"I don’t want to see her embarrass herself"

Erica should have taken her own advice a loooooooooooong time ago.

How awesome would it be if Hillary somehow pulled it out now, after all, leaving ECB with egg on her face?

I saw that she has not one, but two, new CDs for sale at Starbuck's. Maybe those will do well.

Well said. With a D in the White House, she’ll have a chance to be a Senate powerhouse.

I think it's too late. Reading her comments today I thought to myself, "how pathetic".

So I saw The Blow a week or so ago, and there were these fucking moronic WASPY dudes heckling her nearly the entire time, saying stuff like "whore!" or "you're BLOWN out" (durr hur hur). Khaela just responded with "it's not a required class, man." Finally, someone doing lighting shined a light on the offenders, and the assholes quickly became the target of a lot of audience hate. They left.

I know it makes you feel good to be dickson the internet (lol), but just because anonyminity gives you the opportunity to be a total cock doesn't mean you should. Erica's fine. Leave it alone.

that was @1 & 2. I love everyone else!

@7
Thank you Jakob, for saying something that has needed to be said for a looooong time. Seriously ECB haters: you look like such fuckin' losers the way you howl and yap at everything she writes. Just move on past her posts and shut the fuck up.

@7 & 8:

Wait, so it makes someone a dick and a loser to disagree with what ECB writes?

Yeah, some of the anti-ECB comments are a bit mean, but you know what? Her Slog posts and her commentary are simply terrible.

Are you really arguing that there's no legitimate way to disagree with something you're reading, because, hey, you could just "move past" it and "shut the fuck up?" Is that what we think of open discourse?

Or are you only responding to the hateful posts, and not to the people with legitimate reasons to pick on ECB's writing?

Seriously ECB?

You said "And second, I don’t want to see her embarrass herself and diminish her legacy as a First Lady and a senator.

Ummmm it is way to late for that. Hillary has already embarrassed herself beyond repair. Her bitchy nasaly voice shouting with an obnoxious shrill tone of defiance against the obvious impossibility of her nomination will forever render her a joke.

She has quite simply indelibly left a stain on her record for the rest of her life.

There really is no way to paint her any other way, except as has already been done. Even her supporters are now mocking her, and telling her enough is enough.

You have to wonder if she is truly willing to go down completely in flames and die on her proverbial sword?

It really seems she is betting her entire political career on this moment.

The only thing more boring and predictable than the Obama fans gracelessness in the face of their victory last night is their banal reflexive dickishness towards ECB. Way to build a bridge, fuckheads.

On the plus side, it's good to know that there are some constants in the universe.

#1 is right. >_

Hey, haters-- male and female alike.

For once, could you address Hillary or ECB *without* using sexist language-- blatant or otherwise-- and base your opposition to said person solely on their policies or opinions? Just once? Or is it just so much easier for you all to stoop to "hack" or "bitchy nasaly voice shouting with an obnoxious shrill tone of defiance" than to come up with an intelligent, reasoned response?

ECB: I thought it was well-written, and I appreciated your thoughts on the matter. While I've always been an Obama supporter, I've enjoyed your HRC coverage and I understand where you're coming from. Fuck the haters, there are plenty of people who like what you write. They just don't take the time to auto-post everytime you write, unlike some people on Slog.

And for what it's worth, I've only ever bashed ECB once, when comparing her support for Hillary to her support for Stephane Pure. (No, I didn't vote for the stiff that won.)

Stephanie Pure is still a great candidate - maybe she could run for McIver's seat?

It took real graciousness and humility for ECB to accept that Obama will be the Democratic Party's nominee, and she should be commended for facing facts.

My only quibble is that this has been obvious for two months now, and it was during these past two months that Hillary has done the most damage to Obama and the Democratic Party's chances in November. It behooves her to not just step aside NOW, but to actively and aggressively campaign FOR Obama until November.

This piece was uncharacteristically dignified, honest, and respectful of its audience. Are you sure ECB wrote it?

I'm totally stealing Big Sven's "Way to build a bridge, fuckheads". I plan to say this at every possible opportunity until I get tired of it, which may be never.

And, to give an example of the sort of ECB comment that I find so irritating:

"I want to see a competent, liberal, intelligent, tough woman in the White House in my lifetime—and Hillary could've been that woman."

Really? I want a competent, liberal, intelligent President in the White House. I want a woman President insofar as I want to us to not elect only white men, but I don't want a woman President for the sake of having a woman President.

It seems to me that this is the sort of bigotry that informs ECB's typical diatribes. She's not bigoted against Obama because of his race--but she is bigoted against anyone who opposes her vision of a competent, liberal, intelligent, tough woman President.

@13:

How is "hack" sexist? Does it have some connotation I'm not aware of?

Of course, I agree with you on the rest. On the other hand, I'm not sure the term "bitch" implies you dislike her because she's a woman. If I insult a man, I might call him a "cock," but that doesn't mean I am insulting him because of his masculinity.

Isn't it possible that we simply have gender-specific insults? I don't know that they actually imply sexism, any more than "policeman" and "policewoman" do.

