A Wonderful Thing

The Democratic Process is indeed a wonderful thing. As I watched the junior Super Tuesday primary election returns, I found it amazing that the old adage rang so true … “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” For all the talk of momentum, strategies, come backs, the fact is that the delegate count in the Democratic Party remained unchanged. Barak Obama did not lose any ground toward gaining his party’s nomination, when the dust settled in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The great opportunity represented in this election has been all of the energy generated within the voting public. Young people, African Americans, Latinos and Women have been empowered to a greater degree through the Democratic race than at anytime nearly 50 years. The great challenge will be how to keep the party together after the Democratic National Convention. It seems that Obama will still hold a lead in the delegate count, if the trend remains as it is. And, Clinton will still go into the National Convention with lots of political clout and popular support.

I must conclude that the only way that the Democratic Party can take the same energized voters into a successful White House campaign against the Republicans is to have both remaining candidates on the ticket. Here’s how I see that playing out.

First, Obama will have more delegates and therefore could not be denied the top spot on the ticket. Clinton would appear to have stolen the election from the people if she were to somehow persuade enough “superdelegates” to swing the nomination in her favor. The key policy difference between the two candidates is their Health Care Plan. Then, the obvious solution would be for Obama to accept the Clinton Universal Health Care Coverage plank into the Democratic Party’s platform and to run with her as the Vice-Presidential candidate.

Finally, I am very eager to see how elected officials who have endorsed Clinton, like our own U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, respond to the voice of their districts that have voted overwhelmingly in support of Obama. Can they realistically expect not to pay for their endorsements with the loss of the support of the voters? The Obama campaign represents how people can turn out to vote for a candidate, but they also turn out in record numbers to vote against a candidate who represents a threat to them or faithlessness to their ideals. I would find it hard to support and elected official who does not represent the will of his or her constituents. So keep a watch on those who are elected from the urban centers that have supported Obama but who now endorse Clinton. I would not be surprised to see them rightfully change their endorsements to Obama, rather to commit political suicide.