by Frank James
Rep. Rahm Emanuel has been delivering a message in recent weeks to whomever eventually loses the Democratic presidential primary (most likely Sen. Hillary Clinton) and he made it again this morning on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" program during an interview with Steve Inskeep.
The message: The loser has to be a sport, bury the hatchet and work arm-in-arm with the winner (read Sen. Barack Obama) for the good of the party if Democrats are beat Sen. John McCain and retake the White House.
Emanuel, an Illinois Democrat credited with helping his party retake the House the 2006, cited earlier presidential campaigns in which the animosity between the party's nominee and runner-up help to weaken the party's standard bearer in November.
Emanuel: If you look at history whether it was Ted Kennedy in 1980 versus Jimmy Carter in that primary or Ronald Reagan in '76 with Gerald Ford, both of those candidates, how they lost their spirited primaries affected the winner's ability to move on and have an effective general election.
Inskeep: It was too bitter and in each case they lost.
Emanuel: No, I'm worried about the bitterness. It's whether they have the primary continue past the primary date. And my view is, and I do believe this, there is a very competitive process thing here and it is a good thing. If it was dispiriting, we'd have low turnout. It was a record turnout. Which means both candidates voters came out and that's a good thing. The party, I believe how the loser loses, that is they have an essential role in uniting the party and getting it ready for the most important election we've had in 50 years. So how the loser loses will determine whether the winner can go on and win.
And if you look at history, if you stop the primary when the primary stops, that is a good thing to have it happen in enough time so we can get on to telling the differences, that are fundamental, between our desire for change and John McCain's desire to be George Bush's third term.
So if Clinton bows out of the race before the summer, which is looking increasingly likely, the pressure will be on her to do so in a way that helps channel her support towards Obama and unites the party.
By the same token, the pressure is also on Obama to make it as easy as possible for Clinton to reach across the breach that developed between the two campaigns as they've battled fiercely for months.
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Comments
You can all wave the pom poms for your favorite candidate...that's great.....but I'll tell you straight up.....niether candidate can do it by themselves. Plain and simple.
Posted by: bill r. | May 7, 2008 11:40 AM
Oh please, we all know once Obama is the nominee he'll be attached to Bill Clinton at the hip. Bill understands that his wife will never be president, but I'm sure he wants her to be a Supreme Court justice as a consolation prize.
Posted by: Paul | May 7, 2008 12:09 PM
Alright, if the Dems want to rollover the GOP then, an Obama/Clinton ticket will do. I don't care for her but, the Clintons are a force. America needs Obama.
Posted by: DenisR | May 7, 2008 12:39 PM
Would someone please explain to me why the post secondary educated and the lesser educated are often drawn to a particular candidate over the other?
Also, with all the available media -- the internet, newspapers, television, radio --when it is reported that the higher educated are following the experts' analyses and economics, the other segment does the opposite?
Posted by: Possibly Naive, Definitely Ignorant | May 7, 2008 12:54 PM
Obama needs to call Edwards. That's his man. I wouldn't trust a Clinton. They couldnt work anywhere NEAR my campaign.
Posted by: Keith Lifetime Southsider | May 7, 2008 4:35 PM
Obama needs to call Edwards. That's his man. I wouldn't trust a Clinton. They couldnt work anywhere NEAR my campaign.
Posted by: Keith Lifetime Southsider | May 7, 2008 4:35 PM
Edwards won't be Obama's veep. He cover any of Obama's weaker points.
Bill Richardson, maybe? Wes Clark?
Posted by: Luke | May 7, 2008 5:57 PM