He had initially campaigned for the Labour Party nomination but after receiving a vast majority of the party member votes, Tony Blair who intensely disliked Livingstone’s left wing politics, forced the party’s MPs and MEPs to vote against him who under archaic party rules could override the votes cast by rank and file party members. Blair had been dragging the party from left to center since his election as party leader and people like ‘Red Ken’ were perceived to be blasts from the party’s union controlled past. However, the party‘s very public ‘fixing‘ of Ken’s nomination garnered him quite considerable support among the party faithful and the London electorate.
Obviously Ken’s position would be much more aligned with that of Obama’s than Clinton‘s, but it’s Clinton who ain’t gonna win the nomination and I wonder whether there are some considerations going on inside the Clinton campaign.
Running for President is a very different proposition to a mayoral run, which I guess would be more similar to your independent senators over here, people like that selfless man of the people Joe Leiberman ;)
I don’t think there’s much doubt that Clinton has been focused on a 2008 run since before she joined the senate. Al Gore winning in 2000 would’ve fitted perfectly with her plans and she worked hard for Gore to help that happen, but once he didn’t succeed any Democrat picking up the presidency in 2004 would’ve put a bit of a spanner in the works. Interestingly there are a number of ‘conspirator’ types who believe that Clinton’s backing of John Kerry’s candidature in 2004 was only half-hearted and that the Clinton ‘machine’ never really got out of first gear.
Of course that’s all pure speculation and a pretty damning accusation, but it’s a little disturbing when all the pieces start to fit. Kerry failed in his attempt and we got four more years of Bush and all the tragedy that accompany his presidency.
Some may try and convince themselves that the party is benefiting from the Hillary Huckerby effect, increased voter registrations etc. but it’s at a cost; damage to the party’s ultimate nominee. The tone of Clinton’s campaign changed the moment she realized this wasn’t going to be a cake walk, the knives came out.
I know a number of people believe that since Super Tuesday Clinton’s campaign has had a dual focus, lifting the party’s nomination and the fail safe, a run in 2012 however that’s achieved. If that is her genuine target, her extended stay in this process can only be a win win for her; if she beats Obama up enough she may pip him to the post, but if she doesn’t, she can still succeed at beating him up enough to ensure his loss to McCain thus freeing her for a run against an extremely unpopular incumbent in 2012.
But perhaps there’s an even better way of ensuring Obama loses in November and that’s running as his VP!
Clinton understands that her dream of the presidency can only come about with the support of the Democratic Party, she could run as an independent but she won’t win, it may ensure that Obama doesn’t either but that doesn’t get her what she wants, it will effectively ruin any chance she has of ever being President, but the threat of running as an independent could gift her the VP slot, which would place her well to ensure Obama’s failure and at the same time place herself in prime position for the 2012 candidacy.
The Obama campaign will be put into an extremely difficult position. It absolutely sux for them at the moment, Obama has to remain presidential yet keep running this annoying nomination process, campaigning spending money that could be used against McCain, at the same time as the GOP whether openly or not, will have Obama clearly in their sights, there will be mud from all sides. She will continue to cry foul over Florida/Michigan however it’s resolved, even if Obama accepts her total delegate count. I am sure we’ll hear her claims that it was a fix, giving Obama the advantage and momentum earlier in the race. This would continue to disenfranchise those state‘s electorate making it all the harder for Obama to win the general. I mean it’s not as if she’s kept quiet on this front so far, right?
So she beats him up until it is more than mathematically impossible for her to win, then uses the threat of an independent run to grab the Vice Presidency! Incidentally, I’m sure she will also push Obama for the $6-10 Million she’s gonna be out of pocket, this will further disenfranchise his own base, I for one would be pissed at the thought of my hard earned money being thrown into the Clinton’s very sizeable bank account.
As this party seems hell bent on doing all in their power not to hand him the nomination, the Obama campaign are gonna be faced with a pretty ropey decision, do they call her bluff about her run as an independent? Or, do go into the general with the millstone around their neck called VP Clinton?
How anyone in this party can still believe this to be a genuine run for the nomination astounds me.
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