#20

Last night we witnessed a 90-minute confirmation of this coming Tuesday's superfluousness; that, and the culmination of months of strategic impotence, tactical confusion and manifest frustration.

The only creative challenge successfully surmounted by the Clinton campaign these days lies in the number of ways it is finding to spell, "I-t'-s o-v-e-r." One of its strategists busies himself with public fantasies about the imminence of "locking this nomination down," its communications director has taken to screaming at rather than communicating to reporters, and other spokesmen are finally and openly sharing their pain and venting their "anger."

Then comes the big night -- the big 20th debate night -- and the candidate herself adds to the already superfluous confirmation of organizational meltdown.

"Can I just point out that in the last several debates, I seem to get the first question all the time?" And that was the coherent part of Hillary's paranoid oddity. Poor Dennis Kucinich had to elbow his way to questions, which were once universally believed to be opportunities in a debate, but oh how unremitting fire can change one's outlook about the glory of battle.

Mrs. Clinton fared reasonably well on the healthcare and Nafta controversies, but those committed 30 minutes among the 90 just weren't enough to smother the strikingly intrusive impotence, confusion and frustration. Her other responses did far more harm -- and on occasion even raised more questions -- than good.

The camera wasn't panning the audience when Tim Russert asked Hillary about releasing her tax returns, so that voters could learn if that $5 million loan to herself was or was not a backdoor breach of campaign finance laws, but every viewer could feel the audience's tension and incredulity. "The American people who support me are bankrolling my campaign. That's obvious," she said, in defiance of the profoundly obvious.

Tim continued, perhaps by Tuesday? Just to put this matter to bed? "Well, I can't get it together by then," said Mrs. Clinton, to what I thought were audible groans. And regarding the doppelganger question of releasing all her first-lady records, which are, after all, public records? Oh dear, that's such a "cumbersome process," she said. But sure, Tim, you got it -- another empty pledge to try.

As for the thrusts, pokes and distractions of her attacks, they fizzled and soured the second Obama opened his mouth in polite but formidable defense. Encountering her charge of his having disseminated "false, misleading and discredited information" on her healthcare plan, Obama calmly countered that "Senator Clinton has, in her campaign at least, has constantly sent out negative attacks on us ... and we haven't whined about it, because I understand that's the nature of this campaign." More than a smackdown, it was a shutdown, weighted with stones and the first casting thereof.

On the matter of Louis Farrakhan's unsolicited endorsement of Obama, things became downright comical. Here, Mrs. Clinton decided to play not the politician, but Peter Mark Roget. She would "reject" the scoundrel, whereas Obama would merely "denounce" him. And, for you word mavens out there, let it be known there's a vast and prodigious "difference between denouncing and rejecting," Clinton instructed.

Hopelessly inarticulate as he is, Obama amusedly protested that he failed to "see a difference between denouncing and rejecting," but hey, he was happy to couple his denunciation with a little rejection, if that, indeed, would make Mrs. Clinton happy. (It did not.)

On the broader issue raised of speeches over specific solutions -- hence executive judgment -- Hillary's impotence boomeranged almost violently.

"My objections to the war in Iraq were not simply a speech," retorted Obama in his most -- in fact only -- animated moment. "I was one of the most vocal opponents of the war, and I was very specific as to why."

"The fact was," he continued with withering, debate-ending vehemence, "this was a big strategic blunder." And another "fact is that Senator Clinton often says that she is ready on Day One, but, in [further] fact, she was ready to give in to George Bush on Day One on this critical issue -- in [yet further] fact, she facilitated and enabled this individual to make a decision that has been strategically damaging to the United States of America."

To that, there was and remains simply no rational comeback. Political historians will someday write, I am certain, that that rational absence was what vacated Hillary's nomination hopes from the beginning. The seedling virus was always there; it just needed time to grow and take malignant root throughout the base.

We will of course see you again in Texas and Ohio, Hillary, but till then and forever after, goodbye.

Comments

[Tommy]

I can't imagine how much money was spent over the past 2 years to try and put that woman in the white house. In the fact that the game is rigged, I am enjoying her failure. I thought the proposal to be absurd since it was first seriously floated. Why would America elect someone who voted for the war that Americans see as our greatest blunder? How stupid do they think we are?

