Is Clinton Looking For An "I Told You So" Moment?

Mother Jones:

Why is Hillary Clinton still in the race?

Ever since she failed to cream Barack Obama in Indiana, pundits and analysts have been chewing this over--and now that the West Virginia primary is done, even though she won by a massive two-to-one margin, the question still hovers. After all, Obama has racked up an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates and has pulled ahead in the superdelegate count, meaning the race is essentially complete. Clinton and her campaign advisers have argued that she can still win the nomination if she does well in the last few primaries and then persuades superdelegates she is the better candidate to do battle with John McCain. But the superdelegates don't seem receptive to her case. And the fact that she has throttled back on the anti-Obama rhetoric in recent days--she barely she criticized her in her not-so-jubilant West Virginia victory speech--is a signal that she may not believe her own spin and is merely halfheartedly trudging toward the last primaries (Montana and South Dakota) on June 3.

Yet there she is--an active and hard-working candidate. And the commentators have come up with several obvious explanations:

* She wants to remain in the hunt just in case something happens. (A video appears of Wright calling for armed revolution? Fox News produces Obama's Secret Muslim Membership card?)

* She is staying in for one last round of fundraising. (Her campaign is $20 million in debt and owes her $11 million.)

* She wants to end her historic campaign with a string of victories: West Virginia, Kentucky, and Puerto Rico. (Puerto Rico? She is a senator from New York.)

* And the most obvious of them all: she's not yet ready to face the music.

Read the whole story: Mother Jones

Comments

[cinnysmom]

Mr. Obama has picked up 1.5 super delagates today. .5 Christine Marquoes Americans abroad, and Rep. Pete Visclosky from Indiana.

[katzooks]

Alive and well in West Virginia last night? The Limbaugh factor -- NOT Hillary Clinton! Superdelegates: Are you paying attention?

THE NUMBERS: Just as pro-McCain Republicans and/or Independents voted in hordes for Hillary -- in Ohio (100,000 GOP loyalists) and Texas (another 119,000) and in Mississippi (38,000) and in Indiana (25,000) -- the pro-McCain Independents in West Virginia turned out in droves last night for Hillary. Why? To weaken Obama, who, in Rush Limbaugh's estimation is the stronger candidate against McCain.

Don't believe it? Here's the word, straight from the horse's mouth: West Virginia GOP Chairman Doug McKinney said he expected most independents to vote in the Democratic primary. "If I were an independent, I'd vote in the Democratic primary since the Republicans have already made their decision for Sen. John McCain," McKinney said. "I expect a vast majority of independent voters to vote in the primary election to not only help decide the race but also to possibly pick the Democratic candidate that would be the easiest for McCain to defeat."

Is it any wonder, then, that such a high percentage of Hillary "voters" say they would vote for McCain over Obama in the fall? So, for those true blue Democrats who see the West Virginia results as evidence that Hillary should "go to the end," please know the Republicans see the end as a win for McCain, were Hillary to get the nomination.

[julescator]

Just for the record - less than 350,000 people voted last night in West Virginia. If she won ALL the votes she would still be behind Obama. Why are they jumping up and down for 350,000 people. Obama won in much larger numbers and with much larger voter turnout. If I were the Clinton campaing I would wonder why so many people didn't vote at all. Where they still at work?

[qdog112]

I just wanna know how Hillary got Michael Vick a day pass for her WV victory speech.

[dollars2donuts]

LOL. I was wondering where she got that brother from, he sure was nodding a lot. They must have dragged him to the front to be the token "darky" from WV...typic­al....

[Mygirl]

Barack Obama just picked up two more Surperdelegates this morning. I don't understand where Hillery is going with this. She was projected months ago to win WV so I fell to see the surprise or the difference it makes when Obama is still too far out for her to catch. Is she really arrogant enough to believe she can have the people overide Obama's win with " see I told you these Hard Working Whites Folks won't vote for him ". Barack I hear is redefining the electorial map. The man is smart and has surrounds himself with smart people. I see a change.

[Softnsweet]

I heard on CNN today that Hillary is trying to show the superdelegates that she is the stronger candidate. After Fl and MI are seated then she plans to overtake Obama and settle with his supporters later..ROF­L. I could not believe I heard that.

[TheNuff]

I think you are right but the rip cannot be repaired.

[GravitonX]

I'll be intersted in knowing who is going to run for the NY senator's seat in 2012.

[hugs4u]

Mike Bloomberg is going to kick her butt out.

[LucieLee]

If Hillary is staying in the race in order for fundraising to pay off her debt....I wouldn't mind~~But I really don't trust her, or her surrogates­.....they haven't given me any reason too. And this "I told you so" moment clearly, if it happens, will be manufactured by her campaign, and pushed by the media. It will so transparent, and will anger so many people...t­hat we will be left saying to her come November..­."We Told You So-Hillary!"

[hugs4u]

She is not staying in to pay off her debt as she is still running up more debt. She is just a greedy self serving (W)itch who cares only for herself.

[SaddieMcCall]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121073227421390697.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Looks like Obama going to get some new endorsements today. I also can't wait to see how much Obama raised last month.

