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

[whizkid]

She could have taken him out months ago with Wright, Ayers, and Rezko.
Be beholden to her and Bill for their love of party.

[partyofone]

errrrrr .... you mean their love of SELF, right?

[filo]

Bull ....If she could have taken Obama out she would have.

[Kynn]

Yeah, she totally could have. She's just letting him win. You know, for drama.

[abby4ever]

***...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.***
No! She is just trying to make herself look good to the superdelegates, more ethically attractive and all that. Honestly, Huffington, you are losing your grip.

[utd]

What is even more interesting is that the only times she has become super nice in the past in this campaign is when she was doing things she probably ethically shouldn't have been doing, but was just waiting for people to find out. Her own grand acting performance of "the calm before the storm". I used to point it out in my writing a long time ago but I got tired of it being true so often.

[Mattatat]

We've moved into the next level of primary politics. While (even as a Clinton supporter) I'd prefer Obama didn't pick Hillary as VP, that is exactly what is going to happen. And before you get too upset about it, remember that JFK took on LBJ. You want to read about true antagonism, look that one up. Yowsa.

And Bill? Part of the deal will be Bill Clinton will be Secretary of State. That's politics, kids. She got almost as many votes as he did, so she has political capital to use. That's way the system works. The system that Barack knowingly entered.

xoxoxo
Matt

[CocteausTwin]

Yeah and look how LBJ turned out! Remember an assassination and a little "police action" in Asia?

[AtomicSplash]

LMAO because after all, America is in the mood for another little war

[whizkid]

What did she ever do to hurt you as some claim?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G4O5AMSevc&feature=related

[roddenberry]

Sincerely, does catholic, latinos, white blue collars or senior voters really count . They are not , the dynamic forces of evolution and hope in post-industrial america

[Aloanstar]

They still count...and are NUMEROUS!!!

[Kynn]

Eh, don't worry.

Afterall, if McCain does win then those blue collar workers will be unemployed. Those Latinos will be shipped back to Mexico and latin america. And the seniors? We'll see how long they last without medicare.

[BuckeyeNut]

Guess I will join the fray: The DNC and old core Demos have stabbed HRC in the back. She has given her all for the Democratic party for 30 years-even staying with slick so as not to make that whole situation even worse then what it was. She has every right to be peed at all of them and not make their life easier. Hate to bust the bubble here but Obama will not win the GE without HRC. I don't believe Michelle will let her be his VP so it's over. In 2012 HRC will be where she wants to be. I've said this over and over. The great messiah has too much baggage to get elected. BTW-I still expect the October bomb from Obama-just don't know if the repubs or HRC will release it.

[bikemessenger]

You think that the Clintons don't have baggage? ! Check out Bob Herbert's recent columns. The Clintons have more baggage than the Titanic did when it went down.

[whizkid]

bikemess
Do they really?
Michelle has a quarter for you to carry their load.

[doonie]

1. It'll be HRC as it has been reported from numerous news sources that her staff are searching fiendishly for something to hang on Obama and I suspect it can easily be something created, a show of their desperation.
2. Who do you know that would stay with a philandering husband like slick Billy? I'm female, and I don't know of anyone unless they had an agenda......know what I mean?
3. Senator Obama does not need HRC to win the nod. there are far more experienced and suitable candidates for that role, Ed Rendell, Webb and Richardson are just a few that have been mentioned n. Also Joe Biden who I like. So, nope she's not needed.
He's not the great messiah....that sounds disrespectful. He's just a man, with a vision, one of change and restored order in Washington. And Hillary has given herself 30 years, it was her husband that was President, not her.

[Aloanstar]

I really hate you Obama followers talking about "slick Billy" like it was Hillary's fault. How many American women have had their husband cheat on them??? It's really not a big deal...unless it's Hillary's husband. Bill cheating on her has absolutely NOTHING to do with her ability to be President.

[abby4ever]

Do you always take Novak's fantasies as gospel?

[CocteausTwin]

The nut must!

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

Dude face facts, the Dems could run 2 dead fish and beat the Republicans this year.

[TheNuff]

Exactly that is why Hillary is fighting so hard even in the face of defeat.

