Why Who Wins the Nomination Matters

Past the spin, the talking points and the horse race, what everyone needs to recognize about what's at stake in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination....

With their candidate trailing in the polls and in delegates, it's not surprising the Clinton camp and its supporters attempt to grab onto anything to prop up Hillary.  Or...more accurately...to bring down Obama.  Before this gets too messy, let's get past the shallowness of the horse race, the spin, the talking points, etc., and look at what happens in November and beyond depending on who gets the nomination.

Let's say Hillary is the nominee.  As she's already denigrated many of the states Obama has won in the primaries/caucuses as insignificant as they're 'red', it's safe to say Hillary will pursue the Rovian 50+1 strategy to get only what it takes to win, and little more.  With her presence on the ticket having energized the right, as well as turning away the youth vote Obama had brought into the conversation, it's not a terrible strategy.  However, even if she were to win the election, the political divide would remain great, and there'd be no coattails.  At best, the Democrats would only minimally increase their margins in the House and Senate.  As a result, the Republican obstructionists would effectively be able to shut down most legislation they oppose.  At a time when much needs to be done to begin to reverse the catastrophic last eight years, very little would change...and certainly not the drastic changes that are A) necessary, and B) the country seems willing to accept.

OTOH, what if Barack is the nominee?  The Dems win the moderates/independents...the youth vote turns out HUGE...and the right remains mostly apathetic.  Obama will win 35-40 states and have long coattails.  The Dems gain an overwhelming majority in the House, and nears a filibuster-proof advantage in the Senate.  Obama would be able to push through a progressive agenda covering energy, health care, poverty, eductation, the environment, and anything else you can name.  real progressive change would occur, greater than anything we've seen since the New Deal.

So, to the Hillary supporters...if you really want change...if you really want a new direction....if you really want what's best for the country, the choice is simple.  Barack Obama.