3.25.08
Portland, OR
Dear Sen. Clinton:
It’s with some pain and disappointment that I feel it necessary to address a letter of this nature to you. I’ve been an admirer of yours for many years. You’re a brilliant, capable, and supremely talented public servant. You represent everything that is right and good about this country. Under normal circumstances, I’d be backing your candidacy 110%. Unfortunately, these are anything but normal circumstances, and I find myself both conflicted by, and increasingly disappointed with, your conduct during the Democratic primary campaign season. Because of this, I find my admiration for you diminishing with each passing day.
Until just a couple of months ago, your candidacy was anointed by the media as “inevitable”. Your support was overwhelming, and it was difficult to conceive of a candidate who could derail your journey to taking the oath of office on 1.20.09. Then along came Sen. Barack Obama, who’s touched a nerve in this country in a manner reminiscent of JFK. I’d like to say that you rose to the challenge and displayed your considerable skill and strength of character in making your case to the American people. Sadly, I can’t say that. As your comfortable lead shrank and became a deficit- in polls, popular votes, and pledged delegates- you and your campaign staff have become increasingly shrill, mean-spirited, and just plain desperate. You’re not as guilty of this as some of your campaign staff and supporters, but the air of superiority and noblesse oblige surrounding your candidacy has been palpable and frankly disturbing. Sen. Obama is not some sort of interloper attempting to usurp the crown that rightfully belongs to you. He’s a legitimate Presidential candidate who quite simply has appealed to more Democrats than you have.
As the Democratic primary campaign season has moved along, the delegate math is making your chances less plausible. At this point, it would take something of a miracle- or some serious skullduggery- for you to secure the nomination. Given this reality- and it IS a reality- I feel that it’s time to ask that you do the right thing and step aside. If the goal is to take back the White House, and I believe it must be, your continued campaigning will do nothing to bring that prospect any closer to fruition.
Continuing your increasingly quixotic pursuit of the Democratic nomination can only harm both your legacy and your party’s chances of winning the White House in November- and really, isn’t that what this should be about? Shouldn’t this be about making sure that John McCain isn’t elected to continue Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader’s © endless Excellent Adventure in Iraq © ? If you and your surrogates continue with the lies, the spin, and the attitude that the nomination is rightly yours, you will damage your party’s chances to take back the White House come Election Day. Is this really what you want to be remembered for- being so nakedly and openly ambitious that you would bring the Democratic Party down because of your lust for power?
I know that you’ve put a lot of yourself into this campaign, and I admire your commitment and your passion. I believe that, deep down, you really want to make a difference, and that you really intend do the things you’ve promised. Nonetheless, there comes a time when reality becomes impossible to ignore. The reality is that you’re not going to win the Democratic nomination without ripping the party you profess to love asunder. Because of this, Sen. Clinton, I implore you- do the right thing for your party and your country. Admit to the reality of your situation and recognize that you’re not going to win. Concede and allow the Democratic Party to come together behind Sen. Obama. You can still play a major role in restoring sanity and decency to government, but you must recognize that you won’t be doing it as President.
After so many long, hard months on the campaign trail, it’s got to be difficult to step back and admit that your quest will go unrequited. This is not about you, however, or even about Sen. Obama. It’s about doing the right thing for the right reasons so that Democrats can regroup and focus their energies on winning the White House in November. This should- indeed, must- be the goal for ALL Democrats. If you continue to continue your increasingly desperate and divisive campaign, you may well end up being responsible for handing the general election to John McCain. Is that how you want to be remembered- for placing your own self-interest, ego, and ambition above the interests of the Democratic Party?
Please; do the right thing and end this madness. You have it within your power to be remembered as a leader and a healer, but time is running out. If you continue to run as if you think you’ll win the nomination, you may somehow scheme your way into winning the battle. In the end, however, Democrats will lose the war. A Pyrrhic victory is, when all is said and done, no victory at all.
Please concede the nomination…while you still have the time available to make a difference. And before you tear the Democratic Party apart. Democrats deserve better.
Sincerely,
Jack Cluth
