Hillary Clinton Declares A Great "Victory" in Florida!

So Senator Hillary Clinton won ZERO delegates in Florida tonight but she is ubiquitous on the cable networks extolling her "victory" as evidence that grassroots Democrats want her to be the nominee for president over Senator Barack Obama.

This move on Senator Clinton's part is the most weasel-like posture she's taken this entire campaign. The Democratic National Committee ruled months ago that Florida's Democratic delegates would not be recognized as punishment for the Florida Republican legislature's decision to move up the primary. Senator Obama and Senator John Edwards honored the party's ruling and did not openly campaign in the state. Why waste money on winning a primary that the DNC does not see as legitimate?

Yet tonight I saw Hillary Clinton on Fox News and on MSNBC running a victory lap and crowing to all and sundry that Florida has shown that she is the candidate that most Democrats prefer. This disingenuous and opportunistic display on Ms. Clinton's part shows the depths to which the Clinton camp will sink. It is disgraceful for her to declare herself the "victor" over Obama in an election that the DNC has already ruled illegitimate. But Ms. Clinton milked it for all of the publicity it was worth tonight. Shameless.

What's more, MSNBC reported that Clinton broke evenly with Obama in the tally of voters who have made their decision most recently (and Obama didn't even campaign in Florida).

So Ms. Clinton's dishonorable display tonight raises all of the old questions about the James Carville-style underhanded campaign tactics for which the Clintons are legends. These techniques might be colossal attributes when taking on Republicans, but they reek of foul play when directed against fellow Democrats as she did tonight. Undecided Democrats, as well as Obama and Edwards supporters, should call out Ms. Clinton on her stagecraft. This opportunistic stance should become a campaign issue and I hope Obama and Edwards put it to good use.

Comments

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

See Joseph A. Palermo's Profile

Superb comments all -- I'm glad we are having a debate!

[detriangulation]

This morning on MSNBC, Clinton surrogate Senator Bill Nelson, as part of a continued effort to hype Clinton's anachronistic FL "victory", highlighted her superior performance across all demographics---with one notable caveat. Nelson concedes Obama decisively won "THE BLACK VOTE" in FL that, looking ahead to Super Tuesday, only gives him marginal and inadequate "POCKETS OF SUPPORT."
This is further evidence that Hillary Clinton continues to rely on her establishment sycophants (including Bill Clinton, with his Jesse Jackson assertions after South Carolina, etc.) to pursue a Southern Strategy: a desperate, futile and shameless attempt to racially polarize the electorate and relegate Obama to the status of a candidate who is for, by, and of African Americans alone. This racial triangulation will continue to backfire because it outrages African American, white, Latino and Asian Democrats alike. Please make people aware of Senator Nelson's comments!!

[BUSHsurvivor]

Learned that bush spin real well there joe, huh?

[LyricalLexicon]

I'm no Clinton supporter but perhaps going to Florida was a way to keep the state in the win column for Democrats come November. Floria is a swing stae adn I would hate to see the backlash against the democrats come November if the delegates from Florida aren't seated at the convention. The electoral votes from Florida will be needed by the Democrats on election day.

[vbond]

The Clintons are ushering in a new phase of American politics.

In the past, all the completely, you would think embarrassing, underhanded tactics were performed behind the scenes, away from prying eyes... you know... UNDERhanded.

Now, through the completely shameless application of political chutzpah, the Power Couple Supreme have found so many ways to do it on national TV.

This Florida "Victory Lap" is only the latest example.

The redeeming factor in all this is the fact - as I have personally observed - that tactics like these are continuing to alienate their own supporters.

Keep it up, guys.

Darwin was right.

[BeyondKen]

Do not forget that Obama has never won an election that his opponent didn't drop out of.

He was elected to the U.S. Senate after his opponent Jack Ryan was forced out because of unproven rumors of a sex scandal.

He was elected an Illinois State Senator after paying lawyers to force all other opponents off the ballot.

According to David Jackson in the Chicago Tribune:

"A close examination of Obama's first campaign clouds the image he has cultivated throughout his political career: The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it. His overwhelming legal onslaught signaled his impatience to gain office, even if that meant elbowing aside an elder stateswoman like Palmer."

