Unity or defeat - Let it end now

[SOS]

The results of March 4th have extended the primary season through June. As McCain begins his GE campaign, we are faced with a scorched earth battle which will not conclude until August 25th.

That's six more months of brutal infighting. After March 4th the popular vote total is Obama with 12,992,769 (51%) and Clinton with 12,406,988 (49%). The Democratic Party has divided itself into two (almost) equal camps.

Now comes Pennsylvannia. Six weeks of campaigning, dreadful media coverage and millions in ad spending with both sides attacking. The problem here is that PA is not a solid blue state. Kerry topped Bush here in 2004 by less than 2%. Pennsylvannia has given it's electoral votes to the Republican in 4 of the last 9 presidential elections. The margin is razor thin and six weeks of negative campaigning by Clinton and Obama will damage our chances. PA will be ripe for McCain...and without PA we lose.

After all of this bloodletting, neither candidate will have 2,025 delegates. We are faced with four months of mudslinging only to have the party "leaders" select our candidate for us anyway.
McCain will be in his fifth month of GE campigning as we sit around until August 25th, waiting for the apparatchiks to appoint our candidate.

Which brings us to a divisive, brutal convention potentially similar to 1968, 1972 and 1980. All divisive, all lost.
We are faced with 4 possible outcomes: 1. Obama is nominated and he selects someone other than Clinton as VP. 2. Clinton is nominated and selects someone other than Obama as VP. 3. Obama gets the nomination and selects Clinton or 4. Clinton gets nomination and selects Obama as VP. Outcomes 1 and 2 will rip the Party in half, destroy turnout and hand the White House to McCain on a silver platter.
Outcomes 3 or 4 would (somewhat grudgingly perhaps) unite the Party, but with only six weeks for the united ticket to hit the trail and win. A poor situation to be in.

The time has come for Clinton and Obama to end this for the sake of the Party, the country and the world.

To Senators Clinton and Obama: Please suspend your campaigns, get together in private, hash it out and present us with a unified ticket within the next two weeks.
70% of the Party wants this. It would not disenfranchise the remaining states as our votes cannot mathematically decide the nominee anyway.
Let's get it together, UNITE, start the GE campaign against McCain and roll to a beautiful November victory!

[jakem]

1. unity with that woman is defeat.

[NightWatcher]

2. do you really think that Hillary will take a #2 position after how she has treated Obama?

Her negativism makes me think that the only way she will take a VP spot is when she knows that it is either VP or nothing.

[SOS]

3. Essentially

I want them to put their personal ambitions aside and help our party gain victory in November.
It's not unusual.
JFK and LBJ hated each other.
Reagan and Bush couldn't stand each other
and I don't think there's a lot of love between Clinton and Gore.
There's alot more at stake here than the delicate egos of two individuals.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

6. Of course Hillary would take the VP slot - but would Obama be foolish enough to offer it to her?

[melody]

4. Well said. And if Clinton absolutely cannot stand to lose, let her have the top of the ticket

Whatever compels Madam and her supporters to finally do what's right for Democrats. It's a sad thing to have
to give in to bullies, but if she is so determined to win at any cost, then Obama should take the bottom part
of the ticket. It's the best chance we have right now to unify and win.

And if we lose in November because of this, I hope her supporters will remember the reason.

[SOS]

5. Wow

I thought this might ignite a flame war.
Instead it sank like a stone.

Apparently the camps are up for all-out, mudslinging war until the end of the summer.
Our Party is in the process of committing political suicide.

Luckily, I'm old enough to say I'm used to it.