I feel like I’m watching one of those retro cartoons where the two characters are being slowly nibbled away from the ground up until the only thing left will be two talking heads and one of them disappears.
Yes, it is the most exciting and dramatic campaign in the history of modern US politics. Every Tuesday night, millions from around the globe watch the results and ad nauseum analysis on CNN and… the longer this intramural contest continues, the more damage it will do to the Democratic Party in the fall.
While convinced either candidate could defeat John McCain and have long enough coattails to sweep in a Democratic majority capable of bringing real change, the loss of either supporter’s camp will be devastating and many could stay home or cross-over to vote for McCain than support “the villain,” which is how the winner will be portrayed by the losers.
Yes, it was another impressive win for Barack Obama. Yes, we are about talking the historically racially un-enlightened American Deep South. Yes, Barack Obama took 90% of the black vote and 25% of the white. I am though quite disturbed though by two trends.
1. The radical right wing nut jobs are taking pot shots and because they are fighting internally no one is blunting them. Congressman Stephen King (no relation to the book author, we would not want to sully HIS good name) of Iowa said yesterday “Al Qaeda is rooting for Barack Obama” and that “the radical Islamists and their supporters will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11th. Because they will declare victory in this war on terror.” And that was his supposedly more balanced reply after being given a chance to recant.
2. The tenacious clinging though of the Clinton camp created two disturbing poll numbers. Obama supporters are 75% against Clinton and vice versa. The increasing polarisation means the longer this goes on, the more likely half the voters are to stay home in November.
Waiting six more weeks or longer will kill whoever is left standing. Just once, could a Clinton do something for the good of the party vs. themselves?