[johnie2xs]

Okay Joey, you win. I'll throw in with Obama. After all, what other choice do I have. You do understand, though, that the "Repuglicans" are going to eviscerate him. You think you have witnessed racial tactics before, just wait. What will these tactics be? In what form will they come? I truly have no idea. Nor do you, I suspect, for neither of us have within us the depths of depravity needed to conjure up what will come. And come it will, on that you can bet your Canadian Dollars.

Jonathan Bullseye

[piezoid]

Clinton supporters shouldn't be at all discouraged by the low-brow comment posters here. They are using Obama to channel their hatred of the Clintons and the candidate himself should make some effort to stop their ad hominum bullshit because it hurts his cause. It's hard to believe his campaign isn't aware of what's going down on the internets. Do you think they don't have someone reading the HuffPost? Why no call for a little comity and unity. Why did Obama himself say that some of his supporters won't support Hillary if she's our candidate. They have to know and maybe are even behind the endless personal attacks on the Clintons here.

[dbredes]

Thank you John Edwards for the timing of your announcement.

Sorry Bill and Hillary the news cycle moved on!

And btw...It's not nice to make the DNC mad...

More divisive politics..

First let's take on labor unions in Nevada
Now let's take on the DNC

While your pandering to Florida may have got you the last minute votes...

This strategy is Not exactly the way to keep the party faithful on your side

[piezoid]

Hey Palermo,

Over 800,000 votes for Hil and a huge vote for Obama as well. Doesn't Obama want those folks that voted for him to be heard? Shouldn't he have gone to Florida and thanked his voters as well? Because he came in second is no reason for him to dis his supporters like that. Is it?

Condemn Hillary for acting like a winner if you must but it feels like winning to me too. I know we've all forgotten that feeling because we nominate windsurfers and guys who promise to raise our taxes and maybe the guy with a nice smile, but, as history records, they to-a-man end up the loser. Back to back wins in the face of every withering attack the right-wing scum threw at them. What's the matter, aren't you up to the fight anymore? I can guarantee you she is.

And with that said I will enthusiastically vote for Obama if he's the candidate and I don't even have to hate Hillary.

[facemn]

Great article!

83% of people on this site http://www.barackobamacentral.com say they will NOT vote for Hillary if she gets the nomination. 8% say they will, 8% are undecided.

[demlover1]

I think the media's coverage of Sen. Clinton's win in Florida is ridiculously biased. Yes, there were no delegates awarded (although it's entirely possible they will be seated at the Convention). But the reality is, Mrs. Clinton got the most votes by far of the three candidates running--Obama and Edwards (I think over 800,000 votes). She in fact trounced Obama by almost 20%, even after all the pro-Obama coverage of the Kennedy endorsement and SC win. It would seem worthy of media coverage that a pattern is emerging. Sen. Clinton is getting the vast majority of women, older voters, white voters and Hispanic voters and a healthy proportion of African-American voters. Obama's base is younger voters and African-American voters. Could this change in the future? Of course, but it is significant, nonetheless that Mrs. Clinton, despite all the negative media attention, again beat Obama by a large margin in a diverse state. The media certainly would have been crowing had Obama gotten 51% of the vote to Mrs. Clinton's much smaller figure. The pro-Obama media bias is ridiculous. They ignored Edwards and attack Cliton. Obama needs to be vetted now before the Republican attack machine does it for us. If he survives the vetting, good for him, but the media does the Democrats no favors by propping him up without giving him proper scrutiny before the general election.

[Lazslo]

Exactly right. This will hurt Clinton down the road as she continues to violate prior agreements and generally displays the truth about her that her word is not reliable.

[elusiveyo]

dishonorable, how bout rezko buddy, this is politics not disney world, take your whiney no fair he got the bigger lollipop than me argument and go home, ur guy Prince Obama is fake, untruthful (only 5 hrs of work for that individual, truth will come out)and arrogant

[StephenDedalus82]

Obama supporters are taking whining to a new level. Impressive. I just love the politics of hope!

[zreeb]

I'm starting to wonder, are there paid people who flood the internet blogs, forums, etc. with comments?

