What if Hillary had won?

[JMDEM]

I'm reflecting back on a few weeks ago when things were really going bad for Obama. Boy was I riled up, and worried. In fact I was losing sleep, and agitated all the time.

But then I finally reached the conclusion that if Hillary won the primaries, I would have to support her over McCain. Just no other option. And then I realized I'd be okay with Hillary being President. Not overjoyed, but okay with it.

We would be relatively safe with Hillary as President. I'm sure she would make good Supreme Court decisions. I'm sure, despite some of her campaign statements, that she wouldn't do anything really stupid in terms of foreign policy. And I would be relatively assured that members of Congress would push her towards less NAFTA-like decisions, and investing more in our country. The list goes on -- I'm sure Hillary would have been adequate in most regards.

Now, I would like to pose the question to Hillary supporters -- can you be "okay" with Obama? Maybe not overjoyed, but okay? Seeing as how most of Obama's positions are very similar to Hillary's positions, wouldn't you feel relatively safe with him in the White House? Wouldn't you feel that he, like she, would be concerned with putting the country back on the right course?

The amazing thing is that our country has been "okay" under most Presidents we've had up until GWB. Even Reagan and Bush Sr. weren't lunatics. Bush Sr. knew what would happen if he toppled Saddam, so he withdrew in Gulf War I and left well enough alone.

There has been a tremendous amount of damage done in the last 7 years. I'm sure that either Hillary or Obama would do their best to undo as much of this damage as possible. But if we don't pick a Democrat, the damage will continue -- and it is damned serious. Our country is in really deep trouble in so many ways.

So I'm asking Hillary supporters -- can you be "okay" with Obama? Not overjoyed, not 100% onboard, but okay? Wouldn't you feel a lot safer with him in the White House than McCain? Don't you think that he, like Hillary, would take steps to try to undo the damage done over the last 7 years?

If you would actually feel safer with McCain, I'd have to shake my head... the guy has some loose screws. He would not repair our tailspinning economy, he'd keep us in Iraq indefinitely, he might even invade Iran, he would NOT undo the damage from the Bush years, and he would appoint extremely right-wing justices to the Supreme Court. I truly think our country would be sunk with McCain as President.

[JuniperLea]

1. Unless we pull together and stop this divisive bullshit

We WILL have McCain in the white house. It's going to take all Democrats rallying together to pull this off to the point the election cannot be stolen... again.

[Cant trust em]

8. Healing begins the second that we have a nominee

No pissing on the other candidate's political grave.

[JuniperLea]

11. That's going to be the hard part around here...

Just as there was hair-pulling and water balloon fights during the primaries, there will no doubt be neener neener ha ha I told you so gloat fests. I think that kind of action should be strictly verboten once a nominee is officially selected. We've been through enough around here.

[Marrah_G]

2. Yes- I can be okay with Obama

I was okay with all of our candidates.

[Clintonista2]

3. I can be OK with Obama

I do want to see a better health care plan out of him though.

[JMDEM]

4. True. nt.

[Cant trust em]

6. That's his biggest weakness, IMO.

I'm an Obama supporter, but I do prefer Clinton's plan. You can't win 'em all, I guess.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. The only candidate whose health care plan I endorse 100% is Kucinich.

Unfortunately, NEITHER Clinton or Obama has been ready to get behind a SPHC system.

[redqueen]

21. Any of their plans will likely be unrecognizable after Congress gets done with them.

With the exception of Kucinch, as I believe he's for HR 676, which is ready to go as-is.

[LisaM]

5. It's hard, because I don't think he'll be any better than "OK" as a president

He'd be better than McCain. However, I don't think McCain has a shot. He's never had to be in a real debate for one thing.

But I see Obama as someone who will try to much to please all sides and will end up by pleasing neither. I don't know that he will be willing to take an unpopular stand.

I also don't think he'll implement some of the changes I would like to see in public schools.

[JMDEM]

9. Hopefully there will only be one side after November

Dems controlling House, Dems controlling Senate, Dem in the White House. We will see I guess.

Regarding "pleasing all sides" -- Obama didn't back down on the gas tax issue, even when the initial polls showed this to be a relatively unpopular decision. That's a good sign.

[JuniperLea]

12. I can't wait for those debates!

It's been said for years that McCain has a horrid temper... either Dem candidate would no doubt keep their cool whilst watching this poor old madman loose his;)

[LisaM]

15. Seriously, Obama may have an image problem in the debates

He has a rather cool (as in frosty) style to him that is going to be very unappealing to Republicans. They already hate Hillary, so it doesn't matter what she does. But I really believe that Obama is going to have to appear a little more engaged and engaging.

[redqueen]

22. You're right of course...

Lots of Repubs will be turned off by style.

But I think more might be won over by not-bushness.

[Warren DeMontague]

14. I'll take an "OK" president over a Republican picking Justice Stevens's replacement.

But I think you're wrong. If anyone has gone overboard in terms of Pandering to the other side in their political career, it's been Hillary Clinton. (cough. IWR. cough.)

I think policy-wise the two of them are pretty close, though, so it's idiotic to argue that one would be wonderful and the other would be a disaster.

[DevonRex]

7. If Hillary had won, I'd have voted for her because a dem has to win.

I admit that sometimes I've thought that maybe I couldn't and that she's barely less of a republican than McCain. BUT in the end we cannot afford McIdiot in the WH.

[cherokeeprogressive]

17. A. Dem. Has. to. Win. Bingo. n/t

[shaniqua6392]

10. I have always been fine with both of them.

They are pretty much the same to me on the issues and they would both do us proud in the White House. I don't understand some of the hatred toward one or the other that I have seen here. They are virtually the same and will end up doing about the same job as our leader. There is only so much they can do and we need to worry about a majority in the House and Senate too in order to effect real change.

[Warren DeMontague]

13. That's what I've been saying all along- I will support OUR nominee.

Anyone who says different can go fuck themselves.

[SeaLyons]

18. The primary is NOT over....

don't ask questions like that until Obama has the nomination. You might get better responses if you wait until your guy has actually WON.

[stevietheman]

20. Obama is the presumptive nominee. Why continue to avoid reality on this? n/t

n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

25. That was two months ago.

I think you meant until Hillary Clinton admits that he won, which may be never. Can't wait for that non-event.

[stevietheman]

19. If Hillary had won the pledged delegate contest without gaming the system,

as she has threatened, then I would have little issue with voting for her in November. The "fair and square" pledged delegate winner gets my vote in November.

[redqueen]

23. I'd have grumbled and griped a while..

then hopped on board.

[Warren Stupidity]

24. I'm three deep on Obama, going four on Clinton: not a problem.

Had she won I would be strongly supporting her campaign. I continue to admire her ferocious tenacity, her tactics: not so much.

[wowimthere]

26. If all of the candidates had voted for this war... I would support Edwards but

since Obama did not support this war the choice was easy. You can't fight for life... if you advocate wars. You can't fight poverty if you strap people with a bankruptcy bill that compounds debt. No she wouldn't get my vote. Not today. Not tomorrow. I will not support someone who voted for this war. Obama deserves the nomination and the presidency because unlike some... many Hillary supporters... I don't vote against my best interests.