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Reid Says ‘We Should Just Relax’ About Democratic Race

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May 11, 2008 11:24 AM

ABC News’ Mary Bruce reports: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said this morning that everyone “should just relax” when it comes to determining the Democratic presidential nominee.

"I think we have to play this out.  We have a campaign that's been very good for the American people ... and we have a June 3rd final primary," Reid said in an appearance on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos." "President Clinton didn't get the nomination until June 2nd.  So, I think we should just relax a little bit."

Reid did not say definitively that the race will go on until June, but he did note that "after that June 3rd date arrives, I think that Obama and Clinton will have a few days to make their case to the uncommitted delegates, and then the decision will be made, and we'll have a five-month general election."

Reid also rejected the notion that the prolonged nomination fight is harming the Democratic party.

"I disagree that this fight has hurt the party.  I believe it's been great for the country.  We have, for example, just to show what is happening around the country -- Arkansas, [Democratic registration] has gone up 18 percent; in Kansas, 2,500 percent; in Nevada, for the first time in a generation, Democrats lead Republicans by tens of thousands of votes; in Pennsylvania, for the first time in the history of that state, more than 4 million registered Democrats.  And the same is going to happen the next two or three weeks.  This campaign has been great for us," he explained.

Reid declined to weigh in on the "Dream Ticket," saying, "only two people can make that decision, and that's Obama and Clinton.  No one else can make it.  If that happens, it happens, but it can only be with the two of them."

May 11, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (221)

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Hillary should not even get the VP slot. If she does we will vote for Nader. We are not stupid like some Clintonites to even mention that we could vote for McSame. Besides, Barack should never pay the Clintons campaign debt with our money. Let the Clintonites pay for their own mess.

Posted by: Sheila | May 11, 2008 1:07:19 PM

I like the positive perspective and sage input. Too many vitiolic comments from others.

Posted by: Dan C Andersen | May 11, 2008 1:07:55 PM

Lookup--and your logic for that is ???

I can't help it if you can't miss relatively common movie quotes.

The rest of your post is just sad.

Posted by: jim-a | May 11, 2008 1:09:43 PM

It's time to repair the campaign injuries between both campaigns. I am very respectful of the Clinton's and voted for Bill 2 times and atually went into the voting booth here in San Francisco, California to vote for Hillary and no joke a light went off in my head and all I could think of was the possibility of CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN and YES WE CAN.

More importantly a couple of important flashbacks occured and I gave it a lot of thought before I decided to vote for Senator Obama.

I know the Clinton name and politics and respect them tremendously, but the "NEW KID ON THE BLOCK" has a new energy and brings hope to a lot of Ordinary Americans and I believe he will try to strenghten our nation as a whole and I think he will work for the good of ORDINARY PEOPLE and he has 2 daughters and a wife to work for so he has no reason to do counter productive things that will affect his family or yours or mine.

I want America to represent quality of life issues for all Americans and I think Senator Obama is up for the challenge. One thing for sure he could not do any worse than what we have been forced to deal with for the past 8 years.

His race is not an issue to me nor is his patrotism. Wearing a flag pin and treating people of color as sub standard humans does not make you a good patriot. Onward and Upward. He will "walk softly and carry a very big stick" to defend ordinary people like you and me.

VOTE OBAMA 2008

Posted by: Lou | May 11, 2008 1:11:33 PM

CORRUPT MEDIA. GREAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING WHAT CNN, MSNBC AND OTHER LEFT WINGS MEDIAS ARE DOING..... THEY THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE BLIND AND DEAF LIKE
STUPID.... NO NO NO THEY WILL PAY THE PRICE OF BEEN SO CORRUPT....... WE ARE NO THAT STUPIDS AS THEY THINKS WE ARE... NO NO NO...... GOD BLESS THIS AMERICA.

Posted by: ERIC | May 11, 2008 1:13:26 PM

Lou: You plea for unity is touching, but it's kind of like asking a wife who has been battered for many years to "put it all behind" her. Obama and his supporters have been the most vile and insulting crew this side of the far right Bush supporters, and frankly, for many of us, it is much too late for reconciliation. Moreover, many of us simply cannot vote for Obama; he's much too inexperienced, deceptive, ruthless, divisive and racist.

Posted by: Sally | May 11, 2008 1:15:02 PM

Reading so many comments with the same sentiments makes me realize I'm not alone in feeling that for the first time I must vote for a Republican. The flag pin and refusal to pledge allegiance seemed incredibly silly when I first heard it. Combining that with Obama's church and his prejudiced statements make me realize I could never take a chance with this man.

Posted by: dds | May 11, 2008 1:21:41 PM

What a stupid question to ask anyone in the Democrat Party. Do you actually think that you would hear anyone say. " We are in a lot of trouble with the party split as it is." Hell No! You would not hear that from the Republican Party either if the tables were reversed. I think the media needs to focus on the facts instead of asking questions of which the answers are already known.

