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You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2008 / A Note About Clinton

A Note About Clinton

by Michael D.|  June 5, 20086:24 am| 106 Comments

This post is in: Election 2008

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She is going to hold an event on Saturday to announce her strong support for Senator Obama’s presidential bid:

On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy,” the New York senator and former first lady said in a letter to her backers released early on Thursday morning.

“I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party’s nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise.” […]

“This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans,” she said in the letter.

“I will be speaking on Saturday about how together we can rally the party behind Senator Obama. The stakes are too high and the task before us too important to do otherwise.”

Clearly, this is a concession and Clinton is now ready to move forward. We’ve all given the Clintons a very rough time here over the past couple months – so much so that we could, at times “no longer rationally discuss” it. Fair enough. Her camp has aggravated us. At the same time, I really kind of feel for her. For years, it has been assumed that Hillary Clinton would be the first woman president of the United States. It was also assumed, rightly or wrongly, that this would happen this year, and I have no doubt that was in her plans (and those of the Democratic Party) all along. At the beginning of this campaign, nearly all of us assumed she would be the nominee until this phenomena named Barack Obama joined the race.

So while I didn’t like it, I can completely understand how Hillary wanted to go right till the end, making every argument she could, even when to the rest of us it seemed irrational. It was her dream job and she was going to make history. But someone else comes along who’s going to get that dream job and is also going to make history. It’s got to be quite a kick in the stomach. Think about it: You apply for the job of a lifetime. You know you’re going to get it because there is no competition. You psych yourself up, knowing the job is yours and the interview process is merely a formality. All of a sudden, a new candidate for the job comes along and becomes the favorite with the recruiting manager.

That’s really got to suck, and you need time to come to grips with it. From a purely emotional perspective, it can also be very embarrassing to go from near certain victory to having to concede to someone who was a long shot has only been around a short time.

I’m not saying Clinton has been right in her actions. I’m just saying that, upon reflection, I can understand where she’s coming from and why it has taken her so long to admit to herself that she’s not going to get a job that she was clearly the favorite to get. Personally, I want to look forward now, and forget about the squabbling of the past several months. I hope that Clinton’s promise to support Barack Obama 100% is sincere and that she does everything possible to get her very disappointed supporters to do the same. I hope that Clinton supporters like Jeralyn, BTD and Taylor Marsh follow her lead, knowing that their candidate lost fairly and that electing a Democrat has to be the goal. For all the fault they find with him, Obama will be an infinitely better president than the alternative.

Finally, I hope Barack Obama supporters will focus more on electing him that they do on what’s happened in the past. We’ll accomplish more by bringing the Clinton supporters into the fold – sort of a post-primary “Marshall Plan” – than we will by rubbing defeat in their faces.

It’s the only way we’ll defeat John McCain in November.

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Reader Interactions

106Comments

  1. 1.

    4tehlulz

    June 5, 2008 at 6:30 am

    Anyone brave enough to go to Hillisnot44 and TL?

  2. 2.

    neill

    June 5, 2008 at 6:31 am

    okay, goddam it!

    now we can concentrate on the insane bag of hammers on the repugnant side of the american experiment.

    everybody for clinton and everybody for obama gets a free donut, and then we expose the rape and pillage, greedheaded assholes who support mccain — and who he represents — and beat them like drums until november…

    jeebus, i feel like i just graduated from high school again — and that was like 40 years ago.

  3. 3.

    Thomas Smith

    June 5, 2008 at 6:33 am

    I’m all sensitive too, we need to reach out and give big group hugs. Clearly this is the only way we can defeat John McCain in November.

  4. 4.

    Quiddity

    June 5, 2008 at 6:36 am

    No sympathy from me. None. She lied repeatedly during the campaign. The people around her (Robert Johnson, Terry McAuliffe, Lanny Davis, James Carville, Howard Wolfson) were skunks.

    As to practical politics, sure, say nice things about Hillary (or say nothing) until after November. Then pay no attention to Hillary or Bill. They’ve been bad for the Democratic party for years, are DLC, and politically selfish (e.g. HC spending on her 2006 senate race and not helping others).

    Sometime time earlier this year I might have been willing to be nicer. But the crap that subsequently came from Hillary and her camp made that impossible.

    Also, I refuse to feel sorry for any multi-millionaire. Any.

  5. 5.

    Conservatively Liberal

    June 5, 2008 at 6:40 am

    It ain’t over until the former First Lady sings, and it better be on key. I will wait until I hear her speak because she does not have that great of a track record when it comes to dealing with reality.

    Content and delivery, that is what I am looking for. Sincerity, with no loopholes.

  6. 6.

    Cassidy

    June 5, 2008 at 6:43 am

    I say screw the hardcore faithful as well. If they aren’t willing to motivate their closet-racist asses to vote for the Dem nominee, over a Republican, then they aren’t needed in the party. Remove their names from the Dem rolls, and put them on a slow boat into a vortex.

  7. 7.

    jake

    June 5, 2008 at 6:44 am

    This may have something to do with it.

    Barack Obama’s campaign is open to paying off some of the more than $20 million in debt accrued by defeated rival Hillary Clinton, a top adviser said.

    Classy. I wondered if he might consider such a move. Added bonus: Any Clinton supporter who screams that this is an insult can be classified as a spoof or an idiot and ignored.

    I’m just saying that, upon reflection, I can understand where she’s coming from and why it has taken her so long to admit to herself that she’s not going to get a job that she was clearly the favorite to get.

    Leaving aside the fact that history is full of “clear favorites” who turned out to be not favorites after all, this is very simple:

    The woman is a lawyer. Lawyers are taught from day one to sink their fangs into the other guy’s ass and not let go until he screams uncle and gives you his ass on a nice silver platter. But, you’re also trained that if the other guy bites you harder that’s the way the game is played, go out and have a drink.

    That’s why she should be bringing her more … enthusiastic supporters to heel toute de suite. She’s over it, but they need her to tell them very bluntly to get over it and I don’t see why this has to wait until Saturday.

  8. 8.

    Michael D.

    June 5, 2008 at 6:45 am

    Also, I refuse to feel sorry for any multi-millionaire. Any.

    I’m with you. When Al Gore lost the presidency to George Bush, I was all like “Screw you, moneybags!”

    [/snark]

  9. 9.

    over_educated

    June 5, 2008 at 6:46 am

    Anyone brave enough to go to Hillisnot44 and TL?

    Suprisingly rational post and comments on TL here. If you ignore the obvious republican trolls claiming they are voting for a third party.

  10. 10.

    jake

    June 5, 2008 at 6:57 am

    Tom Toles always delivers.

    Ready on day one. For any unfortunate event except this one.

  11. 11.

    Ugh

    June 5, 2008 at 7:13 am

    The Story of Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Genie of the Lamp

    In December 2000, after winning her first election to become the junior Senator from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton was strolling alone on a beach in the Caribbean, thinking about her aspirations to become President. As she neared the end of the beach, far away from her hotel, she noticed light reflecting off something rolling around in the surf. She walked into the waves and picked up what appeared to be an old, rusted lamp, with an inscription of some kind. As she tried to rub some of the rust off to get a better look at the inscription, the lamp suddenly spewed a great cloud of smoke that animated itself in the form of a great genie. The following conversation ensued:

    Genie: Who is it that has freed me from my long confinement?

    HRC: Um, that’s me, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Who are you?

    Genie: I am the Genie of the Lamp! Hillary Rodham Clinton, for doing me this great service, I grant you 12 wishes. What do you wish?

