In a nostalgic mood, DailyKos looks back on some of the highlights of Hillary's now-defunct for the presidency:
Who could forget:
* Geraldine Ferraro's claim that Obama has an unfair advantage because he was black.
* Bob Kerrey's happiness that Barack Hussein Obama attended a madrassa and had all that experience with Muslims.
* Billy Shaheen's concern over Obama's use of drugs and possible questions on whether he was ever a drug dealer.
* Andrew Cuomo saying that "You can't shuck and jive," in reference to Obama.
* And of course the First Surrogate, Bill Clinton, comparing Obama's win in South Carolina to Jesse Jackson's wins in the 1980's, and then being shocked at the suggestion that he was trying to paint Obama as "the black candidate."
Sniff. We're gonna miss you guys! Now go away. Seriously.
First off, she and her husband made over $100 million this decade. Not sure why the little people should be paying her debts. Secondly, would that include the debt she's foolishly incurring by continuing her campaign long after she's already lost? There is a large part of me that feels like we should just let her have her fun in her own kooky "I need a hug so I'm going to continue running for president forever" world, and let the bill collectors come after her when she's still running for president next spring. More from Ben.
She can't help herself. Before any Clinton supporter tells anyone to back off, they should tell their candidate to stop the negative attacks on our presumptive nominee. And, all those people who thought she needed to take some time to "process" the situation (which is a very bizarre concept, by the way)....well, she's using that time to attack Obama.
By letting Hillary continue her assault on Obama, her supporters and her campaign are all aiding and abetting McCain and his quest for a third Bush term. We'd much rather be fighting the battle against McCain. But, it's the "deluded also-ran" (the AP's words, not mine) who keeps the intra-party fight going.
Yet they're still spending money like a drunken white American. It makes no sense. They can't honestly believe the race is still on. She lost. It's over. The donors know it, and don't feel like financing Hillary's ongoing denial (after Indiana, Hillary only raised 1/10th of the money that came in after Pennsylvania). Even the media stopped drinking her Kool-Aid. Her staff ought to start looking for other jobs because, seriously folks, do you really think your salaries are going to get paid before the nearly $5m Hillary owes Mark Penn? And the longer you keep this up, the more you jeopardize future employment opportunities in the Democratic party. Think: Gerstein.
Rasmussen Reports has been tracking the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination daily for nineteen months...
However, while Senator Clinton has remained close and competitive in every meaningful measure, she is a close second and the race is over. It has become clear that Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee. [...]
With this in mind, Rasmussen Reports will soon end our daily tracking of the Democratic race and focus exclusively on the general election competition between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama.
Hey, if Hillary is going to demand that Obama debate Democrats who have already lost, then it's only fair to invite Edwards, Biden, Dodd, Kucinich and Gravel too. And while we're at it, let's invite all the still-living previous Democratic candidates like Sharpton, Kerry, Gore, Dean, Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, Ralph Nader, George McGovern, Mondale and any others who are still around and kicking. It can be like those reality shows where they invite all the has-been stars, like Erik Estrada, to live in a house together and duke it out.
TIME's circulation is nearly 5 million. But TIME's impact goes far beyond its voluminous subscribers. In doctors' offices across America, every mom, dad, and kid is going to see Obama's smiling face and TIME magazine proclaiming him the victor. Most of America now thinks that Hillary lost and Obama won, and conventional wisdom setters like TIME only cement that notion even further. Why does this matter? Because of the SuperDelegates. Who wants to fall on their sword for Hillary AFTER everyone think - knows - she's lost? These are politicians. They have a choice between supporting the guy who may very well be our next president, or the lady who won't. At some point, opportunity overtakes loyalty, and even fear.
UPDATE: Rahm is now saying it's over too. This is rather huge. Not only did Rahm work for Bill in the White House, and on the campaign, but Rahm is also one of the most powerful Dems in the House. This will put added pressure on Democratic House members to side with Obama and put this thing to rest.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Four more SuperDs for Obama, including a Hillary SuperD who just defected. Zero SuperDs for Hillary today.
Ben Smith makes an excellent point as to why the Democrats should emit a large yawn at childish threats from Hillary's donors to boycott the fall congressional races if Herself isn't handed the nomination:
The threat of money, at this point, makes little sense. The most powerful financial force in American politics right now — by very, very far — is the Barack Obama money spigot.
