By Libby
I drafted a much longer post on the Michigan/Florida issue but I didn't want to get into it, hoping it wouldn't become an issue. I'm still hoping that's true but my hopes fade with Hillary's latest speech. I still don't want to go into full outrage mode because I think her ploy will fail but I do want to add to the chorus on one point, that being, all the candidates agreed prior to those primaries that the DNC sanction would stand. Jon Chait links to historic coverage.
It's worth repeating: They supported this "disenfranchisement." Here's a New York Times story from last fall, headlined, "Clinton, Obama and Edwards Join Pledge to Avoid Defiant States."
I also agree with Scott, there's no good reason for Obama to push back against this rhetoric. It would be counterproductive and shutting down this line of attack is a job that rightly belongs to the 'leadership' of the party and in a sane world, her supporters would threaten to bail if she didn't stop it.
It wouldn't bother me so much if there was any evidence that these arguments were being made prior to SuperTuesday, but I don't recall any and in fact, John Cole in rant mode this morning, has a YouTube posted where Hillary unequivocally said, "It's clear, Michigan isn't going to count for anything so it doesn't matter if I keep my name on the ballot."
If anyone can find any indication whatsoever that Clinton was making these arguments prior to SuperTuesday, I'm happy to apologize but failing any evidence to the contrary, I'm simply appalled by the dishonesty of this tack at this time. Meanwhile, as it has been often said, if she's lost TBogg, she's lost the country.
Well, it wasn't much prior to Super Tuesday, but she did travel to Florida to celebrate her "victory" there on January 29, though I don't think seating the delegations was part of it yet, she just wanted to claim a victory for some kind of bounce going into Super Tuesday after the pummeling in South Carolina.
ReplyDeleteHer trip into parody land again yesterday has me disturbed as well. We'll see if she backs off the crazy talk about this being commensurate with Civil Rights, Slavery, Zimbabwe, and so forth. Otherwise the outrage will slip.
I still think they'll come up with some compromise, but she's not making it easy to want to.
Actually, I bet Mugabe is marveling at the audacity of claiming victory in an "election" when the other candidate's name did not appear on the ballot. He gets it.
ReplyDeleteSince Zimbabwe has had so much trouble with their election, maybe Mugabe will hire consultants from Michigan and Florida to help with the next one.
BTW, why is Debbie Wasserman Schultz always so pissed off? She just doesn't represent well, if you know what I mean.
You know, Libby, this might be something worth looking at. One thing I have certainly noticed and is indicative of a reality the talking heads don't seem to want to discuss and Hillary won't acknowledge is the obvious fact that the Republicans themselves have decided that Obama is the nominee. They don't say this, of course, and Rove is still sticking by his girl, but what really stands out is that GOP attacks are focused exclusively on Obama. Clinton is off their radar, out to pasture. Done. I think this is the best indicator I've seen and no one seems to have noticed it, or at least not acknowledged that even the GOP can see what is coming down the pike.
ReplyDeleteThat's the thing about the agreement BJ. They all agreed not to campaign but I know in MI, her supporters were in full GOTV mode for an election that wasn't going to count and no one else was on the ballot. At that point, everyone thought they wouldbe eventually seated but that the votes wouldn't matter because she was so inevitable. But nobody was arguing that the votes MUST count.
ReplyDeleteLOL Pug. Good point.
I've noticed it too Anderson, and you're right. It doesn't seem to have developed into any kind of media narrative about the horse race. But I also think they're responding in part to Obama changing the narrative to focus on the GOP.
Libby, I'm not giving Clinton any credit on this one. Believe me, I was screaming at her (metaphorically) over this by mid-to-late February as I recall. I also have a MI/FL post half-drafted that's looking very tempting for a dust-off and update if her campaign doesn't walk this back a ways.
ReplyDeleteOn an interesting note, it turns out if they do decide to sit the delegations, it might actually be a felony in Florida, thanks to the fact that the DNC used its authority to tell people their votes wouldn't count which caused at least some people not to vote. Of course, it would be hard to notice in Florida.
And I can't believe that with the opening you gave me, I never started my first post with, "She had a moral compass?" [Sigh] Have to remember to have my first cup of coffee in the morning before commenting.
LOL BJ.
ReplyDeleteNot "before Super Tuesday" but before New Hampshire. There was no particular reason for her to wait till after Super Tuesday and I think I remember hearing hints of it before.
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