    HRC: 12 wishes?!!? Really? Wow, you know, I really really want to be President of the United States, but I think 2004 is too soon for me, so I will be running in 2008. And I’m sure that by then the Republicans will have so ruined the country that there is no way a Democrat can lose, so I only have to claim the Democratic nomination to take the Presidency. So, here is my first wish Genie, in late 2007, I want to have a multi-million dollar lead in fundraising over my closest rival.

    Genie: It will be done.

    HRC: Oh, and in case that’s not enough, I also want Bill and I to have made, say, over $100 million between now and then.

    Genie: That also is not a problem.

    HRC: Great, also, I want my name to be the most recognizable name in Democratic politics at that time!

    Genie: Of course.

    HRC: Super. I’m glad I met you Genie. Let’s see, I also want my biggest rival for the nomination to be…African-American!

    Genie: It shall be.

    HRC: Oh, and let’s not only have him be African-American, but have him be of mixed racial heritage, with a white mother and African-American father.

    Genie: As you wish.

    HRC: What else, what else, oh! I also want his last name, well, maybe that’s too much, his middle name to be the same as someone the United States has gone to war with twice.

    Genie: Easily doable.

    HRC: Well maybe the last name thing wouldn’t be too much, how about this, I want his last name to be almost the same as that of the first name of the biggest terrorist in the world!

    Genie: A simple matter.

    HRC: This is fun! Okay, um, I also want him to have written an autobiography in which he admits to doing cocaine.

    Genie: You are truly devious Hillary Rodham Clinton, so it shall be.

    HRC: And I want him to have gone to a church with a pastor who says crazy things on videotape like “God-damn America!” and have that tape played over and over and over on national television.

    Genie: I believe that’s two wishes, Hillary Rodham Clinton, both granted.

    HRC: He should also have an absentee father who was a Muslim! No offense Genie.

    Genie: None taken, a Muslim he shall be.

    HRC: I want to start off the primary campaign with a huge lead in the superdelegates!

    Genie: Done.

    HRC: And finally, I want to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for President in 2008!

    Genie: I’m sorry Hillary Rodham Clinton, but that is your 13th wish, you only have 12.

    HRC: Oh. Well, that’s okay Genie, I’m sure with all those other wishes I’ll win easily in a landslide.

  12. 12.

    Conservatively Liberal

    June 5, 2008 at 7:13 am

    Tom Toles always delivers.

    I like the ‘web only’ sketch below the cartoon. Is that Bill that Obama locked up for Hillary? ;)

  13. 13.

    El Cid

    June 5, 2008 at 7:13 am

    I think this is a good tone to take. As long as we include that I don’t want this person or another representative of this particular political force (the Clintons themselves or the conservative, remake-the-party organization they founded, the DLC) directing the Democratic Party.

    The great majority of the people who supported her candidacy did so for rational reasons outside of various campaign-centered lunacies. They are Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters who will now, without much noise or fanfare, do what always happens — they will quickly drift to back the actual Democratic candidate.

    Fortunately or unfortunately, the Clinton / Obama divisions were not primarily about policy or ideology, so there isn’t that sort of hard division in the policy.

  14. 14.

    gypsy howell

    June 5, 2008 at 7:13 am

    Well said Michael.

    I only wish she had brought some of that fighting spirit to the important issues in the Senate, where she could have made a huge difference on so many issues. Maybe now that the presidential race is over for her, she can direct her full attentions to that.

    And Quiddity- just SU, and let’s get on with it. We have some cottage-cheese-in-a-lime-jello-salad to defeat in November. And don’t think for a minute that America isn’t ignorant enough to elect something like that as a two-term president. Remember that last 8 years? Our corporate overlords would like nothing better than to have that sleazy,lazy, dottering old douchebag McCain as their figurehead for the next 4 years.

    Let’s bring it to McCain now.

  15. 15.

    tattoosydney

    June 5, 2008 at 7:18 am

    4tehlulz

    I spent five minutes at Hillaryis44 and I need a wash… there are about four regular posters egging each other on, and that’s about it…

    Basically it was hours and hours of Republican trolls:

    It’s still true that Hillary’s chances to become president rest squarely on the shoulders of her supporters in 2008 even though she’s not running. Voting for McCain in 2008 will give Hillary a good shot at 2012. Her supporters will get the chance to do this all over again in 4 years, and we’ll all be vindicated and the champagne will flow.

    I love how that story ends!

    and

    hehe… I just signed up for John McCain’s website and donated my first $25.00. Won’t be the last time either.

    and

    ZOMG Rezko will save us

    until about 3am when one of the posters gets an email from the Hillary campaign about her supporting Obama, and then the sound of heads exploding gets a bit deafening…

    At the moment they seem to be arguing about whether she can suspend her campaign, pretend to support Obama and then knife him in Denver…

  16. 16.

    wasabi gasp

    June 5, 2008 at 7:19 am

    Bullshit. The process was long and slow. There was no kick in the stomach. She had about three months to digest her loss.

    She’s not getting out now because she realizes its over. She’s getting out now because Applebee’s closed two hours ago and if she doesn’t step away from the salad bar, someone’s gonna fuckin’ call the cops.

    You are too gracious Michael D. If we’re lucky, someday you’ll be our first lady president.

  17. 17.

    Conservatively Liberal

    June 5, 2008 at 7:19 am

    Pat Oliphant has his own take on things.

    lol

  18. 18.

    eastriver

    June 5, 2008 at 7:21 am

    (HRC disclaimer; I didn’t vote for her, I don’t support, I’ve never given her money.)

    You know, there are millions of people in this country who believe that Hillary would make a better president than Barack. They believe that not because he’s black, or she’s a woman, but simply that she’s better for the job.

    Sure, she’s driven by personal ambition. But surely she’s also driven by the idea that she thinks she’s better for the job.

    Your condescending Big Hug crap won’t help move anyone online; they’re going to be hardcore political junkies like you. And they’ll be familiar with the Clinton hatred spewing from Kos, this site, and others, like a fountain. If and when they choose to vote for Obama it will be because of the differences between Obama and McBush. Not anything you kids write or say.

    Non-bloggy voters don’t know who you folk are, and don’t care, so I wouldn’t bother with them.

    The main thing to remember is that Clinton supporters won’t be voting for you. They’ll be voting for Barack. The best thing you can do is STFU and keep handing out bumper stickers at the mall, or whatever it is you do when not hating Hill.

    Good night and good luck.

  19. 19.

    tattoosydney

    June 5, 2008 at 7:26 am

    Oh, and this…

    # alcina Says:
    June 5th, 2008 at 6:51 am

    admin

    for those of us who may be going our separate ways after saturday, would it be possible to put together a thread dedicated to hillary? maybe a “letters of thanks” from the many posters here at 44. i feel this blog is one that may have a chance at reaching senator clinton. i think it might be nice to formally write and express what hillary has meant to us.

    just a thought.

    Because that will make Hillary feel SO much better right now…

    Mind you, through all of teh madness, some of the later posts from people who are obviously well meaning, but have gotten caught up by the trolls, are actually a little poignant…

    and then someone else calls Obama a racist and a sexist and all of my sympathy just drains away…

  20. 20.

    Jim Pharo

    June 5, 2008 at 7:26 am

    I more magnanimous tone, I suspect, than would have occurred the other way around. My guess is BHO would have been thanked, told he was a young man who could try again in 2016 or 2024, and then expected to leave.

    HRC has Ted Kennedy’s job open to her if she’s willing to take it — my guess is she’ll soon warm to the role of “party elder.”

