Politics News

Ernie Fitzpatrick asked:


When the dust settles on this primary election cycle I think pundits and historians will mostly all agree that Bill Clinton was Hillary’s undoing. His game worked when it was him attacking them, when it was Bill versus the right wing conspiracy; however, when it is Bill versus “other Democrats” it is an abject failure. Democrats are now looking in the mirror and seeing the “Clinton myth” and it’s not a pretty picture at all. The latest Bill Clinton attack, as subtle as it was, didn’t go unnoticed!

What was the headline this past weekend from Bubba? “John McCain and Hillary Clinton love America. So wouldn’t it be great to see those two who love America vie for the presidential title? Surely you get the inference! And it is statements just like this that’s turning the Democratic party away from Hillary as much as for Obama- who is at least conciliatory in his comments.

Hillary is just barely holding on. To what?

Hillary Clinton has virtually no chance of winning. Her own campaign acknowledges there is no way that she will finish ahead in pledged delegates. That The notion of the Democratic contest being a dramatic cliffhanger is a game of make-believe.means the only way she wins is if Democratic super delegates are ready to risk a backlash of historic proportions from the party’s most reliable constituency. Unless Clinton is able to at least win the primary popular vote, which also would take nothing less than an electoral miracle, and use that achievement to pressure super delegates (like Bill Richardson?), she has only one scenario for victory. An African-American opponent and his backers would be told that, even though he won the contest with voters, the prize is going to someone else.

The Clinton invincibility myth is dying a slow death, and with it the Hillary Clinton campaign.

The notion of the Democratic contest being a dramatic cliffhanger is a game of make-believe.The real question is why so many people believing that she has a chance, other than pulling off some back-room shady deal? The answer has more to do with media psychology than with practical politics.

Meanwhile, Bubba’s latest comments are causing the Hillary Clinton campaign to bob and weave, saying the comments were being misinterpreted and quickly posting a clarification on its Web site. But retired Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak said he was disappointed by the comments and compared them to those of McCarthy, the 1950s communist-hunting senator.

Hey Bill. The fat lady is walking up the steps to take the microphone.

Ernie Fitzpatrick asked:


We’ve had a sub-prime meltdown in the market that’s led to a financial markets meltdown, but the Feds are giving away money to prevent a Wall Street meltdown. So, here’s the question of the day. Is there anything that can be done to prevent a complete Clinton meltdown. Or is it too late for a modern day resurrection?

On the West coast it was Bill Clinton doing his red-faced, finger-pointing, and neck vein exploding act! Bubba was on the West coast trying to woo some super delegates. But guess what happened?

According to those at the meeting, Clinton, who flew in from Chicago with bags under his eyes, was classic old Bill at first, charming and making small talk with the 15 or so delegates who gathered in a room behind the convention stage. But as the group moved together for the perfunctory photo, Rachel Binah, a former Bill Richardson delegate who now supports Hillary Clinton, told Bill how “sorry” she was to have heard former Clinton campaign manager James Carville call Richardson a “Judas” for backing Obama.

It was as if someone pulled the pin from a grenade! That’s Bubba again.

“Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that,” a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted. The former president then went on a tirade that ran from the media’s unfair treatment of Hillary to questions about the fairness of the votes in state caucuses that voted for Obama. It ended with him asking delegates to imagine what the reaction would be if Obama was trailing by just 1 percent and people were telling him to drop out.

“It was very, very intense,” said one attendee. “Not at all like the Bill of earlier campaigns.” Bill just isn’t himself these days of is it that the Democrats never saw the real bill, the kill Bill personality that Dick Morris has mentioned that he had experienced: even having been tackled by Bubba!

Back on the East side of the country, it seems as though Hillary was having a poll meltdown in Pennsylvania. On Tuesday it was reported that her one-time 26 point lead which had dropped to 15 points a month ago was now just 5 points according to a Rasmussen poll.

But on Wednesday the latest Public Policy Polling survey had Obama up 45-43%! That’s a major meltdown for Hillary and major Obama momentum!

But of course we have almost three more weeks in which anything can happen! While the numbers are nbot out, nor official, it appears that Obama kept his advertising budget lead with what’s rumored to be $30 million to $20 million advantage for March donations. We’ll know officially in a few more days.

Meltdown does seem like a proper description of the overall Clinton campaign.