I agree with Dan @19. Hilary has basically taken the Democrats into a ditch for the last 8 weeks. Her and her husband played the race card, played the Osama bin Laden card, made the Reverend Wright scandal that could cost the Democrats the election and last night they promised an October surprise if Obama gets the nomination. They basically wrote the playbook for the Republicans and have alienated and turned off plenty of potential Democratic voters.

ECB can answer the question of what was achieved by running to the point of destroying the party. One has to wonder whether Carville, the Clintons, Mark Penn, little Georgie Stephanopolis and ECB wouldn't be happier with McCain winning so that Hilary can run again in 2012.

The pro-Obama posters here and Annie, Eli, and the rest of the Stranger cheerleaders for Obama have been whining for months that Hillary should withdraw. But that is not how president's get elected. He hadn't provided the needed knockout punch. If HRC was on top and Obama was as close as she was you would urge him to fight to the finish.

If anything, her efforts over the past month or so have toughened him up for the general election. They have also gotten bullshit issues like Rev. Wright out in the open early so they will be old news in November.

You have to earn the Presidency. You don't just get it with the Stranger endorsement. The rest of the country is nothing like Seattle.

And Dan, Hillary may have her flaws but she is the first serious woman candidate--ever. She is obviously qualified, even if you don't like her politics.

Sexist condescending crap from Hillary/ECB haters like you convinces me more than ever we need a woman in the White House. Just not this time.

Way to build a bridge, fuckheads. Oooh, you are right, city kitty, that does feel good.

You know, after months of being told that I've drunk the kool-aid or can't think for myself or am blinded by the "cult of personality" I have to say I pretty much resent Clinton fans on here calling out Obama supporters. I mean, come the fuck on, people. There are folks on both sides who haven't been the greatest at treating others with respect. You call us fuckheads. I've been known to use the word fucktards. To act all upset is just crazy. The vast majority of Obama and Clinton supporters are nice, friendly, respectful people. A few on the internet aren't. Deal.

I didn't dislike Hillary Clinton. But then something shifted in her campaign and, honestly, I started to dislike her. And then today she says this: "If we had the rules that the Republicans have, I'd already be the nominee." Well, Hillary, we AREN'T Republicans, and thank the good Lord up above that we aren't. It's too bad she doesn't see that.

With over 2 million dead Iraqis I think anyone that supports Clinton is dumb as a rock or a fucking pig. Maybe I am wrong in this? Maybe Iraqis are not humans like you and me? They don’t count right? Clinton voted for the fucking slaughter in Iraq and she just stated she would “Obliterate” Iran. For ECB to overlook all this for identity politics makes me sick. Fuck you Big Sven.

tiptoe tommy @22:

The pro-Obama posters here and Annie, Eli, and the rest of the Stranger cheerleaders for Obama have been whining for months that Hillary should withdraw. But that is not how president's get elected. He hadn't provided the needed knockout punch.

I don't agree with tiptoe tommy's "whining" characterization, and I don't recall that the likes of Annie Wagner ever called for Hillary to drop out leading up to Tuesday. But I do agree with the idea that you can't beat the champ by decision; you've got to knock her out. In the end, the NC/IN double-punch wasn't quite a knockout blow; more a TKO.

And I also agree with the following:

If anything, her efforts over the past month or so have toughened him up for the general election. They have also gotten bullshit issues like Rev. Wright out in the open early so they will be old news in November.

You have to earn the Presidency.

Hillary Clinton is a formidable campaigner, far more formidable than John McCain. She tested Obama politically in a way he hadn't been tested before. Hillary's embrace of Rovian politics gave Obama the chance to prove his premise that he can bring the nation beyond Rovian politics. Not completely, but far enough.

And her gas-tax pander gave Obama the chance to prove that you can actually stand up to that crap and come out the better for it politically. We can thank Hillary for giving this nation its first opportunity to look in the mirror and see how foolish our oil addiction has made us. You could say that Obama just accomplished more politically by standing up to the gas-tax holiday than Al Gore did by winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

All right, so now that we're all on the same page here, ECB included, can we cut this bullshit and start plotting McCain's doom?

C'mon folks, when it comes down to the election in November, we're all in this thing together. Everybody keeps saying that, now it's about fucking time to act like it.

@22:

"Sexist crap from haters like you?" Where did I say anything remotely sexist? Or did you resort to that straw man because you can't come up with a real argument against anything I actually said?

This is pretty much the sort of behavior I was talking about, incidentally. You're making my case for me.

NOOOO! Don't give up. It's not time. Take it to the convention! We want Hillary!

I never thought I'd find myself defending this twat (Erica) but listen folks: she has the right to support whomever candidate she chooses. You Slog-feeders have been tearing this bitch (Erica) a new one since she publicly backed H.C. And for what? For exercising her right? Fuck you all. And fuck you, too, Erica because you've been nothing but an ooozing cooze to several of my co-workers (and they're 100 times more talented than you are) and good fucking luck getting a job at anything other than a shit-paying alt-weekly (disappearing faster than Kodak film these days).

