"That's Right. Fight Amongst Yourselves." (The Bill Clinton Edition)
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | The Best Democratic Primary EVER — Comments (5) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
The former President is quite the partisan for his wife's candidacy. That's understandable. What is less understandable--but perfectly delightful for Republicans--is that he is going around and saying that if Barack Obama makes it to the general election, he will lose:
Former President Bill Clinton said that Democrats were more likely to lose in November if his wife Hillary Clinton is not the party's presidential nominee, and suggested some people were trying to "cover this up" and "push and pressure and bully" superdelegates to make up their minds prematurely.
"I can't believe it. It is just frantic the way they are trying to push and pressure and bully all these superdelegates to come out," he said at a South Dakota campaign stop Sunday, in remarks first reported by ABC News. "'Oh, this is so terrible: The people they want her. Oh, this is so terrible: She is winning the general election, and he is not. Oh my goodness, we have to cover this up.'"
The former president added that his wife had not been given the respect she deserved as a legitimate presidential candidate. "She is winning the general election today and he is not, according to all the evidence," he said. "And I have never seen anything like it. I have never seen a candidate treated so disrespectfully just for running."
"Her only position was, `Look, if I lose I'll be a good team player. We will all try to win -- but let's let everybody vote, and count every vote,'" he said.
The former president suggested that if the New York senator ended the primary season with an edge in the popular vote, it would be a significant development. "If you vote for her and she does well in Montana and she does well in Puerto Rico, when this is over she will be ahead in the popular vote," said Clinton.
"And they're trying to get her to cry uncle before the Democratic Party has to decide what to do in Florida and Michigan" - which the party would need to do "unless we want to lose the election."
He went on to say that Hillary Clinton holds an advantage in the Electoral College and that the press was not reporting on the issue--all of which indicates that the Clintons are more than willing to go down swinging and that they are perfectly prepared to wreck the Democratic party if they are not allowed to lead it in the fall election.
This is bitterness, of course. But it is bitterness with a purpose. Working class Democrats who have been averse to Obama's candidacy may find in these comments an excuse to sit on their hands come election time in the fall. Make no mistake: Bill Clinton knows exactly what he is doing when he makes these statements.
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"That's Right. Fight Amongst Yourselves." (The Bill Clinton Edition) 5 Comments (0 topical, 5 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Bill does have a point. We can see that Hillary does better in the general from the polls. Presumably so can the reporters. But there is truly virtually no coverage of that as the press pushes to finish the business of the Obama campaign.
It is nice to see a Democrat realize what we have always known though - that the "unbiased" press is a myth. That reporters are no more likely than any other citizen to check their personal opinions at the office door. One can hope that the flagrant bias shown even against another Democrat will finally roust people on the other side to take a harder look at what we let reporters get away with.
...this current scenario might have happened. I was kind of disappointed when it didn't, and Kerry was anointed on schedule.
I'm no longer disappointed. This is a much better time for the Democrats to have their engine start spluttering and belching smoke.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
Volunteer
Bloggers, Michigan Independents, Florida Dems, Michigan Dems, all seem to be in revolt. The word on the net is Write In and Independent campaigns. So far, this has been dutifully ignored by the Drive By medai. So far so good. Old Bill will NOT have Hillary in the VP slot. Old Bill knows full well he has the inner inner circle control of the Old Line Dems who, so far, have been sitting on their hands.
His and Hillary's problem may well be, they may have underestimated the Organizational skills and control methods the Left has been placing in these very inner hallowed halls, for the last 3 years.
Old Bill and Hillary may well be on the way out the door and not even realize it, till the door slams on their butts.
end
and they know the party is in trouble. Just as the Republicans are fighting amoung themselves for control of the party(Country Club Blue Bloods vs Conservatives), so too are the Democrats.
The Hard-Lose this War at any cost- Anti-War Left is fighting the Moderate portion of the party. I never thought the Dems would give someone much more left than Hillary a chance but they have done it. The Anti-War, Socialist of the Dems have taken control and there is little Bill and Hillary can do.
The real issue this election will be which parties Choice will pull in the least amount of its base. I do not recall an election in which just looking at demographics will, in most cases, indicate which candidate a state will select. But when extremes of each party do the picking, this is what you end up with, two candidates in whom their own party is not satisfied.
who before she was even sworn in as a Senator in 2000 called for the elimination of the Electoral College ? Not that she was alone, but then it's only the Constitution so one may follow their moods where they take you. The Constitution they revere !
"a man's admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him". Tocqueville