Hillary Rosen, alleged Hillary Clinton supporter, has an amazing post up on the Huffington Post. It’s not amazing because of what it says about the primary. Instead, it’s an amazing look inside the Village mindset.
Let’s recap where we are. Barack Obama appears to have secured the needed number of delegates to become the presumptive democratic nominee (a number reported by the AP and which apparently included SDs who would only confirm their support “privately.”) This occurred less than 24 hours ago. After her win in South Dakota, Hillary Clinton congratulated Obama and his supporters and said she wasn’t going to make any decisions last night. Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean and Joe Manchin (head of the Democratic Governors Association) issued a statement today asking Super Delegates to tell them where they stand. While the statement congratulated both candidates, it did not announce a winner. Hillary Clinton’s campaign said yesterday that she would spend today contacting Super Delegates. This make sense, after the mindfucks the Obama campaign and the media have pulled, who could blame her for wanting to talk directly to the SDs themselves and confirm the delegate count. And, in fact, that appears to be what the Democratic leaders are doing as well.
This morning, in a show of unity, Hillary Clinton praised Barack Obama at AIPAC, specifically as it relates to Israel (yes, I know, AIPAC, but politically this was presumably helpful to Obama). While she has not conceded or formally suspended her campaign, she also has not said or done anything publicly that I’m aware of to criticize Obama or dispute that he is the presumptive nominee or that would indicate she is planning a convention fight. Indeed, this morning Terry McAuliffe reportedly confirmed Obama was the presumptive nominee and reiterated that Clinton will meet with him and that the party will be unified. Unless someone has heard or seen something I haven’t, I’m not aware of any information that Hillary Clinton plans to diverge from what she’s said previously, that she would do everything she could to unify the party and that she would do everything in her power to ensure a Democrat wins the White House in November.
Now, back to that amazing Rosen piece. It’s been less than 24 hours since the closest nominating battle in Democratic history came to an end (assuming media reports of the delegate count are right). Yet, Hillary Rosen is pissed that Hillary Clinton has not already conceded the race to Barack Obama. What upsets Rosen even more is, in Rosen’s words, Hillary’s suggestion that “[s]he is waiting to figure out how she would “use” her 18 million voters.” Rosen herself is eager to disabuse readers that she’s anyone’s bargaining chip. Because, of course, it would be awful if Hillary Clinton used Rosen or her other millions of supporters to get Obama to improve his healthcare plan. A real tragedy for the party and the nation.
What was Rosen urging Clinton to do?
She had a chance to surprise her party and the nation after the day-long denials about expecting any concession and send Obama off on the campaign trail of the general election with the best possible platform. I wrote before how she had a chance for her “Al Gore moment.” And if she had done so, the whole country ALL would be talking today about how great she is and give her her due.
But because Hillary Clinton did not give Hillary Rosen her “Al Gore” moment, Hillary Clinton “left her supporters empty, Obama’s angry, and party leaders trashing her.” As a Clinton supporter, I’m going to dispute that first one at least for those of us who don’t live in the Village, but let’s look at the other two because those are what are really upsetting Rosen. Because Hillary did not immediately surrender (possibly before her campaign could even confirm the delegate count), she suffered the anger of Obama’s supporters, which presumably includes the media, and the trashing by party leaders. Heavens, how awful. People will say bad things about Hillary Clinton. She must be shaking in her boots. According to Rosen, “the next 48 hours are now as important to the future reputation of Hillary Clinton as the last year and a half have been.”
Now, let’s think about what Hillary Rosen is really saying because it is very illuminating about how our thoroughly corrupt Village works. What she’s really saying is that Hillary Clinton must not use her political power, which is considerable, to demand one god-damned thing from Obama or the party for her voters. To do otherwise is “using” them. And god forbid a politician should ever use their political leverage to gain any kind of compromise or concession. How would the republic survive?
What is the awful price Hillary will pay if she uses her political power to get something for the people who voted for her? The party elite and media will criticize her. Her reputation will be ruined in the Village. Not with her voters, notice other than claiming to speak for all of Hillary’s supporters (we felt “empty” last night apparently) there’s no mention of what those 18 million people might want out of this. Nor is there any suggestion that they should get something in exchange for coming together with the Obama faction of the party.
