Hillary and Bill Behaving Badly

Hillary Clinton's petulance hijacked the most major inflection point in a generation of American politics: The ascension of an African-American from humble beginnings to the Presidential nomination of the Democratic Party.

In a churlish speech, Hillary declared herself the winner in popular votes, then went beyond braggadocio by undertaking the dangerous step of asking her supporters to launch a write-in campaign to bolster her case to fight for the party's nomination. In essence, she was asking for a mandate to become an independent candidate in order to disrupt the convention or to launch her own campaign.

Bill's Revenge
A camera caught Bill Clinton smiling as his wife said she would make no decision about her future despite Obama's victory. Then -- and I'm sure he picked out the music -- she underscored her disdain by exiting the stage accompanied by the song "Simply The Best" by African-American rocker Tina Turner, an iconic songstress whose career was also the result of a successful husband with a wandering eye.

It was craven identity politics. At best, her defiance may be cynical or a misguided and unfair attempt to drag on the process in order to dissipate the anger among her followers so that she can eventually rejoin the party team.

That's doubtful. The Clintons, in essence, are willing to undertake a very dangerous strategy to force their way into an upper hand with Obama or to capture a delusional goal. They appear willing to create a political Frankenstein, or their own Internet-led movement of middle-aged women and bluecollars unenamored by Obama, who may opt in large numbers to overthrow the primary process and create havoc at the Denver convention where the nominee must be crowned.

In other words, Hillary has become a de facto independent Democrat (like Joe Lieberman) who will join forces with, or pave the way, for John McCain to win this fall, and -- as I have speculated -- try to set herself up for victory in 2012.

It's totally irrational.

The Big Winner was McNasty
All of this misbehavior could not be better for John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate who read without passion or inflection, a lame speech tonight, punctuated by inappropriate smiles and tone, excessive compliments to Hillary and personal attacks on Obama.

Obama Was Magnificent but Looked Disappointed
He took the high road, as usual, and gave an inspiring speech appealing to the best in America and Americans. He also had to be hugely disappointed with Hillary's speech, and her failure to congratulate him and concede. But he rose above it by handing to Hillary a meaningful, deliverable or "legacy" in the form of universal health care. Even though she failed to bring it about, he graciously called her the pioneer and pledged that she would play the major role in bringing about reforms.

He also said uncategorically he would be the Democrat's nominee.

But the Clintons -- armed with a personal warchest of tens of millions of dollars and ruthless ambition and narcissism -- may have lost the battle but appear willing to enable the inadequate McCain to win the war.

Related:
Read more from Huffington Post bloggers on Barack Obama clinching the Democratic nomination for president

Comments

[larstein]

The idea that McCain can win is only viable as an abstraction. When you see him you realize that the Dems could run month old roadkill against him and the roadkill would win. McCain is simply the worst candidate ever, and I never thought it could get worse than W. If I was Obama, I'd simply invite Hillary to a meeting and show her the vid of McCain's speech last night. Now, let's talk about your 18 million votes, your trying to blackmail a spot on the ticket. There is not a contest. The Gops are throwing this thing and the Clintons know it. They can do whatever they want. It makes no difference. McCain loses if he runs against "uncommited". The Gops do not want to be in the power seat during the next 4 years. They want to re-group and fight another day.

[vinny]

HRC's speech captured her politics, "what do i want?"

[EinChicago]

Another HUffPoBloggerfortruthiness column, another neolib (the dem version of neocon) rant. Obama Kultists like Ms Francis make the neocons look rational in comparison. The question is to what degree we will let these neolibs take over teh party?

[NorVaGal]

Wow, EinChicago. Your posts get weirder by the day. I'm impressed. (LOL)

[egal]

Or you could try becoming literate and you would realize you're way off by reading facts.

Or try talking to people outside of your little community. Everywhere else in the world realizes that America doesn't have true liberals in government, let alone extreme liberals.

But you'll probably just stick with your insular and unfounded accusations, for our entertainment.

[Damon]

I give the benefit of the doubt, I think she's not too much crazy to risk her entire political career in a dumb and selfish personal ambition, she knows better, so let's give her the time to breath and realize that her own political future depends on this election, on the DEMs victory in November;
This woman is too smart to think that a McNasty victory this November will somehow enable her to run again in 2012, she can't be thinking like that, she's smarter than that. So let's see what happens in the coming weeks...

