stopped.

[Vinca]

44. That was brilliant. Recommend! nt

[Utopian Leftist]

46. Bull!

She has every right to continue this nomination process until its end result. She has every right to point out what she perceives to be differences between her and her opponent.

I would be fine with that IF (and only IF) she were capable of handling herself in a professional manner. But when she's digging through the Official Playbook of the Rovian Slime Machine™, running fearmongering ads and constantly suggesting that McSame's experience makes him a better candidate than Obama, then she IS ACCOMPLISHING NOTHING CONSTRUCTIVE and should be asked by everyone in this party who has a shred of conscience to step down. NOW!

[rosetta627]

51. Absolutely excellent

"Half the country already hates Hillary. But nobody hates Obama yet. Hillary is going to be the one to have to bloody him up politically."

I'm one of the half Rosa mentions.

[LaStrega]

52. k&r n/t

[NM Independent]

53. Outstanding. My sentiments exactly!!! n/t

[appal_jack]

55. k&r

I admire many things about Hillary Clinton. But at this point, she is my distant, hold-the-nose, second choice for POTUS. If she were to make the noble choice and endorse Obama very soon, my admiration for her would increase. I would then be thrilled if President Obama would nominate her to the Supreme Court.

But for that to happen, she must stop her politics of destruction. Now.

If she chooses to drag this race out unnecessarily, thus helping McLame, then I am going to do my damndest that she gets her ass handed to her by the NC primary (in May).

-app

[Yael]

58. A genuine test of leadership?

That was VERY well said.

[Tom Joad]

60. Maybe she will make the Presidential ticket. with John McCain.