http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89474042
Some salient points:
He is a new freshman congressman in a primarily republican district
who is going to face a tough reelection bid.
First point:
"Sen. Obama first called me in June 2007 and asked for my support," he
says. "At that time, no one thought Pennsylvania would be relevant. No
one thought super delegates would be relevant. He was already thinking
to the long term."
Altmire says Clinton's campaign did not reach out until just before
the Texas and Ohio primaries in early March.
Again another symptom of a poorly run campaign. There was an
assumption that she had this race in the bag. It was a fatal error.
These races are to an extent a measure of a candidates ability to run
an effective campaign. This along with Hillary's failure to submit a
full slate of delegates for PA are symptomatic of a larger problem.
Second Point:
The message was clear. If Altmire supported Obama, the Clintons'
supporters might not back him come November. Altmire is likely to face
a tough rematch in his southwestern district with the Republican he
ousted from the seat in 2006.
When he returns the calls of the Clinton supporters, Altmire says they
frequently tell him that this is Clinton's time and that she has
earned this; Obama is young and can afford to wait.
This is in no small measure the real issue. Hillary supporters believe
that Obama betrayed the system by running. There is a feeling that she
has EARNED this nomination. As one Hillary supporter here put it...
Obama caused all this... first he said he wasn't going to run... then
he ran anyways.
Third Point:
"This campaign has gotten to the point where, whatever side I come
down on, I am going to alienate voters because there is an animosity
that's built up between the two campaigns," he says.
Thats a lynch pin of the problem. Weighing Hillary's SLIM (by her own
staffs admissions) chance of winning the nomination against not only
the presidency, that it becomes increasingly likely NEITHER candidate
will win, but also a number of House and Senate seats.
Fourth Point:
Altmire says he plans to support whoever winds up with the most
pledged delegates and the greatest popular vote.
A majority of super delegates feel this way. That being the case
Hillary's chances of winning are less than slim.
Finally Hillary has said she is staying in until all the votes are
counted. Politics is a matter of president. Do we really want a case
where every season we go through this. No candidate ever concedes.
This is the most pathetic of lies. She was the one that pushed to get
rid of those candidates who were "not serious". She hated the field of
seven and wanted to reduce it to two. Yet suddenly we are to believe
she did not want ANY candidate to drop out? Or are we to believe that
if the shoe were on the other foot that these same people would not be
screaming for Obama to get out of the race? That goes to the heart of
my problem with the Hillary campaign.. Reality has no bearing on what
she says or does. The disconnect gets stronger the longer this
campaign goes on. Thats a quality I have seen enough of for eight years.
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