If Hillary Clinton wants to count 'the will of the people' in Florida and Michigan, she needs to explain:

Why did she wait inside her plane until after midnight the night of the Florida primary? Was it because she knew that stepping outside any time before the day was officially over would have meant that she was knowingly campaigning in a state she had pledged not to visit?

Why did her campaign not remove her name from the Michigan ballots--per party rules--as every other democratic candidate had?

Can she tell us how many voters stayed home in both Florida and Michigan because they _knew_ their votes would not be counted?

By continuing to argue for her candidacy she is not only arguing that she's clinched the bitter "feminist" vote, and the racist white vote, but also the uninformed Michigan and Florida electorate.

Your point is moot.

Hillary lost, Michigan and Florida can't save her now.

It's over.

Everything Hillary has done in the past few weeks reeks of desperation. It's a sad spectacle she has made of herself. It's kind of like an American Idol contestant being voted off and refusing to leave the stage. I would be amazed if she could gain much support for another run in 2012 (or another Senate campaign, for that matter).

How many ppl think that the dems will take FL and MI in the general election now? And what about PA, WV, OH and TX?

Congrats to the GOP. Thanks Howard Dean- you spineless A-hole.

Don't blame Howard Dean. Blame the idiots who run the Democratic Party in Florida and Michigan. They knew the rules, and they deliberately broke them, and they're paying the price. Take your sour grapes and go home.

OK ok the Howard Dean remark was unnecessary but seriously....what do you think will happen with MI and FL in the GE? Do you have any idea how many ppl will be angry with the democratic party and not vote?

VaLiberal:

OK ok the Howard Dean remark was unnecessary but seriously....what do you think will happen with MI and FL in the GE? Do you have any idea how many ppl will be angry with the democratic party and not vote?

No, I don't have any idea, and neither do you. However, Hillary's change of heart about following the dictates of the DNC is a desperation move that will not gain her any more support. She's like a punchdrunk boxer who doesn't understand (or is too stubborn to admit) that the fight is over.

I think that people are saying she's desperate and is stubborn for not admitting it's over but I think she is a little more intelligent than you give her credit for. She's staying in because that's what she vowed to do...give everyone a chance to vote and not discount certain states just because the math is not in her favor. Her supporters arent asking her to step down. I think it would be a smack into the face of the remaining states for her to step down at this point.

You can bet your ass that, if she were well ahead at this point, she wouldn't be saying a word about Michigan and Florida. She's simply desperate for any delegates she can scrounge up, regardless of her earlier agreeing to the DNC's decision about those two states.

oh come on- you dont know that just like i dont know whats going to happen to MI and FL in the general- i'll only assume McCain will win them.

AllThatJazz:

Don't blame Howard Dean. Blame the idiots who run the Democratic Party in Florida and Michigan. They knew the rules, and they deliberately broke them, and they're paying the price. Take your sour grapes and go home.

It's the truth!! We in Florida were sandbagged by our on Democratic Party "leaders."

Of course, we've been double-Bush-whacked what with having JEB as Governor and W as President, so I think you should cut us a little slack! :)

We're what you call desperate down here!!

"I think it would be a smack into the face of the remaining states for her to step down at this point."

I agree.

You'll notice that Clinton has stopped criticizing Obama. That to me is the crucial sign that she has understood and accepted the race is over, and continuing to tear down the de facto nominee would only increase resentments against her as well as him.

She's staying in because at this point, it's better for everybody in the Democratic Party that all the states should get a chance to vote; because she doesn't want to look like she was forced out; and (I suspect) because she wants extra leverage with Obama when the time comes to figure out what her role will be in his campaign and, if he wins, in his administration.

Obama is fine with this because he wants his victory to look as legitimate as possible. He wants to be able to say that every vote was counted in every state and he came out the winner. That's why neither he nor his campaign is calling for Clinton to get out of the race. He'd also prefer to avoid the embarrassment of losing to a candidate who's already dropped out.

"She's staying in because that's what she vowed to do...give everyone a chance to vote and not discount certain states just because the math is not in her favor. "

She had no problem discounting the caucus states that she did not campaign in early in the primary season to stick with her plan to win by winning the big states.

Dausuul,

I agree. Hillary is now doing the best thing for the party. By staying in for these last few elections, she is increasing voter registration and allowing Obama to build grass-roots organizations in these states that will be helpful in the general election. By continuing the contest, she is depriving John McCain of his share of media attention. She is also working to dampen the rage of her supporters regarding her inevitable defeat.

I wouldn't presume to know what her personal goals are at this point, but she knows that she gains nothing from damaging Obama's candidacy now that it is clear that she has no chance to win the nomination.

There is a great deal of emotional distress in the Democratic electorate at the moment because of the extended primary cycle. Republican operatives are trying to use this negative emotion to their advantage to disparage both of the candidates. Many of them appear on this forum attempting to masquerade as Democrats. They aren't too hard to spot because they slip up and express their true allegiance to their right-wing ideology occasionally.

When the primary is over, cooler heads will prevail and the goal of this election will again become clear to the Democrats and Independents that understand that we can't subject ourselves to another four years of what the Republican Party has morphed into under the leadership of George W. Bush.