[Henry Doyle]

Was it just me or did it seem like the airwaves suddenly got flooded with Clinton surrogates in the 48hrs leading up to the debate? I mean Geraldine Ferraro on NPR trying to label everyone who wasn't on board with Clinton as some sort of anti-feminist. C'mon, it's not because she's a woman, get over it. It's because she's Hilary Clinton! When Hillary suggested that her Presidency will cause a sea change of women leaders all over the world, gimme a break! The US is among the last countries in the world to not have a female leader and it's not because we're a country of misogonists! When the right candidate comes along who happens to be female, the American people will rally behind her the same way they have Obama.

I was a little nervous at how cooly Obama responded to everything. It seems to work now but I think Mallwalker McCain will need a thrashing. It's going to get way uglier and the general voting public can be duped, scared, coerced and frightened into voting for a protector. Obama will have to show some emotion and ferocity when dealing with War Pigs and their threatening albeit hollow ways.

[Completely Disgusted]

One more sexist bastard with a hammer and a nail, waiting to bang that coffin lid down. It was just too damn hard to actually report what your own lying eyes observed, instead, you just had to jump on the gender-bashing bandwagon out of fear of not being part of the Cult of Obama.

If Obama had gotten that Russia question FIRST, instead of having Clinton plow the road ahead (as she did for EVERY substantive question, so Obama could reply "Me too" or "I'd be happy to have a debate/discussion on that score" --how CANNED can you get?) you would have seen a fish flopping on the deck on national tv. His relief was palpable, in that all he had to say was "Yeah, what SHE said." Pathetic. And none of you media clowns remarked on that. COOL? He wasn't cool--he was employing the tool of the chronic bullshitter--speak slowly, deeply, and broadly, and pretend that you have gravitas when you really don't know what the hell you are talking about.

I hope you're wrapping your pea brain around the idea of President McCain, because while you eagerly carried Republican water in perpetuating gender-biased attacks on Senator Clinton while giving Senator Obama the kid gloves-race card treatment, once the GOP machine gets rolling, the gloves WILL be off. And if that isn't enough, all of Bush's pals in the voting machine business will step in to seal the deal. Great job, there, jerk!

We're screwed--four more years, thanks to the piling on of clowns like you in the Fourth Estate. Hope that your smug satisfaction keeps you warm in winter, because you might not be able to afford the heating bill the way things are going.

[Cory Hinman]

frankly, I'd be "completely disgusted" if a person, male or female, who loves the Bush-Cheney theory of the unitary executive as much as Hillary obviously does, actually got to the presidency.

[Robert Crawford]

Just a suggestion, folks. Vote for Obama. Vote for Clinton. Stay home and knit that nosewarmer you've been needing. Do what you need to do.

But something we should all do, starting today, is to move beyond the back-biting, needling, triumphalism, and generally divisive crap that's begun to intrude on this primary campaign. And no, I don't much care who started it; I only care that people who want the Republican Party to go sit in the corner for a few years had better start exercising the civility among themselves that will allow Democrats to unite behind a candidate and deliver such an overwhelming mandate in November that it can't be stolen.

Some of the energy we're expending now, pointing the finger at one another, could be put to use in contested Congressional races--besides a Democratic President, we're going to need a Congress that can override the inevitable four years of Republican obstructionism.

[Nora]

A close friend of mine find ourselves across the Obama/Clinton divide. I'm for Obama - she's for Hillary. But, we decided early on that we respected one another enough that, even if we didn't believe in one another's candidate - we believed in one another's judgment - and would give the benefit of the doubt to whoever wins.

In other words, fellow Democrats - even if you don't believe in Obama - try to believe in your fellow Democrats. Maybe they're right this time!!

[neoconned]

Over the last week or so, advocates for both of the corporate-positive candidates (Clinton and McCain) came out shrilly screaming in order to drown out the increasingly audible cheers for Obama. I don't support him, but it's clear that he's resonating with the voting public, and all one has to do is keep an eye on the various news stories covering all of the Democratic super-delegates openly endorsing Obama over Clinton. There are also many stories from around the nation which report how even life-long Republicans are switching to supporting Obama.

In light of this news, it doesn't surprise me that the corporofascists have rallied their minions to the defense of the boardroom's candidates. The last thing they need is for the serf pawns (We, the People) to reach the eighth rank on their chessboards and be promoted out of their control - we just might checkmate their plans for world domination!

