How did we get to this place we are now? How do we get out of this mess.

[bklyncowgirl]

Back in January things were looking great. The Democrats had fine collection of appealing candidates to choose from including the exciting possibility of nominating the first woman, the first Hispanic or the first African-American. Barack Obama, a black man was winning white voters and inspiring the coveted young and independent voters. Hillary Clinton was putting forth a hard edged issue based campaign that won New Hampshire (along with a letting down of her guard in the form of the infamous tears)

The Republicans were in disarray.

Now it looks like John McCain is sitting back watching Clinton and Obama and their supporters sling mud, bricks and accusations of sexism and racism at each other. McCain's polls are actually rising while the economic policies that his election would continue have destroyed the economy. A Democrat should win this in a walk! The problem is that it's personality vs personality in American politics and the continued mudslinging on the Democratic side makes it pretty much a given that large parts of the American public who are not partisan Democrats are going to hate the eventual Democratic nominee. The Clinton campaign seems willing to write off African-American voters (how the hell does a Democrat win without the Black vote?) and while the Obama campaign has not made as calculated an attempt to offend older women, it's pretty clear that many older women would now see his nomination as the triumph of sexism and they too may stay home in November.

Here's a few thoughts on how we got to this place:

200 YEAR OLD RESENTMENTS: This country has been around for a bit over 200 years and so has the oppression of African-Americans and women. Hell the oppression of women has been going on since some man wrote in the Bible that bit about God taking a rib from Adam's side and creating Eve. It would be lovely if oppressed people would unite. Unfortunately it's more in human nature to see the advance of one oppressed groups as a slamming door in the face of another. African-Americans swarmed to Obama--that's understandable. Latinos (once their own champion Gov. Richardson dropped out) swarmed to Clinton in part because many of them didn't want to vote for a black guy. Less educated whites also swarmed to Clinton for the same reason. Older women who see a bit of themselves in Hillary are often virulent in their condemnation of all sexism real or perceived.

NOT MUCH ADO ABOUT THE ISSUES: Seriously, there's not a dime's worth of difference on the issues between Clinton and Obama as far as most voters are concerned. Oh yeah there's that famous Universal Health Care Coverage vs Affordable Health Care Coverage that they go on about in mind numbing detail during the debates. The truth is that neither is all right or all wrong on this issue and most voters don't give a damn either way--everyone knows that the final plan isn't going to look like the thing they're proposing anyway. As far as everything, and I do mean everything, goes, they're pretty much in lockstep. When you don't have big issues to argue about it comes down to personality and history and the stunning notion that a member of one of our most oppressed groups could become President of the United States.

THE IRAQ WAR RESOLUTION: Hillary Clinton might have swept to an early victory as she planned or John Edwards (the white guy safe choice) might have run a stronger campaign except for the fact that many Democrats (myself included) were not going to support someone who had voted for the Iraq War. Most of these voters eventually ended up in Obama's camp.

INTERNAL DEMOCRATIC POLITICS: I never thought I'd become obsessed about the inner workings of the Democratic Party--or any other political party for that matter but one of the forces at work here is the struggle for control of the party between the Washington Establishment and the Grassroots. It is also pretty much impossible for Party Leaders to cry foul if the foremost party leader happens to be in the running for First Gentleman.

THE CLINTON MACHINE: The Clintons are good at gutter politics. I was in New York during the 92 primary and watched how they took down Jerry Brown. We're talking below the radar innuendo (callers to talk shows insinuating Brown was gay) pitting African-Americans against Jews and finally, if all else failed, the fall back for (ironically) Pennsylvania a report that aired on ABC that Brown had allowed his rock star pals to use drugs in his presence. The report was eventually debunked but by that time the damage had been done and Clinton had the delegates he needed to have an insurmountable lead. My only hope, if Hillary is the nominee, that they'll use some of these gutter tactics on McCain, but what's ironic, is that Bill Clinton did not go to the mud against Bush the Greater. Maybe they only save this for Democrats.

So how do we get out of this mess with half a chance of winning the general election.

PARTY ELDERS UNITE; Jimmy Carter, Al Gore and any other uncommitted Democrat that has a strong following in the party need to get these two campaigns the hell out of the gutter and back talking about issues--you know the things they differ with McCain on. They may also eventually have to persuade the eventual loser to drop out--that will not be so important by the way if the mudslinging stops first. Another way to tone down the rhetoric (and this is shouting into the wind) would be for those of us who post on liberal blogs and bulletin boards to think about how something we're posting about the rival candidate would sound on a Republican 527 ad in October in the unlikely chance that the person you're sliming is the eventual nominee. It's not going to happen, I know, but do me a favor, think about it.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN; Leave it to Florida to hopelessly screw up an election. While it seems like Michigan may be on the road to a compromise Florida remains a gigantic mess with all sides dug into entrenched positions and no sign of compromise there. Maybe someone should give Howard Dean a baby to cut in half. He's going to need the wisdom of Solomon on this one.

BALANCE THE TICKET: Whoever wins there is going to be a large part of the Democratic base that will be royally pissed that their oppressed group has been royally screwed. The only way out of it is for the eventual winner to pick a member of the royally pissed group as a running mate--although probably not the losing candidate.

Finally, if the Democrats don't do something

GET USED TO SAYING PRESIDENT MCCAIN

[Perry Logan]

1. I'm glad I don't think we're in the place you think we're in.

[bklyncowgirl]

2. ...and where do you think we are?

Does the possibility of alienating large parts of the Democratic base sound like a good idea to you?

[Perry Logan]

3. Like you, I'm just guessing. I don't think our squabbles are going to stop America's leftward turn.

[davidpdx]

4. I tend to agree, things have changed quite a bit in the last two months

The Republicans have settled on their nominee, meanwhile Obama and Clinton are beating each other senseless. The month of March was pretty much a wash in terms of pledged delegates (not counting Obama's pick up from Iowa) and that doesn't bode well for Clinton. Yet Obama is still 400 short of the nomination and Clinton is over 500 short. There is a very real possibility that we could have a weak nominee. McCain, though not the perfect candidate, has a few months to pick up some steam and fund-raise while Democrats embarrass each other.

As a Democrat and avid Obama supporter I am really concerned 2008 is going to go from being a strong year for us, to a screwed up mess.

[OHdem10]

5. "Get used to saying President McCain"/