    I’m all for giving her time to come to grips, etc., but wasnt’ the time for that sometime in April or May, latest? And I cannot escape the lingering suspicion that Tuesday evening’s bizarre performance had a lot to do with the debt she insisted on racking up under circumstances that truly dictated austerity.

    Finally, I’m certain I’m not ready to forgive her this: “I want the nearly 18 million people who voted for me to be respected, to be heard, to be no longer invisible.”

  21. 21.

    Jim Pharo

    June 5, 2008 at 7:31 am

    “A” more magnanimous tone…

    Sorry!

  22. 22.

    Conservatively Liberal

    June 5, 2008 at 7:33 am

    Here is another take on why she is getting out (from a Badabing post talking about Charlie Rangel in a diary at Kos about her ‘intervention‘:

    Apparently what happened was after he watched the speech last night he was so horrified at her performance for many reasons, that he talked with several of her supporters from New York and they decided to make a conference call to her…when other people in the House heard about this, several of them asked to join Rangel. The Conference call was more or less what sounded like a “Come to Jesus” talk. Rangel told her in no uncertain terms, if Hilary expected to have any kind of future in politics (esp. New York) it was time to act like a decent traditional Democratic Candidate by conceding and by endorsing Obama. The news is that this call was filled with some ‘rangor’ and that the 23 people that called were very angry with Clinton for asking ‘supporters’ to email her website for money and support. Talk about the Queen of Tacky. It was later, when the 8 Senators called her and did exactly the same. They told her they could not and would not wait to endorse Obama, and told her, no more time, time’s up. You want a career in politics, fall in line, join us or get out.

    I always thought that this was the way it would be played out. That Hilary had to literally be PUSHED out of the race, and even perhaps out of the party. I thought it might be a show of all the Super Delegates rushing to Obama’s side, but it was her closest friends and supporters who told her. It’s Over Hilary. Time to do the right thing. I hate to think what would have happened if they had not found the courage to do this. I don’t think Hilary would have quit, and I think it would have gone to the Convention. Thank god for Charlie Rangel’s temper and thank god for his taking HRC to school to show her the right way to be a Democrat.

    Essentially, Hillary crapped on a historic moment when she refused to acknowledge the historic win that Obama had achieved. I agree with other posters that the fundraising punchline did not go over well with the cash strapped DNC and other campaigns that are suffering because Obama and Hillary are sucking all of the air out of the room.

    She is out because she is being told ‘or else’, and I have no doubt about that. IMO, if it were up to her it would be ‘on to Denver’. When Charlie Rangel stepped up yesterday and said that nobody makes demands of the nominee, I knew he was pissed at Hillary. He would not have made a statement that strong otherwise.

    That is why I want to hear Hillary Saturday, and I am sure that a lot of people will be weighing her words very carefully. It ought to be interesting to see what happens.

  23. 23.

    Bernie

    June 5, 2008 at 7:38 am

    Be strong. Do not give into the weakness of feeling empathy for the Clintons. Its what the want you to do… do not succumb to the Dark Side.

  24. 24.

    Punchy

    June 5, 2008 at 7:52 am

    I can completely understand how Hillary wanted to go right till the end, making every argument she could, even when to the rest of us it seemed irrational.

    No, you couldn’t. You (rightly!) ripped her daily for her intransigence, her duplicity, her GOP-style tactics.

    Maybe this is just your relief writing this, but please dont pretend like you now “completely understand” why she did this, when I can point to about 25 posts where you insisted you couldn’t understand, and correctly claimed she was wrong for dragging this out.

    Consistency, please.

  25. 25.

    4tehlulz

    June 5, 2008 at 7:53 am

    eastriver Says:

    I think we discovered who wrote McCain’s abortion of a speech.

  26. 26.

    Lavocat

    June 5, 2008 at 7:54 am

    Uh huh. Fuck her.

    Good riddance to bad rubbish.

    I’m one of those “mavericky” Independents that was no-way-in-hell voting for HRC even if fucking Hitler was on the Republican ticket.

    NOW, The Democrats can make history instead of making faux-feminism and political correctness the status quo.

    Yes, LET’S move forward – but only after we throw Hillary from the train.

  27. 27.

    Punchy

    June 5, 2008 at 7:55 am

    Uh….Mike? Sorry. Thought this post was from John. My bad.

  28. 28.

    Scrutinizer

    June 5, 2008 at 7:56 am

    I’m all for magnanimity in victory, and I can feel for Hillary as well. I’ve gone after things I wanted, run into a brick wall at the very end, and it was damned hard to come to grips with things being over after I’d worked so fucking hard…

    But two things: The idea that “Barack has to woo us” floated by some HRC dead-enders? Nope. No matter how close the defeat, defeat it was. We don’t need to feed them a ration of shit, but we don’t have to chase them around the stage, like Carter did Kennedy. And the other thing?

    HRC has Ted Kennedy’s job open to her if she’s willing to take it—my guess is she’ll soon warm to the role of “party elder.”

    HRC is on her second term in the Senate. That doesn’t make her a party elder. if she wants to be another Kennedy, she has to earn it, the same way Kennedy, LBJ, and others had to earn it. “Party elder” and Majority Leader come after three or four terms of leadership in the Senate. She hasn’t shown that yet, although if she stays, I’m sure she can.

  29. 29.

    Garrigus Carraig

    June 5, 2008 at 7:57 am

    HRC: He should also have an absentee father who was a Muslim! No offense Genie.

    Genie: None taken, a Muslim he shall be.

    Win.

  30. 30.

    Michael D.

    June 5, 2008 at 8:03 am

    Uh….Mike? Sorry. Thought this post was from John. My bad.

    Was the writing that good? :-)

  31. 31.

    yam

    June 5, 2008 at 8:03 am

    Think about it: You apply for the job of a lifetime. You know you’re going to get it because there is no competition. You psych yourself up, knowing the job is yours and the interview process is merely a formality. All of a sudden, a new candidate for the job comes along and becomes the favorite with the recruiting manager.

    To use a tired sports cliche, “That’s why they play the games.”

  32. 32.

    Incertus

    June 5, 2008 at 8:03 am

    I’m one of those “mavericky” Independents that was no-way-in-hell voting for HRC even if fucking Hitler was on the Republican ticket.

    NOW, The Democrats can make history instead of making faux-feminism and political correctness the status quo.

    Yes, LET’S move forward – but only after we throw Hillary from the train.

    Just out of curiosity, if you’re not a Democrat, why should you get to choose who gets thrown from the Democratic train? Seems to me that ought to be left up to the people who’ve been working for the party for a bit longer. I’m no fan of the way Clinton has run her campaign, especially in the late stages, but I do take a little offense at being told by an “independent” what I ought to do with my party.

  33. 33.

    r€nato

    June 5, 2008 at 8:04 am

    And Quiddity- just SU, and let’s get on with it.

    Amen. There’s this thing called, ‘being magnanimous in victory’.

  34. 34.

    empty

    June 5, 2008 at 8:06 am

    Wow! Sore winners anyone?

  35. 35.

    Scrutinizer

    June 5, 2008 at 8:06 am

    I’m no fan of the way Clinton has run her campaign, especially in the late stages, but I do take a little offense at being told by an “independent” what I ought to do with my party.

    Fuckin’ A right.

  36. 36.

    Scrutinizer

    June 5, 2008 at 8:07 am

    Wow! Sore winners anyone?

