Hillary's Ignominious Finale

All in all, it was a rather ignominious, belittling way to almost certainly close out the Clinton Era. Hillary would have done much better to spend the 90 minutes of Tuesday night's Ohio debate by repeatedly reading and re-reading her valedictory, closing remarks from last week's Texas match-up during which -- for a few shining moments -- a Good Hillary seemed to radiate with the grandeur of an honored First Lady and potential president of the United States.

But with her national poll numbers now slipping into a double digit lag behind Obama, with her last-ditch firewalls in Ohio and Texas rapidly crumbling, her political future quickly eroding, it was the Bad Hillary who dominated in what could very well be the final presidential debate of the season.

Thirty-five years of selfless public service, if we are to believe her campaign rhetoric, deserved more than this tin-pan finale. Clinton, in her best moments, is certainly capable of something more than a torrent of peevish, petty, picayune, and intellectually dishonest bickering and parsing.

Instead, Senator Clinton chose to remind us why she is losing the nomination that she was once so very sure would inevitably be hers. The smell of a loser permeated the entire low-energy event as Clinton tried to pick apart this or that phrase uttered one time or another by her rival.

Obama's been on a wild tear, continuing to surge and streak and -- to dip into the conventional wisdom -- it's hard to see anything that Clinton did Tuesday to stem his rising tide.

You'd think that Clinton could leave the national political stage with some larger, meaningful gesture. But, unfortunately, the only memorable line that she spoke tonight was a poorly constructed joke, surely written by a staffer.

It's taken me a decade and I'm still stumped trying to figure out what the meaning of "is" might really be. And yet Hillary tossed us the latest Clintonesque head-scratcher during the debate when she asked me -- and the millions watching -- to ponder the "difference between denouncing and rejecting."

I'm not sure which one of these acts of contrition her rival Barack Obama engaged in when asked by the moderators his view on the Reverend Louis Farrakhan. But whichever one it was, it was apparently the wrong one -- according to Senator Clinton.

Likewise, when it came to universal health care. Though Obama has adamantly campaigned on that promise from his first day on the stump, he was actually opposed to universal health care. At least, according to Hillary who belabored the point (to not say she beat it to death) for the first, torturous sixteen minutes of the debate.

And after repeatedly ignoring pleas from moderator Brian Williams to curtail her health care harangue, after extending and re-extending her remarks, Clinton then portrayed herself as a hapless victim of media bias by comparing Williams' questioning to a satirical sketch that aired over the weekend. "Well, could I just point out that in the last several debates, I seem to get the first question all the time? And I don't mind," she said with a grimace. "You know, I'll be happy to field them but I do find it curious. And if anybody saw Saturday Night Live, maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow."

Rimshot!

Or was that a car crash?

Either way, time to bring in the mop-up crews. It's over.

Comments

[jonnie66]

ATTENTION: OBAMA FINANCIAL BACKER REZKO TRIAL STARTS TODAY

MUST READ BEFORE YOU CAST THAT IMPORTANT VOTE!!!

SEE OBAMAS CONNECTION WITH SADDAM HUSSEN AND REZKO!
Land deal 'mistake' piles the pressure on Obama Mr Auchi, leading supplier of arms to Saddam's regime and convicted for corruption in France, the British-Iraqi billionaire lent millions and millions of dollars to Barack Obama's fund just weeks before an imprudent land deal investigation. In addition money transfer from Nadhmi Auchi, Obama used to buy his Georgian mansion in Chicago. Mr. Auchi says the loan, through the Panamanian company Fintrade Services SA, was for $3.5 million!!!. Mr. Auchi's money was made doing business with the regime of Saddam Hussein, Mr. Auchi was a leading supplier of arms to Saddam's regime. A former Belgian ambassador to Luxembourg charged that a bank in Luxembourg owned principally by Mr. Auchi laundered funds -- including oil for food money -- for Saddam and other Islamic dictators. Auchi helped French and Italian firms win a huge oil pipeline contract in Iraq, chiefly by paying off Iraqi officials, according to testimony given by an Italian banker to prosecutors in Milan. In 2003, he was convicted for his role in what was then the largest scandal in French history, involving payoffs from executives of the oil company now known as Total to political figures in Spain, Germany and Africa.. The connection between Mr. Auchi and Sen. Obama is cause for great concern in the U.S. The national news media have been remarkably incurious about Sen. Obama's relationship with Mr. Rezko, and his with Mr. Auchi. The Obamas bought the house for $1.65 million -- $300,000 below the asking price -- perhaps because Mr. Rezko's wife purchased from the owner an adjacent garden plot for $625,000. (The sellers deny they offered the Obamas a discount.) The Times of London wondered where Mrs. Rezko got the money to buy the garden plot. At the time, she had a salary of $37,000 and assets of only $35,000, the Times learned. Her husband told a court that at the time he had "no income, negative cash flow, no liquid assets," the Times said. Auchi participated in more than just Rezko's pizza and property ventures, however; he also contributed to Barack Obama's campaign by donating to a 2005 fundraiser through a company of which is wife is a Director. I quote the relevant paragraph from a London Times exclusive: Times has, however, discovered state documents in Illinois recording that the Panamanian company Fintrade Services SA lent money to Mr Obama's fundraiser. Fintrade's directors include Ibtisam Auchi, the name of Mr Auchi's wife. Mr Auchi's spokesman declined to respond to a question about whether he was linked to this business. The donation is significant, obama is the Ill politican mentioned in the following ABC News report on the FBI affidavit filed in US Attorney Fitzgerald's case against Rezko before Obama's political godfather was arrested on Monday: According to an FBI affidavit filed in the case, Rezko sought to get a visa for Auchi to visit the United States by contacting "the same Illinois government official ( Obama)

