I’ve written before about how I hate the disenfranchisement, but everyone agreed to it fair and square months ago.

We had to accept Bush in 2000 - we had no choice. They’re going to have to accept that Michigan and Florida should not be counted, but we can’t stop them from being angry and hating that.

While Obama or McCain supporters point to all her faults to say why she isn’t deserving of the nomination or the presidency, those who support her, while maybe even able to acknowledge her faults - even all of them - still support her for all the other stuff she means to them.

Umm, we aren’t saying that she doesn’t deserve the nomination because of her faults. We are saying that she doesn’t deserve the nomination because she didn’t get as many votes. It is, after all an election. The reason the Cavaliers don’t deserve to go forward in the playoffs isn’t because they don’t have a legitimate point guard or a second playmaker. It’s because they didn’t win as many games.

It is, by the way, really aggravating when Hillary’s apologists argue that she deserves the nomination despite not getting as many votes.

@13: can’t remember.

He will, I believe, be the nominee as he is beating Clinton in every meaningful metric and has for some time.

If you have taken any kind of objective look at this primary race you’d realize that trying to cast Obama as the divisive candidate is pure delusion.

PS: Obama has money because of millions of people giving less than $100. Clinton has some of that, but also has big money from lobbyists.

Get real.

Where did you see that I wrote that? I know what I mean by it but I’d prefer to see it in context before I explain.

But the issue is that they will never allow themselves to “side” with him - that would be a betrayal.

All you really need and all that is really reasonable to hope for is to get them to feel okay with casting their vote for him, in the absence of their preferred candidate. Hoping to “convince them to side with him” - that’s only something he can do with his words and deeds.

If I were you, I’d stick to focusing on how you open this group to even feeling as though they can vote for him without feeling like they’ve stabbed themselves and Clinton and their cause. No drama - they really feel that way.

I wrote that Clinton has to give the signal for them to do this, btw - what more do you want? That is all she can do. Obama MUST earn the trust. Are you really suggesting that the voters go like lemmings to him?

IMO, emphasis on IMO: you are wrong to call this constituency delusional in general. They love this woman - even if not her, what she stands for, what she’s done, what she’s put up with. You can call this delusional, but it’s no different than the adoration people give to Obama.

While Obama or McCain supporters point to all her faults to say why she isn’t deserving of the nomination or the presidency, those who support her, while maybe even able to acknowledge her faults - even all of them - still support her for all the other stuff she means to them. They are not going to give that up, ever.

HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean that they can’t be helped to see the ramifications of the different choices that face them - and that’s the objective that must be pursued if you want them to at least vote for Obama.

As to who is feeding the narrative of “you’ve been screwed”: This voting block isn’t stupid and to suggest that they’re just buying what’s been fed really does a disservice to the decades-long fight this particular constituency has waged on behalf of getting women to places we’ve never seen them before. You may never feel that, women you know may not feel or express that, but I’ve heard it from the horse’s mouths. And it has nothing to do with Michigan etc - none of that helps, but it’s not why these voters feel screwed.

Eric - I have absolutely never said nor do I believe that Obama is unwilling to fix it - that’s the kind of thing that makes me not want to take this time to write what I think.

I have in fact blogged about how his campaign people are making overtures, for goodness sakes.

Finally, being talked down from a ledge has NOTHING to do with getting a person to give their vote to someone else. Eric, Obama has to earn their trust - doesn’t matter what Hillary says. He gets no free ride with anyone, let along people who wanted someone else. You are talking about people who actually CHOSE someone over Obama. To say, well Clinton must say that she trusts them and that is all that they should think about? TOTAL ICK.

Coming into someone’s open arms is patronizing and they will refuse to acknowledge it. So long as the effort to get them to recognize that Clinton won’t be the nominee and the Dem nominee is Obama focuses on that narrative of we’re waiting here with open arms, they will walk away.

This place where these voters are now is all about imagery and words. If you think that has nothing to do with it, then be prepared to have empty arms where this demographic is concerned.

So convincing the 64% of voters who voted for Hillary and say they will either not vote or vote McCain to vote for Obama is “not going to happen”?

We are truly fucked then, because he WILL win the nomination. Is that the plan? Obama loses then all the Hillary people say “see? told you so!” and draft Clinton in 2012?

So I don’t agree with your premise right off hand. There MUST be a way to swing these voters back from their severe delusion. I know you don’t agree with them. I doubt very seriously letting them vent is the answer.

Again, people feel screwed primarily because of the narrative out of the Clinton campaign. “Obama is outspending us”. “Michigan and Florida voters are being disenfranchised”. All a bunch of whining and spin that has resulted in a huge bloc of voters feeling “they are getting screwed”. By the black guy. Because “as far as they know” Obama might be a Muslim who is a part of the elite trying to drag poor Annie Oakley down.

You see? You are unwilling to assign some responsibility to Hillary when all signs point to her being the ONLY person who can have any impact whatsoever.

That’s my main problem.

You continue to frame this in such a way as to cast Obama as the person unwilling to “fix it”. This IS about trust, you are absolutely right. The voters who say they will sit at home or vote McCain don’t TRUST Obama. Why would they listen to his overtures? They won’t.

They DO, however, trust Hillary Clinton. So much so that they are willing to throw away their otherwise valuable Democratic vote in order to show solidarity with her. The only way to address this from a trust angle is to have the person they trust talk them down from the ledge.

The ONLY way.

Why this is so hard for you to accept I will not know.

Do I expect Hillary to at some point make this move? Yes. Will it be too late to pull the many voters out of their anti-Obama delusion? We’ll have to wait and see.

But you won’t even be able to read the post for the cursing if Obama loses and I start seeing Hillary folks play the “see I told you so” card.

Hillary has to do more than “send a signal”. These are her people and they are threatening to destroy the Democratic Party and sabotage the chances for a Democrat winning the White House.

This is not time for idle chatter. This is time for decisive action. Hillary is supposed to be all about that. She will disappoint every daughter and granddaughter if she allows to happen what is happening within the party and among voters who support her and SHOULD also support Obama in a general.

I’m interested in bringing fresh female talent and ensuring we have good solid female leaders in the future. But that’s not my main concern right now. My main concern is taking this country back from those that seek to destroy it from within. That’s job one.

I’ve posted before about my open arms to Hillary supporters. I’m ready to accept them and hear them and have them help us win the White House. They, like you, can judge for themselves whether I’m “setting them up” or not. Truth be told we all want the same thing - and when their blind rage against the guy who upset their dream fades, they’ll realize it.

Thank you for your thoughtful answer.