‘We, the People of Topsyturvistan’… August 14
“We, the people of the great (or not) state of Topsyturvistan are proud (or not) to nominate (or not) Hillary Clinton (or not) as the next President (or not) of these great (or not) United (or not) States of America! (or not!)”
The clock’s ticking down to the Democratic convention and the party finds itself where it usually does every four years, acting like a bunch of crazed hamsters escaping their cages only to put their fuzzy little heads upon the Republicans’ chopping block. If they aren’t careful, we’ll see another demonstration that hamsters really can run around like chickens with their heads cut off, even if the executioner is so old he needs Karl Rove to help him swing the axe.
After months of negotiations as tense as those between Georgian and Russian peace negotiators, Hillary will formally be placed in nomination for the Presidency. The nomination is an exercise in making the best of a really crappy situation. In the process, it will probably make no real difference to the democratic cause while simultaneously giving Republicans yet another chance to portray Democrats as the party of the big tent - unfortunately, one with beavers gnawing at the tent poles.
Clintonistas seem to be all over the map as to the advisability of this political stagecraft. The cooler heads think she should have been the nominee, but agree that the “old white haired dude” isn’t a viable alternative to the new Messiah. At the other end of the spectrum are those whose clarion call is, “Hell no, we ain’t getting over it!” This group breaks into subcategories. Category 1 are those who’ve already jumped ship to Walnut’s dingy. Cat 2 voters who’ve jumped ship for a less-odious, but ultimately just as democratically damaging, alternative. And Cat 3, those who believe this isn’t all a pre-fixed masquerade that can be changed by loud protests and full-page newspaper ads.
Being Screwed by Your Own
I feel for them, I really do. In fact, I feel for all democrats because they were all screwed…by their own. Clinton supporters poured their heart and soul into a candidate that didn’t get the nod. Many of them believe the previously unexpected outcome was a case of naked, raw sexism. The Obama supporters think their candidate would have taken the primaries in a walk if only Hillaryites hadn’t lobbed naked, raw racism at them.
While both sides are busy yelling at the other to shut up, sit down, and get over it, they miss the real culprits in this fiasco - the Florida and Michigan democratic parties and their DNC overlords.
When the Sunshiners and Wolverines wanted to change primary dates they could no more hammer out a compromise with the DNC than George Bush could. The states said,”f*ck you” to the DNC and the DNC answered with, “f*ck you and we’re taking our ball and throwing you off the playground”. Neither side seemed to care much that voters in both states were effectively disenfranchised and the candidates not fully tested by large groups of their constituencies. The unfunny comedy of errors stumbled on from there.
Both candidates agreed that state delegations wouldn’t be seated. Obama took his name off the ballot while Clinton kept hers on. Who, besides a second-grader with remedial math skills, could’ve guessed this would lead to a Clinton landslide in those states. This seemed perfectly OK with everyone until Hill began running a dysfunctional campaign that transformed a dead-solid win into something a little more questionable. Things went to hell in a hand-basket fast. The primaries, minus the two wayward states, made the race a squeaker. Then came charges of racism, sexism, media bias, unfair campaigning, and parking at an expired meter with extreme malice aforethought.
Half a Child or No Child at All?
Clinton wanted the delegates seated to put her over the top. Obama wanted to follow the agreed to rules. The DNC wimped out and hid under King Solomon’s table by cutting the “child” in half. Hillary got half the delegates, which still didn’t put her over the top, and Obama retained his edge, but not without being punished for upholding his agreement. From that point, Obama went on campaigning as the presumptive nominee and Hillary reenacted the death scene from Hell’s longest opera damaging her political cred for years to come.
The state parties and DNC walked away happy to have dodged the bullet while still not addressing the original problem of primary timing. Look for it again in 2012 when FL, MI and probably a dozen other states will jockey for the pole position in the primaries. The FL and MI voters remained disenfranchised, well only half as much.
There are only two winners in this sad tale - the Democratic committees who created the mess and the Republicans who used it, though luckily not well, to get a leg up on a tainted Obama. It’s yet another stunning example of accountability spurned. I’d just like to know one thing.
When will the teeth-gnashing beavers who created this mess resign their posts so someone without sawdust for brains can take over?
The Poobah is a featured contributor at Bring It On!
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enigma4ever Aug 14
but she just wants Catharsis….really that is all she wants..yeah right…
she is egotistical…, I mean the Clintons are …not just her…BTW PT CRUISER is back…thought you would want to know
Flimsy Sanity Aug 17
The dems remind me of the theater majors in school. Any attention, even disgust, is better than nothing. If the dems gave a Baby Ruth about fairness, any old state could hold their primary any old time they wanted. Give up hope for them.
The Presidential election is just theater and the sooner people quit taking it seriously, the better. Trying to change anything will cause John Henry stress (as in beating the steel driving machine) so just join my futile Ralph Nader circus and enjoy yourself in the little time left.
Flimsy Sanity’s last blog post..The Lesser of Two Evils