[Spiriteddona]

march 5th, while i was surprised hillary was written off, when ohio was hers, i was also surprised the polls in favor of barack were mostly wrong. i believe to look trendy, some people fib about voting obama. hillary energizes me! back to excitedly blogging for her.!

[Jsens3]

In my humble opinion, "denounce" is stronger than "reject." If I were trying to get close to a candidate for political purposes I would rather have the candidate say, "I reject his offer," that "I denounce his offer." We commonly use the word "reject" but rarely "denounce."

[the964kid]

I couldn't agree more. We'd all rather see her go out on a high note, that debate, and the poorly planned and executed campaign it represents, will go down forever in the political history books. She didn't have to end her presidential campaign this way...

[Plowboy]

Hillary's complaints about being called first would have had more validity if she hadn't insisted on framing the 'debate' on campaign tactics, or if he were the one who began to put out silly attacks like Plagiarygate. It is natural to begin at the source. In this case, her challenges to the media also come in play. She made falsestatements and challenged them to sdhow her false. They had to.
Obama, not being in desperation mode, never resortted to the kind of shrill attacks and pretenses . So he had less to defend.
It is too bad that these events couldn't have been better framed.

[Nyland8]

It seems to me that the problem with Rodham is that she's been running for president since she was first lady, instead of running for her party's nomination. That is what has led to so many poor choices and ill-advised compromises in her brief political career. With all of her hawkish posturing, she's only managed to alienate a huge part of her base, rather than win over part of her opponents. When all is said and done, her pro-war votes, her flag-burning tangent and other right-of-center positions she has taken will never have the affect she desired because the people she was playing to were not among her own party faithful. She was courting the popular vote majority in the general election long before she had secured the nomination of her own party ... and that was tactical suicide. She had been told so often, and had told herself too often, that being the party's nominee was a fait accompli and all she had to do to secure the POTUS position was to pander to some segment of the war mongers.

But the entire strategy has blown up in her face. In an effort to play the tough woman, a role that, under the circumstances, she may have felt compelled to project, she has failed to gather enough support among those who should have been her natural constituency in opposition to the neo-conned madness of Bush.

She's become the wrong woman for the wrong time, and I don't suspect her chance will come again, unless she's offered the VP post which, if she were wise, she should accept.

8

[JAMES GORMAN]

HILLARY DID NOT LISTEN TO HERSELF--she listened to a ridiculous campaign staff, and ending up
putting on various tragic/comic masks that were never real. Has she presented the kind of straight-
forward grasp of issues as in the last debate, and left out the sarcasm or attempts to be comedic,
she would be fine. She isn't a witty punster---actually a pretty plan straight-forward gal-guy person
--we never saw her for real.
As people say all over now--she sought to sue her campaign manager for mal-practice, and then
get Bill busy working for some third-world emergency fund. Ye Gods!! And I'm sorry--but the unfortunate
wording of Mr.Schuster--the pimp bit--did have the usual element of truth---or truthiness--why was she
put out on the show: she is not a glamourous or impressive mind on the speech circuit--and is best
just accompanying and waving as Princess Anne has done for 20 years. Well--over and out--I/m
just waiting for the Pope. Gorman 12

[SPYWITNESS]

KUdos to RichLiberal and 7TRUMP XX! Barama's cliched rhetoric has more "play loops" than a rap tune with poor grammar. Hell barama can't even say Massachusetts correctly..