Ernie Fitzpatrick asked:


You knew it was coming and there will be a lot more senior Democratic elders joining in. No one wants to be the last to jump on the train. Hey Jimmy and Al, it’s time to get on board. Show some courage, some resolve. Bubba and Hillary can’t hurt you now: maybe in 2012 but I doubt it will be the same world in 2012 for a lot of reasons!

Democrat John Edwards has given his long-awaited endorsement to Barack Obama. It’s a major boost from a former presidential rival as Obama tries to shrug off Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is determined to press ahead. And Michigan was a great place for it to happen since neither Edwards or Obama had their name on the primary ballot, but Hillary wants credit for winning Michigan.

Why not dream!

The endorsement comes the day after Clinton defeated Obama by more than 2-to-1 in West Virginia. The loss highlighted Obama’s work to win over the “Hillary Democrats” — white, working-class voters who also supported Edwards in large numbers before he exited the race. With victories like West Virginia, who needs them?

So much for Operation Chaos

Edwards, a former North Carolina senator and the 2004 vice presidential nominee, dropped out of the race in late January. Edwards, who is not a superdelegate, said last week that it was “fine” for Clinton to continue making her case but expressed concern that a continued campaign could damage the party’s prospects in November.

Wednesday’s endorsement could help Obama reach out to white blue-collar voters, a demographic that Obama has failed to capture, most notably in the recent Pennsylvania and West Virginia primaries. Edwards had campaigned on the message that he was standing up for the little guy, the people who are not traditionally given a voice in Washington, and that he would do more to fight special interests.

After dropping out of the race, Edwards asked both Clinton and Obama to make poverty a central issue in the general election and a future Democratic administration, something both agreed to do. But in the end, one needs to read the hand writing on the wall and go with the winner.

Thus, Edwards has endorsed Obama! Duh!

Ernie Fitzpatrick asked:


How is it that Hillary can be “ready on day one” when her campaign is in a shambles now? Since she has been running for president for eight+ years now, why is her campaign so dysfunctional? She has the democratic machine behind her, Bubba, and access to wealth and power beyond limits and yet she now finds herself in the second slot in this horse race for the democratic nomination.

And if anyone thinks she’s going to bow out, you have another think coming. She’d rather sink the party and the nation before losing. Hillary doesn’t lose! So, while Barack Obama’s campaign touts “the math” as pointing to an insurmountable delegate lead for the Illinois senator, Hillary marches on and even has the audacity to say Obama would be a good VP on her ticket!

I’m here to tell you that IF she won the nomination, and IF Obama was amicable to a VP role (and he’s not), she could not stand having him as a VP because of his popularity. Hillary will not have anyone looking good around ehre except here image in the mirror.

Rich Lowry nails it on the head when he wrote, “Hillary isn’t electrifying on the stump, her campaign is dysfunctional, and — truth be told — she’s not particularly experienced. What Hillary has is a shameless will to power, and a near lock on an old-school Democratic coalition built on working-class whites. That is enough for her to try to pry the nomination from Obama’s hands one finger at a time.”

It’s impossible for Hillary to gain enough delegates over the enxt eleven primaries to exceed Obama. So, other behind closed door methods will have to be employed. And she can do that! Obama will most likely continue to lead Clinton by about 100 pledged delegates, but won’t get enough to secure the nomination before the convention in August. Obama, and Hillary for that matter, will need superdelegates — elected officials and party officers who are free to vote for whomever they choose, Lowry notes.

Ahh, those fluid super delegates! Who knows how many each candidate has?

The super delegates won’t necessarily support the candidate with the most pledged delegates. The Washington Post spoke with 80 superdelegates who said they will support the candidate who will run the strongest campaign against Republican John McCain. And just who is going to determine who that might be? The Magnolia state gets to add it’s feelings today!

Obama has downplayed the possibility of taking the vice presidential slot, but hasn’t totally ruled it out, and until he does, doubts will remain about whether he has the stomach for what Hillary will drag him through. Hz Obama got the guts, the will, the moxy to take all that Hillary and Bubba can throw at him? We’re surely going to find out.

The Hillary Clinton campaign may be short of professionalism, but it’s not short on intimidation and pwoer brokering. Stay tuned for……….NEWS! :-)Hillary Clinton Campaign