I'm not really sure which side I come down on on the "Obama supporters whine" or "Clinton supporters are cunts" issue vis-a-vis Slog. But I do appreciate that I, like everyone here, need to feel resentment towards SOMEBODY. So now, with Hillary gone, I'm worried about the future. Who am I supposed to hate? Republicans? Too boring. Too easy.

I found the whole article thoughtful and tempered. I doubt that I have ever cared about something enough, as much, as either ECB or HRC has about this nomination to have taken the amount of shit they have. I've been donating monthly to HRCs campaign (small, small bits) and when I saw the monthly contribution taken out of my statement today, I sighed a little bit. It's okay, she can have it, but it's a bit like waving my arms at windmills.

The Haters: feel free to go fuck yourselves. and then look up the fallacy of argumentation "ad hominem". honestly, the way these readers fawn over Dan Savage (posting as Dan Savage Fan, Dan Fan, blah blah blah) and the way you crucify ECB entertains the shit out me.

The only way Clinton can get the nomination is by damaging Obama to the extent that he loses the support of the super-delegates. Am I the only one thinking the Clinton opposition research people are working overtime to dig up something on Obama to really damage him?

Erica, I appreciate the fact that you were woman enough to admit defeat and publicly withdraw your endorsement. It takes a huge pair of ovaries to do something like that.

Now here's looking forward to President Obama!

So does Obama have enough delegates to secure the nomination? No. So shut the fuck up and let them duke it out until he either does or doesn't.

There is no harm in making Obama earn the nomination. I fear people who fear democracy. Why shouldn't the remaining states have contests that feature a desperate Clinton and a confident Obama?

If there is a path that defeats Obama, I want it now and not in November. If you care about not having another republican in the whitehouse you should as well.

So shut the fuck up Obama whiners, and get out the fucking votes to seal the deal, and if you can't then well, you shan't.

city kitty@18: please make sure to use this phrase against me when I forget myself and say something divisive or ungracious. Nothing is quite as spiritually cleansing as having your own phrase used against you (when appropriate.)

I am looking forward to moving on and tearing Grandpa McCain a new asshole. I think it's going to be more fun than people are imagining.

Thanks, Big Sven.

Props to Erica for writing a good piece. It needed to be said, and it needed to be said by a credible HRC advocate.

How many of you O supporters were sweating bullets right up until the NC returns came in? Be honest. I know I was. This was a tight, largely well run, hard fought race. Ultimately, it was an honest-to-goodness policy issue - the silly gas tax holiday - that threw O a lifeline and let hiim get back on messsage. Imagine that. It has been a race of ideas, one that - not J Wright, M Penn, Bosnia or Rezko - tipped the balance as we head in to the finish line.

For everyone who was sweating O's fate as we watched his fortunes sour in recent months, think hard about how this ride has gone for Hill supporters. They, like Erica, are evey bit as devoted, passionate, competitive as we. Admit it, or STFU.

The hardest thing in the world is letting go, and Erica did it with grace and smarts. Good for her. Give her some respect.

Big Sven is right, time to turn our attention to the real enemy, Grandpa McCain. The Republicans are smart motherfuckers. They have connived to steal the last two elections. They regularly use wedge issues like abortion and the gays to divide Americans who know they are getting screwed on health care and more by big business. They wrap themselves in the flag so well they convinced America that John Kerry, who served and was shot at and injured during Vietnam was less of a patriot than Bush who dodged his Vietnam service for a cushy National Guard assignment that he quit because even that was too hard.

The Republicans win because they use simple messages governed by fear. It is time for Toto to pull back the curtain and show the great and powerful Oz for the fraud he really is. McCain has a twenty year record as a very conservative, pro-business, anti-choice Senator. Lets make that vein pop out on the side of his head. Lets make him snap at voters like he snapped at his wife when he said those horrible things. Lets make him defend the war.

My favorite part of ECB's article:

So it's time, to use Obama's hackneyed term, for a little "unity."

I like that "unity" is not only a hackneyed phrase, but that it's Obama's hackneyed phrase.

That's awesome writing. Erica deserves every award she's ever won.

Any hopes that Hillary would gracefully exit or stop her divisiveness were shattered yesterday when she essentially told USA today that Obama was winning because of lazy minorities. As Clinton so eloquently framed it, in explaining why she was continuing, "Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again." It is beyond me that Obama can be pilloried for weeks for saying rural voters cling to guns and religion while Hillary can openly call minorities lazy. I hate her, don't you?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-07-clintoninterview_N.htm

No Mike, I don't.

I'll tell you what I'll vote for...an enormous penls!!!

I hate in wide sweeping arcs across the land and through the center of the earth -

I hate ECB's defenses of Clinton, from the "Hillary has a vagina and so do I" article last year on through the end, because they were sexist, and I hate the criticism of ECB that talks about her looks - I'm not even going to repeat it - because it's sexist and vicious - I hate all of it.

Big Sven, you're ok.

Thanks, Phoebe. Since posting @11, HRC did her "hard working / white Americans" remark and I am now officially on board with Team Obama.

Though I still hope to attract my erstwhile Hillary allies with the "honey" of inclusion and an enthusiasm for a historical asswhipping of the Republicans come November.