The Ones that Got Away
- Joe Perez puts Hillary's concession in perspective. He specifically compares the long nomination battle to the 1984 primary campaign between Mondale and Hart. Perez: "So, students of history, when did Hart drop out of the race? After Mondale named himself the victor, Hart challenged: 'Welcome to overtime. It is not over.'"
- Scientific's post "Prophet Sharing" explores the messianization of Barack Obama, and (by way of Jordana Horn of the Wall Street Journal) draws a parallel to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Scientific quotes Heschel: "Above all, the prophets remind us of the moral state of a people. Few are guilty, but all are responsible." While the post makes it clear that Obama himself is not a prophet, his "courage" is in "speaking truth to power." In conclusion, "Obama shed any hope of being a prophet - and became something even more useful in the process. He became presidential.
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Now, why couldn’t Hillary Clinton have conceded appropriately on Tuesday evening, instead of amending her recognition of Obama with her goodbye party tomorrow in Washington, D.C., (if that does actually occur)? Denial? more narcissism? having way too much fun to stop now? wanting to be the last person to turn off the lights in the room? It’s that ‘power and control thing’ she just can’t let go of.
Obama won on strategy, message, and the gifted team of David Axelrod and David Plouffe (too hot, just like Sen Bob Casey). That was the ‘dream team’, not Obama/Clinton, or Clinton/Obama, please….
And considering the comments by Sen Ted Kennedy (prior to his medical condition) about the qualities needed for an Obama V.P., I don’t see Hillary on that short list. Caroline Kennedy is on the VP selection committee; I’ve always viewed Caroline as smart, classy, elegant…. she has grace, poise, and beauty….ALL THE THINGS Hillary Clinton wishes she possessed. It’s not that Hillary is a bad person, she’s just NOT the Right Person at this time. Hillary also, would NOT want a Supreme Court seat because that’s way too boring and not very glamorous (she wants her 15-minutes of fame in front of the camera, not behind it).
Nonetheless, what a milestone in U.S. history, that we can overlook race and gender and actually vote on substance, issues, and the meaning of life, too… (ROALMAO).
Many kudos to Barack Obama for his nomination, starting with that wonderful victory speech he delivered after winning Iowa.
June 6, 2008 10:47 PM | Reply | Permalink