[Will-B-Elated]

'Completely Disgusted' is almost an accurate moniker, to be true you need to change the second word to “Disgusting". There is a poison going through Clinton's campaign and a unhealthy number of her diehard supporters. They project the label 'Rove' onto Obama to hedge off criticism of their initial mud-slinging by pasting their guilt on the other guy...very Rovian.

After winning the Democratic Party nomnation, Barack will need to get used to similar tactics from Dr. Strangelove’s camp during the regular election, except worse, since they are even more marginalized and frustrated than olde "CD" here. Hillary’s minions were just an appetizer compared to the feast they are capable of. But I must say, people like CD are catching up quickly and should consider joining the RNC, since they’ll need all the extra claws they can garnish to quench the tsunami headed their way (oh, and that isn’t misogynist, both male and female beasts have claws).

[PG Bowden]

This meltdown is truly getting painful to watch.

The decision as to who to vote for in this primary has been personally gut-wrenching for me. As a liberal male from a red county in Arkansas, I've been a supporter of the Clintons since 1978. I voted for Bill for governor and then twice for president. With all his personal (and some public) failings, I still believe that on balence he did a comendable job while as chief executive, all while battling a partisan GOP witchhunt.

But I'm afraid that the last 16 years in the DC bubble has changed the Clintons. They began penniless, liberal and hungry to change things for the better in Arkansas. And after the last 16 years they're still hungry...but sadly, only for for power. Hillary believes in a lobbyist-funded, corporate driven politics, an anathema for a true progressive.

And still I was willing to consider voting for her. I wanted it for the women who have been discriminated against since our tribal ancestors first walked upright. But then Obama came along, and I wanted it for Arican-Americans, too. So I've been torn. But no longer.

When did my transformation for Obama begin to take place? On the same day it began for many others. The day she voted for the Leiberman "Attack Iran" resolution.

Until that day, Hillary could be reasonably regretful about her 2002 vote authorizing military force with Iraq and we could reasonably expect that perhaps she'd learned something from it. The day she voted with Turncoat Joe to enable our Retardo-In-Chief to wage yet another war, she had pretty much pierced that bubble. What did you learn from your 2002 mistake, Hillary?

Nothing, actually.

Later that night in the debates, Hillary inexplicably stumbled all over the drivers-license-for-immigrants issue. In the next 48 hours, with aides fearing Obama truly had an opeining, they began the first of their childish and repulsive smear jobs on him.

It was in that 48 hours that Hillary lost the presidency.

She was exposed as a candidate who did not learn from her biggest mistake as senator (Iraq war vote), who would waffle all over a passionate issue (immigration) without giving an answer and then lie about having done so, and then would be mean-spirited enough to practice Rovian-style politics against a candidate we dems happen to like very much.

In one 48-hour period she went from inevitable to not wanted.

To all you Hillary supports out there--I feel for you. And I mean that. There is no "reflexive Hillary hating" in this post. And I'm not a member of an Obama "cult." It was her actions and his inspiration that drove me from her to him.

It's really just as simple as that.

[CoIntelPro]

I would really like to think that this will strengthen the Democratic Party by channeling the existing overall level of enthusiasm into the final push to oust republicans everywhere it is possible, not just the presidential election. We need more Donna Edwards, Dennis Kucinich and the rest. I am glad Hillary does not quit because it test Obama and if he is to survive the MSM noise machine and the forthcoming attacKKKs from the repugs, it's better that he get some early practice.

Like her or not, Hillary was formidable and it only speaks better of Obama that his forces are well mobilized, highly galvanized and have drawn more votes for him than all the repugs combined.

I hope he works with Edwards to get THAT endorsement. If Obama is to be about bridging the divide, he would do well to start with the Democratic party.

[WillB]

Dear PG Bowden, well said and accurate. If it's true that character is shown by crisis, then the Clinton campaign has failed the test, at least for the office she seeks. Too bad, she does have a lot to offer and is really talented. But your historical synopsis is sadly correct. I just hope Barack doesn't succumb to the same malady if his campaign survives the swift boats and takes the office.

Rememeber Cincinnatus...as George Washington did.

[Feminsism-not just a word]

I really have a hard time wrapping my brain around Clinton supporters who accuse anyone who doesn't support her of anti-feminism.

Excuse me? If we're supposed to vote for her simply because of gender, than we're no better than males who won't vote for her because of gender.

True feminists will vote what's best for the country. That cannot be on the basis of gender. Voting based on gender is about as anti-intellectual as you can get.

