Hillary: We Really Don't Care

In my role of television Pundit-Wannabee, I joined the likes of Tim Russert and many others within the last weeks in reporting that we thought the Democratic nomination contest was over (My particularly clever words were "It's over. It's over"). We stated the obvious: Barack Obama appeared to have beaten Hillary Clinton.

There's an important difference, however, between that and advocating that she withdraw. I can only speak for myself: I couldn't care less. It's just as good a story if she fights on or throws in the towel.

Her actions make it crystal clear she's not ready to accept our brilliant analysis. Senator Clinton slogs on and we're reduced to guessing why. Is it ego, an effort to get some political advantage, or that she truly believes she still has a fighting chance? Does she really mean it when she insists all party voters in all the primaries have a right to be heard? Sincerity is always a possibility.

But you don't need a Yale education to read the handwriting on the wall. So she's being very careful not to further alienate front runner Barack Obama and leave herself open to charges she had become a divisive force in her party.

Why do that when she can dump on the media and run an ad claiming the pundits want her to quit? It pushes a lot of the right buttons. She can be a victim and fighter at the same time. She can associate with all those who believe journalists are overpaid scumbags.

In my case, I must take exception. I am not overpaid! Still the media world these days is a chaotic one, producing a product that is often more babble and graffiti. The ranting can sometimes drown out the informed commentary. It is also true that a lot of pretend-journalists have taken sides, giving up their roles as everybody's skeptics. So we're an easy, simplistic target for the Hillary Clintons of this world who choose to paint with a broad brush when they need someone to blame for their predicaments.

In Clinton's case, her predicament is that she's lost. To say it again, it's over. That's different that advocating for her to surrender. If she wants to battle on, she should knock herself out, all the while being careful not to knock herself out even before she begins her next fight.

Comments

[DIdaho]

Another thing these so-called electoral college GE projections assume is that McCain will keep 100% of the 2004 Bush votes. We forget that the winning margins in many states, including Ohio, was not Reagan Democrats or "hard working white people" but right-wing evangelical christians, a demographic that is decidedly not enthusiastic about McCain. Better than half the country in '04 also thought the Iraq War was worth continuing, even if not a good idea at the time of the invasion, and that number's shifted 20% or so as well. Add the fact that there's no question who the "flip-flopper" is in this election and the electoral map becomes very muddy indeed.

[FLA1]

She is continuing because this campaign is something bigger than she is and her supporters want her to continue. Frankly, that is a good thing. I am leaning towards Obama, but I always thought that Clinton and Obama runnning through the end of the primary season was a good thing, but the problem was that it seemed that Clinton would be negative: "Commander in Chief", Ferraro comments attempting to put race front and center, while being unfair that many people were voting for Clinton because she was a woman. The respectful primary that we have been seeing from Obama and Clinton for the last week, is one that I think is good for the party. Clinton comparing the failed Bush policies to her plans for the economy and foreign policy. Obama doing likewise. Clinton saying that she thinks she is the best candidate for the job, although both she and Obama are good candidates. This kind of campaign we can live with. The point is, you don't have to tear each other down, to make a positive arument about why you deserve to be President.

[radmul]

your assessment would be correct if the democratic party was a democracy. The rules of the game are not dictated by votes but by delegates. Most of the delegates are not bound as to whom they vote for by anything other than their own opinions. This is a political party and the nomination will be decided by politics. That may or may not have anything to do with the outcome of any of the voting other than the role call on the convention floor.

[Playinjured]

PLEASE HEAR ME OUT
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'Hillary : we really don't care'
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Something else I find I don't care about is this FL and MI delegate seating argument of hers. Honestly, what happened to everyone's common sense? Why has no one mentioned the fact that, for her, voters being heard is an entirely new concept? When did she start petitioning for the delegates of FL and MI to be counted? Was it when the DNC announced the forfeitures of these state's pledged delegates late last year? NO. That would have been the best time to make this argument. As a matter of fact, she was against the much anticipated fray over the DNC leadership's decision. This may be a plot that has reached it's maximum thickness. And what do her supporters do after refusing to take points like these into consideration? They direct their frustration at the Democratic party. They also feel, Hillary supporters, that attacking the leaders and supporters of the NARAL is the next appropriate move. These decision's are almost on par with the decisions made by the candidate they're supporting. Hillary's campaign made grave errors and had tremendous misjudgment. The same is true of the dimwitted "counter-revolution" by Hillary supporters geared at ending Sen. Obama's candidacy in the general election by voting for McCain. So, I ask you again. What happened to eveyone's common sense?