    Bless your heart…

  37. 37.

    r€nato

    June 5, 2008 at 8:11 am

    Essentially, Hillary crapped on a historic moment when she refused to acknowledge the historic win that Obama had achieved. I agree with other posters that the fundraising punchline did not go over well with the cash strapped DNC and other campaigns that are suffering because Obama and Hillary are sucking all of the air out of the room.

    I have stuck up for Hillary a lot over the last several months, even though I am an Obama supporter, against wingnut attacks.

    Now, because I am a person of integrity, I am in the uncomfortable but necessary position of having to tell wingnuts they had a point or two about Hillary all along. This tale is just further proof.

    Thanks a lot, Hillary; I will think of you every time I have to eat crow in front of wingnuts who have otherwise been proved fucking wrong about pretty much everything else the last 7 years.

  38. 38.

    Walker

    June 5, 2008 at 8:12 am

    Sitting in the airport listening to news. They say that Hillary is suspending her campaign, not giving up.

  39. 39.

    Bob In Pacifica

    June 5, 2008 at 8:13 am

    I never presumed that H. Clinton would be the first woman President.

  40. 40.

    Incertus

    June 5, 2008 at 8:15 am

    They say that Hillary is suspending her campaign, not giving up.

    yeah, but John Edwards suspended his campaign too. Don’t read too much into that. All suspending means is that if something untoward happens between now and the convention, she can formally resume, as can Edwards.

  41. 41.

    SGEW

    June 5, 2008 at 8:15 am

    Hillary is suspending her campaign . . . .

    Ambinder has a good take on the difference between “suspending” and “dropping out.” Key graph:

    If Clinton does for some reason use the word “suspend,” instead of some more final word, it will be a rhetoric feint, one that is sure to further anger the Obama campaign.

  42. 42.

    r€nato

    June 5, 2008 at 8:16 am

    Sitting in the airport listening to news. They say that Hillary is suspending her campaign, not giving up.

    I could be wrong, but I think that this is SOP; suspending a campaign is related to paying off debts, if you shut down the campaign that means you’re out of business and everyone who wasn’t paid gets bupkus.

  43. 43.

    Richardson

    June 5, 2008 at 8:21 am

    The second Hillary endorses Obama in public, the real healing process begins. Trust me, all will be forgiven if the Dems are united come August.

    Obama strikes me as magnanimous in victory. He’ll give Hillary the lead on healthcare in the Senate and Bill will be made Ambassador to the United Nations. (Or something like that anyway.)

    The GOP has done too much damage the past 8 years for Dems to hold grudges against one another. (Except for Lieberman, the little weasel…)

  44. 44.

    Mark Adams

    June 5, 2008 at 8:22 am

    Finally, I hope Barack Obama supporters will focus more on electing him that they do on what’s happened in the past. We’ll accomplish more by bringing the Clinton supporters into the fold – sort of a post-primary “Marshall Plan” – than we will by rubbing defeat in their faces.

    Fine, but it won’t be nearly as much fun.

    If you wanna feel sorry for someone, keep your eye on the increasingly pathetic John Sidney “Ace” McSame III and the 25%ers still drinking Bush’s bathwater-flavored Kool Aide. Me, I’ll be making fun of them mercilessly, as well as any Hillary Dead-Enders who would rather vote for a toad like McCain or any GOPer than be a part of history’s march to the future.

    Honestly, if these stupid people (smart people naturally excluded in this) want to “send a message” by abandoning the Democratic Party just as it gets its act together, the message they send will say, “Help me, I can’t stop beating myself in the head with this hammer. Could you bring me a bigger one, please?”

    You can’t reason with emotionally deranged people. They need time and treatment. They’ll act out and commit self-destructive atrocities and remain passively agressive no matter what kind of outreach we offer or what “Poor Hillary” says — since they’ve already convinced themselves that the mean male overlords of the universe are forcing her to behave responsibly.

    Best we can do is stay out of these people’s way, and mock them for our own amusement.

  45. 45.

    gypsy howell

    June 5, 2008 at 8:23 am

    Here’s the thing- the people we have to talk back from the ledge right now are the Hillary supporters. Frankly, I don’t care much what Hillary’s personal feelings are right now, but I do care what her supporters think. We need them working for the democrats, not against the democrats going forward. We have to leave a door open for her supporters to come back into the tent. (Ugh, I have to say, BTD has pretty much ruined that metaphor for me.) We’re not going to do that by continuing to bash Hillary and her campaign.

    There’s such a thing a losing with dignity, and there’s also such a thing as winning with dignity. Let it go, folks. Obama won.

  46. 46.

    Bob In Pacifica

    June 5, 2008 at 8:25 am

    eastriver, I have no problems with H. Clinton supporters who think that she is a better politician, or more closely mirrors their stance on issues. You can discuss various points and leave with a meeting of the minds.

    My problem is that the world is flooded with so many trolls (apparently the troll budget is up this year) that it’s hard to sort out between paid mischief makers, genuinely delusional true believers and honest Clinton supporters. The Republicans rule by divide-and-conquer and this year with a black and a woman candidate it gave them a perfect scenario for this kind of misbehavior. The problem I have is that this is the same scenario that the Clinton campaign pursued.

    Anyway, it’s over. Isn’t it?

  47. 47.

    Doug H. (Fausto no more)

    June 5, 2008 at 8:26 am

    Well said, Michael, but…

    Finally, I hope Barack Obama supporters will focus more on electing him that they do on what’s happened in the past. We’ll accomplish more by bringing the Clinton supporters into the fold – sort of a post-primary “Marshall Plan” – than we will by rubbing defeat in their faces.

    I’ll be magnanimous in victory, but don’t expect me to start begging. The true liberals, progressives, and Democrats should know who the real threat this November should be.

  48. 48.

    Scrutinizer

    June 5, 2008 at 8:27 am

    Me, I’ll be making fun of them mercilessly, as well as any Hillary Dead-Enders who would rather vote for a toad like McCain or any GOPer than be a part of history’s march to the future.

    Well, then at that point they are McCain supporters, not Hillary supporters. That makes ’em fair game.

  49. 49.

    Xanthippas

    June 5, 2008 at 8:30 am

    The woman is a lawyer. Lawyers are taught from day one to sink their fangs into the other guy’s ass and not let go until he screams uncle and gives you his ass on a nice silver platter. But, you’re also trained that if the other guy bites you harder that’s the way the game is played, go out and have a drink.

    I’m not sure if she’s like that because she’s a lawyer (though this is a fairly accurate statement about lawyers) or because she’s just a tough, tough politician, but it’s true. She gave it her all, and when she saw that she had nothing else to give that was going to put her over the top, she bowed out. Was anybody expecting anything less? Sure she’s done some stuff that’s made me angry; she’s fudged the facts, revised history, gone back on earlier things she said…but how is this unexpected out of a tough politician who’s in it to win? If she’d won the nomination, we’d be lauding these abilities for the fits it would give McCain and the Republicans! This is why I’ve never understood the absolute fits of rage that Clinton seems to drive people like Sullivan (and sometimes our hero Cole) into. It’s about perspective…she’s done nothing that wasn’t aimed at helping her win, and that trait simply must be admired whether you agree with the specific actions she takes or words she says.

  50. 50.

    Xanthippas

    June 5, 2008 at 8:37 am

    Suprisingly rational post and comments on TL here.

    That doesn’t come off as all that rational to me. Read her closing paragraph:

    He needs to work like crazy to have Hillary say she doesn’t want to be on the ticket so she can make the case on the other issues to her supporters.