Instead, what Hillary Rosen advised Hillary Clinton to do is to give up all of her political power and walk away. To unconditionally surrender instead of seeking to represent the people who voted for her and trying to get them something they might want whether it be to advance a policy or Hillary herself. Because if she doesn’t, then the Village might say mean things about Hillary. And it is better to simply give up your power than have the Village say mean things about you for a day or two.
Isn’t this a nice example of so much that has gone wrong with the Democratic Party, not to mention our media? Any use of political power that might cause tension or any hint of unpleasantness must never be used. Otherwise your fellow Democrats and the media will join together to trash you for how much disunity you’re causing.
If that doesn’t describe everything from Gore’s concession - tellingly mentioned by Rosen as a great moment worth emulating - to the capitulation on setting a withdrawal timeline on Iraq, I don’t know what does. It’s a perfect prescription for ensuring that Democrats never get what they want.
At some point, Democrats became scared of politics. You can’t win at a game that scares you.
NOTE - I’m not suggesting that Clinton should not recognize Obama as the presumptive nominee or take other actions to unify the party. I’m suggesting that the idea she should do so within one day and without getting anything in return is ridiculous and goes completely against how our political system is designed to work and how it has historically worked. That Democrats don’t seem to understand this basic premise of politics is why they keep getting their asses handed to them.
Front page
The village won't be satisfied...
… until Hillary goes back in time and kills herself.
And even then, they’ll be furious that she invoked the idea of “assassination.”
Heh
It’s funny because it’s true. Which also makes it depressing. I think I just did a full emotional circle.
Heh heh
I also thought to myself that teh Village wouldn’t be happy unless Hillary publicly committed hara kiri. But then again, they’d whine about her doing it pubicly, the time of day, what she wore, how it detracted from Obama, etc.
One day the mass hysteria of CDS is gonna be the subject of many psychological studies, I just know it.
You wrote
I’m not suggesting that Clinton should not recognize Obama as the presumptive nominee or take other actions to unify the party.
IMHO I don’t think she should do this anyway. This whole process has been an abomination and what’s happened to the good Senator is beyond the pale. She’s won ALL the historic democratic states(well except for ILL and that really doesn’t count now does it)she’s ahead in the total vote count and the entire media and democratic establishments have chosen to conveniently ignore this and have attacked her viciously the whole way. The obama campaign has used every vicious republican campaign rat fucking to attack her also.
I’m not voting for obama, I’m not voting for mccain either I’ll just leave that line blank on my ballot and vote for all the down ticket races.
good work
this type of socially correct poppycok needs to be dissected and disparaged promptly.
you, bdblue, have done a find job of that.
my sense,
hillary rosen is uncomfortable about having supported hillary clinton.
now hillary rosen wants to use a public scolding of hillary clinton to get back “in” with the clique.
sounds kind of high-schoolish, doesn’t it.
well, that’s because it is.
we know that chronological and intellectual age do not have to match, that’s called i.q.
neither to chronological and emotional ages have to match.
actually, you see this kind of instrumental public scolding used quite frequently by journalists for just this purpose.
you can guess you are in the presence of journalistic “public signaling” when the journalists’ comments don’t make a lot of sense, as rosen’s don’t.
The Village Continues Its Lekking
Some Dem strategist I’ve never heard of reportedly said on MSNBC that Clinton’s refusal* to concede last night and her supporters strong-arming her to be on the ticket is backfiring and that now Obama can’t possibly choose her. I can only imagine how MSNBC goes about choosing which “democratic strategist” to put on air to talk about Hillary Clinton.
I hope Clinton doesn’t fall for this crap like almost every other Democrat on the planet. This isn’t about her getting the nomination, this is about believing the Village bullshit that the best thing to do is to relinquish your power in exchange for nothing because, you know, you’ll be rewarded in the future. Just as I’m sure Judge Southwick will always make sure to issue only incredibly moderate opinions because Dianne Feinstein was good enough to confirm him.
* You have to love our SCLM
. According to the Boston Globe, Clinton is going to “plot” her next move with supporters. Not plan. Not discuss. Plot.
