The Two Democratic Parties
matrygg pointed me to a patgund article about Hillary and Obama's respective parties, which told me something I didn't know.
Obama is the choice nominee of the Democratic National Committee, the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party. They're the group with Howard Dean as the chairman and promoting a more distinct party identity with a more populist and distinct platform.
Hillary is the choice of the Democratic Leadership Council, the "Republican Wing of the Democratic Party". They are the "triangulators" who think that the Democratic party should attempt to woo Republican support by avoiding populist positions, welfare reform, NAFTA, etc. They've kept as few ties to the DNC as possible, partly to maintain their "middle path" legitimacy among conservatives.
More than who will be nominated and elected, the Hillary/Obama campaign will determine which group will take the reins of the Democratic Party. And that seems to be why there's so much Republican support for Hillary's candidacy. It's partly to keep Obama and Hillary attacking each other for a few more months, possibly because Hillary is a more familiar and possibly more demonizable candidate, but also because Hillary's policies are closer by design to the Republicans'.
Obama is the choice nominee of the Democratic National Committee, the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party. They're the group with Howard Dean as the chairman and promoting a more distinct party identity with a more populist and distinct platform.
Hillary is the choice of the Democratic Leadership Council, the "Republican Wing of the Democratic Party". They are the "triangulators" who think that the Democratic party should attempt to woo Republican support by avoiding populist positions, welfare reform, NAFTA, etc. They've kept as few ties to the DNC as possible, partly to maintain their "middle path" legitimacy among conservatives.
More than who will be nominated and elected, the Hillary/Obama campaign will determine which group will take the reins of the Democratic Party. And that seems to be why there's so much Republican support for Hillary's candidacy. It's partly to keep Obama and Hillary attacking each other for a few more months, possibly because Hillary is a more familiar and possibly more demonizable candidate, but also because Hillary's policies are closer by design to the Republicans'.