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CLINTON ROLE CALL VOTE ACTUALLY A GOOD THING........
In my opinion, here's why. Its going to put the superdelegates on the spot. Every last one of them is going to have to show who they support. And I think so to be, I hope and pray, President Obama might like to know who, even at this late day, still doesn't have confidence in him. We will all get to see which congresspeople and senators are still truly beholden to The Clintons. I mean you'd think as a sign of party unity, they'd all vote for Obama. Because of course that info is going to be widely reported and ponder upon by the 'pundits'. Your thoughts?
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Comments (9)
I can't imagine too many of them risking their political careers for Hillary. I know they may be loyal - but politics is less about what you've done for me in the past, and more about what you can do for me now and in the future. And with all due respect to Hillary and Bill, this is Obama's party now.
August 16, 2008 1:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sure everything is going to happen as Hillary is presenting it. There will be a vote, a catharsis, Obama will be elected and the burden will be lifted and the party will be united.
Anybody who says otherwise (99.9% of it comes from the talking class) is simply fantasizing about the melodrama. But hey, they know melodrama sells well and they too need to put food on the table.
August 16, 2008 2:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can we please have an end to this "catharsis" bullshit? Or has the presence of the first serious female candidate transformed the political process into an entended touchy-feely "I'm OK -- You're OK" lovefest? Ultramagnetic makes a good point: let us see which members of the House and Senate want to go on the record as opposing the next president of the United States. Useful infomation when they come begging for favors.
August 16, 2008 8:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with you Lalo -- but hope a lot of anti-Obama people or undecideds buy into the "there's going to be blood on the convention floor" idea ..... so they tune in and watch and maybe learn something!
And it's possible, just possible, that the line could be "And with all due respect to [Bill], this is Obama's [and Hillary's] party now." No, I'm not talking Dream Team or suggesting that it's split -- Obama is clearly No. 1 in the party at the moment -- but if there is a Clinton power base in the future, it's going to be Hillary, not Bill or even Billary. I suspect she learned something she's not going to forget about what happened when she ditched Penn, muzzled Bill, and started doing things *her* way .... and has continued to do so by cooperating with Obama (when it's clear that Bill isn't ready). -------- She is not a dumb woman, she's learned she really is strong - on her own, and she knows there is a LOT that Obama could have done to cause her to lose face that he didn't do. In fact, she got more respect from Obama that she has from her husband (certainly in the past and even during the campaign ... "I can't make her taller, I can't make her younger .....") It will be interesting to see where her career goes in the future. The Billary script didn't play out but she certainly has a strong position for carving out a future for Hillary.
I too agree that the roll call is a good thing -- well, as I've said elsewhere, there was going to have to be a roll call. The only question was whether it would be with her name in nomination or without it. This is better (and better theatre -- we've watched too tightly scripted, makebelieve stuff for 8 years.)
August 16, 2008 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. I read an article in the New Yorker this week about politics and interest groups. It reminded me that I have the original book they refer to, which I haven't read in years. A quick refresher and I feel much much better about Hillary's future, whether in Congress, another campaign or anything she decides to do. And I agree with you that it feels as if the campaign liberated her on some level. It's as if she did indeed find her own voice.
August 16, 2008 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Except that if you read the article in Atlantic, the emails, the articles about the article and the emails, you see that she really didn't make any decisions, never really ditched Penn, didn't muzzle Bill, or did things her way.
While there may be a power base in the DNP for Hillary, I don't see it being for her alone. She has always been a derivative of Bill. I think the best way for her to find her own voice and build her own base is to do something Bill has never done and could never do. In my humble opinion, her best bet to define Hillary Clinton is to push for a spot on the Supreme Court. It's a long term job, is not dependent on electoral popularity, and is a job where she could really make a difference to those she considers her constituencies, especially women and children.
August 16, 2008 6:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you have a point, Elizabeth2. I was worried the roll call vote was a trojan horse, and a mass of Hillary's delegates would use it to derail the party unity train. I'm a little more relaxed now that I see Politico is trying to pump up the "Hillary's delegates are dumping Obama" theme
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12565.html
You just know if Politico is printint it, it's a Repug smokescreen. The only Democrat/Hillary supporter they could find for comment was Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a Blue Dog who's starting to realize she's almost out of a job...I agree that Hillary is too smart to support something like that. She knows that as long as she backs Obama up, she's in the catbird seat (Senate Majority leader, Supreme Court, His support in a possible Gov run in New York, whatever she wants) She's too smart to blow that kind of political capital on one of Bill's public tantrums...
August 16, 2008 7:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm a little bit amazed that you still think her primary motive for supporting Obama is herself.
Given the love she was shown on this site, perhaps this is understandable. Perhaps we can even agree that it is in her self-interest at this point to get Obama elected.
But, in all honesty, I still find it hard to belive even after all we've been through, that it's impossible for some people to admit that she MIGHT be doing it because she spent her life in Dem Party and wants the best for democrats and everyone.
August 17, 2008 1:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Even Hillary knows better than to steal this nomination. The acceptance speech and its venue are all ready. It would be a disaster to ruin this event. She is many things, but she is NOT stupid.
August 16, 2008 7:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
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