Win in November

As goes Florida, so goes the nation.

After watching the juxtaposition of the querulous white guys (they aren't quite energetic enough to be angry white men) last night and the "too much talent and intelligence to safely occupy the same auditorium at one time" dynamic duo tonight, it becomes painfully obvious that the only force that can defeat the Democrats in November will be the party divided against itself. There is less than nothing on the Rethuglican side of the aisle and they know it.

The obvious solution is for Clinton and Obama both to be on the ticket. With that, there would be a political tsunami to sweep the Democrats into power the likes of which we have not seen since 1964. Coattails don't even begin to describe the effect of that combination on down-ticket voting. It might be possible to win outright a 60 seat Senate majority - without Lieberman. Apart, with only one or the other on the ticket, there will be a decent but not overwhelming win. This is truely a situation where the whole would be much greater than the sum of its parts.

I think that HRC will win a clear majority (though not a super majority) of delegates to the convention. This is what the demographics of the polls are saying - she wins women, registered Democrats, blue collar, white and hispanic, over 40, and polls strongly with all others. She has the longest and more complete experience of dealing with economics and finance at a national political level. How the Democrats handle the deepening recession could lead to a multi-generational electoral dominance. She is a person ready to face the immediate future.

Barry is potential that needs shaping. Too much like the Big Dog at the same point in their careers, trusting to their own intellect and "personal touch" approach to politics more than is good, better campaigners than executors or leaders. Barry has been too eager to rely on the anti-Clinton vein in American politics than is healthy for his campaign or his psyche, confusing those who see him as a useful tool with those who actually want him elected. Such as the entire Republican party. The nation needs to NOT have such talent thrown into the political malestrom to be worked over by the VRWC while trying to learn on the job.

Hillary can handle it. Indeed, there is no one, not even Bill, who has better psychological resources against it. The more the right screams, the stronger she gets. I compare the person she was during Big Dog's presidential run and the person she has matured into being. How many others would have been able to take on what life (and the Right) threw at her and come out as whole, as mind-bogglingly normal as she has? Just compare her to good old Bill, who as Bob Somerby noted a few days ago, still lets the press get under his skin and bait him into self-defeating acts. Bill's always needed to be the smartest smart-ass in the room, and therein lay his downfall.

The big question, then, will be whether the professional Clinton-haters on the Left will set aside their own Tweety-level obsession with Hillary and promote the party. The Naderites will always be with us, like the Paultards on the Right, but what about those who are in the grips of CDS and who literally cannot escape their prejudices against HRC? Most HRC supporters can treat Obama with equanimity, but certain opinion leaders on the Left cannot treat HRC as a human being, let alone as the well liked, well supported, much respected leader of the party that she is.

So, for November, the Obama faction has a chance to actually walk their talk and bring unity to the Democrats, a strategic maneuver for long term political gain.

Besides, won't it be fun to watch Tweety's head explode when he has to say "President Hillary Clinton"?

Anglachel