[westview]

Oh Please, Obama cheated with permission given by a party that did not think in a primary with no delgates anybody would buy a lot of advert time and did not realize how much free press time he could run with. He bought lots of ad time claiming he couldn't cut Fl. out of the coverage. Ads that overlapped all over FL. All of that advert. time he still couldn't even come close to pulling a majority of the state he would need to even have a chance of winning a general election. All the free publicity, plus Oprah, plus the Kennedy road show, oh my just coincidentally the day before the Fl. election with 24/7 coverage, and his campaign still claims he had no name recognition in Florida. Obama thinks he can buy democratic voters by lifting all the speeches of our heros and regurgitating them in front of a telepromter, he thinks he wins with the help of the Kennedys, and by appealing to all the fickle Green party Nader fanatics that ruined our last great chance to stop Bush with Gore and says to all of us
"Trust me, I will run the country on ideals. I will be a uniter." Right. Where have I heard that before.
Lets just set aside the scandal looming with Rezko that even Ms. Huffington has warned has the potential to be a monumental problem for him and take a look.
Lets just look at those ideals so far, He has painted the Clintons, who are the least racist people I have ever seen as racists and divided our party over it, he has divided our party again between the far left and the centrists when we came in with that lack of division as an asset, he has divided many voters by race and gender, and he has shown every sign of having Bush's very bad characteristic of being petulant, thin skinned, and ungracious.
What a candidate, what a guy!

[FogBelter]

Mr Palermo ... the Democratic Party can't help itself.

We need to get used to saying President McCain.

[hepwa]

Congratulations on joining the ranks of those who would tell the people of Florida that their votes don't count.

Hillary Clinton did NOTHING wrong. She thanked her supporters, almost a million strong, who said she was their choice for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Barack Obama and John Edwards would both benefit from telling their supporters the same.

It was the news media who chose to air her comments at the rally and she made herself available for interviews.

Really, the Hillary hatred in the liberal blogosphere is getting out of hand. The media is chastised for their sexism, but everyone needs to take a serious look at their blind loathing of an ambitious woman who is on the side of the people who are first to dismiss her.

I don't know, sometimes I think Americans get what they deserve.

[ConnecticutEG]

Why all the Hillary bashing? I have not heard one real reason the last few weeks which truly justifies the constant Hillary "said and did this" stuff. What I have heard is the same old broken record refrain "We want Obama",
It is certainly true, Mrs. Clinton should be jubilant with the victory in Florida last night.

Today, Mrs. Obama is in Connecticut campaigning for Mr. Obama. A few weeks ago it was Oprah Winfrey on the stump for Obama. They are playing a tune that has been a recent criticism of the Clintons, Bill campaigning for Hillary, et. al..

[EspressoAtNoon]

I agree. Everything that comes from the Clintons continues to support the idea that she will say or do anything to win.

There's nothing genuine or honest about this couple. It is all phoney, spin, lies, distortions, underhanded gamesmanship, etc..

They must think that the voters are stupid imbicils to think that we would believe the crap that comes out of their mouths. They just continue to portray themselves as dishonest slimey politicians that will try every dishonest trick in the book to win the election.

After George W. Bush and Karl Rove, most Americans, I suspect, will respond the same way the electorate in South Carolina did.

[joja]

Mr. Palermo --

Dead on straight piece! King & Queen Clinton are acting like the sick, narcissistic individuals that they really are, what do you expect?

They are willing to rip the Democratic Party apart, and set race relations in this country back decades, just to satisfy their selfish whims. That's the way people who suffer from this type of disorder behave.

It's just a shame that they have been able to fool so many people for so long, but, then again, they're extremely talented con artists.

It seems the Republicans were right about the Clintons all along -- they know thier own kind when they see them.

My only question is, who in their right mind would ever agree to run as Hillary's VP, other than Bill? It would be political suicide, as she'll be crushed in November. And that's a fact.

[sonofloud]

Sorry that Hillary's wish to represent ALL
Americans, not just the ones the DNC think are the most important, offends you.

[Arg]

Hillary heads to Florida in search of her hanging chad... And when she's wins ugly, her supporters will claim it was all perfectly above board, forgetting how they (and all other Democrats) protested in 2000. Once again, and again courtesy of Florida, the Clintons and the Bushes would be twinned. The rest of us should twin them in another way -- by dismissing them in the same year.

[Countess]

What else could we expect from such an opportunist? The Clintons have and will continue to do anything to return to power and there will be no significant change after the next election. The country will be divided 50/50 and nothing positive will come out of it.