There was an appropriate (yet stupid) question on CCN/Time. “What Does Hillary Want?”
It is clear that at the very least that she and Bill would want her to get the consolation prize as a veep. But it is well known that the Clintons will fight until all hope is lost.
Does she have hope? Certainly. I don’t mean to say that I’m hoping for her. But she is holding out hope that somehow she can make the claim at the convention that with Florida and Michigan, two obviously dysfunctional states, she would beat Obama in a popular vote.
If she can stubbornly hold out until the convention, she will now have a forum where she can grandstand and win through guile and honeyed words what she could not by dint of her charming personality (which is that of a crocodile in a satin power-suit and makeup). Her every move and utterance is unconvincingly facile yet the Clinton persona is such that one must always use plausible deniability or nuancing to shape public reactions and they somehow pull it off in defiance of natural law.
The pundits have spoken and by and large the imply that bringing Hillary on to Obama’s team would help his ticket. I politely disagree. Obama is going to be very very wary of Hillary because of the baggage she brings – Primadonna Bill – who like a moth to flame, cannot possibly be a part of something without being a headliner name. Not to mention, her remarks towards Obama kind of make it hard to like her…
We have seen an X-ray of a very dark soul. One consumed by raw ambition to where the possible assassination of an opponent is something to ponder in a strategic way. Otherwise, why is murder on her mind?
It’s like Tanya Harding‘s kneecapping has come to politics. Only the senator from New York has more lethal fantasies than that nutty skater.
We could have seen it coming, if only we had realized Clinton’s thinking could be so cold.
– Michael Goodwin
(Wow, I never would have guessed that her thinking could be so cold. Could you?)
One thing I have not heard mention of is the wildcard. Ted Kennedy announced his brain cancer earlier this week after siezures. While I wish this sort of ill will on no one (an aunt of mine died from brain/lung cancer), there was a huge outpouring of absolutely disgusting behavior from all walks after his announcement. Claims from every quarter about what a bridging-the-divide influence he was in “reaching across the aisle”. There were words of his honorable intentions in quarters where you would never have heard such a thing in any other circumstances. This leads one to two conclusions: That they either lie like rugs or that they have actually always liked Kennedy and have lied like rugs to hide the fact (which is more disturbing for reasons which should be obvious). In any event, the point is that the value of Kennedy’s poker chip has just increased ten-fold, and in any convention tie-breaker that he chooses to attend, look to see his word skew the debate into emotion-driven territory.
Should Hillary make a persuasive argument for bringing the two states with the least intelligent behavior in 2008, Michigan and Florida, into the fold, McCain will have triumphed. These two states chose to hold primaries outside of their agreed schedule and have been appropriately penalized. What is done is done, and to change it now (or not) will serve to make only one side happy since Hillary seems to have those states.
Sadly, the field has been narrowed down to three liberal candidates, and what would normally be cause for conservative celebration is reduced to shudders of revulsion wherever one looks. The best possible outcome will be for Hillary and Obama to bleed each other dry and the loser’s supporters flock to McCain for his liberal-policied alternative. That fact is partly to blame for McCain’s pretty little “Damn, am I Green or What?” speech in Oregon.
Welcome to an election that showcases all the worst and denies the best of humanity. Welcome to Hell.
Camille Paglia on Hillary’s Sexism Problem.
Peggy Noonan had her say, too.
And Goodwin on an X-Ray of a Very Dark Soul.
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Update:
That ol’ oil-baron-antichrist, Old Iron will appreciate this link from Bloomberg regarding oil prices. When you see a correlation coefficient of 0.95 between the rise of the Euro vs crude oil costs, it says something, and says it loudly. It’s not the whole reason, but it is a reason.
Old Iron has a great post discussing oil prices. It’s a complex issue and yet there are certain key points which are fairly simple and obvious – and this post covers both well, I think. If you’re sensitive and get offended and righteously weenie-pissed easily, read it anyway. Might make you tougher.
(that was meant in fun, Old Iron – just ask and I will delete the antichrist jibe)
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Update #2:
Awww. Poor baby. Any bet-takers here want to bet on whether he joined the Guard for money to go to school and then found out that there might be… uhm… obligations?
NOW, Canada is depriving him of his comfy life after deserting because he didn’t want to go to Iraq.
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