The Problem with Hillary Clinton

[David Moran NYC]

There is a story about John F. Kennedy on the morning of his election as president saying of his opponent, Richard Nixon, who had churlishly semi-conceded, “He went out the way he came in - - no class.”

The same could be said about Hillary Clinton.

A number of columnists and pundits are writing Hillary Clinton’s political obituary this week. If Barack Obama wins the White House and serves two terms, that would close off the presidency for a Democrat until 2016, which would almost certainly be too late for Hillary.

Gail Collins of the Times tries to be gracious about Hillary’s defeat:

“I get asked all the time whether I think Hillary lost because sexism is worse than racism in this country. The answer is no. She lost because Obama ran a smarter, better-organized campaign. It’s possible that she would have won if the Democratic Party had more rational primary rules. But Obama didn’t make up the rules, and Clinton had no problem with them until she began to lose.”

Actually, this is not the whole story. Obama didn’t just run a smarter campaign - - Hillary ran a dumber one. Obama didn’t win this nomination so much as Hillary lost it - - lost it by her own hubris and her own arrogance. She thought this would be a coronation process that would be over in January, and by the time she figured out that it would be a fight it was too late. The Clinton’s held Obama in contempt as a lightweight, and before they knew what hit them he had run right over them.

Michael Crowley in the L. A. Times is pretty scathing:

“A Washington mentality may even explain Hillary Clinton’s astoundingly inept approach to the nominating process. The Clinton team seemed to treat the primaries more as a media narrative than a race for delegates. First, in their insider arrogance, Clinton’s aides assumed that they could eliminate Obama early, in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. When that didn’t happen, they focused on the importance of wins in such ‘big states’ as California, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the Obama team grasped that it could lose such key high-profile contests and still take the nomination by methodically racking up delegates in smaller, unglamorous places the media had little interest in, such as Idaho, Colorado, Maine, Kansas and Utah.

When Obama started to overtake Clinton in the pledged delegate count, she fell back on the ultimate Washington insider’s argument: that superdelegates, the creation of the inside-Washington party machine, would come to her rescue and override the will of the voters. Not only did this strategy fail, it enhanced Clinton’s image as an insulated Beltway manipulator.

Even Clinton’s supposed mastery of political media backfired on her. Her media team overplayed its hand early in the campaign, engendering resentment among reporters with a bare-knuckled, kill-or-be-killed philosophy cultivated during past Clinton scandals. Last September, for instance, Clinton aides forced GQ magazine to spike a critical story on her campaign by threatening to withhold access to Bill Clinton.

An other aides, notably Penn, became figures of ridicule with their constant over-spinning as they found ever-more creative ways to explain away Obama’s wins and Clinton’s losses (caucuses don’t really count, Clinton won more ‘electoral votes,’ etc.)."

Hillary’s supporters didn’t help either and are not helping now, as Collins points out:

“They vowed to write in Hillary’s name on their ballots in November; to wear ‘NObama’ T-shirts all summer; to ‘de-register’ as Democrats. One much-circulated e-mail proposed turning June 3, the day Barack Obama claimed the nomination, as a permanent ay of mournful remembrance ‘like the people in Ireland remember the Famine.’”

With “friends” like these, do the Democrats really need enemies? Is this “If I can’t win I’m going to take my ball and go home” attitude the way to win the White House?

Hillary was arrogant and stupid, blew the nomination and was too pig-headed to even admit it for close to a week. If she had won the general election and run the country the way she ran her campaign, her administration would have been a disaster. We should all be glad that she did not win the nomination, and let’s hope that her followers grow up an vote the way they should in November, and not spend the summer whining into their orange pekoe.

But I’m not hopeful about that last part.

[justsaynotobo]

The inexperience of much of Obamas base - those under 25 - are blinded to his fancy words and charismatic appeal. The truth is that Obama came up thru the dirtiest of all political machines in Chicago and particularly Cook County..He did favors and rec'd favors. While his record for anything substantial is pitiful and empty, he did manage to take tax dollars and place it into the hands of his friends and associates such as Fr Pfleger(another radical), to mention just one of many. The fact is that Obama rubbed elbows and did deals with Rezko and other shady characters....Barack and his family actively participated in black liberation politics at Trinity Church which is very racially motivated and antiAmerican for over 20 years. This is very important - he did this with his wife and children, so it was significant and personal ....Then there is Michelle Obama's position at a city hospital that was suddenly created and her salary soared, and they got their real estate at cost thru Rezko and this was quietly brushed under the carpet by the media. Very suspect is Obama's association and friendship with terrorists from the Weatherman Group who BOMBED our pentagon and various other buildings, resulting in a death and injuries to Americans.......he went to their home, and actively sought their support and funding... DOES THIS NOT OFFEND AND DISTURB the media and other AMERICANS! The tapes of these horrible events need to be replayed so that this youthful base can SEE these offenses and associates... Obama's pathetic excuse is that it happened long ago, when he was a child - how can a presidential candidate be so callous and out of touch? These Weatherman( the terrorist group) , particularly Ayers and Dohrn STILL do not rebuke their hate for America and have no remorse - they actually stated they wish they would have done more!
(Obamas artwork in his campaign offices are 'socialist style' artwork from the 60s radical movements - HMMMM...)

