Dan Grey – 4/24/08

This page was last updated on April 26, 2008.

Obama can’t win in November; Dan Grey; Beaver County Times; April 24, 2008.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“After watching the April 16 debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, I have come to two conclusions, both bad for my Democratic Party.”

[RWC] Based on his letter writing history back to 2004, I believe Mr. Grey really is a Democrat and not a Republican posing as a Democrat. I mention this because we frequently read letters from leftists who claim they are or were “lifelong Republicans.”

“First, Obama cannot take the heat, and the questions on character were relevant.

“Obama’s answers will not fly in the main campaign. His judgment and personae are throwback, liberal elitist. His party is not.”

[RWC] This is the primary reason I critiqued this letter. If Mr. Grey believes his party’s leadership and big name candidates are not “liberal elitist,” he’s not paying attention. Mr. Obama’s “bitter” and “clinging” comments about Pennsylvanians at the San Francisco fundraiser represent common beliefs in Democrat leadership.

“Guns are not an issue the Democrats can win with in November, and it is one of the issues that will resonate with moderate Democrats with a long history of voting who the party needs to win in November.

“Will the ‘new’ voters Obama’s rock star status is attracting still be motivated in the fall when he is worn around the edges?

“Moderate Democrats will be motivated, but not for Obama. Change is a slogan, not a policy, and jive will not drive the vote in the fall.”

[RWC] What is a moderate Democrat? Democrats with nearly 100% liberal voting records in Congress are commonly referred to as moderate.

“Second, the Democratic candidate needs to win Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, California and Florida. Obama turned his back on two of those and lost the other three to Hillary Clinton.”

[RWC] In his zeal to support Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Grey failed to mention an important fact. To punish the Democrat parties of Florida and Michigan for moving up their primaries further than the national Democrat party wanted, the DNC ruled that the delegates from these states would not be counted. As a result, according to MSNBC, all major candidates (including Clinton and Obama) agreed not campaign in these states. While both candidates were on the Florida ballot, Mr. Obama was not on the Michigan ballot.

“The solid Republican South and West, where Obama gathered his string of primary victories, will not deliver in the fall. Moderate Democrats and independents will spell the difference in the states still in play, and we can live with either Clinton or John McCain.

“If the Democrats want to win in November, the super delegates better think long and hard about electability, not popularity of the moment. Moderates can live with either Clinton or McCain. Can the liberals?”

[RWC] Apparently Mr. Grey doesn’t consider himself to be a “liberal,” yet that’s who runs his party.

Finally, I get a kick out of Mr. Grey implying Mrs. Clinton is a moderate. As I’ve noted in previous critiques, Mrs. Clinton’s Americans for Democratic Action liberal rating has never been below 94% during her seven years in the Senate.