Contracted Primary Season a Cure for What Ails Democrats
I knew the "3 AM" ad was good, but had no idea what an effect it would have. Clinton's victories last night certainly mean the Democratic race goes on, but it remains enormously unlikely Senator Clinton will catch Obama in delegates or the popular vote. There are still questions about Obama's toughness: As long as Obama can answer those (positively), he remains close to a lock for the Democratic nomination. But the important issue to is to address the notion a long-drawn-out Democratic primary season will hurt the Democrats and help the Republicans.
That's just crazy. In state after state, this race has registered lots of new voters, has energized Democrats, and turned independents into Democrats. As long as this contest goes on, it will continue to do so. The two "core" Democratic constituencies--blacks and women--have a finalist representing them. And with the, frankly, poisonous and racist attacks on immigration by Republicans, not just in the past year, but in the past four years, Hispanics are energized as well, and are trending Democrat after years of moving the other way.
Jesse Jackson's run for President in 1984 led to higher minority turnout which in turn led to Democrats going from the minority party in the US Senate to a 55-45 advantage in November of 1986. These runs by Obama and Clinton will help build larger Democratic majorities in the US House and Senate...even if McCain should pull out a win. All the people who voted in the Dem primaries are locked in for the general...they will not be voting Republican...which means the Democrats go into every closely contested state in November with a built-in advantage.
