“Why the Long Primary Battle with Clinton Will Actually Help Obama Win in November” (Robert Creamer)

Robert Creamer's analysis on The Huffington Post is very good and actually makes me feel much better about Hillary's decision to stay in for so long:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/why-the-long-primary-batt_b_102848.html

The long primary has forced the Obama campaign to develop organizations in all 50 states. Generally, presidential campaigns develop organizations in a few primary states and then go on to develop organizations in the few "in-play" general election states. By forcing Obama to create organizations in every state, the long primary season has helped enormously to broaden the general election playing field. This year, there will be strong, experienced Obama organizations in every state in America.

The long primary fight has battle-hardened the Obama organization. Most of Obama's top field people have now been through four or five tough primary contests. That experience has taught even the greenest organizer to "think like a political organizer." It has taught thousands of organizers and volunteers the nuances of political organizing that are only learned through practice.

Great organizations are more than the sum of their parts. They develop distinct values and procedures that combine to form strong organizational cultures. The problem with political organizations is that they are "thrown together." Strong cultures need time to develop. The long primary season has provided that time and practice. It will massively strengthen our ability to mobilize hundreds of thousands of volunteers and millions of voters in the fall.

The continuing primary drama has swelled the number of individual Obama donors. Obama received contributions from 200,000 new donors last month alone. The huge Internet fund raising base will provide a massive political advantage over McCain this fall. It would never have grown so large had the primary battle not continued.

The long primary campaign has battle hardened the candidate. Great long distance runners train for the Olympics by running in the mountains where the oxygen is thin. The tough contest has sharpened Obama's already formidable skills and those of his top advisers as well.

The most difficult issues have already been vetted. The tough primary forced the Reverend Wright controversy -- and the issue of race in general -- to be fully examined by the media and public. The same goes for other standard Republican attacks. Much better that these issues be raised in March than in October. Much better that the voters see Obama win primaries -- and win the nomination -- after dealing with these issues. And of course, it has given Americans the chance to get used to the idea of an African American president.

For many Americans that has happened. While Obama might have less appeal than Clinton among working class white Appalachians, he won 57% of the white vote in mostly-white Oregon -- including 53% of those earning under $50,000 per year.

Obama's big trump card in the fall election is his ability to change the electorate - to register and mobilize millions of voters who have not voted before. The long primary season has set the stage for a fall campaign that does just that. It will place dozens of new states into play. It will change the formula for winning traditional swing states like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.

In the end, the long primary season has set the stage for what could be a transformational election that sweeps Obama into the presidency, and substantially bolsters Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.

But it dropped off the first two pages within a couple of minutes of my posting it.

I didn't post excerpts because of the 4-paragraph rule and the fact that there really is no way to clip this piece that much and really convey its content--or the value of that content. But maybe asking readers to actually click a link and read the piece at its source is just askign them to go to too much trouble.

it. Many folks stop in and don't have time to go over the the original article. I'll try to keep it kicked.

Here's what I wrote a while back

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/izzybeans/45b

I also think Clinton knows this. She can't be that delusional.

That just isn't going to happen. I'd love to be wrong, but I have very little doubt that they are going to take this to the convention. And yes, I think they will also spend the summer trying to do as much as possible to tear him down. In that scenario, no.. Obama isn't helped at all by her staying in.

of the challenges and Hillary is aware of that and it has helped him and the Dem Party. Even if Hillary contests and it drags on...it give Obama a chance to see what it will be like going against Repugs and other obstacles when he is President.