Hillary, the one who is now bankrupt, is threatening to take her nonexistent donors and go home? Ooh, scary.
Other than the last line, which wasn't necessary and is, to me at least, inappropriate (and which I've cut), this is spot-on.
The Democratic Party is sleeping peacefully when it hears its phone buzz on the night stand. It rolls over and sees "Hillary" on the caller ID. It pauses briefly, considering pushing "END" and not dealing with this shit tonight. The thought is appealing but the Democratic Party knows that if it doesn't take this call, another one is only minutes away.
DEMS: ...Hello?
Hillary: Hey baby.
DEMS: C'mon Hillary. Enough with this.
Hillary: Don't you get it? You NEED me.
DEMS: No, I don't. It was fun while it lasted but I'm with Barack now. I made my choice, it's done.
Hillary: You can't really mean that. How can you say that after all the good times we had?
DEMS: To be honest, I started hanging out with you because Bill's pretty awesome.
Hillary: But I'm just like Bill!
DEMS: No, you're not. Bill is charismatic, inspiring, and gets me really good weed.
Hillary: Fuck you. You're elitist!
DEMS: I'm going back to sleep.
Hillary: No, no, wait. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. Listen... there's still got to be a chance. Remember when people told George W it was all over. When the numbers were against him?
DEMS: Yeah but...
Hillary: Remember?! And remember how everyone said America didn't really want to be with George W? But they stuck it out anyway?
DEMS: Yeah and they're really fucked up now, Hillary.
Hillary: But WE'LL make it work. Forget Barack, baby. Just take me back and we can forget this ever happened.
DEMS: Look, I think you're a really good Senator... let's just keep it that way, OK?
Here we go again. I thought we were promised that none of Hillary's and Bill's old scandals would ever come up again because, you know, she's been "vetted." Well, the conservative, Moonie-run newspaper, the Washington Times, that just so happens to be a very clear indicator of what conservative Republicans are thinking, is now reporting on "new" documents, never before seen, suggesting that Hillary may have lied during the Whitewater investigation.
It doesn't matter if the allegations are true or not. The truth doesn't matter to the Republican noise machine. They will come after Hillary with every piece of dirt they have on her. Hillary's baggage, and her husband's baggage, are unfortunately our baggage so long as we continue to put them in positions of power. Every Clinton scandal - past, present, and future - will be fair game to the right this fall, and the Washington Times just proved it. Say what you will about Obama, but Reverend Wright doesn't hold a candle to the stuff in the Starr Report.
One of her top aides said this only 3 days ago. She's not going away. How many times does she have to tell our congressional leadership, the DNC, and the SuperDelegates that SHE IS NOT GOING AWAY before you people get it?
Now, faced with a mathematical mountain climb that even Stephen Hawking could not ascend, the Clintons -- and it is indeed both of them -- are just about to paste a bumper sticker on the rear of the collapsing vehicle that carries her campaign. It reads: VOTE WHITE.
NOTE FROM JOHN: I'm not sure I'd have compared her language to the Klan - but then again, I'm not black, so I don't presume to be as sensitive to the nuances of racism as I am to homophobia, for example. But, I do hear a lot of David Duke. I mean, "white Americans"? The more I think about the phrase, the more I really can't come up with a situation in which I would ever use it. White people, sure. But white Americans? That sounds like David Duke's phrase "European Americans." It's just not a phrase the non-racists use. Then again, every time Hillary moves into a new state, she picks the one right-wing issue to embrace that she thinks will help with that state. In North Carolina it was homophobia (pansy, etc.). In Pennsylvania she became Annie Oakley. And now with West Virginia, she embracing racism. It's like Hillary's own perverted rainbow coalition of homophobes, NRA members, and racists. I think this speaks volumes to what Hillary sees when she sees rural America, southern America,and the midwest. To her we're all rednecks.
_____________ Blogger Oliver Willis, who is African-American, weighs in with a post titled "Hillary White Power Clinton":
Indeed, a pattern has emerged some time ago. Boy, did we dodge a bullet.
“[W]orking, hard-working Americans, white Americans.” She really said that. Wow.
