"She loves to sit, throw 'em back. So to me this is nothin' new. We all hear about the story that she and John McCain actually had a shot contest, I think in the Ukraine or somewhere around the world. And she actually beat John McCain in a shot contest. She's a girl from Illinois who likes to throw 'em down with the rest of us."
-- Clinton advisor Terry McAuliffe, speaking on MSNBC earlier today.
Hillary Clinton may be putting those skills to use as I write this -- because she's had a long night. The results from North Carolina and Indiana aren't final yet, and there's a slim outside chance that late results from Gary, Ind., will give Barack Obama a two-fer. But even if she hangs on by her fingernails there, tonight definitely amounted to a last call for Hillary Clinton. They haven't herded her out the door and into the dark political night just yet, but it's getting past time for the bartender to call the cab company.
She can't win -- not in pledged delegates for sure and probably not in popular votes, not with a 14-point loss in the Tarheel State. The pundits, for what it's worth, are on that bandwagon, and the candidates seem to realize that as well. There was a noticable change of tone in the candidate's speeches -- more conciliatory, more looking ahead to November. The only question is whether she sticks around for expected wins in Appalachia, or whether the party elders pull a Barry Goldwater (who told Richard Nixon to resign in 1974) and ask to her get out sooner rather than later.
What changed things? It may take a few days to sort out, but I have to agree with those who say that Clinton may have made a huge blunder in pushing the gas tax "holiday," that maybe P.T. Barnum really was wrong about underestimating the American public. Not only did some voters likely agree wigth Obama was that it was a shameless ploy. but it may have succeeded in doing what Obama himself had not been able to do, and take the Rev. Jeremiah Wright off the front page.
Well, Chris Matthews just started singing about Gary, Indiana on MSNBC, which means it's probably time for me to go home. Hillary ought to be right behind me.
You went home too early - Obama's making a run after Hillary gave her speech calling Indiana "the tie-breaker" Could be quite an embarrassing evening for her! Thanks for your great work, by the way. I've been a regular reader since I discovered your "Archie Bunker" piece!— seenos- Will, I tried to call you, but apparently Obama's colon is long distance from here. Keep climbing, though, eventually you might reach his socialist heart!— Echo
- Clinton pulled out Indiana in the end. However, the super delegates probably already went to bed --- which is where the hopes of her nomination went as well...— yobill626
- echo, how mature your comment is. Stay up late to think of that one, did you? Ahh, children.— mike l
McCain couldn't get 80% in either Indiana or NC, but you won't see that in the news.- Montani & Rossi...........McCain 81% in Indiana and 78.69% in NC with 7% of Republicans participating in Operation Chaos and voting for Hillary!!! Now for the next three seconds tell me what BO has accomplished in his Career? besides missing 20 years of sermons by his Marxist Pastor? and Photo ops with his Marxist Fellow Board member and political mentor Mr ayers!— Philly-d-kidder
- Don't underestimate Hillary and the machinations of the Clinton slime machine. You will hear non-stop drumbeats about the need to seat the Michagan and Florida delegates. You might even see a lawsuit or two around that.— db_cooper
- LOL, who's "operation chaos" scheme sent 5% of Indiana's Repubs to vote for Romney?
- "Don't underestimate Hillary"............db, don't underestimate the MSM's knack of keeping her in the race to the bitter end......the producers would kill their mothers for a contested convention in Denver!
- Time for "Fat Eddie" to call Hillary and sing "Turn out the lights, the party's over..." and then get back to work on eliminating the Property Tax in PA.— rixxk
Comment removed.- Gee, thanks Will. I'm so glad you're transmitting the same Obot talking points that the rest of the mainstream media is.
Obama lost in Indiana, despite predicting a big win a couple of weeks ago. The only reason he was close is because he's getting 92% of the vote from people who say that race isn't a factor -- but who turn out in record number to support a candidate of their own race (30% more AAs voted in the primary that voted in the 2004 GE...)
Remember when Obama was telling Republicans to become "democrats for a day" to stop Clinton. Well now, he's singing a different tune, dog-whistling his african american supporters claiming that Republicans crossed over to stop him from getting the nomination.
the blatant racism displayed by the Obama campaign -- the despicable efforts to paint two of the finest Democrats of this generation as racists -- is not a Democratic Party value. Obama's got his own "southern strategy", and just as the GOP's southern strategy alienated African American voters from the GOP to this very day, Obama's racist appeals in the name of winning the nomination are going to do the same with tens of millions of white voters.
So enjoy Obama's big win in NC, and his loss in IN, while you can Will. Because Obama is not merely unelectable in November, he's going to take the Democratic Party down with him for a generation.
— paul_lukasiak - I heard that Clinton thanked everybody but the man who really gave her Indiana, Rush Limbaugh.— SteveMG
- Of course, the vaunted "Operation Chaos" actually did... nothing. GOP voters making the "switch" went 53/47 for Clinton - giving her about a 7,000 vote margin over Obama among those voters (according to exit polling). She won by 22,000 votes. Again, when the facts don't support an argument, the "conservatives" simply make stuff up. It's why they're always disappointed with "reality." Now strap yourselves in, kids, because the spin Rush is going to give this will make the best roller coaster seem steady as a rock. Ah, the EIB - where Every Idiot Blusters.— E.Plebnista
- Paul, I'm still waiting for Hillary to introduce that gas tax holiday bill. Are you serious with Hillary? She voted to authorize military force in Iraq, has shown a ridiculous amoutn of double talk involving NAFTA, the Columbia deals, etc. and in general has run a fairly poor campaign, turning a coronation into an embarrassment.— RG
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
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