Politics not about Policy anymore
BDB, this is something I have been thinking about for a while.
Winning elections is not about gaining leverage to enact policy, but rather it’s just about the winning itself.
And for the people inside the Village it’s not about representing their constituents’ interests but about being on the winning team.
Unseemly acts will reflect poorly on the Villagers’ careers, by association.
Actually fighting for policy IS unseemly in the eyes of the Broders.
More Like
the study of how a Fascist gained control of a country. Wait, that has been done, sorry.
Exactly, shystee
The offense taken over the idea that Hillary can demand things from Obama because she has political power is amazing. Of course she can, that’s how political power works. In fact, that’s the only reason to accumulate it.
Unless, of course, what you care about is getting on the TV and joking with Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann. Then you do whatever makes them happy so they’ll like you and say nice things about you because winning isn’t about trying to accomplish something, it’s about getting crowned Homecoming King or Queen. Sadly, this is exactly what most of the Villagers care about. I don’t know how the few who don’t keep themselves from going postal.
The entire Village is corrupt. The media is the worst, but it wouldn’t be nearly so bad if the parties weren’t so desperate to seek its approval. You’d think the Democrats would know better. But they keep moving to the right to make the media happy, even though they never are.
You know...
I’m voting for Nader. We desperately need a third or more Party. Maybe if 18,000,000 people were to vote for Nader then we will have a true democracy.
Just saying.
However, I do believe that the two parties are one, after this rigged debacle.
That's entertainment
’Cos politics is just another channel on TV…
…for the rest of us
what did they threaten her with?
loss of committee seats?
it had to be something important to change everything in less than 24 hours.
Nah
She was always going to suspend. She’s a good Democrat. The drumbeat continues in the effort to force Obama to offer her the VP. Charlie Rangel said Obama should offer it to her. From what I can tell, she really wants it to be offered (don’t know if she wants to take it) and assuming MSNBC is once again using his campaign talking points, he really doesn’t want to. We’ll see who wins. Given how much the party hates disunity, I have my suspicions that the lady is going to get what she wants, but we’ll see.
so quick?
they’re not even giving her 24 hours after the last primaries.
And Obama’s campaign already told MSNBC that Bill’s corrupt donors are why she will never be VP (note that it’s the same day Rezko was found guilty).
Power Struggle, Like I Said
Between Obama and Clinton over whether he’ll offer.
he will offer it publicly, and she'll decline--
we all know that already.
And the media will swoon—how big of him, how “gracious”, etc…
& this keeps her in the news anyway so why rush her out?
until he picks a VP for real, it’s still all about her.
A Correction, The GOP Doesn't Do This Crap
I don’t think it’s true as I indicated in an earlier comment that the GOP is desperate to seek the media’s approval just like the Democrats. I don’t think that’s true. They opted out of the traditional media and built their own. Plus, unlike Democrats, they do use their political power to press for their policies. Ruthlessly. It’s the Dems who keep caving to those policies because of the mindset I describe in this post.
Nader? Bullshit.
If Nader came out of his hole for the other 3/4 of the time to support down ticket Green candidates, then I would consider him to be more than a spoiler. Since he doesn’t, then I don’t give him the time of day.
If a man risks so little to be president, why should I care about him? If that goes for Obama, it goes to the third power, for Nader.
i think they're still listening too much to media--
Obama on his biggest hurdle: ’cultural issues’ — “… On the surface, an argument about national security. And under the surface, what he calls “cultural issues”: race, his name, whispers about his reliigion and patriotism, his exotic childhood. …
He also downplayed the notion that he has a particular problem with Clinton’s supporters. …”
I think millions of Dems would say that actual domestic policies and issues are where the biggest hurdle is, and being strong on those would overcome “character” stuff—as it did for Hillary.
And of course—it’s playing the game on GOP terms alone— and not Dem strengths.
Nader, A Man More Interested In Himself Than Building a Movement
or what cg.eye said.
I may end up voting third party if Obama can’t win me over, but it won’t be for Ralph Nader.
speaking of "corrupt" --
“… A special group of FOBO’s—Friends of Barack Obama who are at the top of the Obama fund-raising pyramid—were on presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama’s plane to Minnesota on Tuesday, where Obama flew to clinch his nomination.