Posted by: dave | May 11, 2008 1:25:12 PM

Reid can relax while John McCain runs around the country making his case and our party is loosing time dealing with a nomination issue which is long since reached its conclusion. His type of leadership relaxed while Bush ran this country in the ground.

Posted by: leslie | May 11, 2008 1:28:38 PM

I agree with most of what everyone says here, except one thing - I can’t use my vote to allow the right wing to stay in office. But I fully understand the hard feelings so many of us have, and truth is, I even admitted to the president of my company 2 days ago, who enjoys spirited debate, that voting for Obama would be the hardest vote I ever had to make.

I can’t vote for McCain.
I can’t stand to vote for Obama.

Wow, what a mess.

Posted by: Toto | May 11, 2008 1:29:51 PM

"...we have a campaign that has been for the American people..." How so? We have a smart and agile man (a socialist) with little experience winning because he has offered an alternative to a smart, calculating, pathological liar (a socialist) with a husband who has a background of chasing girls (not women, yet) less than half his age, running around the country running his mouth and pointing his finger at folks. And all the other political corporation can come up with is an heroic figure of the Viet Nam War era who reads teleprompters and embraces illegal immigration (a liberal). How has this primary season been good? Hillary's supporters are enraged and indignant, Obama's supporters insulted and triumphant, and most Republicans are in quiet disbelief that this is all we have to choose from. To say that this has been good for the American people just shows what a shallow political hack Mr. Reid is, along the same political blood lines as Jim Wright.

Posted by: jggrimm | May 11, 2008 1:34:21 PM

I think all of you Obama haters need to start saying Obama 08 and get use to it!!!

Posted by: Terry | May 11, 2008 1:37:58 PM

The house is on Fire !!! Have they evr been in fight? We are not Al Gore. Maybe I am not a Democrat, after all. Because, let’s face it, the Democratic Party doesn’t want me– so why should I continue to want them?

I think a lotta women are asking themselves this question along about now.

I mean where in the Democratic National Committee Leadership is there a woman at all. We got Donna Brazile, who hates gays, is more responsive to her race than her sex and backs Obama because she cannot resist the movie in her head called: Triumph of the Race.

And then there is Howard Dean who hates the Clinton’s and is a progressive Democrat who went down in flames electorally; but what the hell–he is Obama’s guy on the Inside.

And then there is WHO? C’mon, all you astute electioneer armchair handicappers; Where is the woman who is in power in leadership in the Democratic National Committee? WHO?

SILENCE!!!

Posted by: MargaretMi | May 11, 2008 1:45:12 PM

As the press says, both are 'exciting candidates.' What we need is to win in November. HIllary is the one who can win this year, and at her age (60) she may be too old next time. Obama is 46, he has plenty more time. In 2016 he will have a better chance than if he runs now: he will have more experience and a more unified party.

Posted by: fsteele | May 11, 2008 1:51:53 PM

From Dem: "Let there be a quiet riot at the voting booths and ensure defeat of Obama on Nov 4th." This is the era of respect and we have all the support. It is becoming big ! That is right Dem, the riot will be in the voting booths. The campaign has finallt started. This is exactly what Hillary Clinton has showed as a leader of the hard working american people.

Posted by: MargaretMi | May 11, 2008 1:55:25 PM

It is a sad commentary on media bias that I had to learn from a blogger that an Obama advisor had to resign from his post for secretly meeting with the terrorist group Hamas. Had this occurred with McCain or Clinton, I am sure it would have been on every Sunday morning show.

Posted by: dds | May 11, 2008 1:58:59 PM

Melanie: Pelosi and Dean are Democrats and though they may be wrong, they are still Dem's; that is, if they are really promoting Obama...they haven't publicly declared. However, the MSM is another story---I think they are trying to promote McCain by supporting Obama because they know that Obama is an albatross.

Posted by: Two-cats | May 11, 2008 2:03:53 PM

Rachel35222: I must say I have really enjoyed your comments over the past few days. They are very insightful. When I see people buying this bull from Obama, I can't help but think of Germany in the 1930's.

Posted by: beo | May 11, 2008 2:05:15 PM

dds: Don't be surprised. They just want to luck up. Barack Obama's foreign policy advisor was fired for secret meeting with Hamas. Of course, what can you expect from the media. This is pure terrorism, an attempt to our security and a reason to ban a nomination on any party in the world. Is the CIA investigating? the FBI? This is the new America and we are all part of ir. God protects us !

Posted by: MargaretMi | May 11, 2008 2:05:23 PM

I have a hard time believing that the people claiming to be Hillary supporters on here are actually Democrats. Are you really so upset that your candidate is losing that you're willing to sacrifice years more of war, economic policies that favor only the wealthy and a disintegrating health care system? The only differences policy wise between Obama and Hillary are the health care mandate for adults and the gas tax cut for the summer. Please, let's get with it.

Posted by: Tom | May 11, 2008 2:05:29 PM

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