Hillary's rant today yesterday was planned and staged. She got worked up but I think it's only a prelude. Watch over the next 2-3 days and see if if anti Obama ads not associated with her campaign suddenly appear. What a change from the end of the debate recently.
What a shame. She had the opportunity to close this chapter gracefully and become a leader in the Senate, the heir to Teddy Kennedy. What really bothers me about this off target attack is the lasting damage it can do..on the flip
The Republican nomination is practically wrapped up. A corrupt, favor trading, flip flopping, nary a maverick John McWar who will and has done anything to win has got that nomination. The current lobbying flap is not helping him and is already framing public perception about just another corrupt politician.
However, if Democrats Explode with infighting the frame will change and tarnish whoever the nominee is (most likely Obama). At a time when elevating the discussion (see the recent debate) puts Dems in a positive light. They may be differing but at least they're talking about Solutions to Problems and not smearing each other.
We, the Democratic Party, have a golden opportunity to show the voters we are about Change, we have plans, we have blueprints and we can frame the election. McLobbyist will not be on the TV (except in the negative sense), Democrats will. What will the voters see? Will they see us proposing solutions, vision, leadership or bickering and posturing?
Dammit, dammit, dammit. How Stupid can one get? Does Hillary really believe that waving papers around a la McCarthy is suddenly going to change people's opinions? She asked for outraged Democrats? She may get that but not in the way she thought. I was finally hopeful after the well fought debate. I saw a way forward in which voters could start to Respect and Value a party with candidates that could conduct themselves with class.
Instead we may be greeted with swiftboating, slimy TV ads whose only goal is to tear down the leading candidate. They won't come from the Clinton campaign. No, they will come from a 527 funded by big hitters for Hillary. Swell. If that happens and Obama is obligated to fight back (and he should) then voters see the Party of Hope go down into the sewer and that's what they'll remember.
Listen up Clinton supporters. Is this what you want? A flame war that just turns voters off?? Or the opportunity to frame a blowout election where Democrats reclaim the Senate, the White House and the country. Up and down the ticket we have the opportunity to frame the election while we have the chance. Back down the 527's and we win. Back down Billary and find the civility. It isn't that Obama can't win the battle. It's that we want to win the general election.
UPDATE: From Political Wire:
A Political Wire reader emails a summary:
"Townsend said she expects Sen. Barack Obama to win the Democratic presidential nomination and that Clinton is finished. She believed that the Wisconsin results demonstrated that Clinton's coalition (voters over the age of 50 and those earning less than $50,000) had fallen apart. When asked why the Clinton campaign had failed, Ms. Townsend had plenty of opinions and she placed significant blame on Bill Clinton and his racially tinged statements in South Carolina. She also felt that Clinton made a tactical error in making "experience and inevitability" her central campaign themes. Townsend argued that Clinton had little more experience than Obama and far less than candidates such as Senators Dodd and Biden. Additionally, making the inevitability claim hurt her when she lost Iowa... Townsend then lamented Clinton's decision to go negative and question Obama's readiness. She said that she called the Clinton campaign and advised that they 'go out on a high note' but her advice was politely dismissed."