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2008-05-16 Home Front: Politix
Jonah Goldberg: why Hillary is staying in
She can’t win. The pundits say it. The polls say it. The math says it. It’s even the word on the street. If Huggy Bear from Starsky & Hutch were around, he’d say it’s time to stick a fork in her.

So why does she keep going? . . .

Perhaps it’s the best route to long-term victory. Washington has long swirled with rumors that the Clintons are holding some “nuclear option” in reserve against Barack Obama. The latest theory is that they’ve decided not to use it, as it would destroy them, too. Who knows what it might be, if it exists at all. But it’s worth noting that if Hillary were the take-no-prisoners brawler everyone says she is, she would almost surely have pushed that button by now.

That she hasn’t used the doomsday device buried under Clinton HQ might mean it doesn’t exist. Or it might mean she’s looking beyond 2008.

In her West Virginia victory speech, Hillary emphasized her electability. Obviously, that’s now her best argument for persuading the superdelegates. But it’s an even better argument for positioning herself as the “I told you so” candidate after an Obama defeat.

Just because the Clintons say something doesn’t mean it’s untrue. . . . If Obama does implode, Hillary’s bitter-end fight would position her to say to Democrats, “You were warned.”

Obviously, she wants to win this year. But the conventional wisdom that she’s hurting herself within the party by not bowing out gracefully might be flawed. Polls show that Democratic voters want the race to continue. And so long as she can avoid blame for Obama’s loss, she’ll be in great shape for 2012. She will be able to argue that Democrats must think with their heads, not their hearts, if they want to win the presidency and change the country. Her centrism would no longer seem calculated. And, of course, the identity-politics bean counters will argue that, this time, it really is a woman’s turn.

Hillary will do all she can to appear supportive of Obama should he get the nomination. But appearances can be deceiving. Clinton biographer Carl Bernstein recently reported on the Huffington Post that Sidney Blumenthal, the Clintons’ preferred smear artist and rumor spreader, has been pushing the press to cover Obama’s ties to Bill Ayers, an alum of the left-wing terrorist group the Weather Underground, as well as “many other questionable allegations about Obama.”

The real test of my theory will be whether the Blumenthal operation shuts down after the Clinton campaign does.
Posted by Mike 2008-05-16 08:34|| || Front Page|| [11134 views ]  Top

#1 So you never really answered the question Jonah: "Why does HRC stay in?" It doesn't make a lot of sense to stay in unless she can convince the superdelegates she is viable which doesn't seem to be happening. The other option is that she is hoping BO will get tripped up before convention time by the Republicans. Or she and Bill know something that they is sitting on until the right moment.
Posted by JohnQC 2008-05-16 10:17||   2008-05-16 10:17|| Front Page Top

#2 My English is atrocious this a.m.--more coffee. "

...that they is are..."
Posted by JohnQC 2008-05-16 10:20||   2008-05-16 10:20|| Front Page Top

#3 Who knows what it might be

I'll take a stab, e-mails between Ayers and Hussein.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2008-05-16 10:29||   2008-05-16 10:29|| Front Page Top

#4 Ooh. Sounds like vicious Sid agrees.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2008-05-16 10:30||   2008-05-16 10:30|| Front Page Top

#5 How much power/influence does Candidate Clinton accrue if she sticks it out until the convention? As opposed to quitting now with no quid pro quo, I mean. And there is indeed always the possibility of more "sweetie" moments for Candidate Obama, who doesn't seem to handle things well when he's tired.
Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife  2008-05-16 10:45||   2008-05-16 10:45|| Front Page Top

#6 If the Bill and the Beast don't get the nomination, it's back to the double wide for him and a career as the boomer Teddy for her. There's no downside to either in holding out to the last moment in the hope for a divine wind to sweep Hussein off his game. Case when Hussein gets the nomination, the party's over for both of them.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2008-05-16 11:01||   2008-05-16 11:01|| Front Page Top

#7 Staying in is not degrading her Demo authority. Maybe enhancing her position as senior party elder. Fat Ted did it in 1980. Fat Teddy and several other of the very old hacks within the party will soon have to depart, either because voters finally choose someone younger or because their mental faculties simply desert them, aka. Rob. Byrd. If she is not the nominee, I look for her to be very passive in support of Hussein. She'll be around, but mostly around her home territory protecting her seat from NY. She could exert considerable influence in the Senate in coming years, much to the consternation of the Magic Man. She could intercept many of his grand designs and remold them closer to her concepts. This would remake his agenda into hers.She may go for Majority leader, ousting Sad Sack Harry, who has been nothing but an utter disgrace for Dummocrats. She, at least, would be an active advocate for Dummo agenda. Also, she and John Boy are good buddies, even guzzling vodka shots together in Moscow and googling for the camera in a showing of comeraderie across the aisle. She may slip the info (for a small price) to McCain and let him detonate it along about Oct 30. Game over, lights out. And, you could her her cackle ringing in the hallways.
Posted by Woozle Elmeter 2700 2008-05-16 11:29||   2008-05-16 11:29|| Front Page Top

#8 Why does Barack stay in? He's not much ahead of Hillary in the numbers, and seems to be growing feet of clay. Seems pretty self-centered of this newbie to push so hard for the prize without paying his dues first. Think of how his reputation would be enhanced if he stepped aside "for the sake of the Party". Take the VP slot under Hillary, and he'd be a shoo-in for the next administration.
Posted by Scooter McGruder 2008-05-16 11:43||   2008-05-16 11:43|| Front Page Top

#9 Hmmm...an Obama defeat in November will allow her to purge the DNC of its Deanites and MoveOn power players and get her people at the table once again, while as mentioned, she consolidates her own power in the Senate. Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven. :)
Posted by Procopius2k 2008-05-16 12:18||   2008-05-16 12:18|| Front Page Top

#10 I'm holding out for the Nuclear Option.
That would be sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!
Posted by bigjim-ky 2008-05-16 12:26||   2008-05-16 12:26|| Front Page Top

#11 I'm with bigjim. I want the nuclear option to come out.

Could it have anything to do with this other RB post?

Go ahead, Hillary, make my friggin day!
Posted by eltoroverde 2008-05-16 14:11||   2008-05-16 14:11|| Front Page Top

#12 Just because the Clintons say something doesn’t mean it’s untrue. . . .
In a purely logical way this makes sense, but this is Clintons, the statement may be invalid.
Posted by George Smiley 2008-05-16 16:34||   2008-05-16 16:34|| Front Page Top

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