[MarylandDem]

Debate performance certainly had low moments for Hillary, but don't think you should be writing her political obituary. Personally, if Obama doesn't at least OFFER her the VP slot, I will do nothing but vote for him in November (as opposed to raising $100K plus as I did for Kerry). Why do you people (men) think it's any easier for women to explain to their daughters why we have never had a woman president than it is for African-Americans to explain it to their children! So, I am hoping (dreaming?) that Obama will offer it to Hillary. Otherwise, he's going to make the mistake of John Kerry--win every state Gore did but fail to pick a VP candidate who will win Ohio, Missouri, or another state that will put him in the White House. Even if Obama doesn't take Hillary as VP, she will be back! She can run in 2016 at the age Reagan was when he won his first term. If Obama loses (and I think everyone is naive to think it's going to be so easy for him to beat McCain, scary as that is), she can run in 2012. Criticize her campaign, her debate performanc­e--whateve­r--but she's qualified to be president and realistically, she's the only woman out there who can win the White House in my lifetime.

[HansB]

Don't you think it would be better to have a woman president or veep who didn't need her husband's coattails? I mean, Indira Gandhi was elected PM of India because of her PM father; Mrs Bandaraineke and Mrs Kamaratunga PM of Sri Lanka because of their PM husband and father; Mrs Bhutto PM of Pakistan because of her PM father; and none of that made those countries showcases of gender equality. All it proves is dynasty.

I have nothing against Hillary Clinton, but I'm tired of hearing that her election would further women's rights. It's just not true, just as it was not true in the Asian countries I mentioned. If Obama wants to further emancipation, he should chose a woman senator who was against the Iraq war like he was and who has a stellar legislative record, like Barbara Boxer. Then again, someone that good can get to the White House on her own steam.

[ARBOC2]

It would be an insult for Obama to offer Hillary the VP slot and even more of an insult for her to accept such a degrading relative position; but who knows? What I do know is that it will be a miracle for a black to win the presidency for at least another election cycle or two.

If Obama wins the nomination McCain will find it hard to lose the general, so Hillary would be well advised to sit it out for a few more years and then hope the more liberal element of the Democratic Party stops taking pride in losing elections as a matter of principle.

[xrayman]

Obama supporters have always thought that Clinton should just quit and get out of the way. Big deal.

[Eoin45]

Bullshit. I was an Edwards supporter who switched to Obama. I was also prepared to vote for Hillary if she was the nominee and happy to see a debate between her and Obama. But her performance and campaign tactics have really turned me off. BTW I'm really fed up with asshole Hillary supporters like you who insult anyone who doesn't agree with their assessment.

[oscarp]

Eoin45 look who is insulting!! If you look at posts where Obama supporters write their opinions, you will see a lot of words not properly used, and I mean this not to say words used that show who they really are. So even if you don't like the idea of Hillary being better suited to be president, at least show some respect for those who believe it so.
If Obama gets to be president, I would love to see all his supporters write things after the first year in the presidency, and regretting having voted for him. But my HOPE is that, in spite of not liking it, a fight against McCain will prove how wrong you were, and we will have another Repub in the presidency. Like many other people, as an Independent, I'd rather vote for McCain, although I have never voted Repubs

[Beachrunner]

Ignominious, indeed. And sad, in a way.

Hillary was so sure that she would get the nomination. To see her go out in such an embarrassing way, crying foul like a spoiled kid on the playground . . . it's just so, I don't know, undignified.

The end of the "Clinton Legacy." Not with a bang, but a whimper . . . .

[j.gold]

Give it up, Hillery lost and she is just looking mean, petty, and desperate. Nothing sadder than someone in denial on nation TV grasping at straws. She looked pathetic when she wouldn't move on from her beaten to death health care plan. 16 minutes, awwwwwww! If she had as much good judgment as Obama she would be respectful and just step down. The way she acts when she doesn't get her way is not how I want my president to act. I want them to be diplomatic and even tempered while working towards the goal. This is Obama. She acts like a spoiled child being told she can't have the candy store.

[bacaangel]

Actually Barack was at firs for a "single payer" system.

