Bottom line: If the Democratic Party cannot beat McCain with either Clinton or Obama,

[elocs]

they may as well pack it in. Yes, with the economy in the crapper, people losing their houses and jobs, gas and oil prices going through the roof, mired in a long running and unpopular war--if Democrats cannot take the White House under these conditions, what chance might they ever have?

Two simple questions that need to be asked of the American people: Are you better off now you were 8 years ago? Is this country better off now than it was 8 years ago? We need to get these questions burned into peoples' brains so they still think of it when they go to vote.

As Democrats we have the opportunity of a lifetime to regain control of our federal government and guide the future of this country for years to come as well as rebuilding our reputation with the rest of the world and regaining our honor. The lives and futures of millions of Americans, poor to even middle class, are in our hands as they struggle to find healthcare or keep their homes and who have no hope of help from the Republicans whose motto is, "You're on your own". The same Republicans who have no conscience in spending billions for bombs or providing unending tax cuts for the wealthy, yet who choke on providing any real help or relief for their own people. Their concern for life begins as conception and ends at birth. They are a soulless black hole that offer nothing unless you really are one of the elite. We as Democrats have the opportunity this year to change that and if we fail by throwing away a victory, then our children will curse us and we will have blood on our hands. This is the year we need to crush the Republicans and make them the marginal party for decades. We need to win, win, win!

[MarjorieG]

1. Same as was said in 2004, then blaming the candidate

We need to work at this. Vote theft, making our candidate unlikable, our opposition has a whole arsenal. 527 groups waiting to pounce, and usually from Texas. Obama is amazing on how he pivots and makes lemonade, but we still need courage as a party, standing tall, becoming good surrogates, not waiting on the sidelines like they did in 2004. Maybe Dems were told to wait for Hillary, but that is longer an issue.

edit 527

[Clovis Sangrail]

2. It really depends.

If we go until August without a clear candidate.. I won't be suprised in the slightest if McCain wins.
Clinton and Obama are both light years better than McCain, but if this keeps up until the convention whoever comes out on top is going to have a seriously divided party (many of whom say they will sit out the election if their candidate loses) and very little time to bring it back together.

Last December I could think of very few scenarios in which McCain could possibly win.
Now... it's getting harder to see a scenario where he doesn't stand a good chance.

[Blondiegrrl]

3. "Are you better off now you were 8 years ago?"

I think that phrase should be the focus point of the GE campaign. The Democratic candidate (more than likely Obama) should run a series of ads asking and addressing that question. It would be very effective.

[crankychatter]

4. We need time to campaign and register voters

someone needs to concede SOON

and whoever is the better campaigner needs to get the nomination...

... or else

[defendandprotect]

5. Absolutely true . . . however, we don't have to beat McCain . . . we have to beat ...

the GOP computers ---

and if they bounce a check this time for the GOP, we might have to be the Supremes --- !!!

Remember 2000 -- but also remember this has been going on since the machines began coming in during the mid-1960s ... !!!!! !!!! !!!

[stillcool]

6. Just like all criminal behavior...

by the time you figure out how they are doing it, they've already moved on to better way. Constant vigilance.

[defendandprotect]

7. Yeah . . . they've been pulling the computer steals for 40+ years . . .

about time we caught on and if it hadn't been for the NOISE of 2000 --- evidently a tough steal when actually the other guy won by more than a half million votes --- we might still not have this becoming a rather well known issue.

[Awsi Dooger]

8. Open races in the TV age are historically very tight

1960, 1968, 2000.

I don't see why this one should be any different. By definition it's two unknown quantities, from a presidential perspective, and that naturally lends itself to a conflicted electorate, and more or less even distribution.

Particularly in a polarized era.

1988 was a lopsided open race but that turned sharply toward the party in power, a benefit of a doubt. I think that's a more logical outcome than an open race with extreme rejection of the party in power. Gore could have prevailed by Bush 41-type margin in 2000, minus Monicagate and the perceived likability gap between Gore and Bush 43.

1976 was also extremely close, in the same scenario we're in now, one party in power exactly 2 straight terms. It's true Ford was an incumbent but I prefer to lump that cycle with '60, '68 and '00, more like an open race. Ford wasn't an elected incumbent plus Watergate negated any advantage of incumbency.

If you start getting too picky and assert no two cycles are alike, you lose the advantage of perspective. It's merely a helpful guide, not an absolute.