Hillary's Eternal Last Gasp

I haven't cared that Hillary Clinton's last gasp of a campaign has gone on and on like a bad reality TV show. It was her democratic right to drag out the torment of her party, even if it was clearly not in the Democrats' best interest for her to continue the race. But I sincerely mean this: a gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do -- which doesn't exclude the fact that the senator's blinding ambition won't let her or the rest of us rest. She has felt compelled to exhibit her death throes to the entire world as we all watch the now boring show.

As much as I'd like to believe Hilary Rosen's thesis that Hillary is "not going to take an unwinnable fight to the convention and spoil the party," I have a hunch Ms. Clinton also has wanted to damage Obama as much as she possibly can before she throws her "support" behind him, as she says she will. Hillary believes it's her right to be president, and she's willing to forego character and integrity to employ the basest political tactics to reach her goal, whether it's in 2008 or for 2012.

Scott McClellan calls putting politics above principle being in "campaign mode" in his riveting discussions about the Bush White House. This accurately describes Hillary's actions ever since she ran for the New York Senate. Will she change now?

Will Hillary have the class to end this herself, or will the super-delegates have to step in and do it for her? Or will they allow Hillary to continue her public self-destruction (and its attendant damage to Obama's excellent shot at the presidency) all the way until August? We'll find that out soon enough.

I once thought Hillary's poisonous campaign would decisively split the Democratic Party and that our party would suffer an injury that could be impossible from which to recover before November. I don't believe that now. I don't believe Obama can be stopped by Hillary or John McCain.

Some are calling the hard-core Hillary-ites rednecks and such. Here is an example from Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish on Sunday:

A reader nails it:

After watching the RBC meeting come to a close, I can't help thinking that Hillary's slowly withering support has been whittled down to two main camps. From the nutty Clintonites in the crowd shouting "Denver! Denver!" to the disingenuous moral posturing of Harold Ickes, she's left with what she deserves:

Hicks and Hacks.

The sooner we all start including the "hicks" who were once part of the backbone of the Democratic party back into our Mother Tongue instead of as a slightly tasteless and tacky parlance the sooner they will feel at home with us again. The irony is, of course, that Hillary has about as much of a real connection with "hicks" as she does with the hip and cool. On the other hand, with hacks like Harold Ickes she's back to her real tribe. Her culture is no longer that of Illinois, Arkansas, or New York. She has bonded to the Land of Politics, of which the name of the game is winning at all costs.

Casting Obama as the elitist (which he is in only the best ways) while she's had a privileged life since she was born, has just come back to bite her in the butt. The Clinton international jet-setting lifestyle has just been documented in this well-written piece in Vanity Fair. Not that there's anything wrong with being a jet-setter. When you've made $109 million in the last eight years, it most decidedly puts you in that upper upper class. But don't act like you're a down and out hard-scrabbler.

Many people blame Hillary's campaign as her downfall. The campaign made its mistakes, but in the end, Hillary's fall has been the flaws of the candidate herself. For those who say she reinvented herself time after time as a good thing for her campaign, I say it showed she was trying to meet demands of the marketplace instead of revealing anything true about herself. One major quality voters want to see in a candidate is authenticity. That is a huge characteristic of which Hillary has shown none. She has been a chameleon, which might work for Madonna, but not for the President of the U.S.

For the Hillary believers out there, I might point out that there were once many more like me in the Democratic Party who once believed in the Clintons and defended them at every turn -- sometimes when we shouldn't have -- until it became apparent that Bill and Hill had crossed the line from deserving our support to commanding our disdain. Anyone who has known them well or long -- especially us Arkansans -- has seen them shaft loyal friends who get in their way. The easiest example of this is Bill Clinton pardoning people like Marc Rich (and Bill's own brother Roger), while looking over former Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker and former Bill and Hill best friend Webb Hubbell. Jim Guy and Webb paid their respective societal debt, but they weren't handing the Clintons huge chunks of money for Bill's Library and Hillary's new political career. Plus, a pardon for Webb and probably for Jim Guy would've eventually proved a political liability for Hillary's then-future run for the presidency. These old Arkansas friends were cut out.

As far as Hillary's claims of leadership and mythical 35 years of experience, this campaign is her real show ground and the most verdant display of the substance and style. She has led her cohort into the Bitter Brigade by running a campaign that makes fun of hope and enshrines fighting as the path to American and most specifically female enlightenment. Ergo, Hillary's Bitter Brigade has been whipped into what is probably in point of fact a stereotypical frenzy, which hasn't helped anyone, including feminists.