There is something seriously wrong with all this: that Obama - admittedly charming and a great speaker - could just walk onto the national political scene after making one speech using another person's words and take over without any substance or experience, and having such a horrific conglomeration of poor decisions and radical associations... What's worse is that the mainstream left media - in their own hatred of America and this current administration - would allow Obama a pass and not further investigate such serious issues and this senator's lack of issues and knowledge.
You can be assured that if he were a conservative, this would never have been covered in the same way.... if he were a mainstream Christian, this never would have been handled in this way...if he were white, you know this wouldn't not have happened....This is identity politics, fueled by the radical left in the Democratic party - looking only at the historic nature of having a black male candidate, without considering his qualifications, character, honesty, integrity and leadership capabilities...besides the fact he has a very limited world socio-political understanding or experience in world government.. It is somehow enough for his supporters that he lived in Indonesia as a child, but the fact he studied Islam where radial ideologues were emphasized at a very critical age is brushed away! I'd also like to say I'm disturbed that Obama's charitable contributions were nil, except for what he recently donated to his church - This says a lot - or I should say little - about the true character of a person. He was able to knock the bible-toting faithful - but these are the true Americans who enlist in the military, give to their fellow Americans in contributions and service - and don't expect any paybacks or returns....

There's another issue here - womens rights and advancement. I was never a big Hillary fan, but I see how she has been hurt and undermined by her own party. She was their prime choice for a candidate, has a much longer history of commitment to the democratic party as well as the black community, with much knowledge of world affairs and obviously more time and experience under her belt...Yet they took this novice senator and promoted him over their experienced female counterpart, despite his lack of qualifications and experience of any kind - not to mention his horrific and radial associations. This shows the rest of America how women are often brushed aside for far less capable men - this is quite astonishing, yet its not being covered as such in the media. Other democrats such as Ed Kennedy took his primary all the way to the convention, yet he was praised for his fight and commitment - Hillary on the other hand is being denied this same right and praise. I commend her for putting up such a great fight, and she should have the same rights as any American male to choose to go all the way - especially if others have done the same without all this contention. She fought hard and put her heart and soul into this campaign, and it has to be a difficult thing to just stop when you are this very close with a candidate that she knows is incapable and inexperienced.

The sad truth is that the Democrats now hold the media in their pockets and are able to promote this garbage about change and a new politic without any real scrutiny and facts. Obama is the farthest thing from something new that's out there - hes just packaged well, looks good in a suit, and has a darn good speech writer - Doesn't anyone ever notice that he stumbles worse than Bush when he doesn't have his written pages in front of him...he doesnt even have a grasp of world and US history? He's a mere showman and a good actor as long as he's on a set and has his words...The campaign had Obama give his last speech from a rock concert! Yes - it was a real rock concert they used as his back drop - making the public think all those people were there for Obama - they were there for a free concert! Is this not a great spin or what? The youth of today have little idea what real politics in Chicago is and has been about for all these years, and are under this Obama-delusion that he's something new....The only change Obama and his cohorts will deliver is that of the socialist agenda! I suggest all his supporters go back and read history books and gather the truth about all his liberal and radical agendas that are similar to the socialist party...see where that gets ya!

At least with McCain we can be assured where his loyalties lie!! We know his character and that he loves his country - not just by what he says - but it's been proven in his actions, his lifelong service to this nation, his history of charitable contributions and his own personal sacrifices.... his sons are in the military as well....

VOTE for a known patriot, not for a political campaign slogan

[pittypat65]

Get off Hillary's case for god's sake. She is not going anywhere. she lost the election, so life goes on and so will she. Do you hillary haters ever give it up? 

[Gunit Hussein Sangh]

Get off Hillary's case for god's sake. She is not going anywhere. she lost the election, so life goes on and so will she. Do you hillary haters ever give it up? 

They'll never stop trying to bash her. She's a Clinton ... and therefore she has earned their righteous hate.

[bored]

The worst Hillary hating I've personally seen came from people of the left.

[justsaynotobo]

Is it pitiful that she now is promoting BO just so she may get at least the VP? I am sorry i promoted and supported her now.

[pittypat65]

My daughter feels the same way, she just mailed in her republican voters form, she is voting for mccain now. She is a RN and says many at her hospital are the same.  As for me, I have been a mccain supporter from the start.

[trex]

Is it pitiful that she now is promoting BO just so she may get at least the VP? I am sorry i promoted and supported her now.

It is quite sad, but funny as well.  Barack Obama will suffer the perils of being a Democrat as well.  Clinton pretty much sabotaged Hillary campaign and Obama will sabotage his own. 

You think the fire is hot now just wait until October and November

John McCain ............ he and his family LOVE the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

[justsaynotobo]

My daughter feels the same way, she just mailed in her republican voters form, she is voting for mccain now. She is a RN and says many at her hospital are the same.  As for me, I have been a mccain supporter from the start.

Good for her...verrrrrrry smart! I just hope women DO NOT listen to Hillary!!!