Hillary Clinton's hope that the Democratic Party's superdelegates would overturn the will of the people and install her as the rightful (in her and Bill's mind) Queen of the United States has all but been eliminated. Today, Barack Obama picked up eight more PLEOs today -- some uncommitteds, the rest defections from Clinton -- and he now leads her in that important count. Depending on who's counting, Obama is now between 160 and 166 delegates away from going over the top. If enough cross over, the primaries in Kentucky and Oregon on the 20th will be irrelevant.
I still think the idea of superdelegates is wrong, but the point wasn't to stop a populist like Obama from currying public favour and giving new energy and ideas to a moribund party. It was to stop extremists like Lyndon H. LaRouche from hijacking the party.
What is noteworthy is since March 4 -- the Ohio primary (which she won) and the Texas two-step (which they split) Mrs. Clinton has picked up a net of only 17 delegates, and only started gaining ground after Pennsylvania. Obama, despite a few hiccups, has gained 65 -- and even after loses managed to get more of the superdelegates than her -- for example, her win in Penn got her eight supers but he got 16.
Perhaps the leadership is smarter than we've given them credit for. They realize that the time has come to pass the torch to the next generation. They also realize that it's a no-brainer that the Dems will win in the fall; but the real battle will be four years hence and who can win re-election. In other words, they're looking ahead. Most of the supers now realize that Clinton will have no chance in 2012 given her total lack of charisma, but Obama may have the charm and persuasiveness needed to fend off the coming crisis.
Clinton shouldn't feel too bad, though. She will continue to serve America just fine -- as leader of the Democrats in the Senate pushing through Obama's appointments to the Executive and the court system. No way she's going to be veep or in any Cabinet post. People have had enough of this generation of Clintons. It's time for Bill and Hillary to prepare Chelsea for a Senate run in two years time when she's 30 years old, the minimum age for membership.
It'd be nice to see a mother and daughter team in the world's most important debating chamber.
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1 comment:
watch kentuky and west virginia and then get use to saying president McCain, for 4 years, then president clinton...anyone who thinks hussein can win is dreaming...
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