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.
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See Joseph A. Palermo's Profile
Superb comments all -- I'm glad we are having a debate!
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!!
Learned that bush spin real well there joe, huh?
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.
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.
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.”
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
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.
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
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.
Great article!
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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.
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.
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
Obama supporters are taking whining to a new level. Impressive. I just love the politics of hope!
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