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The world needed a team captain
not a bench warmer with splinters
but GOD just wouldn't listen
He told me to

[newshawk14]

I actually think it is over, I think the Clintons, Ferraro, the DLC, and Joe Lieberman will be quietly
escorted out by a stronger DNC , and dumped on the ash heap of history, where they can continue
their whining about how unfair everyone is to them.

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

Senator Clinton slogs on and we're reduced to guessing why. -- I can think of 12 million reasons she's still fund-raising... campaigning, I meant to say campaigning.

Does she really mean it when she insists all party voters in all the primaries have a right to be heard? -- Sure, it's the caucus votes the DON'T COUNT in HillaryWorld

But you don't need a Yale education to read the handwriting on the wall. -- Unfortunately, when one lives in 'a bubble', one can't see the wall or the handwriting on it.

[kira181]

"Hillary: We Don't Really Care"

That's obvious, Bob -- which, I think, is the point of the criticism of the media.

[marye13]

Exactly kira181 - and as for "informed commentary," I find "informed commentary" by the msm to be sadly lacking.

[Mayoyo]

Right on, Brother

[scorpioleidy]

Call Obama for America at 866-675-2008 and let them know you do not want Hillary Huckabee on the Obama ticket.

[austinobserver]

If the media was really fair, the fight would have come down to Edwards vs. Kucinich. But they were both deemed too anti-corporate so they were torpedoed. It seems that Hillary believes she had been promised by the corporate media that all other candidates would be similarly torpedoed and she feels betrayed. "Wah, wah, I don't get to be empress of the world and to threaten hundreds of millions of people with obliteration if they do not do what I say. Life is so unfair! Wah, wah."

[hw]

My thoughts exactly!
She had a deal.
That deal has been broken evidently.
And now the media has turned on her ...and she's mad as hell.

We never even got to hear the other candidates unfortunately....
The media has been shoving Hilary down our throats 24/7 for over a year now.

[VSamuels]

Nonsense.

Edwards and Kucinich were not very good candidates. Believing that somehow the media has conspired to doom these two, is to ignore their own responsibility in their failure. Edwards had a good message like Kucinich, but the message did not resonate with the American people, which is the real key in moving the dollars and votes.

[unclesmedley]

We do not dislike her because she is a woman. We dislike her because she is false and insincere.

[AbbieXHoffman]

Why you should care.

270 is a win

Clinton 284 Mccain 237 Ties 17
http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2008/Clinton/Maps/May19.html

Obama 242 McCain 285 Ties 11
http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2008/Obama/Maps/May19.html

[truthskr]

This argument is null and void as the GE has yet to even get truly under way. Also, these numbers include A LOT Ferraro-esque "I won't vote for Obama" resentment from the Hillary camp, so you have a lot of people claiming that they will not vote for Obama when, once it comes down to a progressive Democrat (Obama) and a right-wing neo-con (McCain), true Democrats who vote on issues and democratic principals, as opposed to their wounded pride and ego, WILL vote Obama. So I believe that these numbers, which I seriously question the accuracy of, are very much subject to large change.

Also, the same arguement could have been made against Obama towards the beginning of the primary when Hillary was, according to polling results, routing the other Democratic candidates, including Obama. I guess Obama should have just given up then since, according to polling, there was NO chance that anyone was going to beat Hillary or the Clinton Campaign Machine. Guess not.

Let it go. Hillary has lost. Now you need to ask yourself how much you really care about the issues, including who will nominate the Supreme Court justices, who will be making decisions regarding Iraq, who will promote equal rights for all, who will dig our economy out the sinkhole, and who will promote the issues and principles of the Democratic Party that Hillary and Obama are nearly identical on.

[Willemaq]

Well why have an election, let's just swear her in now.

[binarystar]

You know this is still the democratic primary right?

[Zanti]

Better let Obama and his media water carriers know--they declared victory last week. It'll be news to them.

[OhCanada]

Wow! How insightful Abbie! Americans don't even need to vote in November. Do you have a Brian Dennehey vs McCain matchup too? That be neat to see.......