    If her supporters believe she wants to be on the ticket and he declines to offer her the spot, his reasons won’t matter. A diss is a diss and this would be too big a diss for them to get past.

    In other words, if Hillary wants the VP slot and Obama doesn’t give it to her, Hillary people won’t vote for him. Solution? Obama has to work to make Hillary not want the VP slot!

    WTF?? Seems to me it would be easier for Hillary to just say she doesn’t want it, then for Obama to convince her she doesn’t want something she wants. But as is usually the case in TL world, the impetus is on Obama to fix everything, including problems made by Hillary.

  51. 51.

    John

    June 5, 2008 at 8:38 am

    HRC is on her second term in the Senate. That doesn’t make her a party elder. if she wants to be another Kennedy, she has to earn it, the same way Kennedy, LBJ, and others had to earn it. “Party elder” and Majority Leader come after three or four terms of leadership in the Senate.

    Er…no. Historically, most Senate floor leaders have been in their second term at the time of election as leader. LBJ became minority leader in 1953, just after being elected to his second term in the Senate. Tom Daschle became minority leader in 1995, two years into his second term. George Mitchell became majority leader in 1989, just after being elected to his second full term (he’d also served part of Muskie’s term after Muskie resigned to become Secretary of State). Mike Mansfield was also two years into his second term when he became majority leader.

    On the Republican side, Frist was in his second, and only term, when he became Majority leader. Lott was just starting his second term when he took over. William Knowland had just been elected to his second full term (he, like Mitchell, had filled part of a predecessor’s term beforehand) when he became leader. Everett Dirksen was in his second term when he became majority leader. Hugh Scott – just finishing his second term when Dirksen died and he became leader. Howard Baker, also in his second term when he succeeded Scott.

    There are some prominent exceptions – Robert Byrd and Harry Reid on the Democratic side; Bob Dole on the Republican side. But the idea that a second term senator is too junior to be majority leader is absurd.

    Now, to be elder statesman, I’ll agree with you. Ted Kennedy got his foot in the door by being the brother of JFK and RFK. But he only became a great Senator after his presidential ambitions died in 1980 and he put his ego aside and decided to focus on being a good legislator and getting things done. And it took years before this started to be clear. Clinton doesn’t have as long as Kennedy did to do that – Kennedy is only fifteen years older than her, and has been in the Senate for 38 years longer. When Kennedy lost in 1980, he was only 48 years old – Clinton is 60.

    I’ll also agree that Clinton is unlikely to become majority leader, at least in the immediate future. Harry Reid is the leader now, and will remain so at least until his term expires in 2010 – if he runs again and wins, he’ll likely stay for another 6 years (although he might choose to step down at some point, that’s basically unknowable). If Reid retires, there’s a lot of people who have paid more dues than Clinton who are in line for the job – Dick Durbin and Chris Dodd come to mind, but there’s a whole bunch of them who want it. Clinton, in her run for the presidency, did not demonstrate any particularly great regard from her Senate colleagues. Obama can’t give her the Senate Majority Leader position. That’s not how it works. If she wants to become Senate Majority leader, she’s got a couple of years now to butter up her colleagues for the job whenever Reid retires. But it’ll take a lot of work, and she has to earn it – you don’t get to be Senate Majority leader because you ran for president and came in second. It’s not a consolation prize.

  52. 52.

    linda

    June 5, 2008 at 8:41 am

    ah, come on. one last round of hillary-bashing and mocking and dismissal of the ‘menopause brigade’…

  53. 53.

    Scrutinizer

    June 5, 2008 at 8:43 am

    he’s done nothing that wasn’t aimed at helping her win, and that trait simply must be admired whether you agree with the specific actions she takes or words she says.

    I’m ambivalent about whether “doing anything to win” is always an admirable quality, but I might be carrying your statement too far. Like you, I didn’t like her tactics when they resulted in pulling down Obama’s chances against McCain in the GE; some of her comparisons favoring McCain over Obama were odious. At the same time, she gets props from me for fighting spirit and tenacity in the face of almost certain defeat. She wasn’t totally out of the game until after NC and Indiana. That said, she should have been far more gracious Tuesday night and brought things to a close then. The bad side of her never admitting defeat is that she (maybe) couldn’t admit defeat; that may hurt her going forward.

  54. 54.

    rob!

    June 5, 2008 at 8:44 am

    nice post john.

    as you can see represented in the comments above, some people are going to have a harder time letting go of their anger than others.

    (personally, i calmed down the minute i learned she’s quitting, my Mom on the other hand still wants to kick her in the stomach)

    i do find it amusing that Hillary supporters are still thinking they have the ability to make demands on the Democratic Nominee. seems like the other side needs some time for this to sink in, as well.

  55. 55.

    Wilfred

    June 5, 2008 at 8:46 am

    Peace and reconciliation? Absolutely, but first a bit of hanging.

  56. 56.

    Conservatively Liberal

    June 5, 2008 at 8:47 am

    ah, come on. one last round of hillary-bashing and mocking and dismissal of the ‘menopause brigade’…

    I hate to disappoint you ‘sweetie’, but ‘menopause brigade’ is not a welcome term here. But thanks for trying to make us look bad. ;)

  57. 57.

    Dennis - SGMM

    June 5, 2008 at 8:49 am

    I haven’t had much use for the Clintons since the 90’s and I’ve done my share of Hillary-bashing here. I am willing to stack arms. If she campaigns wholeheartedly for Obama then the past is past.
    Some of her supporters won’t come around. Those few probably wouldn’t vote for a black man anyway. Let the dead bury their dead.

  58. 58.

    Cassidy

    June 5, 2008 at 8:49 am

    We need them working for the democrats, not against the democrats going forward. We have to leave a door open for her supporters to come back into the tent.

    Bullshit! I’m not a liberal by any stretch, but I’ll be damned if I don’t vote for a Democrat come November. Even if HRC had gotten the nomination, I’d still be voting for the party. If these assholes need to be “convinced” that they should vote for a Dem, then they are too fucking stupid to share the same air as me.

  59. 59.

    zzyzx

    June 5, 2008 at 8:50 am

    I wasn’t worried. Clinton was playing the game, not being some sort of evil Bond villain.

    …ok maybe I was worried for a second or two, but for the most part I was confident.

  60. 60.

    libarbarian

    June 5, 2008 at 8:50 am

    Maybe this is just your relief writing this, but please dont pretend like you now “completely understand” why she did this, when I can point to about 25 posts where you insisted you couldn’t understand, and correctly claimed she was wrong for dragging this out.

    Foolish consistency is the Hillary Clinton of little minds.

  61. 61.

    libarbarian

    June 5, 2008 at 8:54 am

    Here’s the thing- the people we have to talk back from the ledge right now are the Hillary supporters+.

    .-

    No we don’t.

    The hardcore “I wont vote for Obama” Hillary Supporters were the authoritarian 25% of the party. They have no independent thought. They will fall in line and do what their leader tell thems. 4 months from now they will have forgotten all about what they were saying.

  62. 62.

    Scrutinizer

    June 5, 2008 at 8:58 am

    Er…no.

    Well, of course you’re right, but…

    I can’t speak for the Repubs on your list, but I suppose that I’m conflating years of service in the Congress (House and Senate). I know Mitchell’s an exception to that rule, but Daschle, Mansfield, and Johnson all had many years of experience in the House before coming to the Senate.

    Thank you for the correction. As penance I’ll go re-read Master of the Senate starting this weekend.

  63. 63.

