Clinton Fans May Want to Skip This

Vandehei & Allen:

One big fact has largely been lost in the recent coverage of the Democratic presidential race: Hillary Rodham Clinton has virtually no chance of winning.

Her own campaign acknowledges there is no way that she will finish ahead in pledged delegates. That means the only way she wins is if Democratic superdelegates are ready to risk a backlash of historic proportions from the party’s most reliable constituency.

Unless Clinton is able to at least win the primary popular vote — which also would take nothing less than an electoral miracle — and use that achievement to pressure superdelegates, she has only one scenario for victory. An African-American opponent and his backers would be told that, even though he won the contest with voters, the prize is going to someone else.

People who think that scenario is even remotely likely are living on another planet.

As it happens, many people inside Clinton’s campaign live right here on Earth. One important Clinton adviser estimated to Politico privately that she has no more than a 10 percent chance of winning her race against Barack Obama, an appraisal that was echoed by other operatives.

You'll also want to skip this.

Despite a strong month of fund-raising in February in which she brought in $35 million, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton finished the month essentially in the red, once her campaign’s outstanding debts are factored in, as well as her personal loan, according to filings submitted late last night to the Federal Election Commission.

After spending about $31 million in her efforts to keep up with Senator Barack Obama, Mrs. Clinton finished February with more than $33 million in cash on hand, but $21.5 million of that is earmarked exclusively for the general election, leaving her with $11.7 million for the primary.

Mrs. Clinton, however, loaned her campaign $5 million earlier this year and she listed $8.7 million in debts to various vendors, making clear why she has not yet paid herself back from her loan.

By way of comparison, Senator Barack Obama, her Democratic opponent, brought in $55 million in February, a record-setting sum, and spent about $43 million, leaving him with $31.6 million in cash on hand available for the primary and $7.3 million set aside for the general. He also did a much better job paying his bills, listing just $625,000 in outstanding debts.

Comments

[cage free brown]

but, don't you get it, all she has to do is DESTROY HIM!!!????:)

[lawton]

Cage, you are right. I don't think we've seen the final Obama destroying episode from Hillary just yet! She will go down in flames and drag the Democratic Party with her if that's what it takes!

I'm beginning to believe that Progressives need to form their own party!

[David Aquarius]

The resources aren't there for a viable third party. Frustration with the status quo can only go so far. To make a third party viable, we have to withstand quite a few election cycles as the 'also-rans', our issues have to sing with the general populace and we need some high profile converts to join our cause from the other parties.

In other words, a lot of things have to happen that are unlikely under the current situation. Perot and Nader made an impact with their 3rd party efforts but they ended up doing more damage to their own causes. The Reform Party is a joke and the Green Party may never overcome its association with Nader and the 2000 election.

I would love to kick the DC Dipsticks to the curb and see new life wash into the Capital but reality won't listen to reason. The best bet at this point is to change the game from within the system. It won't be easy and we'll fail much more than we succeed but no battle worth fighting is harmless. Right now, the Democratic Party is the only avenue we have and we're starting to make some big waves.

To win the game, we can't let up, we can't stop shouting from our windows. They'll hope we get tired and give up. They may try to corrupt our candidates with pork. They'll use pundits like Joke Line, Tweety, Timmeh, and Broderman in the Media to make us look foolish and naive. They'll do anything they can to hold on to their power. But our diligence is the kryptonite to their superpowers. I believe that soon, if we refuse to turn down the volume, the politicos in DC will slowly lose their hold on the process and be forced into obscurity.