[lifeinfullcolor]

When all is said and done, whoever planned her campaign for her, is going to get it. Months and months she spent saying ready on day one, 35 years of experience, when people wanted to hear someone say, I'm here to fight for you, now she's a fighter, now she's going to fight for change. That I believe was the downfall of her campaign. Her experience wasn't really her experience, she was using her husbands, now she's become her own person, but become it too late. I think when she bows out, when Obama can turn his full attention to McCain, her voters will join with him, because she lost. She listened to the wrong people when she chose to vote for the Iraq War and she listened to the wrong people when she chose her innitial campaign strategy. She ran a lousy campaign, she had to resort to negative politics, she ran into debt, so now she really can feel for her constituents, her voting block.

[unclesmedley]

"Her experience wasn't really her experience; she was using her husbands."

Perfectly put.

"...now, she's become her own person..."

...and an unpleasant one at that.

[Marbles]

She is a lioness lying in wait. Her camp has been sniffing and digging for something to bury Obama (and passing it along to the media and the Repubs) and she will be ready to step in to his position --from day 1!

[happytrails]

Billary is like a very lethal disease which has as a symptom a high fever. We are waiting to see when /if the fever breaks and what the effect will be on the patient, the Democratic Party. Will the patient die first? Will the patient be left with life-altering disabilities? Will the patient recover? There is no medicine to stop the ravages of Billary so we must wait it out until either death or recovery happens. In either case, if the patient recovers, he will be immune to this disease again.

[Opus007]

Hillary who?

Even with the landslide win in West Virginia- the buzz this week is on the John Edwards endorsement, the Super- Delegate march to Obama and Obama v Bush. If Hillary had won on Super Tuesday would she have been advocating for her opponets by insisting on counting every vote and staying in to the bitter end? Of course not.

We want to move on to the general election.

[TommyMcCarthy]

To suggest that THE MEDIA has been unfairly charachterized, reduced to a simplistic target, or painted with an overbroad brush this cycle requires someone with either a highly developed taste for irony......or an absolute IMMUNITY to it.

To suggest that Sen. Clinton , of all people has been "guilty" of this borders on the deusional. (much overused word, of late (Delusional"). I would never in a million years have figured Bob Franken for this sort of misrepresentation.

Show of hands: How many believe that the MEDIA have been unfairly treated this cycle by anyone?

Show of hands: how many agree that Sen. Clinton has treated THE MEDIA improperly?

Look Ma!!!! No hands!!!!.

Sorry Bob, but ,to be honest, I expect alot MORE of this self-justifying nonsense from members of the press. I never could have imagined it would come from you though buddy......................................................................................................tm

[JimR]

I don't think you really understood what he was saying...

He wasn't really defending the media (nor is anybody, for that matter). But to blame the media when your campaign isn't going well is one of the oldest, lamest tricks in the book. She lost because she ran a bad campaign and made many mistakes, not because the mean ol' media wasn't nice to her.

[BetterDeadthanRedState]

I had to read the article again to see if I'd just read the same one you did. Just as giving your opinion that the contest is over, is not the same as asking Hillary to give up; pointing out that Hillary has accused the media of treating her wrongly is not the same thing as defending the media. I think he here accused the media of worse things than he accused Clinton of, including focusing on every candidates' personalities over any issues.

[johnsnakecusak]

Really, your next to the last paragraph summed it all up. "pretend journalists". That's all that needs to be said about coverage of this primary.

And I suspect that you are very much overpaid....

[TonyKnuckles]

Let me preface my comment by saying I have been an Obama supporter since I saw his speech at the last Democratic convention.

Hillary has EVERY right to not only continue to run, but to put forward her best case to the super delegates why she should get the nomination. Thats the process, like it or not.

Sen. Obama himself has been very clear on every single occasion that a member of the media has asked the questions that they knew would stir controversy in the Democratic party:

"ARE YOU THE PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE?!?!"
"SHOULD HILLARY DROP OUT?!?!"
"ARE YOU THE PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE?!?!"
"SHOULD HILLARY DROP OUT?!?!"
"ARE YOU THE PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE?!?!"
"SHOULD HILLARY DROP OUT?!?!"

Again and again he has sidestepped as politely as possible whenever the pundits have tried to get him to say "I'm the nominee. Hillary should drop out."

He won't do that because he knows that this process needs to run it's course.

