THE CLINTONITES DILEMMA

The avid Hillary Clinton supporters are faced with a dilemma of great proportions. Just 18 months ago, their candidate was a prohibitive favorite to become the Democrat candidate for president in the 2008 presidential election. Now, Senator Clinton is an also-ran which frustrates and hurts her supporters to the core. They continue to ask how this could have happened? If the Democrat Party had the same primary rules as the Republican Party, Hillary would have stood in that Denver sports park, delivering her acceptance speech.

If that comment puzzles you, remember that Senator Clinton won the primaries in all the big states, but had to share the delegates proportionally with Senator Obama. Under Republican Party rules, she would have been awarded all the delegates from those large states and her nomination would have been a shoo-in.

So where does this leave Hillary’s sad and disillusioned supporters, not to mention Hillary and Bill themselves? Supporters’ emotions have undoubtedly run the gamut from confidence that Senator Clinton was assured the nomination to the realization that Obama had snatched it away -- from the gamut of watching her being thrust aside for that coveted second spot to knowing that had she been the nominee, she would have most assuredly selected her rival as her vice-presidential running mate to solidify the party and insure victory in November.

How much emotional pain has all this inflicted on the Clintonites? You can summarize their position thusly:

1. Senator Clinton was a more qualified candidate than Senator Obama, got more primary votes and carried the critical large electoral states – but lost only because the Democrat Party primary rules awarded delegates on a proportional basis.

2. Senator Clinton was brushed off as the consensus vice-presidential candidate which would have assured victory in November – and in a humiliating way.

3. If Senator Obama prevails in November, Senator Clinton’s opportunity as a future presidential candidate is most probably eliminated until the 2016 election at the minimum. She will be 69 by then and who knows what her situation, interests and desires will be in 8 years.

4. If, however, Senator Obama loses, she becomes the odds-on favorite for the Democrat Party nomination in 2012, with a full four years to demonstrate her leadership and become the voice of the Democrat Party in the US Congress.

So, what are the options for her loyal retinue of supporters within her 18 million primary voters, whose actions could easily affect the outcome of the November election?

1. They can bury their deep emotional pain and vote for the Democrat candidate, thereby dooming Senator Clinton’s presidential ambitions, perhaps forever – if it is their votes that provide the Obama margin of victory.

2. They can stay home on Election Day, retreat to a dark corner and sit in a fetal position to await the results, which by their inaction may still lead to a Senator Obama victory – and again, probably doom Senator Clinton’s presidential ambitions forever.

3. They can turn out on Election Day and vote for Senator McCain. If he wins, Senator Clinton’s presidential standing is rejuvenated as the choice for 2012, with 4 years to solidify her leadership. If Senator Obama still wins, they will have the satisfaction of having done everything they could for their candidate.

If you want to know how this will all turn out just stick around until late on November 4, 2008, when the pundits will clear it all up for us. Stay tuned!