esrosedotblog

We are entering the lists.

You know. Those jousting lists.

It is time to rev up the campaign which means looking for the dirty tricks and pre-game psyching out that precedes the Big One.

Of course we are hardly through the mid term elections. But that is just a passing phase. The 2016 looms. And, in my time, there has never been so much uncertainty. Even the certain has been unsettled.

Clinton's poll numbers have been plummeting. The latest Marist poll shows this. She "no longer has the support of a majority of 2016 voters, according to the poll, but still comes in ahead when pitted against former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul"....AP report.

But this is not too interesting. No one expects any one but Hillary to be the Democratic nominee. Of course, a lot could happen but with the Clintons holding on tight, you can bet that it will all be the usual show. Sniping and bitching about the Clintons.

Always. Even me. Well, especially me. I didn't like them the last time and I don't like them much better this time. But it is the old chestnut again about how she might be a pain in the ass but she is our pain in the ass. I will not go there today although I already did, I guess.

The interesting one is in the GOP. The GoOPers.

Look at who is named in that quote above: "...when pitted against former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul". There is one missing. The inestimable ego. Rick Perry. The Texas cowboy.

I have never taken Rick Perry seriously but he is a fly in the Republican ointment and could cause some trouble. That is why I think that some work was just done to do him in before it gets serious.

Texas Governor Indicted Over Effort to Remove Official

The Democrats inflicted this wound on him. But the GOP side must be happy to have something to paste on Rick. An indictment is just an indictment but in politics in this country it is a stain which will not come out. Rick Fucking Perry. Your ticket has been punched. Go from whence you came.

Labels: election, GOP, hillary, Perry

Surely you have seen these before.

Labels: hillary

FORGIVE AND FORGET

Some of us have gotten over our resentment of Hillary Clinton. We accept our leader's choice for Secretary of State and wish her well.

On the other hand, there is still just a hint of malice that makes us stifle giggles when we see this kind of job done on her.

Labels: hillary

EVERYTHING

It is interesting that the Clintons, particularly Bill, are doing everything they can to support Obama and his choice of Hillary as Secretary of State.

Bill Clinton to Name Donors as Part of Obama Deal

This sure looks like everything to me.

When I saw the Obama screening questions I wondered how they would ever get through it unless they just simply surrendered to the process.

It is not really about winning or losing. They are clearly working together as I believe they have pretty much since the convention or a few weeks after.

The appeal of Obama is that people want to work for him. It is that simple. His attractiveness even transcends the ego of the Clintons who, not so deep down, do want to serve and serve well. They are patriotic Americans.

All the squawking that went on at the time the questionnaire came out is now silenced. If the Clintons can do it, anyone can.

Another Obama "yes I can"moment.

I, for one, am pleased to see this happening on the big scale. It is happening for sure in the smaller scale appointments of the last three weeks and weeks to come.

Sweeping change, indeed.

Labels: Administration Obama, Bill Clinton, hillary

HILLARY

Let me say just one more thing about Hillary.

She ran a tough primary and lost to one of the best organized campaigns in US history.

She earned a lot of snark from me and many other Obamaphiles. Actually, I left her over her tactics against him.

But I must admit that she has not only made amends but then some.

Her unqualified support and untiring campaigning for Obama made, I think, a great difference. Only she could quell the dissatisfaction of her supporters and she did for the most part.

Exit polls show an 80% conversion from Hillary to Barack supporters.

As a point of comparison, Bill Clinton took a way longer time to come around and, I suspect, he really still has not.

Hillary gained no headlines for her work. She worked in areas that were not seen. She went to places that no press would go. There are no headlines for surrogates and runners-up.

A thankless job.

And she did it and it worked.

Thanks. It must have hurt and been tough to get going but then that is when the tough get going and if nothing else, Hillary is tough.

On to the Supreme Court. Sic her on that Scalia bastard and poor demented Clarence Thomas.

Labels: hillary

HILLARY

Great intro. They are not afraid to show her campaigning or to let her be who she is.

It is full bore salute Hillary. You know that is Obama telling them what and how to do it.

It is a great film.

They all have signs! Great.

Jesus. I wish they didn't point out to the audience like that. Does Obama do that? I don't think so.

But she opens it right up. She is there for Obama.

"The time is now. To unite. As a single party with a single purpose."

I think that she even means it.

The theme tonight is that this is a fight for the future.

"No way. No how. No McCain".

Very very issue oriented. Good climax of issues to Obama.

"Democrats know how to do this. We did it before with President Clinton (Bill grins widely) and we will do it again with President Barack Obama".

"It makes a lot of sense that next week John McCain and George Bush will be together in the Twin Cities, because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.".

I think she did very well. All is forgiven.

Labels: Democrats, hillary

HEADLINE OF THE DAY

From the blog Outside the Beltway (OTB):

"Clinton Supporters Want To Lose Again For Catharsis"

Labels: hillary

CONNECTIONS

They have Hillary speaking the second night of the convention. It is the 88th anniversary of women's sufferage, the right to vote.

They have a great sense of occasion.

Obama's speech will be on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream...." speech.

"They" say that she is not going to ask for her name to be put in nomination.

I hope so/not.

They are getting almost too big a piece of the attention as it is. Where the Clintons go, there is always drama.

And Obama does not like it or want it at any time in this campaign.