Ladies, who amongst us hasn't been on the receiving end of sexism, and if you're a black woman, racism as well? Yes, people are still racist and sexist and will always be. It has been engraved in our stone for what seems like eternity, and it will probably take that long to be rid of it. But sexism doesn't explain why Hillary lost and neither does the false accusation that the media preferred Obama as the Hillary-ites endlessly drone. (Read Ari Melber's column about the Pew/Harvard study that disputes that wrong notion here.) The pundits who are fanning the flames of the Hillary flash-fire among her supporters are only setting back their own best interests in women's issues.

We can thank Hillary for cracking the political glass ceiling, but she can blame no one but herself for losing this race. It would be nice to see her be accountable for her actions, behaviors, and votes. But that won't happen. Hillary is like George Bush and his White House. She is in perpetual campaign mode, in which accountability doesn't exist.

Editor's Note: the following comment from user "Unci" was published with an earlier, published version of this piece that was up only briefly -- we are including it here as it would otherwise be lost:

Well said! I am a retired Teacher and have been involved in teaching & writing curriculum for young leaders of today on Leadership. An attribute of leadership is team work and leading in a positive direction and having The ability to lead to minimize intolerance and to lead your followers with integrity and honor. I haven't seen this leadership portrayed by the Clinton Campaign, rather, they seemed to incite intolerance, especially from Harold Ickees. He was actually cussing , using the A-word and acting like a spoiled child who didn't get his way. At least the media didn't repeat his cussing. And he is the Clinton advisor, NO WONDER! A Tantrum before a National Audience. Shameful! Pride goeth before a fall!

Beth Arnold lives and writes in Paris. To see more of her work, check out www.betharnold.com.

Comments

[Jaradan]

Hillary is the sexist. I would like to say to her: When you keep repeating over and over that you deserve a vote because you're a woman, that is sexist. You're courting unequal treatment of the candidates and discriminating against Obama because he's a man. When you cry on national TV during a job interview and then get mad when someone says you're overemotional, that is sexist. When you want to compete with men but cry sexism when they want to treat you the same way they treat their male opponents, that is sexist.

When someone questions your judgment based on voting for a stupid war, that is not sexist. When someone says they don't like how you flip-flop on the issues, that is not sexist. When people won't vote for you because they don't like liars, that is not sexist.

When someone is running on their own merit rather than who they are married to, THAT IS NOT SEXIST.

[kira181]

Well, of couse. Andrew Sullivan is exacly the person who should pontificating on the subjects of authenticity, hysteria and sexism. His clear authority on these matters is surpassed only by his lack of bias regarding anything Clinton.

[several]

Whoa, Beth, how can you say all that? Haven't you heard? Anyone who speaks these truths about Hillary is a misogynist male!

Does your partner know? ;-)

[chefrasta]

Whoa!! And it was written "The truth shall set you free."

[McFlipFlop]

Great article, Beth. I am so glad that you are here -- keeps me sane.

Today Bill is confusing his blame of Obama with the blame of Purdum for the Vanity Fair article. I wish that Bill and Hill would just go away, and not even campaign for Obama, since it will be all false BS anyway.

Bill and Hill are simply disgusting to those of us with brains and morals.

But I have believed, ever since Obama's winning Iowa speech, that he would be unbeatable in the fall. And I still believe it.

[cylindar]

You know, I do not think that Hillary was expecting Obama to be as popular as he was because he did not have the high profile history that she had. When it became apparent that he was the chosen one, she lost it and that was because they had no plan for such an occasion. Just goes to show you that you should always wear some underwear cause you never know when you will get in an accident.

[chriss0114]

NEWS FLASH!

Clinton will get out if Obama gets her $51.5 million!

She just wants cold, hard cash!

$40 million debt plus $11.5 million Clinton loans herself = $51.5 million

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/foreign/tobyharnden/june2008/cashtalks.htm

[kdublya]

Not paying called it.

Send the tab to Harvey Weinstein.
http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/08/clinton-supporter-pressures-pelosi-over-white-house-battle/

[Gma11]

Authenticity - I agree. This was a major issue for me.

That and the corrosive campaign tactics.

[MilanD]

I have to say that it is quite sad and disheartening that Hillary has chosen to go out in the manner that she has. I think that when it is all said and done, history will not be kind to Hillary, as she epitomizes the very essence of demagoguery, arrogance, and conceit. More importantly, she single handedly lost this nomination and severely damaged her reputation and that of feminists. I really do hope that Hillary will mend the error of her ways and learn from her mistakes. But for reason I don"t ever see that happening which is really quite tragic.

