A little bit of both. Politically, it would be a boneheaded move (which is why I’m not too worried about it…if the Obama campaign has been anything, it hasn’t been boneheaded) because it undercuts his own “new politics” message, plus it energizes the Republicans. I’ve said it before, but the only thing that will mobilize the Republicans more in November would be a sudden invasion of Mexican Muslims sneaking into the country to force white Christians into gay marriages paid for by income tax revenue.
Personally, because of the campaign she’s run. Not only was it dirty, it was stupid. She surrounded herself with people who should have known better but didn’t, apparently…Mark Penn apparently didn’t even know how the Democratic delegates were allotted, and thought winning California would clinch the deal because he thought she’d get all 300+ delegates. She didn’t plan past Super Tuesday. She was metaphorically in bed with Mark Penn, a known union buster who was, at the same time he was working for her, a presidential candidate allegedly opposing a trade deal with Colombia, working for that same country, a country that saw the murders of 2000 labor organizers in the last 10 years.
So yes, personally, because the people she surrounds herself with are scum. And because the way she ran her campaign was stupid. And because she has a husband who hasn’t shown much ability or desire to reign in his mouth, whether it hurt his wife’s campaign or not, and that can sink Obama as easily as it sunk Hillary.
And because of the DLC, which should be thrown in the burning barrel of history right quick.
Clinton is a terribly ineffective businesswoman. You can tell by the massive debt her campaign incurred. She has no executive experience at all, not even in the private sector.
I see. Good points. I suppose I’m holding the hope that perhaps Hillary could be affected by Obama’s style and change hers. A lot of good people voted for her for whatever reason. I don’t think everybody she surrounds herself with are scum but I think it is the nature of the politics the Clintons engage in that you ignore ethical conflicts if it benefits you, until you’re forced to stop ignoring them by the press or the public. I think Obama is smart enough to win her supporters over without conceding too much. His accolades to her and Bill during his speech were part of that. I thought he gave her a bit too much credit considering the old style politics she used but I understand why.
I was so disapointed in Hillary’s speech. I had hoped that once all the votes were cast, she could be gracious in defeat, but sadly no.
She had an opportunity to show what she could do for the party. Instead she chose to show what she could do to the party.
Especially that guy who’s always off to camera right and over Hillary’s left shoulder. He’s got those cRaZy eyes, looks around to try and beam everyone with his wild enthusiasm, and is completely under Hillary’s hypnoray.
Also, what’s with Hillary’s sing-songy chant when it comes to “hillary-clinton-dot-com!!!”? The way she and the audience recite it, reminds me of being in sunday school and reciting “John-three-six-teen!!!” when I was eight. And yeh, that cRaZy dood over her shoulder, thought it was really fun and exciting to say! Barf.
I’m a bit late to this thread, but this is my basic feeling as well. I have been a fervent Obama supporter from the beginning, but my opinion of Hillary has remained fairly high.
Are cosmos and I and our ilk wearing naive rose-colored glasses, or can the wave of change really start with a post-Obama-make-over of Hillary as a VP candidate?
I was wondering, with all the attention Hillary is getting, as I Watched Michelle and Barack take the stage I was really moved by the thought of our first black couple in the White House and the opportunity his vision presents to us as Americans.
They seem to be treating Barack like some sort of surprising fluke rather than the incredible event it is that a relatively unknown first term senator came up to beat a very well known popular political personality, who had been the assumed nominee.
He did it by the nature of his personality, his vision and the ability to articulate it, and a great team who was able to get behind him. IMO that’s a much larger event than Hillary losing.
It would be pandering to the old school Clinton wing, begging the likes of Elvis to come on board and signal both a general lack of strength and a need to get the Clintons’ blessings for any action. Once it has been implicitly demanded of him it cannot happen.
Rahm Emanuel is endorsing Obama as we speak, at an AIPAC meeting.
ETA:
Incidentally, Obama’s speech at that event was utterly inspiring. It was frequently punctuated with cheers and applause, and by the end the audience was on its feet for the last couple of minutes. Stunning. Worth finding it on YouTube if it’s there.
Ateyou talking about that goober in the yellow striped shirt? My wife and I were fascinated by that dude. Once you notice him, you can’t stop watching him. So comically enthusiastic about the most mundane statements. I wondered if he was some kind of “special” nephew or something.
Did anyone happen to catch Terry McCauliffe on the Daily Show last night? It just might have been one of the most surreal things I have ever seen on that show, including the wackos they use to send correspondents to report on. I honestly couldn’t, and still can’t, grasp what I saw. Was it a joke? Delusion? One long, bad, acid trip?
Jon Stewart had a great line- “The Mets failed to make the playoffs; explain to me how they won the World Series?”
The longer Clinton “considers her options” the deeper she digs her hole away from the bright air of future leadership possibilities. A core will stand by her as she dallies, but I gotta believe that the vast majority of her own rank and file have to be shaking their heads at this squandering of a moment.
I really liked that little fist bump they did before Barack took the stage. It seemed like such a natural, unaffected, and affectionate little moment. You got the feeling it’s a personal gesture they use all the time. One of those private “couple” things. All married people or long-term couples have little gestures like that. It can’t be faked. I found that one small gesture more genuine and more touching than all of Al and Tipper’s making out.
