It's almost official: Obama is the nominee

So says the Associated Press, among others. Now the race changes in two respects. First, we see how Obama runs against John McCain. Second, we see how Hillary Clinton works to keep herself in the spotlight and keep ahold of power, without the delegate count. Will she find a way to wheedle her way into an Obama cabinet? Will she follow her husband's example of refusing to leave the spotlight? Or will she step back, and become the "loyal opposition" within her own party?

Somehow, I suspect the press will be complicit in any attempt to keep the Clintons front and center. Otherwise, they won't have much to talk about in July.

Hillary Supporters Key to a McCain Victory?

Most of us have seen the video of "screaming woman" at the RBC meeting saying that if Obama is the nominee, all of Hillary's supporters will go over to McCain. I have been reading several left-wing bloggers and they seem equally split between those who decry the sentiment because McCain is Pro-life and those who support the sentiment because... well... their priority is getting a woman - any woman - elected.

This makes me wonder if it is possible to find a GOP woman to serve as McCain's VP who can both be enough of a feminist to please Hillary Clinton supporters, and Pro-Life enough to satisfy (please note I did not say "please") Conservatives. I could not think of anyone offhand - most of the likely suspects are too tightly linked to GWB - but if so, this could be the key to a McCain win.

McCain/Clinton 2008: Not Gonna Happen

I used to respect Mike Gallagher in his early days in WABC radio in NYC. He was a talk show host who tried to keep the perspective of the common man, but with a Conservative spin. Unlike Rush Limbaugh, he did not engage in theater for its own sake. And unlike Shawn Hannity, he did not lapse into shtick when he got bored or annoyed. But after he was paired with a particular partner, Mr. Gallagher decided that the "honest, common man" approach was not paying the bills, and began a career of constantly shooting at easy targets to get a reaction via cheap shots.

http://townhall.com/Columnists/MikeGallagher/2008/05/09/the_ultimate_conservative_nightmare

This newest article is another attempt at the cheap shot. He asks the what-if question (which he claims a caller brought up first) of a McCain/Clinton ticket for 2008, and speculates that such a ticket would be unbeatable. But the reality is that such a ticket would be unelectable for a number of reasons. (1) Only hard-code McCain and Clinton supporters could stomach such a ticket. The base of the GOP (Conservatives) could never vote for any ticket with a Clinton on it, and the base of the Democratic Party (Liberals) could never vote for a ticket that includes someone who opposed their nominee. Without either base, you're in a minority. (2) John McCain's draw is as a man who sticks by his guns, even if his ideas are sometimes at odds with his friends. Hillary Clinton is opposed to John McCain in nearly every important issue. (3) While McCain is known for crossing the aisle and working with Democrats, Hillary Clinton has not been known for the same kind of spirit. It would be one thing to embrace Joe Lieberman, but another entirely to embrace an extreme partisan. (4) Hillary Clinton has seen what Vice President meant for mean like Al Gore, and that being a losing running mate can end your career. She wants power, not position, and would only take VP in an administration she knew she could have considerable control over. (5) Hillary Clinton has ambitions beyond the presidency. If she loses this nomination, she would be a front-runner for New York Governor. And even if not, she has considerable power in the Senate. Why give all that up for a political stunt? (6) Whatever John McCain does in this election is his last political Will and Testament. Do you really think he wants his last memorandum to history to be "I'll hitch my wagon to anyone to win."

So, if you hear this meme on Talk Radio, see it on Drudge, or get forwarded it by a well-meaning panicky friend, recognize it for what it is. It is a cheap shot at a showman looking for ratings. It has no connection with reality.

Russert: It's Over, Obama is the Nominee

Last night, the vote counts appear to show a large margin of victory for Obama in North Carolina (15 points or more) and a small win for Clinton in Indiana (less than 5 points). This has lead Tim Russert to finally declare it is over and Obama is the nominee. Apparently, Senator Clinton has cancelled all public appearances for a few days while she reviews the results and considers her next steps. The question now is, will she concede, or will this fight be taken all the way to the Convention floor. We all know the Clintons are capable of deciding to use every dirty trick to try and overturn the results, but doing so would likely destroy the Democratic Party in the near term. Can she put the good of her party ahead of herself?