[Isaiah40j]

WHY SHOULD OBAMA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO TIP TOE AROUND THIS WOMAN. YES SHE SHOULD GET OUT. ALL THE MONEY SHE'S SPENDING RIGHT NOW IN THESE LAST PRIMARYS COULD PAY FOR ALOT OF PEOPLES HEALTH CARE SHE CLAIMS TO BE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT!

[campgranata]

I don't care for Hillary Clinton because of her record in NY State which has been dismal. Small towns are getting smaller due to the broken promises of jobs promised by MRS Clinton when she campaigned initially. when confronted with this reduction rather than increase of employment she blamed it on Al gore not winning the election of 2000. and in the 8 years since this disappointment she could not have come up with an alternate plan? she lacks creativity, intelligence, and experience and when one pays attention to what she says and does it becomes obvious that the 'smartest woman in the world' is barely educable the campaign she ran into the ground because of arrogance and entitlement show what a terrible manager she is and her leadership ability appears to be nonexistent . Her ability or lack of to come up with a plan b as when she did not lock up the nomination or when Al Gore did not win the presidency show how uncreative she is. Bill Clinton given these setbacks would have come up with alternate plans better or at least equal to the failed ones but sadly she is no Bill Clinton. She has to have more going for her for us to elect her president than the fact that she has wanted it for so long. not good enough reason given her failings.

[ThatSharkeyGeezer]

Here we go. Now we have to put up with another four weeks of craziness as Clinton supporters struggle to dismantle their massive wall of denial, and finally accept the stark reality.

It's over. And Obama won.

So now we'll have a month or so of finger-pointing and jeering, and a tidal wave of BS about sexism and misogyny. We'll hear again and again how the press was loaded in Obama's favor, how his supporters are all naive, latte-sipping liberals, and how he's full of empty rhetoric.

We'll be beaten into a stupor with the same weary tirade about her superior qualities, and what a terrible mistake we've all made.

But here's the deal. Obama won this race because he was better organized and tackled everything Clinton threw at him with speed, dexterity and grace.

Clinton lost because of three things:

1. She's a liar (cf Bosnia). And she not only lies, but she refuses to concede that she lies, and apologize for lying.

2. She's incompetent. Her campaign was a disaster, she had to fire and hire on the run, and she couldn't manage her team or produce a single, consistent message.

3. She's racist. Or at least, willing to talk like a racist in a desperate attempt to win racist votes.

Meanwhile, the rest of us will just wait until the wailing and screaming dies down, in the hope that eventually her supporters will finally learn to accomodate these truths.

Obama '08

[marignymitch]

Don't forget the pandering and her vote for war on Iraq and her further vote enabling a future war on Iran.

[abby4ever]

***So she's being very careful not to further alienate front runner Barack Obama and leave herself open to charges she had become a divisive force in her party.***
Too late for that, Hillary, you have already been a divisive force in the party...for months and months. Easy now to talk of unity, when you see that your divisiveness didn't get you very far...and, perhaps, when you want something that you think talk of unity will get you.
We are not thick.

[JTyroler]

I think I have finally discovered where Hillary is coming from - unfortunately, the sad fact is, she doesn't know. Way back in 2007, when she was presumed to be the next president, she really didn't seem to say all that much about what she was for. She was the candidate with all those years of experience - yet claimed to have finally found her voice after winning the New Hampshire primary. Having an epiphany is often a good thing, but finally finding your voice in the midst of a presidential campaign probably wasn't the best time to do so. Especially when you're claiming to be the most experienced candidate.

It almost seems that the main reason Hillary Clinton ran for president was because people have been telling her that she would be a good president - apparently no one remembered to go into any detail.

[jrterrier]

The ones who have lost are we, the people. Franken concedes that a lot of journalists have taken side yet doesn't address the huge damage that does to jounalism. in a democracy, an independent and trusted press is essential, which is one of the reasons the Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of the press in the 1st Amendment.

The lack of impartiality shown by the press, including in particular NBC and Tim Russert and almost everyone at MSNBC, hurst us as a people. How are we to trust what the press reports when we have seen them insert their personal views into the campaign. how can we trust that their next report won't be equally biased,

the press favored bush to gore. they lost their objectivity in their run up to the iraq war. and they have done it again during this primary season. three strikes and they are out. the press' credibility is in the tank.

[frustratedinohio]

Hey jrterrier, join the boycot of MSNBC tomorrow.