Editorial: Scrutiny, not sexism, foils Clinton campaign

Last week, we wrote an editorial defending Sen. Hillary Clinton’s right to stay in the Democratic primary race until the bitter end.

The New York senator has earned the opportunity. She and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., are nearly even in delegates, superdelegates and popular vote.

If the former first lady does not want to bail out before the last primary, or before the August convention, she’ll be spending her own money and millions from her supporters.

Tuesday night’s election returns pushed Obama closer to the nomination. But Clinton is no closer to conceding after winning another state, Kentucky.

Whichever claims the nomination, it has been a tough process. Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, hate to lose. They are firing every charge imaginable at Obama, using every trick in their thick book of campaign comebacks. They hardly sound conciliatory.

On Tuesday, the specter of sexism entered the fray. A group of women who support Clinton bought a full-page ad in The New York Times, urging her to stay in the race.

“Not so fast,” said the ad, purchased by a group not affiliated with the Clinton campaign called WomenCount. “Hillary’s voice is OUR voice, and she’s speaking for all of us.

“We want Hillary to stay in this race until every vote is cast, every vote is counted, and we know that our voices are heard.”

The group certainly does not speak for all women, but a prominent woman politician said she thinks sexism has been rampant in the election. Former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro said she blames bias for Clinton’s apparent fate.

“Latent sexism has been around this country for a long time. In this campaign it was rampant,” Ferraro, the 1984 Democratic vice presidential nominee, said on NBC’s “Today” show.

“There is a real difference in this country. It is not OK to be racist. It is just not. It is almost acceptable to be sexist,” Ferraro said.

The ad and Ferraro’s comments underscore the need for Obama to seriously consider a woman vice presidential nominee, just not Clinton.

Voters, in our opinion, are picking Obama because they’re suffering from Clinton fatigue, not from bias. They are scrutinizing her record and rejecting her ideas. They do not want another Clinton in the White House. Imagine having Bill Clinton in the White House again with no formal duties and no checks and balances.

Putting Clinton on the ticket might unify the party, but it would guarantee its defeat against Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in November. Obama should pick either Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano or Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Women alienated by the campaign would rally back around the ticket with such an inspired choice.

In the meantime, the November election will be historic. McCain will join the late Sen. Barry Goldwater as only the second Arizonan to lead a major party ticket. Obama would be the first black and Clinton the first woman candidate. We expect voters to come out in record numbers.

The Democrats have work to do, and fences to mend, before November. But there’s a time and place for everything. In this election, it will be when Clinton surrenders on her own terms.

Unsigned editorials represent the view of this newspaper. Respond with a Letter to the Editor by e-mailing letters@gvnews.com.