This is uncharted territory for the Democratic party and the attempt to mesh the old with the new — ideas, leaders and voters — could prove wrenching.
From The New York Times:
“The Clintons had an important role in the recent history of the Democratic Party and will always play some role, given their success at bringing this country peace and prosperity,” said Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who backed Mr. Obama. “But elections are about the future, not the past. It’s a new era. This is a new spirit that’s out there.”
Still, this is uncharted territory for the party and the attempt to mesh the old with the new — ideas, leaders and voters — could prove wrenching. Many in the party, if weary with the Clintons, remain appreciative of the extent to which Mr. Clinton helped rescue the party after 12 years out of the White House. The Clintons are in many ways a security blanket for many in the party; they may not be easy to quit.
All of this poses a challenge to Mr. Obama as he seeks to move the Clinton wing of the party beyond with the Clinton era without offending Mrs. Clinton’s considerable base of supporters. Exit polls in Indiana and North Carolina once again suggested just how cleaved the party is between young and old, white and black, lower-income and upper income.
[N]early 50 percent of Clinton supporters in Indiana said they would vote for Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, or stay at home if Mr. Obama was the candidate, surveys of voters leaving the polls said on Tuesday.
History suggests that that response reflects the emotion attendant to such an intensely fought campaign, and Democrats said that they were confident the majority of these voters would return to the fold as the differences are drawn between Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain on issues like the Iraq war and the merits of the Bush administration.
“These people are not going to vote for John McCain — I don’t care what they say now,” [Gary Hart, a former Colorado senator who ran for president in 1984 and is supporting Mr. Obama,] said.
Still, even a mild defection of Democrats could prove critical if the country undergoes another presidential election as close as the last two, and Mr. Obama’s advisers said they were well aware of that as they prepared for the months ahead.
“The Clintons had an important role in the recent history of the Democratic Party and will always play some role, given their success at bringing this country peace and prosperity,” said Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who backed Mr. Obama. “But elections are about the future, not the past. It’s a new era. This is a new spirit that’s out there.”
Still, this is uncharted territory for the party and the attempt to mesh the old with the new — ideas, leaders and voters — could prove wrenching. Many in the party, if weary with the Clintons, remain appreciative of the extent to which Mr. Clinton helped rescue the party after 12 years out of the White House. The Clintons are in many ways a security blanket for many in the party; they may not be easy to quit.
All of this poses a challenge to Mr. Obama as he seeks to move the Clinton wing of the party beyond with the Clinton era without offending Mrs. Clinton’s considerable base of supporters. Exit polls in Indiana and North Carolina once again suggested just how cleaved the party is between young and old, white and black, lower-income and upper income.
[N]early 50 percent of Clinton supporters in Indiana said they would vote for Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, or stay at home if Mr. Obama was the candidate, surveys of voters leaving the polls said on Tuesday.
History suggests that that response reflects the emotion attendant to such an intensely fought campaign, and Democrats said that they were confident the majority of these voters would return to the fold as the differences are drawn between Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain on issues like the Iraq war and the merits of the Bush administration.
“These people are not going to vote for John McCain — I don’t care what they say now,” [Gary Hart, a former Colorado senator who ran for president in 1984 and is supporting Mr. Obama,] said.
Still, even a mild defection of Democrats could prove critical if the country undergoes another presidential election as close as the last two, and Mr. Obama’s advisers said they were well aware of that as they prepared for the months ahead.
posted by Sid Cottingham | 8:33 PM
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