Clinton Can't Win?

With only a few weeks remaining in the primary season, and just a handful of primaries left to go, it seems pretty clear to everyone that Hillary Clinton has almost no chance of winning the Democratic presidential nomination...to everyone except her, that is.

Despite being behind in the delegate votes and having to lend her campaign a tidy sum estimated to be over 11 million dollars (out of her own pocket), the former first lady seems to think she not only has a shot at the nomination, but that she is the only logical choice to go up against John McCain.

Needless to say, Barack Obama feels otherwise.

With the West Virginia primary, which she is expected to win handily, merely hours away, Clinton's campaign is dogged by allegations that some comments she made in regards to an AP article were latently derogatory and laced with racism...a charge her people vehemently deny. If nothing else, it takes some heat off Obama by giving people something to talk about besides Rev. Wright.

Though her argument that the Florida and Michigan primaries should be counted do represent a glimmer of hope, the sad specter of reality seems to looming closer and closer as the days go by. Defeat looks to be a certainty, with pundits pointing to Obama's nomination as a forgone conclusion.

Could it be that the once proud Hillary Clinton, who had the swagger of an incumbent when the primary process first got underway, may have to eat campaign losses of over 10 million dollars along with a slice of humble pie should she not win the nomination after all?

Was all her hard work and political positioning, dating back to her decision to run for Senator in New York instead of somewhere she had roots (Like Illinois, Arkansas, or Pennsylvania), for naught?

It just might be that the woman who fancied herself 'the comeback kid' may actually end up being the person who refused to go away until she had to be asked to leave the party (pardon the pun), and nobody likes being that person. Then again, this is politics...so you never know.

Stranger things have happened.

Richardson Judged A Judas?

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has come under fire from Clinton supporters for his endorsement of Barack Obama as the Democratic Presidential nominee.

Critics are claiming that Richardson, who served as Secretary of Energy under Bill Clinton, owes a debt of loyalty to the family for helping him in his political career.

Endorsing Obama is seen by some to be a political dagger in the back, with Clinton campaign advisor James Carville going so far as to imply Richardson was a Judas. Richardson chose not to lower himself to that level, but did mention that he saw that as typical for Clinton's people, and that there was "a sense of entitlement to the presidency."

The 60 year old Governor and former Presidental candidate came out in favour of Obama at a rally in Portland, Oregon on Good Friday, saying that "Obama will make a great and historic President," and adding that he is a "once in a lifetime leader" and that he would be "a president who brings the nation together."

CNN reports that despite his decision to back Obama, Richardson says he still remains loyal to the Clintons, but just feels that it is time for a change. Clinton's camp has officially shrugged off his decision, claiming that the nomination will be decided by the public.

This comes in the wake of a hectic week that saw the Obama and Clinton camps go at each other while the Republican party just sat back and smiled. The constant back and forth attacks between the two Democratic hopefuls is said to be causing some tension within the party, and playing right into the oppositions hands. Richardson himself remarked about the negativity and personal attacks in th ongoing campaign.

Meanwhile, on the Obama side, issue was taken with former President Clinton's remarks which seemed to imply he didn't love his country. Of course the Clinton camp denies that they ever intended any such implication.

Funny how two people who claim to want what is best for the country and agree that a Democrat must take the White House can carry on with no regard for the possible damage it might do to either one's bid for the Presidency. Despite the numbers, Sen. Clinton remains adamant about staying in the race.

And so it drags on. Let the mud slinging continue.

His Pastor's Keeper?

So now Obama is facing some political heat about some remarks his pastor made.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright let fly with with some fire and brimstone some time ago, and it seems Sen. Barack Obama has hell to pay for it these days. While the Senator did not support what Wright said, he stood by his pastor and explained his feelings in a well delivered speech given in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Why is this stuff being brought up now? The race was not supposed to be about race. Former Vice-Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro faced some criticism for remarks she made in regards to Obama's race having to do with his current political success. That blew over pretty quick.

Ferraro eventually stepped down as a member of Hillary Clinton's finance committee, not because she took back her remarks but, according to a what a Clinton campaign source told ABC News, because she wanted to keep on discussing the matter without hurting Sen. Clinton's campaign.

So why is Obama being held to a different standard? He may have heard those remarks Pastor Wright made years ago, but considering the source and the context, what could he really have done? He has publicly condemned the sin, but not the sinner...isn't that what his religion is really all about.

After all, isn't it clear to everyone involved that Pastor Wright 'done wrong?'

Obama Equals McGovern?

So Barack Obama wants to end the war in Iraq...so he thinks that going into deep debt to fight an illegal war may not be the prudent course for the leader of the United States of America to take...so he has a social conscience...this makes him George McGovern?

The right's flailing attempts to label any possible opposition as liberal demons intent on ripping apart the moral tapestry of the American way of life is so cliche that it barely merits mention. McGovern was labeled as someone who was in favor of "Amnesty, Abortion, and Acid" due to reports circulated about him wanting to legalize pot, forgive Vietnam draft dodgers and end the war, and supporting legal abortions...reports that were revealed to have been given by his own initial running mate, Thomas Eagleton, who ended up being an albatross around the McGovern campaign neck. The label, put forth by Robert Novak and meant to portray him in the worst possible light, dogged him for the entire campaign.

Nixon eventually won the White House, and you know the rest...criminal acts, cover-ups, subterfuge, talk of impeachment, etc., etc., etc. This is supposedly better than wanting to bring troops and POWs home, separating church and state, and relaxing a few archane drug laws? In the end, wouldn't the country had been better off if McGovern had won?

Hmmm. Maybe Obama is the new McGovern. Maybe that isn't such a bad thing after all.