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Counter-Revolution

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. – Sun-tzu

I don’t know how much closer Barack Obama could keep Hillary Clinton unless she slept in her old bed at the White House.  Beyond that, he’s got his former primary opponent as close as humanly possible.  Worried about shunning her for the VP slot on the 2008 Democratic presidential ticket, Obama made Miss Hillary Secretary of State, spouse baggage and all.

And less than two years into the gig, we start hearing whispers that she may challenge Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2012.

Not only will Barack Obama’s presidency go down as the worst since Jimmy Carter, but now he’s going to have a primary challenge just like Carter had.

Leading into the 1980 election, the world turned upside down for Jimmy Carter.  Faced with growing economic problems, gas prices shooting out of control, and American hostages being held in the U.S. Embassy in Iran, a presidency once filled with such hope was going up in flames.

And then here came Teddy Kennedy.  God love him.  He gave us one of the greatest spectacles in politics when, many years after he ceased being a viable candidate (usually murder will do that for a person; just ask Mary Jo Kopechne’s family, assuming their hush money arrangement has worn off by now), he decided he was going to come out of the woodwork and publicly beat down Carter as a candidate.  For months, Kennedy traveled the country, usually to no avail as far as popularity and voter sentiment were involved.

But that Kennedy name…wow.  He drew media attention, and that was the worst kind of attention Carter could’ve wished for.  Bruised and battered, Carter won the nomination but lost the election to a superior candidate – Ronald Reagan – after not even getting so much as a handshake from Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention (or as Republicans like to call it, the New York City wake) in the summer of 1980.  Much as Republicans did four years earlier in Kansas City, they left the convention knowing they’d nominated the wrong man.  Kennedy’s inspiring speech as the convention’s keynote speaker dwarfed Carter, and left to his own devices, his campaign crashed and burned.

Fast forward 30 years later.

Barack Obama, a president who (supposedly) took office with so much hope, is literally going down in flames.  Who comes to the rescue?  That’s right.  Hillary Clinton.

God love her.  Because if she does this, her party won’t.

On Thursday, a growing set of whispers among the beltway elite who are deeply concerned over Obama’s re-election chances in 2012 cascaded to an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.  Pete DuPont – who in full disclosure ran for President as a Republican in 1988 – endorsed the candidacy of Hillary Clinton for President.

Oh, it’s on.

Why?

Did you hear one denial come from the Secretary of State’s office?  Nope.  There’s been a growing cascade of whispers over the last few weeks about a Clinton candidacy, and nobody’s saying anything to shut it off.

If Hillary were really serious about ending debate, she’d grab the first microphone and announce her full-throated support for Barack Obama and his policies, and she’d proclaim in bold, 72-point type that she will not be appearing on a ballot in 2012.

Instead, crickets.

She’s not about to deny it now.  Not until after the midterm elections.  I can hear her now.  “Let’s just see if the party’s tastes change when we lose the House…and imagine how bad it’ll be if we lose the House AND Senate?”  Don’t think Bubba is laying low on this, either.  You forget, President Blue Dress is the same one who corrected course in 1994 when all thought he was toast and managed to not only win re-election, but survive an impeachment scandal to boot.

And what can Obama do?  He can’t fire her; you don’t think that would rip a split down the middle of the party?  In a heartbeat.

He has to sit there and take it, watching his approval ratings plummet while she gets paid to sit in the cheap seats and watch the beatings take place, all the while taking notes on his shortcomings and mistakes.

People think 2010 could be a low point for the Democratic Party.  Oh, but wait.  This could get even better over the 24 months to follow.

From a political junkie standpoint, it’s just starting to get good.