[harriscrl3]

To me its a danger for the party if she remains because there is nothing to prove at this point. She is going to win on her turf and he is going to win on his and the battleground like Indidan will be close. So her win in WV and KT will not lead to win in Oregon the momentum will not carry like it didnt from PA into NC and the reason for that is the supporters are remaining passionate about who they support in the primary. Clinton supporters are not going to Obama and vice versa that means its over she was unable to win on his turf so whtas the point in continuing she cant catch him in delgates she fails to break into his bases there is no point other than negative returns. Thats why I think its smart to get out and start unifying the party.

Carol

[doonie]

That is profoundly untrue. I don't mean to be wishy washy about this, but I am convinced that come November, we democrats as a party will come together. Or we can suffer the consequences, its as simple as that. So....how's the war working out for you? See what I mean?

[Aloanstar]

Thank you donnie.....we should all come together in November. Even if MY candidate doesn't prevail, i am a Democrat first, and that's what matters to me. Let's all remember what type of person John McCain says he would appoint to the Supreme Court when he gets the chance. Let's remember that McCain says we should stay in Iraq for 100 years (if necessary). Last of all, let's remember that McCain says he supports Bush's economic plan that's been in play for the past 4 years!!!
HELP!!!

[partyofone]

The Clintons have adopted the Rove playbook on the politics of division, made it their own and added a few chapters.

Hillary has won in Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania by pitting Democrats against each other: white against black, middle class vs. working class, old against young. The strife and bitterness she has sown will not be easily overvome.

Why in the world would the nation choose one of the most divisive figures in history to lead and unite the nation. Hillary could never unite us.

We should not admire Hillary for a dishonest, mean, divisiive campaign. All she has accomplsihed tis mining the worst aspects of the American character.

We need a leader who inspires the best in us, unites us and has a new vision for the future.

[harriscrl3]

I have no doubt we will particularly women when they find out McCain's view on abortion. But my point is that in the primary at this point they have simply failed to cut into each other's base in a significant number that means feelings are hardening on each side and unless she can cut into his base in significant number she doesnt a prayer its not about winning your base its about showing you can win his adn thats what she doesnt seem to get.

Carol

[Louisfreeze]

For people who claim to be for change which I certainly am for since I am a socialist and one who voted for Obam, there sure is alot of the sme that I grew up with out here...HATE! Guess the 60's did lose...too sad.

[utd]

Mark my words:

1. She is up to something.
2. It involves dropping the anvil on Obama's head, not waiting for it to drop.
3. Timing is everything and I think her plan is dependent on getting an obscene amount of delegate from MI and FL.
4. Why have the Clinton's said PLEDGED delegates can vote as the like at the convention? It's important.
5. If she was just sticking around to pay of her debts... wouldn't have made sense to do so when she only owed herself 5 million dollars a couple weeks ago instead of 11.6 million dollars today? They are giving themselves money to survive.

They are up to something, and it's going to cause a lot of blood at the convention if they do it. Like literally blood, like from the riots.

[doonie]

I don't disagree with you which certainly supports the desperation theory. But I don't think there will be rioting...­...anger..­....and if it goes down as you suggest, then blame the supers cause they could have ended this a long time ago. And HRC will really be hated. Moreso than even Bush. Let's hope this doesn't happen and Obama brings us some resolution in the next couple of weeks. And somebody explains to HRC that she CAN'T WIN.

[Aloanstar]

C'mon....
#1...she is only allowing the rest of the states to vote (their right)
#2...Obama has had his own pundits drop the anvil on his head...
#3...she won't have an "obscene" amount of delegates from MI and FL
#4...what do you mean that PLEDGED delegates can vote "as THE like" at the convention? Every political junkie knows that's not true.
#5...she doesn't give a sh_t about her debt. If she cared more about her money, she definitely wouldn't have loaned her own money to her campaign..­.especiall­y with her intelligence knowing that by August she would only be allowed to repay herself $275,000. Her dedication is to the people of the USA.

THEY are not "up to something". Leave her alone. Let the process play out...don't be so paranoid, and be a true democrat.....if you truly are one!!!

[utd]

You may need to read the rules of the game a little closer. A pledged delegate can do whatever they like once they have been elected to the position. The conventional wisdom is that this is typically unwise and will piss people off, but it can/ has/ and IS RIGHT NOW happening.

