We have seen in recent days Hillary Clinton has begun lashing out in anger at Barack Obama's presidential campaign, and with a recent front page article showing Clinton's new dalliance with conservative media, I had an epiphany:
Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign is progressing through the classical five stages identified by Kübler-Ross in how people cope with grief.
For those not familiar with the five stages of grief, according to Wikipedia:
The stages are:
- Denial: The initial stage: "It can't be happening."
- Anger: "Why me? It's not fair."
- Bargaining: "Just let me live to see my children graduate."
- Depression: "I'm so sad, why bother with anything?"
- Acceptance: "It's going to be OK."
So does the Clinton campaign fit this profile?
- I think we can all agree that Hillary's disastrous "Inevitability" tactic, followed by failing to plan for post-Super Tuesday contests, demonstrated clear denial about her vulnerability to losing the primary. "I can't possibly lose to that guy!" Not to mention all the comments about how this state or that caucus "don't matter"...
- In the days leading up to March 4th, we have seen the Clinton campaign getting ready to "go nuclear" on Obama; lashing out in anger with anything and everything that might tear him down. And several recent reports have noted how visibly angry the candidate is as she delievers these speeches. But really, is this Hillary being angry at Obama, or just anger at the bad luck of earning the second-highest number of Democratic primary voters ever in the same year that the record was set?
- And now, front paged on DKos, the Clinton campaign is reaching out to conservative media. This is a clear case of bargaining. "If only I play nice with these people who spent the last 16 years demonizing me, I can win!" Sadly, reaching out for the nomination like this is just making it fall away from her even faster.
- Given all the polls are trending away from her in Texas and Ohio, it appears more likely than ever that she will be extremely depressed Clinton and her circle of advisors will be if she doesn't win on March 4th. All that effort, all that money raised and spent, without a nomination to show for it, I think would deeply depress any of us.
- But hopefully, once the disappointment is over, Clinton will come to accept that the voters chose someone else this year. I like Senator Clinton, and hope she has a long and successful career in the Senate, where she has the opportunity to do some real good both for the country and her legacy as a leader.