    Sean T. Collins

    June 5, 2008 at 8:58 am

    Note that in her statement, she never actually comes out and says that he won. She congratulates him for unspecified reasons rather than for his victory. It’s really rather breathtaking.

  64. 64.

    Mike D.

    June 5, 2008 at 8:59 am

    Talk to the yarrow stalk, a’ight?

    _Hexidecigram:_ 0x3fa
    _Title:_ Post-Potchkied Penitent

    The magnanimous man is suffused with a golden glow. Shame is fleeting, like the desire for Chunky Monkey ice cream. All junk-kicking, glass-smashing and well-poisoning are forgiven. The undeserving are already registered at Tiffany’s.

    _Commentary of the Duke of Earl:_ You’re probably wondering why the mystical book just happened to fall open to this page. You want insight, Grasshopper? Try keeping a running tally of how often 0x3fa turns up. Use the inside cover as a scratch pad, it’s okay. Meanwhile, the glass is still broken, the well is still poisoned and unless you’re a true numb nuts, don’t feel obligated to take the pledge. Three days, tops, and we’re right back in the shithouse.

  65. 65.

    sunny

    June 5, 2008 at 9:00 am

    Hillary is “reserving the right” to hold on to her delegates.

  66. 66.

    sunny

    June 5, 2008 at 9:04 am

    She’s also “leaving open the option” of having her name on the ballot at the nominating convention.

  67. 67.

    Richard Bottoms

    June 5, 2008 at 9:04 am

    I’m one of those “mavericky” Independents that was no-way-in-hell voting for HRC even if fucking Hitler was on the Republican ticket.

    NOW, The Democrats can make history instead of making faux-feminism and political correctness the status quo.

    Yes, LET’S move forward – but only after we throw Hillary from the train.

    I’ll be less polite.

    Fuck you, you Republican troll.

  68. 68.

    Dennis - SGMM

    June 5, 2008 at 9:07 am

    Hillary is “reserving the right” to hold on to her delegates.

    As far as I can determine, Edwards hasn’t released his delegates. Releasing delegates would only have been crucial if Obama hadn’t already achieved a majority.

  69. 69.

    Krista

    June 5, 2008 at 9:17 am

    linda Says:

    ah, come on. one last round of hillary-bashing and mocking and dismissal of the ‘menopause brigade’…

    When was that term ever used here? Anyone? Bueller?

    Besides, it cracks me up when people complain about Obama-supporting blogs “bashing” Clinton. You know…glass houses, motes in eyes, all that stuff. Each side quite merrily bashed the other. Let’s not pretend that Clinton’s supporters kept their complaints about Obama to his policy positions, shall we?

    For the most part, the Clinton-bashing here was kept non-sexist, and on the rare occasions when things did go over the line, they were very quickly reeled back in. So unless you’ve been reading this blog as long as I have and know this group as well as I do, I would kindly advise you to take your imagined slights elsewhere.

    I’m not in the mood for that kind of shit today.

  70. 70.

    zzyzx

    June 5, 2008 at 9:21 am

    Oh and for those who are still following the release of the tape that will happen ANY DAY NOW… now noquarter is pretending that all of those posts about details they wrote over the last few days never happened. First rule of a whisper campaign – never give details about when it happened. You can be proven wrong then. He’s going back to the “This exists, trust me,” argument.

  71. 71.

    The Other Steve

    June 5, 2008 at 9:22 am

    Reading talkleft, Obama’s problem is he’s part of the fringe liberal wing of the Democratic party and he’s too beholden to the DLC who want to be Republican-lite.

    I think their heads are about to explode.

  72. 72.

    Richard Bottoms

    June 5, 2008 at 9:27 am

    If these assholes need to be “convinced” that they should vote for a Dem, then they are too fucking stupid to share the same air as me.

    Youza.

  73. 73.

    LarryB

    June 5, 2008 at 9:28 am

    Scrutinizer Says:

    [snip]

    The idea that “Barack has to woo us” floated by some HRC dead-enders? Nope. No matter how close the defeat, defeat it was. We don’t need to feed them a ration of shit, but we don’t have to chase them around the stage, like Carter did Kennedy.

    That’s pretty naive thinking. Maybe you’re confusing “woo”, which Obama definitely should be doing if he’s as smart as we hope he is, with “suck up”, which would make him look week (like Carter?). You think that Obama can just tell Hillary and her jillions of supporters to piss up a rope without consequences? History says no.

  74. 74.

    Harley

    June 5, 2008 at 9:28 am

    Clinton’s desire to keep her options open — reserving rights re her delegates and having her name in nomination at the convention — may simply be yet another example of the campaign’s tone deafness. Or maybe not. Here’s hoping she means what she says this time.

  75. 75.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    June 5, 2008 at 9:30 am

    For years, it has been assumed that Hillary Clinton would be the first woman president of the United States.

    Well yeah, she reeeeally earned it.

    Too bad for her. She married her way to the governor’s mansion, then the White House, then the US Senate. Somewhere along the way she convinced herself (and a large chunk of gullible followers) that that gave her the right to be president. Then someone came along and earned that right. Isn’t that sad.

  76. 76.

    EnderWiggin

    June 5, 2008 at 9:32 am

    Anyone brave enough to go to Hillisnot44 and TL?

    As pointed out already, the TL crowd seems to already be calming down. Hillis44 was always the house of the really fringe looney tunes, so this is not a surprising item to be at the top of the page:

    Rezko Convicted – Culture Of Corruption – Barack Obama

    Update: The Republicans know the significance of the Obama/Dean/Brazille/Pelosi Culture of Corruption.

    Truthfully, I never thought the Hillaryis44 crowd mattered at all. With any sufficiently large group, there will be a bunch of crazy people. All that site did was give the crazy people a place to congregate. No one should pretend that a few 100, maybe few 1000, people on a blog like that matter at all. Jeralyn going off the deep end was disturbing, but she isn’t a moron. Her post last night shows that she can come around, and I think most of the Hillary supports will as well.

  77. 77.

    lonesomerobot

    June 5, 2008 at 9:32 am

    this is me being a cynic…

    over on huffpo, thomas edsall says that, in effect, hillary clinton is now running for the vp slot.

    and although no one seems to be saying this yet (at least no one i’ve read), it seems that it would be pretty obvious to hillary clinton that the cheneyfication of the vice presidency has made that position vastly more powerful, and less accountable, than it has ever been, historically.

    so, again, this is me being cynical: does anyone else think, given the last 8 years, that hillary is looking at that vp slot as more than just a consolation prize? certainly dick cheney has demonstrated how one could wield more power with less impunity from that position than [arguably] even the president.

  78. 78.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    June 5, 2008 at 9:33 am

    Tom Toles always delivers.

    That’s going to my hard drive.

  79. 79.

    garage mahal

    June 5, 2008 at 9:33 am

    It’s not over until Hillary calls and personally apologizes to John Cole and his commenters for what she put them through. Poor things.

  80. 80.

    Llelldorin

    June 5, 2008 at 9:36 am

    From what I vaguely recall, “suspending” her campaign is the correct thing for her to do, given the financial condition of her campaign. If I remember correctly, “ending” a campaign is like leaving the bar—you have to settle your debts then and there. Suspension lets her continue to fundraise until the convention, so she doesn’t have to personally liquidate enough stuff to pay debts.

  81. 81.

    LarryB

    June 5, 2008 at 9:41 am

    Notorious P.A.T. Says:

    Well yeah, she reeeeally earned it.

