Wednesday, May 07, 2008
"Experts" in Naivete
CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News: "Clinton fights on as prospects dim"
Last night, while waiting on the Indiana returns, the "experts" were opining on when Hillary would bow out. They asserted she would be "forced" out in the next couple of days, even as McAuliffe maintained they were not going anywhere. He said this, mind you, after the polls closed. I think many wildly underestimate the Clinton's desire for the White House. That is so clearly the only issue for them. I have heard so many times the whole "she doesn't want to destroy the party" argument. Do these people honestly believe she cares one bit about the party? Really? I don't. Her husband, the "first black President", made clear an at least latent disregard for African Americans in the run-up to South Carolina and other moments. That is to put it kindly, by the way. To think they have anyone else's interests at heart is to be naive and one who pays little attention to our recent history.
The Clinton's have long had the capacity to say, with straight faces, things that they absolutely know to be untrue. Most recently is the windfall profits tax to cover the gas tax holiday. She sells it to voters knowing full well that the windfall tax could never, ever happen in the next month to be in place by summer. Common sense is not an obstacle for their campaign.
What all of this tells us is that Senator Clinton is going to be with us until the convention. In fact, in a press conference just on television, she cited 1968. As I have believed for several months, she is in it to win it, regardless of the "will of the voters" or the nastiness of the tactics in their employ. She knows, like many of the rest of us, that politics is a minute-by-minute sport, with a change in wind direction only so possible at any time. She will await that meltdown for the next few months. And frankly, Indiana and North Carolina really didn't (though the newsies would have us believe otherwise) represent any real change in this race. We were in the same position after Pennsylvania. Two things didn't happen after Pennsylvania that was widely expected. 1) She didn't drop out. 2) The remainder of the uncommitted super-delegates did not stampede to the door of the Illinois Senator. You know why? Again two things. 1) They do not have the luxury of being wrong as they run for another term. 2) It has been an unwise wager when betting against the Clintons in the past. They have one hell of a good memory.
We should all sit and simply enjoy the drama, not expecting the players to change until August. That is because they aren't going to change. Now while I feel like that is an absolute, I am as yet uncertain as to the impact on the race, the Democratic party, or the Clinton legacy, among other things. I think a lot of that is determined by future events. One can't really argue that this is fun to watch and to ponder, so we should really just ready the popcorn and fire up the monster TV's.
Last night, while waiting on the Indiana returns, the "experts" were opining on when Hillary would bow out. They asserted she would be "forced" out in the next couple of days, even as McAuliffe maintained they were not going anywhere. He said this, mind you, after the polls closed. I think many wildly underestimate the Clinton's desire for the White House. That is so clearly the only issue for them. I have heard so many times the whole "she doesn't want to destroy the party" argument. Do these people honestly believe she cares one bit about the party? Really? I don't. Her husband, the "first black President", made clear an at least latent disregard for African Americans in the run-up to South Carolina and other moments. That is to put it kindly, by the way. To think they have anyone else's interests at heart is to be naive and one who pays little attention to our recent history.
The Clinton's have long had the capacity to say, with straight faces, things that they absolutely know to be untrue. Most recently is the windfall profits tax to cover the gas tax holiday. She sells it to voters knowing full well that the windfall tax could never, ever happen in the next month to be in place by summer. Common sense is not an obstacle for their campaign.
What all of this tells us is that Senator Clinton is going to be with us until the convention. In fact, in a press conference just on television, she cited 1968. As I have believed for several months, she is in it to win it, regardless of the "will of the voters" or the nastiness of the tactics in their employ. She knows, like many of the rest of us, that politics is a minute-by-minute sport, with a change in wind direction only so possible at any time. She will await that meltdown for the next few months. And frankly, Indiana and North Carolina really didn't (though the newsies would have us believe otherwise) represent any real change in this race. We were in the same position after Pennsylvania. Two things didn't happen after Pennsylvania that was widely expected. 1) She didn't drop out. 2) The remainder of the uncommitted super-delegates did not stampede to the door of the Illinois Senator. You know why? Again two things. 1) They do not have the luxury of being wrong as they run for another term. 2) It has been an unwise wager when betting against the Clintons in the past. They have one hell of a good memory.
We should all sit and simply enjoy the drama, not expecting the players to change until August. That is because they aren't going to change. Now while I feel like that is an absolute, I am as yet uncertain as to the impact on the race, the Democratic party, or the Clinton legacy, among other things. I think a lot of that is determined by future events. One can't really argue that this is fun to watch and to ponder, so we should really just ready the popcorn and fire up the monster TV's.