JDH
Posts: 1

2016 WarCry?
Reply #6 on : Sun August 01, 2010, 21:49:17

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She will be too old.2012 it is,in my opinion.

samiam
Posts: 1

Re:
Reply #5 on : Wed July 21, 2010, 14:49:12

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The option I think everyone is overlooking takes shape with Joe Biden getting booted off the ticket. There is absolutely no downside for Obama when that happens. Now comes Hillary easing in as the VP candidate, obviously positioning herself for '16 and '20. By playing out this option, the dems avoid a party split which would be gigantic in just about every demographic.

No one knows what the condition of the party will be after it takes a trouncing in November. But don't underestimate their ability to save themselves thru my scenario,

Jarkman
Posts: 1

Clintonistas, Unite!
Reply #4 on : Fri July 16, 2010, 16:21:22

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In 1980 the Dems unwisely re-nominated the modern era's then-most incompetent President. Jimmy Carter rode the train into oblivion later that same year when Ronaldus Magnus trounced him in the November election. Before the Dems put their money on a losing horse at their convention that year, some of them toyed with the idea of casting Carter aside and giving the nod to Sen. Ted "The Swimmer' Kennedy. It didn't happen but I recall fondly the scene on that last night of the convention as Carter chased Ted around the stage trying in vain to get Kennedy to stop and pose with him for the camera. Ted, of course, would have none of it and successfully evaded Carter's hoped for photo-op.

Now comes the speculation that Hillary might resign as SecState and mount a campaign to dump The Big O (and, I'm not talking about Oscar Robertson here) for the 2012 nomination. Stranger things have happened in politics but I agree that, if she lost in the general election, she would be a pariah in the Dem party. But, so what? Don't forget she's married to the modern era's most asute politician, whether or not he's wearing pants. More to the point, Bill isn't a real big fan of Obama anyway so he might be thrilled to sign on as Hillary's behind-the-scene campaign manager to help orchestrate the coup d'etat.

I cherish the prospect of a wider fracture in the Dem party regardless of whether any more stained blue dresses emerge from Bill's closet. As the man once said, the Clintons are, indeed, the gift that keeps on giving. Let the games begin!

Hako
Posts: 2

Who is better qualified than Hillary?
Reply #3 on : Fri July 16, 2010, 14:09:40

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No one. There is no one on the usual list of suspects that is more qualified than her. She was a Senator, and now has earned serious foreign policy credentials as Secretary of State. She got a bird-eye view of the White House and Washington as first Lady, and is well respected by our Generals for her knowledge of global hot-spots and all things military. She is simply better informed and more astute than anyone else likely to run in 2012. If she was pro-border control, pro-balanced budget, and anti-spending, she would be very difficult to beat. If not, she would lose to someone that was, because these are hot issues. She lost to Obama by less than 1% in 2008....with all the Democrat party heads against her. Now, they couldn't stop her, because most of them are irrelevant

Hako
Posts: 2

Re:
Reply #2 on : Fri July 16, 2010, 12:44:09

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If she ran in 2012, she might be seen as a pariah by the Old Guard of the Democratic party. But, the Democratic party leaders treated Hillary as a pariah last go-round......that shouldn't matter to her at all now, since they are increasingly irrelevant. It would be very risky for Hillary to wait for 2016. First, she would be 70 years old. Second, a new set of challengers could emerge by then, challengers that are stronger than anyone likely to face her in 2012. Thirdly, we have no idea what 2016 will look like, economically or politically. You really can't prepare for a total unknown. She knows 2012 will likely be no worse than 2010, and any improvements on an abysmal situation would frame her as a savior.

WarCry
Posts: 1

Re:
Reply #1 on : Fri July 16, 2010, 10:57:33

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I'm pretty sure this is nothing more than wishful thinking of the Republicans. Clinton knows if she tried and lost, she'd be done for any future chances. Whatever the outcome in 2012, I expect her to hold off to 2016.

The other factor when comparing to 1980 is the Republican ticket. Jimmy Carter didn't only lose that race, Ronald Reagan WON. And so far, I've not seen any new Reagans stepping up to the plate, if such a thing even still exists...

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