In fact, as of 27 minutes ago, as more results have finalized, Obama has actually increased his delegate lead after yesterday.
• MORE: Andrew Sullivan has a comforting analysis, "Yes He Can"
Obama has a tougher, nastier opponent in the Clintons than he does in McCain. If he wins this by a long, grueling struggle, he will be more immune to the lazy, stupid criticism that he is some kind of flash in the pan, he has more opportunity to prove that there is a great deal of substance behind the oratory, he has more of a chance to meet and talk with the electorate he will need to win in the fall.
I think the argument for Obama is easily strong enough to withstand the egos of the Clintons. The more people see that her case is almost entirely a fear-based one and his is almost entirely a positive one, the more he will win the moral victory as well as the delegate count. In the cold light of day, the bruising news that the Clintons are not yet dead seems less onerous.
Know hope.
• The increasingly annoying Kevin Drum tries to use 1968 as a reason to "Chill Out" Sorry if I don't draw much consolation from what one could argue was the death spiral for the Democratic PArty and the rise of the GOP for forty fucking years...
• Josh Marshall has some good "Final Thoughts"
• John Cole "already hates being a Democrat" I don't blame him...agonizing self-destructive behavior is much more difficult than being a GOP robot.
UPDATE:
Must-read post by The Atlantic's James Fallows.
Now, if you'll excuse me I have to drive down I-23 and take a leak across the state line...fucking Ohio.
9 comments:
Rickey's not sure about Sullivan stating that "Obama has a tougher, nastier opponent in the Clintons than he does in McCain."
If anything the Clinton smear tactics are a warm up for the vicious attack ads the beleagured GOP party will unleash on Obama.
The good news? HUGE Democratic voter turnout in all the primaries so far. Obama & Hillary can continue to duke it out, but, despite what the media is incorrectly suggesting, it shouldn't hurt the Democratic candidate all that much when Novemeber rolls around.
I'm with you rickey, it's NOT nastier, just more underhanded...but now that her negativity has shown results, the distinction between her tactics and the GOPs will shrink. By the time this is settled, the GOP might not be able to BE any nastier.
But this is arguably good practice for him, and if this shit gets aired out now and he emerges the nominee it might inoculate him against some of it in the general election.
The increasingly annoying Kevin Drum? Dude, come on. It's possible to support your guy without this reflexive need to get pissy with anyone who has a different view (see Krugman, Paul). Kevin's one of the most even-keeled lefty bloggers out there, and he's worth listening to, whether you agree with him or not. (Contrast that with, say, Andy Sullivan, who could fill a library with all the shit he's been wrong about, but who you lavish hugs and kisses on because he's a fellow Obama Warrior/Clinton Hater.)
LOL! I think of you every time I link to Sullivan. Seriously.
Look, I'm not just less-enamored with Drum because of a Clinton/Obama dynamic, it's beyond that. I think the quality of his stuff has really slipped (and I go waaaay back to the Calpundit days with him), and his angle on things just seems to old to me now. Maybe that shows up as a Clinton/Obama dynamic but he could be talking pure CA politics and I find myself in the same spot.
In fact, today's post really didn;t have much to do with Obama v Clinton as much as just leaving me thinking WTF?
Get back to me when you get a load of my unhinged subsequent rant on bailing from the party...
Yeah, I'm pretty pissed, and not entirely rational.
"Obama has a tougher, nastier opponent in the Clintons than he does in McCain."
Anyone who believes that fails the gullibility test. Is Hillary playing hardball? Of course. But hang on because you ain't seen nothing from McCain's quarter yet. (For a disgusting foretaste, see the Gateway Pundit's blog. He/she's already trying to link Obama to the Chavez-FARC conspiracy against Colombia, among other things.)
In commenting about Obama and his supporter's reaction to some of her more-aggressive campaigning, Clinton did Obama a favor by asking (paraphrasing):
If you can't stand up to this level of opposition, what are you going to do when you're up against McCain and the right-wing noise machine?
That's a pertinent question. If you don't think so, you'd better review Obama's klutzy handling of the NAFTA-Canadian diplomat dustup. He's going to have to do better than that.
BTW, before you get me down as a hard core Hillary supporter, I just want the best candidate — the one the most Democrats nationwide will open their wallets for and go to the wall for — to win the nomination and the White House. I want a candidate with coattails strong enough to ensure bulletproof Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.
And I really want the Democratic candidate to be meaner than a junkyard dog, when the situation calls for it, because that's what running against the anything-to-win gang requires.
As far as serving as president, Clinton and Obama are both fine prospects. We won't go too far wrong with either one.
Yes, Obama's camp really botched the NAFTA flap, and HRC did a brilliant job of Rovian jujitsu taking a negative for her and hanging it around Obama's neck.
She lied, but he's the one who looked like he had something to hide.
I think of you every time I link to Sullivan. Seriously.
He's a tool. It saddens me that anyone on our side of the divide would have anything to do with him.
He's a tool. It saddens me that anyone on our side of the divide would have anything to do with him.
He's a useful tool at times. He has become an extremely useful resource for links if nothing else.
And, yes, his Obama/Hillary psychosis is red meat for me.
Don't worry, it;s not a permanent thing. I find him repugnant on "Real Time" and any other tv appearences if that's any consolation.
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