it ain’t over ‘til it’s over

December 13, 2000, the day before my 35th birthday, was a dark day. After five long weeks, Vice President Al Gore conceded the presidential race to George W. Bush following a Supreme Court ruling that stopped the vote count in Florida, and effectively handed Bush the presidency.

I was inconsolable, deflated, angry. Angry at the Supreme Court, angry at Bush and his cronies, and angry at Floridians. But mostly… angry at Al Gore. How dare he concede! It wasn’t up to him! It was up to us, the voters! We are the ones who decide who is to be our president, not the candidates. Their job is to campaign. Our job is to choose. And half a million more of us across the nation chose Al Gore over George Bush.

So here we are again. Pundits, the press, and some Democrats calling on Senator Clinton to get out of the race. They say the math is near impossible. She can’t win without a miracle. It’s getting ugly. It’s damaging to the Democratic Party. They’re tired of the race.

So what? They’re not the ones voting. Ask most people in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Puerto Rico and North Carolina if they want it to end. They’re signing up in record numbers to choose a new president. Turning up at rallies, putting signs on their lawns, donating to the candidates’ campaigns. They’re fired up. Do you want to tell them they don’t get to participate? I sure don’t.

If you’re tired of the noise, tune it out. Try following American Idol instead until a nominee is chosen. And consider these reasons why it’s good for the Democratic Party to keep the primary race going:

• Americans are registering as Democrats in record numbers. In every state the primary continues, more and more Democrats are added to the rosters. Clinton or Obama will need these voters in November – in every state, not just the 40 plus that have already voted. (www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-04-06-voterregistrations_N.htm)
• Before Mike Huckabee conceded the Republican nomination to John McCain (i.e., when both primaries were still competitive), four times as many people went to the polls to vote for Clinton or Obama as went to vote for McCain! High voter turnout can continue in every state if we let it and lead to higher voter turnout among Dems in the general election.
• John McCain is background noise. Let’s keep it that way.
• The candidates are getting a more thorough vetting in a “safer” Democratic primary before entering the general election.
• Elections are good for local economies with money spent on advertising, hotels, transport, food and beverages, sign and banner printing, etc. In this economy, many states welcome the extra revenue.

As a Hillary supporter, I will be much more enthusiastic about supporting Obama if he wins if all the votes get counted. Democrats should consider there are others like me.