It could be an interesting week for politics-watchers.

Best... Political Ad... Ever!

Hillary Clinton wins PA by 10 points

You couldn't tell it by the signage we saw down in Hershey, PA last week - Obama had over twice as many signs up, although Ron Paul beat them all - but apparently the former First Lady had a huge upswell of support. CNN is calling her the winner in the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary by 10 points.

I still say the Dems are crazy if they do not nominate Barack Obama. But no one ever accused the Democratic (or Republican) party of an overabundance of logic or intelligence. Politics is politics.

I love parody

It forces us to see ourselves in a new light. For example, this is for NCAA fans and Democrats everywhere.

Ms. Clinton stated that Memphis, while losing the game, had actually shown more ability to act like a National Champion on Day One. She argued that Memphis had passed every test during the game, including scoring more points than Kansas for 38 minutes. For 38 minutes they had shown the experience necessary to be National Champion. "Just because some team comes along in the last minute and scores more points than the other guy doesn't mean they're necessarily able to be National Champion on Day One."

Hillary Clinton: A Long Pattern of Deciet

Here is an interesting story that I have not heard mentioned even in the Conservative side of the media about Hillary Rodham's (before she married Bill) service during Watergate.

When the investigation was over, Zeifman fired Hillary from the committee staff and refused to give her a letter of recommendation – one of only three people who earned that dubious distinction in Zeifman’s 17-year career.

Why?

“Because she was a liar,” Zeifman said in an interview last week. “She was an unethical, dishonest lawyer. She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality.”

It appears the Clintonian pattern of deceit and doing anything to win did not begin on the road to the White House or even in Arkansas. I truly hope we are not in for 4 more years of this.

Hillary speechifies another Falsehood

How long can it be until EVERY story told by Hillary Clinton is scrutinized? This time a health care story that Clinton has used several times as evidence of an insurance crisis is shown to be false. The case cited as proof of the foolishness of the insurance system in treating the uninsured, turned out on later scrutiny to be about a woman who WAS insured and who was never refused treatment.

One has to wonder if the Democrats are really ready for four more years of this kind of thing?

Hypocrisy at its finest

Hillary-ous!

"The Tanya Harding Option"

I know our readers may be sick of these "Has Hillary gone too far?" articles, but I find the self-destructive nature of Senator Clinton to be fascinating. For years, we have been saying Hillary never saw the Senate as anything else but a stepping stone. Now, Democrats are coming to the same realization and wondering what kind of monster they have created. One wonders if one day this will be known as the "What have we been doing?" election as Republicans come to grips with the economic legacy of GWB, and Democrats come to grip with the "Shoot 'em all and let God sort it out" legacy of the Clintons.

Some top Democrats are increasingly worried that the Clintons’ divide-and-conquer strategy is nihilistic: Hillary or no democrat.

(Or, as one Democrat described it to ABC’s Jake Tapper: Hillary is going for “the Tonya Harding option” — if she can’t get the gold, kneecap her rival.)

...And even Clinton supporters know that Bill does not want to be replaced as the first black president, especially by a black president with enough magic to possibly eclipse him in the history books.

I will say it again: If the Democrats do not nominate Barack Obama, they are crazy. But I do not think charges of insanity would be unfair for either party this year.

Liberals Coming to Hillary Realization

At a time when the Hilary Clinton Campaign was gaining some momentum after the flap over Barak Obama's pastor, she went and squandered her opportunity with her recent statements about her Bosnia trip in the 1990s. Even reporters who are not considered conservative realize what a Hillary Clinton presidency will mean. Anderson Cooper of CNN made the following comment:

"The Bosnian episode is a watershed event, because it indelibly brings to mind so many examples of this tendency– from the White House years and, worse, from Hillary Clinton’s take-no-prisoners presidential campaign. Her record as a public person is replete with “misstatements” and elisions and retracted and redacted and revoked assertions… "

How can Hillary survive when even the liberals don't want to see her and what she represents back in the White House.

NY Governor still possible out for Hillary?

A little while back when Elliot Spitzer admitted his affair, I suggested that perhaps this offered a way out for Hillary Clinton from the Presidential race. Leaving the race to take over as governor of New York State would be a way to save face and not have to consider herself the loser of the primary. And it would solidify Democratic control of both a major state and (perhaps) the White House. But, this idea wilted on the vine in light of the accolades for the first minority, disabled governor of New York was widely lauded by Democrats.

