February 14, 2008
ALL IDENTITY ALL THE TIME:
Hillary's Audacious Hope: Dark Whispers in the Media (Tony Blankley, 2/13/08, Real Clear Politics)
Starting about a week ago, we started seeing references in the national media (ABC, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times) to Obama spawning a "cult of personality" -- a theme that had existed back in Illinois for some time but mysteriously didn't substantially appear in the national media until about Super Tuesday. [...]The Clintons (presumably) are suggesting, in effect, that he may be delectable, but he's not electable; that it is unhealthy to adore a leader -- undemocratic, in fact.
But beyond that are dark hints of yet to be revealed facts about Obama. I was chatting with a senior Clinton surrogate in a cable TV green room late last week -- a former Clinton White House senior appointee. He mentioned to me that, while they couldn't bring it up, Obama said (unspecified) things back when he was in the Illinois Senate that may be on news videotape. He said it was way beyond what a general election electorate could swallow (implicitly: too leftish for the public). Obama is just not electable, he suggested.
Undergirding the entire "unelectable Obama" message is the perhaps racially polarized electorate. While many commentators beyond the Clintons are suggesting this, it was, of course, the Clinton team (starting with Bill) who actually tried to induce the condition by playing the race card.
So, the quiet Clinton message for the time being is that Obama may be winning now, but he can't win in the fall; while Hillary may be losing now but is the Democratic Party's great white moderate November hope.
The two campaigns are so content free that all they have to quarrel over is personality and process. A story came across the wires yesterday about Hillary "going negative" on Obama. What idea of his was she attacking? None, of course, because he doesn't offer any. Instead she's attacking his refusal to show up for a debate, though the debate would be about nothing. Posted by Orrin Judd at February 14, 2008 7:18 AM
"Nothing from nothing leaves nothing, ya gotta have something if you wanna be with me..."
-Billy Preston
Posted by: Bartman at February 14, 2008 8:28 AMA debate about nothing - perfect for the politics of the nineties.
Posted by: Mikey![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://brothersjuddblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 14, 2008 9:03 AM
Obama's votes against the Infants Born Alive act could be enough to sink him.
When I laid out the details of specifically what Obama voted against, even our ultra-liberal, Bush-hating friends looked worried.
Then I reminded that an Obama win meant that the Repubicans likely take over 50% of the Hispanic vote.
Of course, I told them all this AFTER I made the $50 bet that McCain was the next president.
Posted by: Bruno at February 14, 2008 9:47 AM