[ayc]

Thank you Beth. I have been waiting to hear someone state it so clearly, without any spin, or excuses. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[marignymitch]

Sen Clinton put herself on the market in a big way by supporting Junior's war. Then voted to support Junior's next war on Iran. Highest bidder, anyone? Anyone?

Her calculated vote (perhaps at odds with her personal beliefs, but who knows now) backfired spectacularly, and I couldn't be happier about it. (I was strongly opposed to this war of choice before Junior launched it). Kharma sometimes is a bitch. She lost me and many, many others permanently after those cynical ploys. Then she set loose her inevitablility campaign, with its arsenal of pandering, including tears, in which she further alienated the Democratic Party and the nation, with the exception, I guess, of the yahoos. By the end of February the primary race was over, thanks to her behavior, and she had thoroughly humiliated herself. But unable to face reality she pressed on and her added to the damage she had done to herself.

Will she hold herself to account for her self-destructive behavior and the loss it led to? (Will Junior?) Hell no! Sexists made her do it! And the media too!

[chriss0114]

"Her calculated vote (perhaps at odds with her personal beliefs, but who knows now)"

I'm not sure HRC even knows what she really stands for except HRC and whatever she thinks will get her points toward what ever goal she has in mind.

[demfriend]

Thank you Beth for seeing through the looking glass at what the clinton plan is. I see no matter what Hillary does see has damaged Obama far beyond what many have seen already. If she stands up with him it will look like she has swallowed a canary as no one can forget how she has demeaned him every step of the way. The standing with him while the memory will be made fresh by the republicans how she has endorsed McCain and has recorded the video and sound bites for them about why Obama could never be president while she and McCain could be. Bill has called Obama so many names and his campaign the "fairy tale" so how will he look standing up and endorsing Obama? Nope they have already damaged what they can and anything they do now will not be support of the true candidate as Hillary will never agree Obama is. She lost the nomination but will not give a consession speech because she wil never agree she lost a thing because a democrat she no longer is.

[sherbug]

What a chameleon she is: She started out as a mute and found her voice in New Hampshire. After she lost the African American vote she began to taut her degree in a blue-collar-ology. Then she became Marshall Dillion by demanding that Obama meet her in Texas for the big dual. Then she an insomniac who is sitting by the phone at 3:00 a.m. Then she becomes 007 on secret, dangerous missions in and out of war zones. Then she morphs into Rocky Balboa, only to become a gun toting, whiskey drinking, arm wrestling son of a gun. Then last week she becomes Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony all wrapped up into one.

[Jaradan]

LOL! I think I like Hillary "Marshall Dillion" Clinton the best.

[allonfla]

LOL LOL LOL - so true so true

[lotuslike]

A magnificent article, Beth Arnold! Every point in it was so spot on and so well articulated that all I can say is THANK YOU. I feel sane again...

[95flhtcu]

"Clearly not in the best interest of the party"? Clear to you perhaps. What exactly is wrong with finishing all the primaries? You talk as if Obama was ahead by over 50% of everything. Thats how most overly emotional Obama supporters talk. "Hillary believes it's her right to be president"? I assume that you got this little jem from talking to her personally? More likely, you're jumping on the clerical bandwagon. You have no idea if that's what she thinks.

The real problem is that you have felt compelled to exhibit YOUR death throes to the entire world as we all watch the now boring show. Did you notice that there have been 500 million other blogs that state the exact same thing? You've said exactly nothing new here. That's what is refered to as the pot calling the kettle black.
Other than that, it was a super duper (non) story!

[JimR]

Are all Hillary supporter this angry and bitter? Wow.

[McFlipFlop]

For those of us that are not math-challenged, this has been over since Virginia.

[Jaradan]

Right. This nomination is only a surprise to Hillary supporters. For the rest of us that can count, this has been dragging on way too long.

Her supporters even got angry at pundits for declaring it over because the delegate math said so. Because...what do the numbers have to do with winning a nomination, right? How did they think a nomination happens? Based on an angry email campaign?

Memo to Hillary supporters:
Don't be angry at the media, bloggers, Obama, Obama supporters, etc. for trying to tell you the TRUTH. Be angry at Hillary for misleading you about her chances of winning. We tried to tell you she was staying in it to raise more money. We tried to tell you she doesn't have a gracious bone in her body. We tried to tell you...but we got a bunch of angry rants and name-calling for our efforts.

I went on Hillary's site and read a message from a college student who said she's donating her book money to the campaign. This was back in March. I told her to invest her money in her education. I was called all kind of foul names. So excuse me if I don't feel too sorry for all of Hillary's supporters.

You drank the Kool-Aid and it is very bitter.