Saturday, April 26, 2008
Schadenfreude
Bob Herbert, with whom I rarely agree, has described the Democrats' problem well:
Barack Obama is winning, so why does it look like Hillary Clinton is having all the fun?
Senator Obama has been thrown completely off his game by a combination of political attacks (some fair, some foul), a toxic eruption (the volcanic Jeremiah Wright was a gift from the gods to the Clintons and the G.O.P.), and some pretty serious self-inflicted wounds.
You can almost feel the air seeping out of the Obama phenomenon. The candidate and his aides are brainstorming ways to counter the Clinton death-ray machine and regain the momentum. They need to generate some new excitement and enthusiasm, and they need to do it soon.
Despite all the new voters who have been brought into the process, Democrats are filled with anxiety about their prospects in November. A nervous operative told me on Friday: “If we lose this election, it would be like Johnson losing to Goldwater.”
One of the problems is that anger is growing like a cancer among Democrats. The Clintons have more than lived up to their polarizing reputations, slicing and dicing the electorate and then gleefully exploiting the myriad divisions.
Their message varies, depending on whether it’s in public or behind the scenes. But the mantra is roughly as follows: Obama won’t win! He can’t win whites. Jeremiah Wright! He can’t win women. He can’t win Hispanics. He’ll lose Jewish voters. Farrakhan! We’ll nuke Iran.
The share of Clinton voters who have been telling exit pollsters that they will not vote for Senator Obama if he wins the nomination is inching toward the red zone. At the same time, there is growing resentment of the Clintons’ tactics among Obama partisans, especially the young and African-Americans.
The problem is that the most determined candidate is not the most popular, and the line between them has been drawn more by identity and character, which are mirrors that project our self-image, than by meaningful differences in proposed policies or, for that matter, proof of executive experience or ability. It is a terrible bind for the Democrats, and a stroke of luck for the Republicans.
15 Comments:
By 
, at
Sat Apr 26, 11:56:00 AM:
Herbert, a former Clinton worshiper, leaves out a fact that he simply may not dare to mention, all the dirt that the Clinton mafia has on most of the superdelegates. My bet is that, even as we speak, subtle reminders are being brought to the attention of members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Presidential pardon recipients and their advocates, those who profited by the sale military technologies to the Chinese, past beneficiaries of illegal foreign campaign cash and so on. A 'photo in the mail or social call from and old go between ought to do it.
Herbery knows that the Clinton sleaze should NEVER be underestimated!
By , at
Sat Apr 26, 12:10:00 PM:
But, has Hillary really done anything to hurt Obama? Wright, Farakhan, Rezko and Ayers were all out there simply waiting for an honest journalist (I know, I know!) to pick up a story.
We do not yet know whether Hillary and her minions are prepared to launch a scorched earth campaign against Obama. You have to believe that her folks are and have been, out there collecting dirt on Obama. How could some one from the Illinois State Legislature not be dirty? There have to be Chicago politicians and Indiana union bosses who would be eager to point the way to Hillary's investigators.
What has she really done so far to damage Obama?
By , at
Sat Apr 26, 01:33:00 PM:
Given what we know of the "Clintleone Family," these days I suspect a lot of superdelegates are awaking to find horse heads in their beds or are being delivered dead fish wrapped in bullet-proof vests.
*Cut to Hillary sitting in a leather chair behind a desk*
Hillary: "Howard Dean, what have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully? If you came to me in friendship, Obama would be suffering this very day. And if by chance an honest man like yourself should make enemies, like Huffington and Soros, then they would become my enemies, ..... and then they will fear you."
Howard Dean: "Be my friend, Godmother?"
BOWS DOWN AND KISSES HILLARY'S RING.
Hillary: "Good. Some day, and may that day never come, I will call upon you again to do a service for me. But until that day, give me the Florida and Michigan delegates as a gift for Chelsea's wedding day."
By 
Escort81, at
Sat Apr 26, 02:31:00 PM:
I like PBS, and I understand the arguments against public funding in the age of digital cable and hundreds of channels. There are some good shows on PBS, however, and from a viewer's perspective, that's what motivates one to tune in.
The Bill Moyers interview with Rev. Wright for an hour Friday night (note that the video is in two parts) is remarkable in that Moyers decided it was not worth asking Rev. Wright about his AIDS comment, perhaps the most outrageous part of his greatest hits loop. I can only speculate that this interview (or any TV interview Wright may give) was conditioned on that question not being asked. I suppose that there is no good answer to it, and it would subtract from what may be an effort to make Wright appear reasonable -- as he does throughout the Moyers interview. This interview will not help the defenders of PBS.
As one might expect, Moyers was a friendly interviewer, and one of the highlights is a small-world photo that includes the two of them looking over LBJ on the operating table (Wright was an OR tech in the Navy and Moyers LBJ's press sec.) Wright's explanation of Black Liberation Theology was also interesting, making it sound as benign and inclusive as a Montessori school. There is archival video of all of the good works that TUCC has been involved with during Wright's tenure, during which time the church grew from fewer than 100 members to more than 5,000. From a business perspective, then, it's fair to say that he has provided the consumer with a product or service that is in demand.
Wright has a press event on Monday, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
By Escort81, at
Sat Apr 26, 02:38:00 PM:
markj -
The next scene you have to write is peace negotiation around the table with the 5 families!
"Tataglia is a pimp. It was Barzini all along."
Who is Barzini in this scenario?