Barack Obama had a Tripple Whammy thrown at him with the throwing out his middle name in a negative way, accompanied by a picture of Obama dressed in Somali garb, at the same time being endorsed by Farrakhan this is the worst kind of politics, its called "Swift Boating", which in reality is an assisination of character insinuating that Barack is a Muslin, even though he's not. I hope we Americans will not allow Camp Clinton and the Republicans to Swift-boat Barack like the Republicans did Kerry, turning a war hero into a deserter. And too, Obama can be of use to America by addressing the need of some to "clerverly" sow divisions and to exploit our differences, instead of building on that which unites us. "The world can use him too, with his reach to the Muslim nations and his middle name making it impossible for the US to walk away from one of the biggest foreign policy blunders in history. A restructuring of this overall policy is due after the demolition of the World Trade Towers. Some people think it's cool to be cynical. They deride those who show overt respect, admiration, and optimism. Those who still believe they can make a difference. Those who know they have power. This campaign has proven that cruelty is no longer desired as political style in the United States. The people now have a choice. A choice between magnifying the negatives or using the positives. I will say this. Obama has the potential to be one of the greats, but only if the people participate in molding his leadership. That's the task at hand. He, himself, invites others to recognize his faults not letting them interfere with the work. You can see how the people's support has molded him already in his quick evolution from weak debating events to the beautiful, strong, elegant, debate he delivered last night.." From: Blogger, J.M., Raging Universe.

As a nation, we cannot afford to continue to alienate our allies and friends in the Middle East by insinuating that to have the name Hussein means that you are evil, a terrorist, or are to be feared. Do we really want to Convey that? We have to remember, it was not Sadam Hussein who bombed us on 911, though some would have you to think that. And, there are many good and decent people with the name Hussein all around the world and especially in the Middle East, some of which have been our allies such as King Jordan Hussein. To continue to ridicule and fear the name Hussein, will only continue to incite hatred and hostility, with the result of no end of wars in sight. America the world is watching and we must decide as a nation what we are going to do. America is only as strong and good as her leaders and politicians. America is finding her Soul!

[Shadowmann1]

Very well said.

[gernger]

In the debate, Obama said that he would pull the troops out but would send them right back in if Al-Quida got too strong. This is the same as stay the course, or keep the troops there for a hundred years. Now if he pulls the troops out, both Al-Quida and the Iraqi government, want our troops to stay, each for their own reasons. Obama would then be in a position to be manipulated by them. This was both a flip on his war position because he would be ready to restart the war, and the statement was very irresponsible for a presidential candidate.

[Shadowmann1]

Uh, then what should he do? What's your suggestion?

[ohboy]

My suggestion, shadowboy, is to take $100 billion out of the Pentagon budget, convert it to euros, and send to Iraq as war reparations.

[daddysboy]

She might appear to be losing in debates that no one watches and she might be down in the polls that are admittedly lacking in accuracy and even meaning, but she is not going to go away until it is clear that she has in fact lost and I am glad for it. I really don't understand the point of emphasizing her character flaws while giving Obama a constant pass. Both of these candidates have potential greatness and potentially serious shortcomings. If mccain is not elected, the republican party is going to spend the next four years trashing these people so i want to hear all the dirt first and I want to know what their strengths are. Also, don't forget that there is always the very real possibility that we can have both of these candidates as President and Vice President.

[bartnrod]

I respect Hillary very much. With that said, one had only to watch the debate, along with all of the others, to recognize presidential material. It is so obvious. I supported Edwards and was wondering where to go next. Paying attention surely answered that question.

In the debate, Hillary was a mean spirited person, and her tack made it very plain that Obama is the one. Too bad, 'cause I'd like to see a woman as president.

[Loeb]

An excellent Marc Cooper piece.
Also to bartnrod: I was a John Edwards fan too
from the word go. I still believe in his positions
essentially. More to the point, despite his passion and commitment, his exit had a class rarely seen in the field of politics.Together with HRC's intelligence and campaign skills, was a certain meanness. It may have come from the sense of"entitlement" of her origins. One of the results was the implied impressiobn that if she had been involved in an issue, her approach was
therefore unassailable down to every jot and
tittle. She sounded like a scolding mom keeping
her young in check. It was unappealing. Had
she exited with style and dignity (once more
somewhat in the fashion of John Edwards) she
would remain a powerhouse with the Democratic
Party and in the world. Instead she has allowed
herself to be beaten to death and spent her
powers, negated her eloquent power to advocate.

[Project4NuBostonTeaParty]

You, Mr. Cooper, most of the HuffPo editors and Obamatons on here need to do some deep soul-searching to find out why you all hate powerful women so much.