I'm betting most women want an end to the war, get their kids out of Iraq, and get this country turned around to other achievements besides spending the most on the military-industrial complex of any country in the world.

Finally, how can it be feminist to vote FOR cluster bombs, that hurt the most innocent, as cluster-bomb mama Hillary did?

Did that support children or the makers of such horrendous killing devices?

Is supporting that feminism?

[CoIntelPro]

I would really like to think that this will strengthen the Democratic Party by channeling the existing overall level of enthusiasm into the final push to oust republicans everywhere it is possible, not just the presidential election. We need more Donna Edwards, Dennis Kucinich and the rest. I am glad Hillary does not quit because it test Obama and if he is to survive the MSM noise machine and the forthcoming attacKKKs from the repugs, it's better that he get some early practice.

Like her or not, Hillary was formidable and it only speaks better of Obama that his forces are well mobilized, highly galvanized and have drawn more votes for him than all the repugs combined.

I hope he works with Edwards to get THAT endorsement. If Obama is to be about bridging the divide, he would do well to start with the Democratic party.

[Big M]

Dear Tommy:

You ask, how stupid do they think we are? As to "we," how many people are still "voting" on these crooked Diebold machines? How many people know that there really isn't a dime's worth of difference between these "two" crime organizations? How many know that while The Hillaroid is trying to tie His Obamaness to shady characters, her husband (and I'm sure she had no say in any of this, right?) pardoned a number of pretty shady characters, including a member of the same group mentioned in the Obama stories? How many of them would even notice the blatant two-faced nature of it all?

Who actually believes that the big picture will change? Does either of these "two" parties ever even pretend to repeal legislation passed by the "other" party, when they get control of Congress and/or the asylum on Pennsylvania Avenue? It doesn't matter which one of these crooks gets their ass shoehorned into the Oval Orifice. All you're going to get is more taxes, more deficits, more wars, more dead babies and less freedoms.

How stupid do they think we are? Watch how many members of Boobus Americanus vote for these crooks.

To be (unfortunately) continued . . .

[Wallace]

Adulterer McCain, Adulterer-wife Hilarry, Emplty suit Obama, does it really matter? Unfortunately it took segregationist Governor Wallace to reveal the truth that "there's not a dime's worth of difference between" Republicans and Democrats. The Democrats willingly went along with the War in Iraq, suspension of Habeas Corpus, detaining protesters, banning books like "America Deceived' from Amazon, stealing private lands (Kelo decision), warrant-less wiretapping and refusing to investigate 9/11 properly. They are both guilty of treason.
Support Dr. Ron Paul and save this great nation.
Last link (before Google Books bends to gov't Will and drops the title):
http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-38523-0

[Will B]

Big M... 'His Obamaness' - very funny one, and some of your rant makes sense, sadly. The only problem is that without hope there's no energy to engage, so there really isn't a reason to be involved at all. It just becomse a hobby of cynicism, which can't bear fruit, just drop old branches that mess things up.

See you at the bus stop.

[Zephyrbag]

After the debate last night I was discouraged, even though I had been supporting Obama (Hillary is beyond the pale.) But Obama's enthusiasm for pursuing the war in Afghanistan and his tacit assumption that the "official story" of 9-11 is correct reveals him to be yet another crypto-imperialist in liberal duds. (Peacemakers need not apply.) The nomination will probably be settled by the time the circus wagons roll through Oregon, but this two-party system is a cruel, corporate straitjacket, and I want out. I'm tending toward a fervent embrace of "none of the above," except possibly McKinney.

[Felonious Punk]

Completely Disgusted, what a fine Blogificous Trolleanus specimen. I cannot imagine a sane person typing those words with a straight face. Name-calling? Seriously? How old are you?

How can anyone assume Hillary will fare better against the GOP attack machine, despite the very large supply of ammunition the machine has collected in the past 16 or so years?
Do you really think they haven't been holding it back for the general? Why would they waste it during the primary? She would be a much easier target for them during the general than ANY of the other Dem hopefuls.
Don't give me the lame argument "She's been through it before". If I keep getting rocks thrown at me it doesn't mean they'll hurt less after a while.

Whether it is fair or not, it is a fact that there is a significant number of people who just plain dislike Hillary. This puts her at a disadvantage in the general.

Despite her claims these days, she is a war-hawk, plain and simple. Do you understand the ramifications of declaring the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization?

She is another status-quo back-room-dealing we-know-better-than-you politician, and as far as I'm concerned, we've had far too many of them by now.