    Too bad for her. She married her way to the governor’s mansion…

    (Oooh, do I detect some unresolved personal history here?) She probably did earn it. Like with many political power couples, I always had the feeling that Hillary was the real brains and drive behind the Clinton machine. Bill’s goofs on the campaign trail this year haven’t changed my mind about it, either.

  82. 82.

    SFOtter

    June 5, 2008 at 9:45 am

    I’ll believe it when I see it.

    Not when she says it. I’ll never believe anything anyone named Clinton says, ever again.

    I’ll believe it when I see her sincerely campaigning for Obama. And she’d best work twice as hard as she did when she tried to kneecap him or I won’t hesitate to contribute to any and all opponents she faces in the future.

  83. 83.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    June 5, 2008 at 9:46 am

    Obama strikes me as magnanimous in victory. He’ll give Hillary the lead on healthcare in the Senate

    Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! ! !

  84. 84.

    Andrew

    June 5, 2008 at 9:48 am

    It’s not over until Hillary calls and personally apologizes to John Cole and his commenters for what she put them through. Poor things.

    And Bill needs to send a gift basket.

  85. 85.

    gypsy howell

    June 5, 2008 at 9:49 am

    If these assholes need to be “convinced” that they should vote for a Dem, then they are too fucking stupid to share the same air as me.

    I make a distinction between the Secret Agent Man types over at NoQ, whom I don’t think ever really were democrats to begin with and who are clearly trying to pave a way for McCain, versus the normal, run-of-the-mill democrats who happened, for whatever their reasons, to prefer Clinton over Obama. The normal people need to come into the Obama tent, and we have to make it possible for them to swallow their pride, get over their disappointment, and join the team. We won’t do that by bashing Hillary and re-hashing ever fucked up thing we think she did.

    The Larrys of the world, OTOH, can go stick it up their ass. Even the SusanUnPC types, who I think actually ARE democrats but who’ve lost their friggin’ minds in this campaign, I don’t care about. I doubt there really are very many of those people anyway.

    There’s a difference between bending over backwards to validate the most extreme craziness of the Clinton campaign, versus just leaving the door open and inviting Clinton supporters into the Obama tent nicely. I’m suggesting the latter.

  86. 86.

    LarryB

    June 5, 2008 at 9:52 am

    gypsy howell Says:

    There’s a difference between bending over backwards to validate the most extreme craziness of the Clinton campaign, versus just leaving the door open and inviting Clinton supporters into the Obama tent nicely. I’m suggesting the latter.

    Agree.

  87. 87.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    June 5, 2008 at 9:53 am

    Like with many political power couples, I always had the feeling that Hillary was the real brains and drive behind the Clinton machine.

    Hahaha!

    Bill runs a campaign=victory over an incumbent president who has just won a war.

    Hillary runs a campaign=resounding defeat to a virtual unknown despite advantage after advantage.

    Bonus Hillary runs a campaign=health care ’93.

    And Obama supporters are the ones who live in a fantasy land.

  88. 88.

    rafael

    June 5, 2008 at 10:00 am

    Something else. Someone mentioned in a diary at Dkos that Hillary should have ran in 2004. I agree with that. But she probably thought that it would be too tough and it would be easier after Bush left the White House. It goes to show something that Bob Shrum commented on his book, if you have a chance to grab the party’s nomination, you should grab it because you don’t know what will happen in 4 years. Shrum was talking about Ted Kennedy there but I think this applies to Hillary in 2004. Who knows, maybe she would have run a better campaign than Kerry.

  89. 89.

    D.N. Nation

    June 5, 2008 at 10:01 am

    Anyone brave enough to go to Hillisnot44 and TL?

    Hillis44 is an astroturf/ratfucking site. There’s only about 300 people who make up that site’s shitload of posts. I’m sure a few people over there really are Hillary fans, but the great majority of McCain minions getting their jollies. If you check out the last thread on there, it’s pretty obvious they’re having trouble keeping up the charade. Just a hint, guys: Immediately going from GO HILLARY! GO HILLARY! BEAT OBAMA! to Oh well, whatever, hey, why don’t we all support John McCain? He’s grrrrreat! is kind of a tell.

  90. 90.

    AkaDad

    June 5, 2008 at 10:03 am

    I’m willing to help unite the party by wooing Hillary’s female supporters.

  91. 91.

    Ravi J

    June 5, 2008 at 10:16 am

    Strongly disagree with you Michael. Hillary’s inevitability was more of a media creation than anything else.

  92. 92.

    A Different JC

    June 5, 2008 at 10:22 am

    I’m late to this party, so I’ll respond to a bunch of posts at once:

    Michael D. says: Think about it: You apply for the job of a lifetime. You know you’re going to get it because there is no competition. You psych yourself up, knowing the job is yours and the interview process is merely a formality. All of a sudden, a new candidate for the job comes along and becomes the favorite with the recruiting manager.

    This happened to me twice in the past five years (not job of a lifetime, but a ‘dream job’). And I think a lot of people have had it happen. So much so, I think it’s part of “life.” I got over it by being as gracious a gentleman I could to the institution that selected the other candidate, and to the other candidate whenever I met him. What Hillary is doing is acting like a child. If she starts acting like the ‘seasoned veteran’ that she purports to be, then we can give her some respect.

    Ugh Says: The Story of Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Genie of the Lamp

    This was freakin’ brilliant. If you wrote this, please sign it because I want to quote you, ‘Ugh.’

    Bob In Pacifica Says: I never presumed that H. Clinton would be the first woman President.

    Me neither. I thought she was flawed from the start, laden with personal problems and scandals out the wazoo. I did think she was going to try to *run* for president (but so did Elizabeth Dole and Pat Schroeder, who have been ignored in a lot of this ‘history’ talk).

    John says: Er…no. Historically, most Senate floor leaders have been in their second term at the time of election as leader.

    Thanks, John, for the overview. And, yeah, she may try for the elder statesman stuff, but I also see her trying to run in 2016. Sixty-nine isn’t that old for a woman, and if she plays nice in the Obama administration, then she may get another chance (besides Bill will likely be dead by then and then she gets the halo of his memory without him messing up on the trail).

    Wilfred Says: Peace and reconciliation? Absolutely, but first a bit of hanging.

    Great line, Wilfred!

    garage mahal Says: It’s not over until Hillary calls and personally apologizes to John Cole and his commenters for what she put them through. Poor things.

    While you were being smart and snarky, you do bring up a good point. She should apologize to the Democratic party for her narcissistic self-destructive end-run. As for me, endorsing Obama and helping him campaign is all the apology I’d need.

  93. 93.

    Kevin

    June 5, 2008 at 10:28 am

    Hillaryis44:

    SUSPENDED

    This Account Has Exceeded Its CPU Quota

    The sound of exploding heads.

  94. 94.

    Ugh

    June 5, 2008 at 10:40 am

    A Different JC – that was me, though modified from a similar fictional story about George HW Bush wishing for certain things to ensure his re-election but forgetting to wish for actual re-election that I heard from my father, not sure where he got it from (examples for GHWB: opponent who cheated on his wife, extremely successful war, highest approval rating in history after that war, bunch of other things I can’t remember).

  95. 95.

    Evilbeard

    June 5, 2008 at 10:43 am

    You think that Obama can just tell Hillary and her jillions of supporters to piss up a rope without consequences? History says no.

    If they are Democrats they shouldn’t have to be told anything at all. Who to vote for in November should be obvious.

  96. 96.

    Mdee

    June 5, 2008 at 10:46 am

    Apathy.