I think Americans should be pretty concern about Hillary's ability to run the country when she is failing at running her campaign - money troubles, staff troubles, having a plan.

[mikeant50]

The Clintons believe that they can blackmail the Democratic Party into making her the nominee. That whay she keeps changing the rules. How many states have she claimed as her most important. TX, OH, PA, IN, NC and WV? She has become an expert at playing the White Card.

[Softnsweet]

She did not win Tx or North Carolina. In addition, the only reason why she won Indiania was people of Operation Chaos.

[pacats]

Hillary won big in WV last night. Why were none of the democrats or superdelegagtes who support her on the cable networks last night to congratulate her? Could it be, none of them now want to be associated with her and her newly identifed core group? The republicans pundits are rallying around Hillary. This morning, David G, Pat Buchanan,and last night, Tucker, Buchanan, Hannity. Are there democratic pundits who see her win as a victory? Which party is she connected with? No wonder the democratic politicians and others are not impressed with her WV. win. Last night, someone said she is now getting the vote of those who really are anti- black in a dangerous way.

[TheNuff]

She has not gotten a single SuperD since May 10th.

[northcan]

I suppose some part of those blue collar workers, Hillary Clinton claims to own are 'hate', 'racial' working class americans that give Hillary such a large lead. Her track record with 'underground', 'corruption' and illegal deals give this woman no good reason to be favored. But the media is also her savior. As much as their is questioning her character and campaign, the media will not bring mention her ruthless life of crime.

Instead, as Ed Rendell states, white voters will not vote for Obama because of race....he was correct, perpetuated by himself, surrogates, Clintons and staffers hardly are mentioned in the news or the equation.

MSNBC has article of the abuse of white staffers and volunteers from prejudice america. Horrid. Racial slurs, derogatory remarks, doors slammed, One voter in Pennsylvannia offering a frank reason, "Hang that darky from a tree". One group of black high school students holding Obama signs, drivers drove by rolled down their windows yelling common racial slur for African Americans, office broken into in Indiana with horrible graffiti on walls, things smashed and bomb threats.

Thankyou Bill and Hillary Clinton, staffers and volunteers. Once again you have incited your base since Iowa, the loving difference of the white race, empahasizing your failings, uncaring, ignorant white, hardworking, working class. who cherish your ideals, values and ignorance. Congratulations on your w. virginia, blue collar victory. Wonderful to show us that you are so important person. Your politics include every undesirable part of 'hate'. Congratulations

[SaddieMcCall]

Since Obama has been the presumptive nominee for some time, the media has largely ignored Hillary. It is amazing to me that so much time was spent on Rev Wright, and "bitter" and no one really challenged Hillary's obliterate Iran comment. Even when her fundraising events were interrupted by protesters because of her comment, the media ignored it. The media ignored how much of her 100 million dollar wealth was given to the Clintons by governments for Bill advocacy on the opposite views of Hillary's public positions. Does it not concern anyone if we were to have a current President saying one thing publicly, while her former President husband travels the globe to make money promoting the very opposite. Would not these other governments be expecting a former President married to a current President to carry weight to deliver what he is promising them? Would these people be making the Clintons very rich if they didn't believe Hillary says one thing in public but does the opposite out of the view of the American citizens? Hillary shows us that she is a fighter, but no one is challenging her in her argument that it takes a fighter to get things done. Her fighting to have "HER" health care plan since 1993 has made it so we have no health care plan. She is not effective in working with others.

[ntmessage]

Sounds like you have hear that is not effective in working with others in your annual review. The only reason that 1993 did not work was that thinned skinned Dems chickened out and bailed. No other reason.

Her plan again is the better one and what would be great is if the Dems committed themselves to pass her plan if she stepped down.

Now that would be a real reason none of this we will give you things she already possesses and neglecting that she is in fact working for the people and not herself.

[Softnsweet]

Hillary is not a fighter, she is a damn sore loser!!

[whizkid]

Make her the nominee before the GOP make him Whittaker Chambers stepson.

[ntmessage]

Clinton has every right to stay in the race for ANY reason. Certain thin-skinned liberals and Obama fanatics low on civics knowledge are the only people that think otherwise. Close to 4:1 want her to stay in and think it is good for the party.

Obama on the other hand...not so much. Clinton is ready for the general election now. It is Obama that needs time to try, and I do mean try, to get the demographics to go his way since he is both the weaker candidate and close to unelectable. His demo works only inside of a 90-mile radius of Chicago and he repulses Reagan Democrats and Latinos.

That must be what they mean you hear to that unite the party spin.

[Softnsweet]

ntmessage,

OMG is that the reason why Obama is beating Clinton and McCain nationally? Go give Hillary some money and chill!

[eej]

It's all about "her right." Not about the good of the country, or the good of the party.

Selfish. It's always been all about Hillary.

[butchie65]

Seeing that Hillary isn't going to be the nominee, can they get her to court sooner in her fraud case ?The judge waited to see if she would be the nominee and set it for November. Can they now, set a new court date for her trial ? paul.comton/paul.com