Well it looks like Hillary has come home. At least to the extent that she carpet bagged into my own home and decided she could represent me in Washington. As there seems no limit to the capacity that New Yorkers will allow the Democratic Party to walk all over them (witness Hevesi and Spitzer), it is fun to reflect on the last two years. The naked and raw ambition of the Clintons has never been a question for little 'ol me who had to endure the embarrassment of the listening tour in 2000. 
Even though I know they exist, I never found the ardent Hillary supporter willing to discuss the ideas or issues that she presumably represented for us. Rather it was always how horrible the Republicans were or some other equally vague bromide or premonition. So let's take a quick look at the highlights of the POTUS chase for our favorite daughter from, Illinois, Arkansas and DC.
Certainly the jaw dropping insensibility that Joe Trippi displayed when he was paired up with the pugnacious Mark Penn, at the outset or closing of one of the contests during one of the yapper show reviews. " He said cocaine again !" Trippi howled as Penn blathered on about something as he launched the smear tactic on Obama again. Surely this is and was the epitome of slime ball politics.
The great turn of course came in Philadelphia as Hillary empathized with Eliot Spitzer and his plan to implement the very unpopular idea of licenses for 'illegal' immigrants. If ever two blind spots in common American political sense ever were present, this was it. Never mind that Clinton didn't necessarily agree with it or that Eliot stole down to DC to cut some weird deal with Homeland security (amongst other activities, I'm sure . . . nudge nudge wink wink) this was the turning point for Hil.
The whole scene in NH didn't seem so choked up and sincere to me. Of course by then, I was trying to convince the ardent Paulites that twelve percent was going to be the absolute ceiling there and any attention given to my wayward Senator was cursory anyway. Ah . . but remember Chris Matthews that past Fall ? Nothing could stop her and McCain was doomed. HA !
For me, the whole theater of the absurd mixes all together now. Was it South Carolina or North Carolina where Bill was going off the deep end and Hillary was affecting a weird African American accent at a church ? How far after that was all the sniper talk in Bosnia ? I do remember the debates where Mike Gravel came out from under his rock and barked at Hillary and Obama in a refreshing cascade of fury and literal amazement at these two. I was following the 'Rock' commercials far more than any gushing about the holiday gifts, 'universal' Pre-K.
Ah . . but remember the madman who stormed into one of the campaign HQ's and Hillary's commanding response and awareness ? How presidential, indeed. So caring and empathetic and everything was alright, thank the Intelligent Designer . . .
The pundits are to blame really. As they gush and fawn over Obama now, they surely would turned the other spicket if Hillary had got the nod. Do Wolf Blitzer or Chris Matthews ever tire of their broadcast hagiography ? Do they eat breakfast wondering whether Hillary and Bill will retake the White House for another eight glorious years of vapid and banal coverage ? Why do they cast one supposed demographic after another against each other ? Does the either/or aspect of the system drain them of all humanity and true understanding ? Who knows. But it will surely continue.
In the end, about 35 million people went to the Democratic polls and cast votes for what they hoped would be the first women or black man (half anyway) to take the White House. Hillary was supposed to just march in with the machine taking care of it. But at least half of that number desire 'change' no matter how vague or similar to the old reality it will herald. In a country of 300 million, just over 10 percent of that determine on e party's nominee. Of the 200 million eligible to vote, only about half do. Of that half, almost forty percent consider themselves independent of the two dominant parties.
Yet, it is still all about party apparatus, aparatiks and the hordes who show up to rallies on national cameras who think that Universal Health Care or pre-emptive wars are just and fair. Over 6 billion souls will be effected by curious blend of intellectually lazy, spiritually bizarre, civilly challenged and overly Disney-like hopeful beings that put someone in control of nuclear buttons, false monetary systems and the cold monopolistic logic of the force of the state. Now the Hillary haters and organizations can rest easy. Obama will have the same policies and do his shuck and jive as Andrew Cuomo says.
Now the coronation and false fights begin. Few will watch the boring national conventions that the networks will grudgingly display. The little circles of power elites and petty brokers of mayhem will profit and continue on as if nothing has changed, and nothing will. As Hillary expounds about the cracked ceiling, the cranky, disgusted few will continue in our side shows of display and discontent. But it will be of little value or concern as the temporary band-aids and fixes are applied. Perhaps as aging boomers consider humanities fate, they will turn embittered, enraged or bizarre like old Bill Clinton. But if history is any judge, some sort of revolution or paradigm breaking sequence will occur. the question of course, will be at what expense to all and one ?
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