By , at
Sat Apr 26, 02:52:00 PM:
Interesting that Moyers and the PBS wing of the political 'left' is invested in 'rehabilitating' the good Rev. Wright. That immediately aligns them with Obama, don't you think? It's also interesting if you go to You Tube to see all the 'make nice' videos posted of Rev. Wright preaching at TUCC. Pushback? Pretty subtle.
It will be interesting to see if they can make a similar effort to 'rehabilitate' Bill Ayers and Bernadine (Bernadette?) Dohrn.
For those of us actually old enough to remember Moyers as LBJ's Press Secretary will realize what an incredibly Orwellian ('1984') figure he really is. It's an incredible coup for Obama to have him on his side (so to speak) and also very telling, IMHO. Moyers, in his own way, is the 'godfather' of many that do 'commentary' political analysis in the US today; think of that fictional character Ellsworth Toohey. He has now set down a new orthodoxy in supporting Obama. Let's see who dares to disagree, on the Left.
-David
By Mystery Meat, at
Sat Apr 26, 03:25:00 PM:
When is the last time you heard someone describe Obama as a "rock star"?
By , at
Sat Apr 26, 07:02:00 PM:
I can find a silver lining in just about any turn of events, but find it difficult to pull anything positive at all from the Pennsylvania vote. Can't blame Hillary for not quitting, and one certainly couldn't ask Barack to withdraw at this point. But I don't think many of his supporters could forgive her come November after the antics she has pulled, and the conflicts of interest generated by having an ex-President as the first spouse.
Speaking of the PBS interview, I sincerely hope everyone will take some time to watch it. After being sound-bit to death, it's only fair to allow Wright some time to defend himself and provide context for his remarks. That said, I concur with Escort81, and believe viewers of the interview may end up disliking not the Reverend, but the other guy! Moyers reigned himself in pretty well, but oh how I loathe him.
By Assistant Village Idiot, at
Sat Apr 26, 07:20:00 PM:
I agree that Democrat infighting and anger are good for the Republican campaign - and I admit it has been entertaining to me. But I don't think this increase in hatred is good for the country in the long run. We can blame the Democrats for supplying the most liberal pres near-nominee in history versus the most divisive force in American politics, but it's ultimately going to be up to everyone to solve it.
By , at
Sun Apr 27, 11:04:00 AM:
As much as I love to see the "inevitable win" of the Dems come back down to earth with all of the infighting and backstabbing; But I think we are all kidding ourselves if we dont think that Clinton supporters or Obama supporters are not going to step up and vote for either of these guys come November. Please remember, (despite Elizabeth Edwards belief), the Dems dont care about the issues. They will get behind their team as if it were Sunday afternoon in the fall in Philly (the most avid and ugly fans in America.) The Dems will all come to their senses by November, and irrespective of who the nominee will be they will still get behind that person. The broader question is whether they will have the same record turnout they have had in the primaries? That maybe McCain's only saving grace is that he is moderate enough to keep enough of them at home.
By Escort81, at
Sun Apr 27, 03:24:00 PM:
QuakerCat -
They will get behind their team as if it were Sunday afternoon in the fall in Philly (the most avid and ugly fans in America.)
I resemble that remark.
E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!!!
(Why can't we draft well?)
By Dawnfire82, at
Sun Apr 27, 09:11:00 PM:
QCat: I strongly disagree. The only thing worse than an enemy is a traitor, and given the bitterness of the primary campaign so far I think that a substantial minority of the Democratic candidate partisans will sit out the Fall elections, and many (especially Hillary's minions) have sworn to vote for the other side if their candidate loses. McCain is enough of a moderate that he appeals more than Obama.
Not all Democrats are liberal, lock-stepping socialists you know. Just the loudest, richest, most famous ones who run things these days.
By Georg Felis, at
Mon Apr 28, 11:05:00 AM:
I think we may be coming down to a point where Obama wins the nomination, endorses Hillary as Senate Majority Leader, and picks a running mate (most likely white, most likely male, most likely very liberal) to attract the segments of the population he has been having problems getting. Unfortunately McCain is not available as Veep due to a previous commitment…
McCains problem in the election will be two-fold.
1. He hates to attack people other than Republicans. (He prefers to shoot allies first)
2. Any valid criticisms of Obama will be reflexively met with the Race Card, followed by an apology from McCain, thereby reinforcing the thought that the criticism was really racist in the first place. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Right now Hillary is the only person who has been able to criticize Obama without being plastered with the “R” label, which is the reason some people have been supporting her in the primaries.
--Georg, Maverick Republican (reluctantly) for McCain
By Escort81, at
Mon Apr 28, 03:14:00 PM:
Right now Hillary is the only person who has been able to criticize Obama without being plastered with the “R” label, which is the reason some people have been supporting her in the primaries.
Georgfelis - it would take me a little while to put together a list of hyperlinks, but do you believe that Hillary (and members of her campaign, including her husband) hasn't been hit with the "R" label? Bill Clinton, in his own inimitable fashion, got so sick of it he claimed during an NPR interview that the Obama campaign had played the race card on him.
By Georg Felis, at
Wed Apr 30, 10:49:00 AM:
Ok, true. I need to modify my statement a bit. Hillary has been hit up with the "R" label somewhat, but nothing in comparison to the media swarm (with full orchestration and five-part harmony) if a Republican made exactly the same comments. Bill has been so comfortable with the title "America's First Black President" that he gets awful feisty when somebody comes to take the belt away. *sigh* Just like WWF, but without the cage matches.