Don't question my devotion to this party or it's ideals lady. I am willing to give you the benifit of the doubt and appreciate your devotion to your candidate but spare me your talks about party unity while you criticize your party. I've been here my whole life. I served my country with nothing more than the ideal of protecting Democracy, just the same as my ancestors did before me. The Clinton's are not going to pull a fast one on America, it's not paranoia, it's just her talking points get forgotten about too fast in our rapid news cycles, and there are issues no one is discussing. So, now we're discussing it.

[whizkid]

She knocked his block off.

[MRb1000]

Ok he loss WV, but he won the race. Your so silly. It is over. LOL

[doonie]

Ahh....nope, I just checked....block is still in place and functioning appropriately.

[marc1antony]

not even a dent... she didn't even make an impact... it's all smoke and mirrors.

[CocteausTwin]

Ten delegates wow!!!!! lets see how many days for supers to make that up, My bet is at most three.

[Testtubebaby]

Roll out Superdelegates, end this mess!!!!!

[abby4ever]

If Obama is holding back a bunch of superdelegates all so her won't seem to be piling on Hillary, that's nice--it's also mistaken, for he will be as bad as her in prolongiong this contest when we need it to end.

[givetruthachance]

Hovering like a vulture waiting for something awful to happen to Obama.... God, how low. How graceless and utterly unsupportive.

Saying white working folks won't vote for Obama. Again, low, unsupportive. (Not to mention untrue.) Today I saw Hill yet again essentially call Obama an empty suit---the old all-speeches lie.

WHEN will the Supers put a stop to her divisive negativity? PLEASE some one yank her off the stage!

[CocteausTwin]

Well for an empty suit, she seems more than eager to lift his talking points, eh?

[Leda]

Hillary might have her final I told you so moment when John McCain wins the white house.
the Leftists & lots of young Dems are out of touch... they have a terrible pattern of being naive.
I'm a progressive myself-- but if the republicans win the white house all the ideology in the world goes down the toilet.

[Oldtt]

Get used to it - it's what Democrats do.

[KillTheMessenger]

One word: desperation.

[macbabe]

One more word: delusional

[trubluelefty]

vulture

[doonie]

BTW, even Carville is admitting that Obama will likely be the nominee and he has a check signed and ready to donate and that he will support Obama for POTUS. All it needs to do is end and because HRC remains delusional, all she's accomplishing is a division in the democratic party. I sincerely hope that you here in this arena who support HRC will gather around Obama when the time comes and get us out of this Republican nightmare. We simply cannot take 4 more years, specially with a candidate who readily admits to knowing nothing about the subject of economy. That's scarey!

[Aloanstar]

C'mon, if you talk about unity...please stop calling Hillary "delusional". That definitely doesn't move my vote from Hillary to Obama. I, just like you, am ready to move from this disastrous republican mess we've been in for the past 8 years. But if we, as democrats, are to unite we need to stop this bashing of her. She's committed to the Democratic party....heart and soul. Leave her alone. Let the remaining Americans have their say in the primaries, and let's move on from there. Let's not be so harsh. Are we united as Democrats, or are we not????

[doonie]

Look..I wanna say YES WE CAN AND YES WE ARE, but the reality is I don't know. HRC has proven to me that she is a liar, deceitful, has no morales whatsoever, will do anything and say anthing to return to the White House, and as a result, it makes me wonder about me. Spare me the argument of what we'll get with McCain. I'm an old lady, I know already ok? I will be angry. The good news is that the GE is still months away and I may have time to cool off. But she was my candidate BEFORE Obama and I got turned off by her tactics so I'm already disappointed in her to the point where I know she would not be good as our POTUS.

[CocteausTwin]

So your ready to move from Rethugs, but you are waiting for us a-holes to give you permission? ahhhhhbullshit. "Bless me"

[zanngra]

You and other Hillary supporters say you will base your vote on what People (not what Obama himself) said on the internet. Obama has been respectful to Hillary throughout, never brought up her past scandals etc. But, you might not vote for him because people are being harsh to her on the internet! Doesn't that strike you as a bit silly.