The FOBO manifest…. ” — http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/06/…
Broder speaks!
(and it’s not good for Obama) —
— June 05, 2008
Obama: A Victor on His Heels
Clinton: ready to win; Obama: ready to...
Clinton is ready to go out and destroy McCain as the nominee (Hell, she doesn’t even need to look to a VP to boost her ticket) while Obama has no legitimate GE plan—at all. The whole point of the primary is to test and strengthen your candidacy and yet he completely failed to bother with the latter (e.g., refusing to speak on the issues, change his policies, or even campaign in WV and KY). My God, Obama enjoyed every possible advantage—systemic propaganda, corruption, and disenfranchisement—and yet he got whupped. After stealing the nomination from Clinton, the establishment still had to carry Obama out on a stretcher to the “finish” line. The irrefutable fact is that at his absolute best, he loses.
And yet the Party is sending him towards a no-holds-barred cage match with none other than John Fuckin’ McCain! His fatal flaw will remain even if magical pixie dust transforms him into a new, improved candidate (think: someone who’s, I don’t know, trustworthy and hardworking): he’ll still be completely unqualified. Oh, and unlike his ZOMG! website, he can’t scrub clean his past, including the scorched earth campaign he and the DNC waged against Clinton, women (and girls), and the will of the people.
Again, I ask you: What kind of fuckery is this?! (H/T: Amy Winehouse)
The Same Kind of Fuckery We Always Get
Do you think it’s a coincidence we’ve had two winners in 40 years?
The only reason we got Carter was Watergate.
The only reason we got Clinton was because all of the Big Dems were too scared to take George “90% Approval” Bush on. If it hadn’t been for that, they would have stuck us with another Dukakis or Kerry.
Hell, the main reason we got Gore was that he was Clinton’s VP.
You know how some people you know always end up dating someone an awful lot like the last someone because that’s their type. Well, the Democratic elite has a certain type. Obama is that type. That he’s AA doesn’t change that.
Obama golf in 3... 2... 1....
1. Miss Winehouse likes the smack and the blow.
2. Obama wrote that he dabbled a little in powders
3. YOU’RE MAKING A RACIST COMMENT ABOUT HIS FORMER COCAINE USE!!!
(But, that song rocks so hard….)
Rocks?
YOU DID IT AGAIN!
and a hellhound on his trail....
(had to squeeze another round of golf, couldn’t resist…)
Fantastic Quote
A correlary of the Clinton Rule noted by standingup
“Clinton can do no right but must do right”
We are not worthy!
——————————————-
Good night and good riddance!
Rosen of RIAA fame.
I groaned the first time I saw Hillary Rosen on the teebee supposedly being pro-Clinton. Her years shilling for the RIAA tainted her name for me forever. The second she left the RIAA, she started banking on her notoriety and wrote pieces about how blind the music industry was, and got her picture taken wearing an Ipod. (OMG! L@@K!)
Cute.
Well, I guess that as of today, the Clinton money is about dried up.
(I’d sing “Hit the road, hack, and don’t you come back no more”, but it’s probably illegal at this point.)
Fuckery pushback
But isn’t this different? There are two choices: a lock to win the White House, expand the Party and the map or a guaranteed loser with landslide tendencies who’ll splinter the Party. Tough call! Honestly, when has there ever been a primary result more absurdly obvious? Even the “noble loss” theory doesn’t work because they still could have had Obama on the Clinton ticket as VP. This batshit power play has reached “Jesus, Take The Wheel” levels.
If Obama is the illegitimate Democratic nominee, I will vote against him and the establishment. I will vote for McCain—and a Democratic Congress, minus Obama supporters. No, I will not change my mind. They must be humiliated and what better way than a landslide loss during an election year gift-wrapped for the Democrats? Yes, McCain will hurt, but it would be worse to legitimize this bigotry-enhanced fuckery.
Besides, Obama brings nothing to the table but red flags.
Let me try one
1. Amy is such a mess she’s on death watch.
2. Obama is a target for assassins.
3. I want to watch Obama being murdered!
heh.
someones plotting our next move alright…but its not Clinton.
P.U.M.A.