Kansan bloggers' take on the prolonged primaries
Joshua Anderson, Andy Greenhaw and Kelsey Hayes discuss the ramifications of the long Democratic primaries.
By Joshua Anderson (Contact), Andy Greenhaw, Kelsey Hayes (Contact)
Friday, June 13th, 2008
Did the prolonged decision to nominate Obama as the Democratic candidate hurt the party’s chances of winning the election?
Joshua Anderson
If the Democrats lose the election this coming November, they very well might have Senator Clinton to thank for it. By not taking measures to unify the Democratic voting base as early as possible in order to build it, and instead dragging the process out longer than anyone in history, the Democratic party has done itself a massive disservice, one that very well might cost them the election.
The Democrats should have taken notes on how the Republicans were going about things: knowing that their chances were as slim as they’ve been in eight years, they chose their man, they chose him early and they chose a moderate, someone who could scoop up all the centrist libs and holdout racists and sexists. By not following suit, the Dems have given the GOP plenty of time to consolidate their game plan while minimizing their own opportunity to rally around a candidate in what should be a no-brainer election.
Anderson is a Perry senior in creative writing
Andy Greenhaw
I don’t believe political pundits when they say the prolonged decision to nominate Barack Obama will cost him the election.
The presidential election is six months away, which is plenty of time for Obama to unite the Democratic Party – especially if he chooses Clinton as his running mate.
However, making Clinton his vice president will ultimately depend on whether she decides to comply with Obama’s decree he made last week that the Democratic National Committee “won’t take another dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs.” If she doesn’t agree to that, then there is no way Obama can put her on the ticket without being labeled a hypocrite and a flip-flopper.
I think his presidency depends on two factors: whether Clinton agrees to stop taking money from registered lobbyists, or whether Clinton crybabies will grow up, stop pouting and show up to vote in November.
Greenhaw is an Independence senior in Journalism
Kelsey Hayes
You’d think that the extended, bitter contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama would make John McCain’s road to the White House a little easier. After all, McCain was the Republican nominee back in February, and could focus on the general election while the Democrats were still mired in primaries.
Not so fast.
If the drawn-out Democratic primary season did anything for Barack Obama, it put him up against an opponent who was at least as tough as McCain will be. If Obama could survive the Tony Rezko and Jeremiah Wright scandals against Clinton, he can survive anything against McCain.
Clinton and Obama are also close enough on the issues that most Clinton supporters will probably come around by November. Whatever their dislike for Obama, they won’t risk the economy, the Iraq War or Roe v. Wade by voting for McCain or abstaining.
Hayes is a Lenexa senior in Journalism
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