Why Hillary Clinton Needs to Concede

Hillary Clinton is without a doubt a brilliant and competent person, and would probably be a good leader for this country.  She has carried out an impressive, albeit at times desperate, campaign and has shown herself to have a strong sense of leadership and could very well possess the wherewithal to turn this nation's global economic and diplomatic situations around and return us to a seat of power and dignity.

Except.

Except that we don't vote for people like that.  When the American People vote, we don't vote for smart or strong or competent (as evidenced by the previous two Presidential Elections).  The bottom line is that Senator Clinton is well-loved by many voting Americans and well-loathed by just as many.

In the upcoming race, regardless of the outcome of the Democratic Party Primaries, the selected candidate will be facing a strong and somewhat moderate leaning Republican in John McCain.  Just because the GOP has been spent the last 8 years being repeatedly caught with their shorts down doesn't mean that we should discount his positioning.  In fact, we should make every effort not to underestimate him.  He is a smart and capable man with buckets of charisma and in the truest definition of the words is a Real American Hero.

Senator Clinton can't compete with that.  Senator Barack Obama can.

Ultimately, this Nation, as progressive and forward-thinking as we like to think we are, are not past millennia-old gender biases.  Hillary Clinton is a woman, and she is hated because of it.  While this is no judgement on her character or or competence, it is a judgement on her electability against a former POW.  Barack Obama is fresh, and this country, I believe, has been pushed far enough past its racial inequality that he is electable.  More than that, he is inspiring.  I'm not sure if he's an FDR or JFK, but history will have to determine that later, he certainly has the potential to move the people in such ways.

It should also be considered that we are facing beginning a dynasty system in that if she is elected, there will have been a Bush or Clinton in the White House for 8 consecutive terms (32 years) and possible 9 if she were then reelected.  There is also an argument that Obama's lack of tenure in National Government means that he hasn't had enough time to be completely corrupted by the system.

In the end, Barack Obama stands a better chance in a race against John McCain than does Hillary Clinton.  It is for this reason alone, the betterment of the Democratic Party and hopefully the salvation of the United States of America that Hillary should step down.  There comes a time when one must decide between the needs of the many and the needs of the few - just like the end of Star Trek II.