Chinatown

I have to shake my head. Not just at what Hillary Clinton is doing (latest here) but at the way supporters of both candidates react to this kind of garbage.

First of all, Clinton is not trying to destroy Democratic chances in 2008 so she will be able to win in 2012. She's to smart not to know that if either Obama or Clinton loses in November the 2nd place finisher will come in for a lion-share of the blame for the loss. 2008 is the only chance Hillary has of EVER becoming president and she knows it.

But, even then, I don't think its simply personal ambition that drives Hillary's campaign (it's a major part of it, but not the overriding factor). I wade through the bile coming from both Obama and Clinton supporters and the impression I get from the latter is that Clinton and her supporters honestly think that Obama will be a disaster for the party in the Fall and that, therefore, anything they can do to stop that from happening is a good thing.

And they aren't entirely irrational in believing that.

I am an Obama supporter because I believe he has the potential to take this party higher than Clinton ever could. But along with that potential for greater reward comes a potential for greater loss. I like Obama. I want him to win. I think he can win big. But I'm not so enamored of him that I refuse to act like he isn't a big risk. Anyone who strives for something bigger inevitably opens themselves up to a much greater fall. But I can live with that.

A lot of other Dems cannot and that is why so many of them continue to support Clinton.

Again, I'm an Obama supporter, but I really wish other Obama supporters would respect Clinton supporters enough to understand that a lot of them REALLY like her and REALLY think she would be the better candidate in the Fall.

Let me put it this way: if Clinton were using these exact same tactics against McCain in the Fall a lot of her present critics would be cheering her on. We'd be praising her for not giving up. We'd be posting admiration for her fight-with-everything-you've-got style.

"Forget it Jake. It's Politics."

Ah well.