- Underestimate the pain and heartache that millions of women felt when Hillary lost to Obama.

- Forget that Dukakis walked out of the convention with a 17 point lead over Bush Sr.

- Forget that Qualye ended up in the White House

- Pretend that two years in the Senate is worth more than two years as Governor

- Act as if this thing is over...

We need to double of efforts now! Twice as many phone calls, twice as many doors knocked!

This thing is not over...not by a long shot. This woman carries a 90% approval rating in her state, let's not underestimate her.

And please, if you see a sexist attack mak sure you call the person on it; because every one is another vote McCain will grab.

Who can tell me after watching that speech that we as Democrats deserve anything else?

In my opinion, Joe Biden should step aside and Hillary Clinton's name should be placed into nomination for the Vice Presidency!

The two of them together...we couldn't lose...

I'm so amazed by that woman...she truly is incredible :)

Let's go win this thing!!!!!!!!!!!

If there's one thing the Obama campaign is fantastic at it's not leaking. They promised...swore...that the text message would be the way people would find out.

I still believe them, and I still think the Dream Ticket is on!

We'l see...

I haven't posted a diary in awhile...honestly, I still haven't recovered from Hillary's defeat in the primary!

Today I am 100% committed to Barack Obama. But there is one thing I am 99% sure of...if he does not pick Hillary I cannot see him winning the election.

The fact is that on the eve of the Democratic convention only 75% of the party is ready to vote for its nominee! Literally 1 out of every 4 Democrats is going to vote for John McCain, sit home, or vote for a third party. All the new registration etc... will not make up for this drastic number; and it is a drastic number. If Obama had the support of 90% of Democrats his victory would be assured.

In my own life I literally know dozens of former Hillary volunteers who are so disgusted with the way the party (specifically Dean, Pelosi, and Donna Bazile) treated Hillary and the party's silence about the rampant sexism in the media that they have completely disengaged. These people are not trolls, Republicans in disguise, or lacking in intelligence. The fact is, the passions that were aroused for the first viable female candidate remain very strong!

Obviously Obama has already made his choice. But these names being floated (Kaine, Biden, Bayh) will not get these people back on board. He has lost 1/4 of the Democratic party...if these people do not reengage it will not be possible for him to register enough new voters to make up the deficit; it's just math. The polls will continue to move in McCain's favor and the Democratic Party will have squandered yet another Presidential election :(

However, waking up tomorrow morning to read a text message that says "the dream ticket is on"...that would guarantee our party success in November!

Here's to hope :)

As we approach the final primaries; I thought it might be helpful to write my personal reasons for why I support Hillary and will stand with her as long as she keeps going.

13...that's how old I was when my dad passed away. It's crazy how much something like that can affect a teenager. My mom was left with the difficult task of raising me on her own after that.

It's difficult enough for a single mom, but it was compounded for her. My mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 19. By the time my dad died; she was in a wheelchair and unable to work.

Rent, bills, groceries...we were able to get by thanks to Social Security. $980 bucks a month...

Health Care? We were fortunate to be poor enough to qualify for Medicaid/MediCal and finally Medicare.

When the Republicans took over Congress; they tried to pass draconian cuts in the Medicare program. Bill Clinton fought them and fought them strong. My mom and I felt the benefits of that fight on the ground level.

When I was accepted into UCLA it was thanks to Pell grants, Cal grants, and subsized stafford loans that we were able to afford it. When the MS got so bad my mom could no longer live on her own she moved into a nursing home. She lost the ability to walk, talk, and eat. The medical bills totaled in the hundreds of thousands; if not the millions. But she was taken care of; because we had Medicare.

She passed away three years ago...MS is a progressive disease and she couldn't fight any longer.

I don't know if this will ever be read by those outside our community but I truly hope it is...

Earlier today I was waiting in line at the grocery store when I started reading the news on my phone (yes I'm completely addicted). Imagine my shock when I see a story titled "Clinton cites RFK assassination as reason to stay in race!"

What? What the hell is going on? I scroll through trying to understand...it is implied to me that Hillary Clinton is saying she should stay in the race because Barack Obama might be assassinated.

I don't believe it...I dig deeper as soon as I get home...

It turns out that wasn't what she was saying at all.

HRC: People have been trying to push me out of this ever since Iowa.

Q: Why?

HRC: I don't know. I don't know. I find it curious. Because it is unprecedented in history. I don't understand it. Between my opponent and his camp and some in the media there has been this urgency to end this. And historically, that makes no sense. So I find it a bit of a mystery.

Q: So you don't buy the party unity argument?

HRC: I don't because again I've been around long enough.

My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right?

We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it. There's lots of speculation about why it is.

Q: What is your speculation?

I don't know. I find it curious. And I don't want to attribute motives or strategies to people because I don't really know, but it's a historical curiosity to me.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/relea se/view/?id=7806

I ask you...members of the media...why is it that the editorial board didn't see it that way? Why is it they were able to understand she was pointing out that the Primary season often lasted until June?

Here's what they had to say:

"The context of the question and answer with Sen. Clinton was whether her continued candidacy jeopardized party unity this close to the Democratic convention. Her reference to Mr. Kennedy's assassination appeared to focus on the timeline of his primary candidacy and not the assassination itself."

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/relea se/view/?id=7807

Hell, here's what Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had to say:
"It is clear from the context that Hillary was invoking a familiar political circumstance in order to support her decision to stay in the race through June. I have heard her make this reference before, also citing her husband's 1992 race, both of which were hard fought through June. I understand how highly charged the atmosphere is, but I think it is a mistake for people to take offense."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/ 2008/05/rfk-jr-says-no.html

Does this matter to you? Will you call off the dogs?

Or will I continue to hear that Hillary was answering the question "Why won't you drop out" with the answer "Because Bobby was assassinated in June" (implication Obama might be).

Why are you doing this? Why are you so dead set on swiftboating this woman?

I ask those of you with the ability to do something...do it...and do it fast because this fire needs to be put out NOW!

"I wouldn't vote for that bitch or nigger if you paid me...I'm a McCain man"

I just got that response from a voter in Oregon two minutes ago.

Seriously...whoever is the nominee deserves our full support!

This is about something much bigger than I think we realize now...

Back to the phones for me...

Wow...what an election season! For a political junkie like myself this was truly the gold standard of a primary season.

As we enter the final contests there are powerful statistics out there we would be wise not to ignore...

The fact is that nearly one third of Clinton supporters and nearly one third of Obama supporters say they would NOT support the other in the general election.

The days of "I'm sure her supporters would vote for me but I'm not sure my supporters would vote for her" are long...long...gone.

I am a strong, strong Hillary supporter. However, I am well aware of how catostrophic a McCain presidency would be. Therefor, I do not fall into the above category. That being said, I know many, many people who feel DEEPLY offended at the way she has been treated by the media, the party leaders, and many of Obama's supporters. They plan to either stay home or even go so far as to send a protest vote to McCain.

You know the "outrage" people say African Americans and young people would feel if Obama was "denied" the nomination. Well...millions of Women, Latinos, and Older Democrats feel that way right now.

I truly hope that should Obama win; his campaign realizes this outrage is both real and heartfelt. Personally, I cannot see any solution other than the two of them running together.

On that note, both have ammassed enough delegates that neither could be denied the VP slot IF they wanted it.