But now, things are a-changing.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080325/ap_on_re_us/ny_governor

Governor Patterson has had to admit to multiple affairs, drug use, and other criminal acts. None (yet) have been lethal to his fledgling political career. But it may only be a matter of time before New Yorkers have had enough and either call for impeachment, or drive him to resignation. If so, it opens another possible window for Hillary Clinton to exit the race without declaring defeat. Who knows?

Then again, Senator Clinton has not yet shown the ability to recognize an opportunity to retreat.

And by "under sniper fire", I meant "they gave us flowers"...

Democrats Jumping the Shark?

I am starting to think the Democratic Primary has now officially jumped the shark. "Jumping the shark" is a term used to indicate when a television show has gone from enjoyable to an embarrassing self-parody (referring back to an episode of Happy Days where the Fonz actually jumps a shark on his motorcycle). As the Dems have moved from "mutual respect" to increasingly personal attacks (Hillary called a "monster", Obama told he is "lucky he isn't white") they are starting to risk alienating the very people they need to appeal to in order to beat John McCain in the fall. I suspect we have only another week or so of this kind of dialog before positions harden and supporters of one side decide they will not vote for the other side in the General Election. This is especially likely when the challenger is a reformer proven to have appeal to the Left.

The interesting thing here is I do not think the Democrats can wait until the results from Pennsylvania are clear. I suspect by then positions will have calcified and trenches will be deeply dug. And perhaps a whole generation of young voters will be turned off to the process in general. (Republican Party take note, this may be your chance to appeal to the generation who felt alienated from you by the Iraq War.)

Update 9:39 PM: Another article backing up my thoughts of the critical time the Democratic party is entering.

Spitzer hands Hillary a way out?

Elliot Spitzer, New York State Governor, appears to have been implicated in a scandal among politicians who frequented Washington D.C. prostitutes. He has NOT said he will resign, but the pressure to do so will be huge.

Spitzer2
by krs601

What does this mean for the rest of us? Maybe an end to the Democratic stalemate. If Hillary Clinton were to drop out of the presidential race in order to become the heir apparent to governor of New York, it would be seen as a move "for the good of my constituents". And it would give her executive experience to make a 2012 or 2016 run for president much more credible, even after an Obama presidency.

Of course, the Lieutenant Governor of New York state probably has other plans for the top office.

PREDICTION: We will hear someone propose a third-party run for Obama or Clinton this week

With the Democratic race drawing to a close without either candidate having the requisite number to win, we are beginning to see the start of desperation politics. Hillary Clinton, despite no realistic shot of winning without political games and likely smear tactics, shows no sign of considering dropping out or considering a VP position. And as the rhetoric heats up, we are starting to see headlines like "Hillary Clinton, Fratricidal Maniac". Clinton supporters are accusing Obamaniacs of betraying the legacy of feminism to push an inexperienced child-man for president. Obama supporters are accusing Cintonistas of betraying the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr by crowning a woman whose greatest claim to experience is being married to a former president.

This leads me to an inescapable conclusion. The Democrats have now passed a critical point, and the die-hard supporters of each side are unlikely to accept a victory from the other side. Thus, I predict this week we will hear either an extreme Obamaniac or an extreme Clintonista float the idea of a third-party run for their candidate if they are denied the Democratic nomination. This, of course, will be immediately rejected by the candidate in an attempt to show their party loyalty. But it will set up an internet movement which may well dog the eventual nominee right up to the vote in November.

What do you think? Am I underestimating Democratic party discipline? Or am I right in seeing a Ron-Paul-type momentum taking on a life of its own for these candidates?

Red Phone Choices

Senator Clinton wins 3, Obama takes only Vermont

Get ready for more rhetoric and "soul searching" in the Democratic Party, as the media dubs Senator Clinton the "Second Comeback Kid." She won narrow wins in Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island, leaving Barack Obama only Rhode Island.. What does this change? Not much. The delegate gap is pretty much the same. But a brokered convention looks more and more likely, which may deny the Democrats a chance to begin their Fall campaign until it is over.