    That’s what I feel for her. No ounce of anger, no drop of sympathy (well, maybe a little at the concept of losing a dream, but very little for candidate herself). I actually find it quite amusing that after all the bile, after all the harsh words, after all the legitimate and illegitimate outrage, today I can look at her objectively and say, “Meh.” I’ve been saying, “Meh.” about her for years. It’s nice to get back to that place of zen.

    No apology is expected or required from her (and anyone who thinks one is forthcoming…that’s just crazy talk). It’s politics. Besides, I’d rather not have something happen to disturb the “Meh.” zone. An apology would cause a disturbance in the “Meh.”

    For someone with an ego as large as hers I can imagine a majority of the country doing a collective, “Meh.” in the coming months is the worst possible outcome. It’s good enough for me.

    Now as for tomorrow…

  97. 97.

    jake

    June 5, 2008 at 11:01 am

    It’s about perspective…she’s done nothing that wasn’t aimed at helping her win, and that trait simply must be admired whether you agree with the specific actions she takes or words she says.

    No, no one should admire the anything to win crowd because that forces us to admire BushCo and I ain’t going there. When I got into law school my Dad responded with five thousand dead lawyer jokes. I didn’t think it was funny. Then I got there and saw why people tell dead lawyer jokes. We were trained to be argue everything just for the sake of arguing.

    Not too coincidentally, the only people who hung out with law students were other law students because very few non-law students want to listen to a bunch of 20 something drunks re-argue Roe v Wade at 2 am. Fun times.

    Whether or not a lawyer can turn off the lawyer part before everyone else gets pissed off comes down to the individual. Clinton couldn’t or wouldn’t and as a result a lot of people really want her to go away. The cool thing for Hillary (as a person and a lawyer) is she knows this. I assume. If she’s wondering why people are so angry ‘cos she didn’t do nuthin’ she really shouldn’t be allowed out of her damn room.

  98. 98.

    Brachiator

    June 5, 2008 at 11:01 am

    So while I didn’t like it, I can completely understand how Hillary wanted to go right till the end, making every argument she could, even when to the rest of us it seemed irrational. It was her dream job and she was going to make history. But someone else comes along who’s going to get that dream job and is also going to make history. It’s got to be quite a kick in the stomach. Think about it: You apply for the job of a lifetime. You know you’re going to get it because there is no competition. You psych yourself up, knowing the job is yours and the interview process is merely a formality. All of a sudden, a new candidate for the job comes along and becomes the favorite with the recruiting manager.

    That’s really got to suck, and you need time to come to grips with it. From a purely emotional perspective, it can also be very embarrassing to go from near certain victory to having to concede to someone who was a long shot has only been around a short time.

    Ironically enough, I don’t think that anyone would have written this a male candidate. Nobody was much concerned with the feelings of Mike Huckabee or his supporters, even when Huckabee was denying the math with respect to his inability to catch up with McCain.

    Whatever Hillary needs to do to reconcile herself to her defeat is a private matter. As a high ranking member of the Democratic Party, as a Senator, as a former nominee, her public duty is to clearly and quickly declare her support for Obama and for the goals of the Democratic Party. It is also primarily her responsibility, not Obama’s, to rally her supporters and those who voted for her to the Democratic ticket.

    Also, those wanting to indulge in the sympathy wallow for Senator Clinton have clearly been ignoring the stories about the behind-the-scenes political infighting on the part of Team Clinton to attempt to secure her a spot on the ticket as VP and to protect the Clinton’s $109 million nest egg by getting Obama to help them retire their campaign debt. As usual, the Clintons like to waggle the sympathy angle to disguise their naked political ambition.

    I’m not saying Clinton has been right in her actions. I’m just saying that, upon reflection, I can understand where she’s coming from and why it has taken her so long to admit to herself that she’s not going to get a job that she was clearly the favorite to get.

    The only person ever to have a 100% lock on the presidency was George Washington. Everybody else has had to make their best case. Senator Clinton did not make the best case this time. Perhaps she will in the future.

    I hope that Clinton’s promise to support Barack Obama 100% is sincere and that she does everything possible to get her very disappointed supporters to do the same.

    It’s not a matter of hoping. If Bill and Hillary do not do everything that they can to help bring the party together, then they have no business being in the Democratic Party. They both talked a lot of trash about how tough politics is. The toughest part is supporting a candidate when you are no longer the center of attention, but simply a team player.

    We’ll accomplish more by bringing the Clinton supporters into the fold – sort of a post-primary “Marshall Plan” – than we will by rubbing defeat in their faces.

    It’s not about rubbing defeat in anyone’s face. Clinton supporters are holding up the show. The campaign has already begun, and some of them think that they have the luxury of whining for a sympathy hug and looking for someone to ask them nicely to get on board the team bus.

    But this is the moment. Time and tide waits for no one.

  99. 99.

    Janefinch

    June 5, 2008 at 11:04 am

    Whenever someone uses the passive voice, my response is “who”? So “it was assumed” means “Hillary Clinton assumed”…not “it was assumed by everyone”. That sense of entitlement on behalf of her and her advisors got her to where she is today, and that’s just a tad different than someone not getting a job they wanted.

    She had and has a public obligation to put her personal disappintment aside and act like the leader she purports that she is. No sympathy from this corner.

  100. 100.

    LanceThruster

    June 5, 2008 at 11:05 am

    Good-bye to all that

    HILLARY CLINTON: So that’s it? Good-bye and good luck?!?

    LANCETHRUSTER: I don’t recall saying good luck.

  101. 101.

    A Different JC

    June 5, 2008 at 11:15 am

    Ugh Says: A Different JC – that was me, though modified from a similar fictional story about George HW Bush … that I heard from my father,

    Well I’ll just say “Ugh J. Ugh, a commenter on Balloon Juice wrote…”

  102. 102.

    mr serene

    June 5, 2008 at 11:58 am

    How do you like that! My 9:41 am post was deleted! Hey, I was kidding!!! I guess my satire was not appreciated. I didn’t swear or anything. I must have been politically incorrect. Who would have thought, and at this site, too?

    Will you ban this post also?

  103. 103.

    mr serene

    June 5, 2008 at 11:59 am

    How do you like that! My 9:41 am post was deleted! Hey, I was kidding!!! I guess my satire was not appreciated. I didn’t swear or anything. I must have been too politically incorrect for the overseers. Who would have thought, and at this site, too?

    Will you ban this post also?

  104. 104.

    Ugh

    June 5, 2008 at 3:37 pm

    Works for me.

  105. 105.

    Rome Again

    June 5, 2008 at 4:48 pm

    For years, it has been assumed that Hillary Clinton would be the first woman president of the United States. It was also assumed

    Has it really? I never assumed any such thing. I’m a woman, what’s wrong with me? I should have been on the Hillary bandwagon to be president for years! No, she’s not the type of person I have ever wanted to see in the presidency, she’s Republican lite.

    It’s the only way we’ll defeat John McCain in November.

    The only way? Repubs hate their candidate, Operation Chaos has confused the Hillary supporters so much that no one can tell how many votes Hillary actually has, and you’re expecting me to believe it’s the ONLY way? Sorry, I disagree. One thing is assured, if Hillary were to have been on the ticket, it would only have been good for Republicans.

Comments are closed.

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  1. Some very good posts at Balloon Juice « Later On says:
    June 5, 2008 at 3:54 pm

    […] Finally, a compassionate look of what it must have been for Clinton to go from all-but-certain nominee to also ran, a post by Michael D. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Nice touchWords and deeds“Desperate Candidates.” « The Quaker AgitatorNo Title […]

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