[laylahb]

Hill and Bill will be long gone by 2012, having taken up residence in Kazakhstan. After all, President Nazarbayev is a great friend of Bill's. Maybe they can build his Presidential Library there. After all, Nazarbayev has already given Bill $100 million..

[MrKnuckles]

One can only hope that true Democrats and the party leadership will have the guts to turn on Hillary and Bill should she run as an independent. Every single bastion of the Democratic party must cut her out and hang her out to dry every chance they get if she turns out to be the traitor I believe she is.

[Americanium]

Next year Hillary will be referred to as former Democrat. No matter the outcome of the election she is toast as a Democrat.

[kellygrrrl]

unfortunately, I think you are correct

I had a lot of hope that The Clintons were going to do the right thing
put the country above their EGO.

silly me!

At this point, I think they have blown their last hope to be fully embraced by the Party

[GaryinToronto]

The Clinton's behaviour is inexcusable when you consider the stakes in this election:

Four more years of Republican fiscal irresponsibility could take the country from recession to depression.

A conservative supreme court overturning Roe v. Wade and failing to protect individual rights in the wake of the war on terror.

It's amazingly selfish. More people need to let Clinton know right now - No way will you get our vote in 2012 if Obama loses in November. No way.

The more people who tell her this now the more likely she'll stop monkeying around.

[cheshirecat831]

To say they are "behaving badly" is being very charitable. The mean spiritedness of not recognizing an historic event...an African American winning the Dem nomination....is truly sickening. Apparently they have not moral mirrors to look into but everyone else can see them for who they have become.

[EinChicago]

"The mean spiritedness of not recognizing an historic event...an African American winning the Dem nomination...."

So basically, Obama doesn't matter just his melatonin level?

racists much?

[UncommonSenz]

The fact that there has never been an African American nominated before as a major party's candidate made last night historical. (It would have also been historical if Clinton had been nominated)

There is nothing racist in that statement (it doesn't say or imply that any race is better/worse than any other). It only points out an easily verifiable fact.

Stupid much?

[Rianna]

Obama will be doing great harm to his campaign if he picks Clinton has his VP. He has seen first hand how nasty, dishonest, and selfish she can be, and that alone should put him off. She has high negatives, and has too much baggage, with her husband, to add anything to the ticket.

As a woman, I am greatly embarrassed at the lack of class and dignity, Hillary has shown.
Using her supporters as a bargaining chip, and demanding to have her way, even when she has lost,
is mind boggling. I am amazed at how tolerant Obama has been, and he should not be afraid of her slash and burn politics. She does not care a damn for the party, and only wants her selfish ambitions realized.
There are so many wonderful candidates in this nation, who will be an asset to Obama.
Hope he has the good sense to pick one.

[captcoyote]

After McCain's speech last night where he gave strong (if not contrived) sympathy for Senator Clinton, I was of the opinion that McCain had already asked Ms. Clinton if she would be interested in being his Vice President. (An idea that was promoted to McCain by Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show".) However, I now agree with you that she is strongly considering the idea of running as an independent, and thus assuring us of four more years of Republican wars. I would not doubt it if she was receiving financial support from the military industrial complex to screw up Obama's efforts. In the end there is always a lucrative lobbying career.

[eladora]

i SAID ALL ALONG THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BECOME AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE AND ENDED THE PARTIES RULE. SHOULD HAVE , COULD HAVE. SHE'S A GAME PLAYER , AS IS BILL , AND EVERYONE HAS TO BE ON THEIR TOES AS TO WHAT GAME SHE IS PLAYING TODAY.
SHE WONT QUIT , SHE WONT GET OUT. AND EVIDENTLY THERE ARE SOME PARTY LEADERS WHO WONT CONFRONT THEM. WE NEED TO NOT HAVE THEM AT THE CONVENTION AT ALL IF THIS IS THE PLAN. DONT HAVE BILL SPEAK . HE HAS DESTROYED HIS LEGACY .

[TonyOnly]

Diane Francis, the Canadian conservative, fancy seeing you here. You are exactly right of course. The Clintons are setting themselves up for 2012. They won't succeed against an incumbent Democrat and in 2016 they'll be too old. So if she can't have it now, then McCain it is. Just for the heck of it, I'll be calling him George McCain from now til November.

[SFkid]

I hope she become a defector like Lieberman, look where its gotten him.

[NorVaGal]

Lieberman knows his days of relevancy are on a short string, that's why he feels like he has nothing left to lose. Once the Dems pick up more senate seats, Lieberman is toast (burnt).