"I got a DNC Rulebook and I'm not afraid to use it!!"
Having been backed into a corner by the delegate tally to date, Hillary Clinton officially took the Democratic Party hostage today, pointing the Credentials Committee straight at its collective head and threatening to detonate the "Delegate Selection Rules for the 2008 Democratic National Convention" if the superdelegates don't cough up enough votes for her by June 3.
Geez, and I thought it was only Republicans who resorted to fear-mongering.
Holy crap, Hills, just calm down, okay? Put the Rulebook away, and let's talk about this, all right? We understand the stress you've been under. It must be really tough to deal with, handling all the expectations before Iowa and all, and now having to figure out how you can save that nomination.
Hillary Clinton's threatening to go all the way to the convention in Denver regardless of the delegate count is nothing more than fear mongering - in effect, daring the Democratic Party to choose between potentially risking its future at the ballot box in November, or abiding by its already-agreed-upon rules.
"If ya don't give me those Florida and Michigan delegates, I don't care what happens ta all a yez - I'm usin' everything I got!"
The way I understand it (as explicated by David Bender on Rachel Maddow's show this afternoon), if Hillary doesn't get what she wants before June 3 (and all mathematical indications are that she won't), she has the right to take her case to the standing Rules and Bylaws Committee of the DNC. The R&B Committee's ruling, regardless of what it is, can be appealed to the Credentials Committee. The Credentials Committee, though, unlike the R&B Committee, isn't a standing committee and can't be constituted until after all the primaries are done - as a practical matter, it won't be finally named until about the end of June.
And - again, based on my understanding - regardless of the Credentials Committee's finding, assuming Hillary has enough support on that committee even if it finds against her, she can take the "minority report" of that committee to the convention.
What all of this means, of course, is that irrespective of the outcome of the delegate tally prior to the convention (except, of course, in the extremely unlikley event that it is in her favor), Clinton will prevent the naming of a nominee for the Democrats until the convention. Which, of course, means that John McCain will have a free ride until then, both in the "news" media and in advertising.
No one can say with certainty what precisely the effect of such a delay on Democratic chances in the November elections will be. A rational guess, though, would be that any such effect could be devastating.
In light of that reasonable prognostication, Clinton's blatant threat to immolate the Democratic Party regardless of anything is - well, it borders on delusional.
I know for many people this is not new. I have to this point mostly refrained from jumping into the fray about electoral politics in this cycle. But this announcement from the Clinton camp is beyond the pale. It strips away all pretense of a larger vision for the people of this country, and lays bare the real reason for Clinton's presidential run: self-centered narcissism.
It is a sad and regrettable admission.