And for the love of Dog, enough with the "gender-bashing!" crap. It's infantile. Between that and the name-calling, you're not doing Hillary any favors. What is it with all of these Hillary fans claiming gender-bashing? From blog comment writers to high-level surrogates and supporters, it mystifies me. Am I supposed to be cowed into voting for Hillary simply because we both have vaginas? My vagina is apolitical, thank you very much.

[malcolm]

I don't think people supporting Obama will be the ones responsible, in the event that McCain gets elected, or SELECTED.

Neither will those who support Hillary.

The ones who will own ALL THE BLAME will be the Democratic Congress. Let's get real here, folks. They've sold out to the war machine, the health insurance machine, the big brother spy machine, and pretty much everything.

I've reregistered out of the Democratic Party, after forty-one years, as an independent. It hurt to have to do that. I was a delegate to Oregon District 4 Congressional district (Peter DeFazio, chairman of my voting precinct (Lucky Queen north), and a member of election committees for two state representative candidates.

We have all been betrayed by the Democrats! I will vote for Obama, if he manages to keep Clinton from stealing the nomination utilizing Floriduh and Michigan's off limits delegates, or utilizing party-hack "super" delegates, or even utilizing pledged delegates.

If Hillary wins, or steals, the nomination, I just cannot in good conscience vote for her.

I don't know whom I'll vote for. Maybe Ralph. I'm sick to death of "waiting 'till next time" to vote for someone who hasn't been hand picked by the corporate media machine, with the help of the Democratic Hack good old boys machine.

I think it was Einstein, wasn't it, who defined INSANITY as doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different outcome. That's what we did in 2000. We did it again in 2004. Finally, after a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention time and money) we got the Dems into the majority in not one, but BOTH houses of Congress.

yippee.

[Hotrod54235]

Malcolm,
Saving the best for last, you have hit the nail on the head with a sledgehammer. The Dopey Dimocrats were completely complicit in every Bush criminal act from the beginning. The Corporate Predator class has bought off enough of them to assure that their agenda is always going forward. And our bravest, Dennis Kucinich, finds himself with a well funded primary opponent. Democrats SUCK!!

[Big M]

Dear Will B:

I don't consider what I wrote a rant. I asked a number of legitimate questions, and made a couple of comments. I notice that you made no attempt to directly address any of my questions, although you at least had enough maturity not to engage in any ad hominem attacks. Perhaps you'd be kind enough to point out to me what part of my piece doesn't make sense, since that was your implication. A person that isn't cynical about the totally corrupt federal government has no business voting. In fact, I would suggest that they need to be pinned to the ground and sterilized immediately with a soldering iron. Anyway . . .

What, precisely, is this hope you speak of? The hope that the people pulling the strings behind the curtain will throw up their hands and say, "Hey, this is wrong. We have to stop this"? Is it the hope that these traitorous, treasonous state election officials will stop certifying these election-theft devices, when they aren't even allowed to view the code? Maybe the hope that the traitors in Congress will have the Israeli bar codes removed from their asses? Etc., etc., ad nauseam . . .

A person that hopes for these things, and apparently thinks that the cavalry will come in and save them, or believes that these one-world government promoters and congressional scum will have an epiphany concerning the Constitution, and actually believes that there is still some kind of redeeming factor in participating in this dog-and-pony show called elections, is the same kind of person that looks for money from the Tooth Fairy. That is to say, an idiot.

I don't want to sound rude, but I'm pretty sure that if each "major" candidate told the truth, which is that they represent Israel first, second and third, and that what you think means no more to them than if you were a penguin howling to the wind at the South Pole, you would probably still get a minimum of 70 million dolts that would vote for one of them. And, I hate to add, it seems to me that you would probably step right up and be counted as one of them.

I hope I'm wrong.

[beamer]

sick of the blood spilled ,tired of lying pols and the same old american imperial greed?time to act-stop paying your taxes,stop shopping,stop living an illusion of normalcy.we are at present allowing bush,cheney&co. to run our country..Anyone who does not support impeachmnt&warcrime trials is enabling the scum of the earth.anything less is just rearranging the deck chairs onthe titanic..it's past time to deal with the damage done!

[LICK OBAMAS ASS]

YES, STICK YOUR HEAD FARTHER UP OBAMAS ASS. WORSHIP HIM. HE IS YOUR GOD.