That's the main lesson from tonight.
Around here, there's no shortage of recognition of the fact that running away from Dem accomplishments is nearly as stupid as the average Republican voter. Which is saying quite a lot.
It never, ever works. And Hillary has already demonstrated repeatedly - before even declaring; oh, boy, wait till she does - that she thinks putting distance between her and PBO is a good idea. She trashed him in her book and then went on every talk show in the land to mince words about it. Her message was clear: I may have worked for him, but it was awful watching him screw things up that I would have done better.
It's a losing strategy, and one she is not equipped not to adopt. She will shoot herself in our foot over and over again and show that Dems lack backbone and commitment and instead stand ready to apologize and beg for another chance to do better.
Alison Lundergan Grimes refusing to answer if she voted for Obama? What a hamhanded over calculation that was.
If she didn't want to utter the curse word 'Obama,' she should at least have said, "Who do you think I voted for? I voted for healthcare for Americans. I voted for an end to the wasteful wars that have sucked two trillion dollars out of our economy. I voted against the vast corporate welfare structure that siphons your tax dollars off and hands it to big oil, big health, big banks, big bastards in general. I voted for poor children to have lunch in schools - and I don't mean a packet of ketchup I voted for seniors not to have to eat Alpo. I voted for the millions of Americans facing foreclosure because of a rigged banking system not to end up on the streets. I voted for children to get an education. I voted for a Supreme Court that isn't packed with the personal attorneys of billionaires. You figure out who I voted for, asshole."
Hillary has already started badmouthing the president who, instead of consigning her to the background, as he could have, instead magnanimously made her Secretary of State.
The only candidate who makes any sense is Elizabeth Warren, a woman of conviction and principle.
If we don't run on conviction and principle, we're toast. We should have learned that by now, and if we don't learn it tonight, we have it coming.
Hillary in 2016? We'll have another night like tonight to look forward to, just much, much worse. We need a real Democrat.