Are Democrats In Danger Of Causing Irreparable Harm?

By Lee Bandy
SouthCarolina Insider

(4/18/08) Democrats have their best chance in nearly two decades of winning the White House in 2008, but they’re also in danger of blowing the whole thing if they don’t calm down and cool their jets.

Voters are increasingly tired of the constant petty bickering between Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

By Jan, 20th, the next president needs to be up to speed on as many international crises as possible.

What are the candidate’s plans for boosting a stagnant economy?

Senior party officials are worried the spit between Obama and Clinton could spill over into other contests and cause irreparable harm to the Democratic ticket from top to bottom.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., had a word of advice for the party faithful.

“Our candidates don’t need to step down, or step out, they need to cut it out.,” he told a television interviewer. “By that I mean cut out the negativity, talk about yourselves, talk about your platform and let that be the way you conduct this campaign. I don’t think you have to be negative towards the other person to get your message across.”

There is a general consensus that the party needs to have its ticket in place by the time of the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

The presidential primary season ends June 4.

It would be a mistake to tamp down the primaries before then, Clyburn said.

For instance, he noted North Carolina has a very spirited primary for president, governor and on down the ticket.

“If we‘re to short-circuit this,” Clyburn said, “it could have some adverse impact on Democratic candidates running in primary races for other offices.”

One of the purposes of a nominating contest is to test the candidates, uncover their weaknesses, and to harden them for the tougher campaign to come, says University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato.

Some one will reach the winner’s circle after the longest marathon in modern American presidential politics.

Who will it be?

The key question may be this: Will Obama be able to get the campaign agenda focused on the issues that can elect him, or will he be swept away by the emphasis on his racial “first.”

It isn’t always easy to get the press to talk about anything else.

No one knows that better than former President Bill Clinton. Why do you think he aggravated the racial controversy in South Carolina?

And because of that, the race issue is going to be with us all the way to November, assuming Obama is the Democratic nominee.