Congratulations, Hillary Clinton, you win the prize for the first Democratic Bigot Eruption since I’ve been keeping track of this. Even professional haters like Pat Buchanan and his ilk aren’t so balls-out about racism. You’ve been getting your ass handed to you and especially among black voters. This shows me once again that we - who are apparently lazy and shiftless non-Americans based on your definition - have yet again been a leading indicator.
There was maybe a slight chance Barack Obama might have been pushed to pick you as his running mate, but we can’t have someone spouting Klan-style talking points on the ticket. Heck, there’s a good shot with language like that you won’t win back your senate seat in 2012. I mean, a lot of those apparently lazy and shiftless non-American blacks helped you to win and they’d just as soon vote for someone else in the primary or the Republican in the election rather than someone echoing Bull Connor’s language.
“Working, hard working Americans, white Americans,” indeed.
Do you freaking SuperDelegates need any more information about this woman? She's now using you as human shields. But hey, you just keep sitting on your collective asses, like the DNC, watching Hillary destroy our party. Because, you know, it would be mean to tell her to take a hike now that she's lost. I mean, she might even cry. And sure, she's a Democrat using racism as a political weapon, possibly pushing millions of blacks out of the Democratic party for good, but that's nothing compared to hurting Hillary's feelings. So, yes, let's all just sit back and watch Hillary destroy our nominee and our party over the next month, and then when we lose to McCain in November we can all act really surprised. Never saw that coming.
Today, the Associated Press explained the state of the Democratic race for President:
Nonetheless, Tuesday's results drastically reshaped the dynamic of the campaign, positioning Obama as the all-but-certain nominee and casting Clinton as a dogged but deluded also-ran.
It's true, but as a "deluded also-ran," she's not stopping. She's not. All the superdelegates and DC insiders may think she's going to stop undermining our nominee, but she's not. According to The Page, "West Virginia is a Test." Hillary only takes the tests she can win -- and uses them to make Obama look bad.
And, why the hell is Bill Clinton still out there stirring things up? Of course, he's on the same message about West Virginia per a campaign fundraising email I just got:
Our next test is just five days away in West Virginia. Hillary needs your help right now to keep winning.
Okay, she's not winning. She's lost. The Clintons are really starting to look pathetic -- and they're starting to appear bitter, like sore losers do.
It is deluded to make "electability" THE issue, when the candidate making electability THE issue is losing the election.
I received this email last night from a reader who is also the finance director for a Democratic congressional campaign. While the letter below is anonymous, I know the name of the author and the candidate they work for - this is for real.
John,
I got home tonight from my job as finance director for a top-tier Democratic Congressional challenger and read your post regarding the negative impact of Hillary's staying in the race upon our Congressional candidates' fundraising. I can say definitively that what you wrote is absolutely true. My candidate speaks every day to donors who tell him directly that they're more focused on the Presidential right now, or that they're tapped out because they've given so much to the Presidential. Or simply, as you say, because they're just pissed off about the Presidential.
And that's not even counting those who simply don't return our calls, or blow the candidate off when we do get them on the phone. We'll never know how many of those people would have been max-out donors to us, but are simply too involved in (or turned off by) the Presidential race to give a damn about someone who's running for a House seat.
We had a good 1st Quarter anyway, but I don't think we can continue to reach our fundraising targets unless this thing gets settled, and quickly. For her to wait until June is a nightmare that may well guarantee that not only my guy, but dozens and dozens of other challengers will come up badly short of their goals for the 2nd Quarter. And my candidate is in the very top level of targeted races. I can only imagine what the lower tiers of challengers are facing (well, no, actually I've heard from some of them, including the finance chair for a candidate in the Midwest to whom I spoke today).
We need her to drop out now, not only for the sake of our real Presidential nominee winning in November, but so that the rest of us can finally have a fighting chance with donors.
Another month of this? Why not just hang up our hoods and hand John McCain the nomination now, for all that our party leaders seem to care. From Jack and Jill Politics, a leading blog on African-American issues:
Apparently not satisfied with her plummeting approval ratings among black voters, Hillary Clinton decided to remind us again that our votes don't actually count:
"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article "that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."
"There's a pattern emerging here," she said.
Hard-working Americans = white Americans. Right. The rest of us sit on our porches eating watermelon and plucking banjos....
