Discontent Brewing: Will it Stiffle Democrats Chances?



The former editor from Slate, Michael Kinsley, was right on the money.….



There is trouble brewing on the democratic side that could affect the outcome of the Democratic convention and possibly the race.



And while he mainly talked about the Hillary—Obama snag, there are other potentially volatile issues. Let see if we can chronicle the more important ones that do not seem to be going away quietly as many of us had hoped at the end of the Primary.



Part of the problem has to do with the fact that Obama supporters are disinclined to toss money into the pot to help Clinton pay off her campaign debt which they felt was unnecessary to incur since it was clear that she wasn’t going to win months before.. Also, many are troubled by the waves created by the Clinton campaign—including the remarks by Bill Clinton and Hillary’s campaign remarks that seemed to have given McCain and the republicans sufficient ammunition to carry them through the campaign.



Hillary’s supporters are unwilling to put aside their bad feelings claiming that they have been mistreated by the media.



And her supporters feel that a delegate count at the Convention would be justified as would her appointment to the Vice President spot although ardor seems to have cooled on that particular issue in recent weeks..



The second problem is the move by Obama to the center which has alienated many from his firm base of support. Liberals and progressives are troubled by his willingness to allow the telecommunications companies to get a free pass by his vote for the FISA bill and what that means to the Fourth Amendment. Others, feel that Obama’s embrace of the center has meant compromise on other issues important the left including what seems to be a shift of position on Iraq although Obama attests that his positions have not changed from the original debates.



The republicans seem to be having a field day with this. And they are trying to build a case that increasingly Obama is starting to look like any other politician.

Red-blooded republicans are starting to taste blood and are gathering around the presumptive leader even though they may not care for him particularly. Nevertheless, McCain is doing well raising money for himself and his party.



Many are also troubled by Obama’s failure to take on the republicans more aggressively---especially in light of Phil Gramm’s claims that Americans are wrong headed thinking negatively about the economy.



The left wing and the progressives feel that he should not have been allowed to get away with some of the things he said and that Obama should have been more aggressive in presenting his case.



Obama is headed to Iraq and the republicans are using this opportunity to tout John McCain’s experience in having made the trip eight times despite the fact that he still can’t seem to differentiate a Shia’ from a Shiite without Joe Lieberman’s help.



All in all, many spot troubles ahead and that seems to be reflected in the fall-off of campaign donations that seem to coincide with further charges of
“flip-flopping….”



It will take time to sort this out.



But right now, the threat of disharmony in the party and other factors have leveled out Obama’s advantages in the polls. Now, the latest poll show only a four point advantage for Obama nationally, down from double digits.



It is not a good sign; on the other hand, it is still early in the game. It is quite possible that all of these concerns may be solved before the Convention and that there is harmony in the party come the Fall. Most of us democrats who have sat through eight years of pain and discomfort certainly hope so….



Les Aaron