What is it with this race? Every time you think the race is over, something happens that opens it back up. To spin last night as anything other than a huge success for Hillary Clinton, as the Obama team has, would be crazy.
After the wins for Hillary Clinton in Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas it once again is a sign of one of my most often used political thoughts. "You can never count out the Clinton's." Love them or hate them, the Clinton's are the most resilient politicians of modern times.
As I wrote yesterday, think that the re-humanization of Hillary on Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, and other places reminded voters why they like her. That combined with a rough 4 days of press for Obama gave her just enough to sneak out a victory. They weren't huge victories, but wins are big.
Two other winners for the night are in the above picture with Hillary. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones went way out on the limb for Hillary in the face of a wave of Obama-mania. They were on every TV show as her main surrogates the past two weeks and proved to be her best and most reliable backers to date. As a Democrat I see a huge future for Strickland whether it be as a VP, future Senator, or running for President himself in four or eight years. Congresswoman Tubbs-Jones was a star on CNN, MSNBC, and the networks clearly making the case for Hillary and the both of them deserve a lot of credit for the 10point Hillary victory
After a month of election night speeches where Hillary was a candidate in a haze of denial and delusion, she was able to give a speech like the one I raved about after February 5th's Super Tuesday. She was confident and even showed a hint of graciousness by recognizing Obama and what he has meant to the campaign.
All that being said, I still believe what I said yesterday.
Hillary should drop out of the race and endorse Obama,,, and do it,, now. To take this race 7 more weeks to Pennsylvania or 12 more weeks to Puerto Rico, would give the Republicans their best chance to keep the White House.
She has had a great week, is on the upswing in the eyes of the country, and has reminded people like me who always liked and respected her, why they did. She could leave the race now, unite the party, be a major player in the election and be viewed as a hero.
Or she can drag Obama into the gutter, try to strong arm Super Delegates, and cause an irreparable split in the party that will put John McCain in the White House and fill two or more seats on the Supreme Court.
It would go against the fabric of her character to essentially quit the campaign. Hillary is a person who had to face the worst kind of humiliation in the face of the entire world and has rebounded to be a major contender for the Presidency. Yet if she leaves the race now, she will enhance her image and perception as much if she won the Presidency.
3 comments:
Hillary won't drop out, as you said, because the very idea of that is totally alien to her nature.
I honestly believe that she doesn't care one bit about being a democrat or a republican or the actual how and why and what of governing- she just wants to tell everyone what to do.
If it would better serve that end that she was a member of the Green Party, of the American Nazi Party, or the Whigs that's the party she would be in.
She cares about being in charge. She doesn't really care about the country, or you, or me, or the party.
The thing which amazes me is that she hardly tries to hide this fact. Most everyone who watches her for even just a little while senses it.
She always reminded me of Lady Macbeth when Bill was in the White House and now we are seeing the more interesting sequel- Macbeth 2:Lady Macbeth Harder.
Just as an aside, I saw an article recently where they asked Obama's grandmother- who lives in a village in Kenya somewhere- if he was a Muslim. She said he's not a Muslim, although his grandfather was, and as far as she knew everyone was free to pick whatever religion they wanted.
It made me inordinately happy that a major candidate for the Presidency of the United States has a grandmother who lives in a hut in a village in Kenya.
That's how this country is supposed to work.
Macbeth 2: Lady Macbeth Harder. LOL. You should write a blog.
Lets analyze this a bit. I don't think that anyone can argue against the fact that it's still a mans world. Seriously, I know women have made amazing progress but we're not there yet.
And the momentum of Hillary is that animosity coming out. I'm not saying it's right that we vote for someone purely based on their gender, I'm not going to, but I think that's whats happening here. Women are excited that we have a female candidate and that's keeping her in this race. Every time I talk to a female friend or family member who haphazardly pays attention to politics they are excited about Hillary.
This is what you all get for waiting so long to let us vote :-)
In her defense, (since I'm getting so good at it around here) what I don't understand, is when people attack her lack of experience. Attack her for being a smug, narcissistic Lady Macbeth fine, I understand that. You are right Johnny, when you say she has come off like a spoiled child in this election to anyone who has been paying attention. But she has more experience than Obama, more time as a senator, more time in the "game". So if your going to attack one of the dem candidates for being ill-experienced, lets stick to the right one.
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