But this is the end of an era and they know it. It is her career on the line and if she knows what is good for her, and I think she certainly does, she and they will keep the big dog on a short leash.

Labels: Barack Obama, Democrats, hillary

UNITY II

6000 people in a town of 1700.

Well, I gotta say this for her. She has a way of putting it all behind her. A real pro. Maybe a bit slow. But a pro nonetheless.

Labels: Barack Obama, hillary

UNITY

Hillary got a good one off today in Unity, NH. She and Obama each got 107 votes there. So it is a ready made photo/speech op for the great coming together.

In the end, Senator McCain and President Bush are like two sides of the same coin and it doesn't amount to a whole lot of change.

Very nice.

Labels: Barack Obama, hillary

THE INSIDE STORY

For diehard campaign freaks, there is always the post campaign story from the 'inside'.

This is that story for the Hillarys. It is pretty good. Some new stuff.

The Long Road to the Clinton Exit

There is more about Bill's role and a lot about how they knew it was the end before the end came. Good writing. Excellent reading.

Labels: Democrats, hillary

SHE DID IT

I know. I said goodbye to Hillary but I can't resist.

I did watch the whole speech to satisfy my deep paranoia that she doesn't mean it and she is going to sneak the shiv in somewhere.

But I think that the shiv has been shoved and it is she that was the target.

She was given her marching orders and she has carried them out.

There was only a small amount of insincerity to detect.

It had to be very difficult to do this and so I will cut her some slack.

For now.

Goodbye Hillary.

I kind of go along with my 'friend' Kevin Drum in his review of it.

Hillary's Speech.

Labels: hillary

HILLARY GONE

I started to write an item about how smart it was of the Obamas to setup Caroline Kennedy as the head of the Veep search team.

It is smart because Kennedy is a Kennedy, a woman, and not a friend of Bill's or Hillary's either.

It also sends a message that the running mate will not be up for negotiation. The best will be found independently and absolutely. Obama will not be held hostage by the Clintons.

Then I started writing about Hillary some more and decided, 'fuck it'.

I want her gone so make her gone.

She is already disappearing from the newspages. She made a spectacle of herself last night.

That is enough.

I am done.

The Clintons thrive on attention so let's just quit giving it to them.

Goodbye Hill and Bill.

Thanks for everything.

There was a time I was with you and now I am not.

Labels: Barack Obama, hillary

HAVING IT BOTH WAYS

I listened to pieces of both election night speeches.

Obama's was respectful to Clinton, full of praise for her spirit.

Hers was full of denial and hardly a word about Obama.

No change there.

In typical self-centered mode, Hillary won't concede but still wants to be Barack Obama's Vice Presidential nominee.

How can that be?

Only a Clinton would be able to explain this to us.

Labels: Barack Obama, hillary

ELECTUS INTERUPTUS

Actually, I am with Andrew Sullivan.

She will never give us a satisfying climax to the campaign.

She will hoard her emotions and her willingness to be a part of the solution so that she can maintain her little fighting unit.

It is hard to describe but it is near cultish.

They can't let go and she is surely in Bill's grip.

So don't look for catharsis. There won't be any.

Just a long, sad fading away to whatever it is she eventually commits to doing for herself.

Vice President?

I already said that, while I personally thinks it is a shitty idea, he is my Commander In Chief and I will work with it.

Labels: Barack Obama, hillary

BUSY AS BEES

Will she or won't she? Drop out.

Is she or isn't she? Asking to be the Veep.

We are at that level of rumor and conjecture.

I, for one, will be glad to see both Clintons get off the stage. And don't let the door hit you on the ass as you leave.

I suppose that I could swallow her as the Vice but I cannot see it today.

There is the B problem. The first being Bill and the second is her bitchy behavior.

No. It is not sexist. It is a common household term and in my culture applies equally to males or females who are being nastily self centered and will stop at nothing to promote themselves.

So sue me.

I wait with somewhat bated breath. More 'b's.

Finally, he is my President and I will do whatever he asks. Even put up with Billary.

Labels: Barack Obama, hillary

STARTING YOUNG

Labels: hillary

UTTER CONFIDENCE

For those of us who need continued reinforcement that she cannot win this by the numbers, today, we have Tim Russert.

Russert: Obama ‘will claim mathematical lock on nomination’

His math is pretty good, I know that.

And I have read elsewhere that Obama has at least 3 dozen supers ready to endorse on or soon after the 4th.

There have been few endorsements this week which, at the rate they were coming on, means to me that they are being warehoused.

We will see.

Oh.

The legal team to the DNC says that the Committee meeting Saturday cannot allocate more than half the delegates on their own power.

That would mean that another vote to seat all of MI or FL would have to wait until just before the convention.

AP has kept this item up all day. It does not bode well for Hillary but then nothing does. Would someone tell her?

Labels: Democrats, hillary, obama

HILLARY SEZ........

Labels: hillary

LIFE AFTER DEATH

A belief in the hereafter seems to comfort many folks who face death.

I think this may be one of Hillary Clinton's problems in giving up on the bid for the Presidency. It is certainly Bill's.

She has no belief in an after life or cannot figure how there could be one nearly as attractive as the one she is in.

After years of power or running to power she has to face a rather bleak set of alternatives.

No Clear Map For Clinton's Political Future

I think it is interesting that there are all of these semi-obituaries being written for Clinton.

Something has tipped.

Here is another one.

Two Democratic Dynasties Near the Exit

Labels: hillary