This kind of comment is less a description than an agitator, it's meant to give white voters the impression that they would be "disenfranchised" by an Obama win. It's a not so subtle effort to evoke racial resentment over Obama's success....
Clinton is deliberately hurting his chances... by saying, essentially, "Obama doesn't care about white people."
That's what the "elitist" charge has always been about, appealing to the sentiment that "this black guy thinks he's better than you." It will be the same against the Republicans. The difference is that they now have Democrat saying the same things to further legitimize this line of "argument"....
Clinton has hopelessly alienated the most loyal base of the Democratic Party: black folks....
How bad, blatant and obvious is the continued race-baiting of the Clinton Campaign?
As a hard-working black man, let me not mince words, fuck her!
Enough is enough, even if she did somehow manage to steal the nomination from Obama, she's will get beaten, badly, in November. Given how racially tinged this race has been and the fact that the country is 65% or so white, she should have been blowing the doors off of Obama, but she hasn't and that says volumes. So she can take her Jim Crow, "fear of a black man" tactics and go find the nearest KKK meeting to solicit votes from, she's through with this campaign.
She's had every advantage a candidate could want and she's still getting her butt handed to her by the "inexperienced" and apparently "lazy" Senator Obama. I think her lack of winning is as much an indication of her inability to win as it is Obama's ability to defy the expectations set by many a year ago.
The pundits have been politely asking her to step down or at least play nice for the last couple of months, maybe it's time to no longer be so polite.
Amen. And may I ask, where are the black leaders in Congress and outside? [Crickets]
Well that didn't take long. It was less than 24 hours ago that Hillary spoke with congressional leaders about her insistence on continuing her fairy tale campaign for the presidency. As we reported last night, our congressional leaders (that would be Reid and Pelosi) said it was fine for Hillary to continue wasting our time, our money, and our focus for yet another month. But, they said that she wouldn't be going negative.
Oops.
Hillary is race-baiting again. Gee, no one could have predicted that one. I wrote yesterday how it was rather odd that, within one 24 hour period, Hillary and two top allies kept saying that Obama's voters weren't very good because they're black, and that her voters were better because they're white. The language was stark - starker than politicians normally use when talking about race - and even the journalists covering the comments noted as much. It smelled to me like more than a coincidence. For some reason, Hillary wanted to drop the word "white" and "black," and that somehow mentioning the races, reminding voters that she is white and Obama is black, would help her win. Considering the Clintons recent history of race-baiting Obama, the reappearance of racial talking points is disturbing.
"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article "that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."
There sure is a pattern emerging here. The Clintons are using racism to try to win the nomination against a black man. And our party leaders are okay with it. (Well, in all fairness, our congressional leaders said that Hillary had better not adopt a "negative tone." They never said she couldn't adopt a racist one.) Is it any wonder blacks aren't voting for Hillary? They shouldn't vote for Hillary, ever again. If our party continues to give a thumbs-up to race-baiting in American politics in the year 2008, race-baiting in our own party, I'd be very surprised if blacks came out for us in November. Nor should they.
Josh Marshall offers his opinion, with which I strongly agree:
Helping to retire an opponent's campaign is not unprecedented and can sometimes be justified in the interests of party unity. (Remember, this isn't just money in the abstract. A lot of it is payment to people who provided services or goods of various sorts to the campaign and need to be paid or paid back.) But using more than $10 million raised in large part by small individual donations to pay back the Clintons who appear to be worth many tens of millions of dollars simply seems wrong.
This isn't meant to sound ungracious. I don't begrudge the Clintons their very substantial wealth. And even for really, really rich people, $11 million isn't nothing. But that is simply too much money raised from small givers to give to people who loaned it with full knowledge of the odds and have more than enough money to really know what to do with.
Frankly, I'm surprised that it's even being suggested. It would be a mistake for the Clintons to ask (and just because people are chattering about it -- don't assume they have or will), a mistake for Obama to offer and one that would risk a severe backlash.
That's not what people gave their money for.
Yep. This debt discussion needs to be shut down. The Clintons decided to use a lot of their own money to keep this campaign going. Not only would it be very hard to convince Democratic donors to give money to pay them -- and Mark Penn, it's just wrong. Let Terry McAuliffe worry about the Clinton's debt. They're all millionaires. It's hard to feel sorry for them.
