The Party’s Over for Hillary? UPDATE: Yes, It Is. UPDATE: Or Is It? UPDATE: Yes, It Is.
[UPDATE: AP says Hillary will concede.]
[UPDATE: Hannity is saying right now that the Hillary campaign is denying the AP story.]
[UPDATE: Now it appears that Clinton has told supporters that there is no way for her to win. The only thing that remains is figuring out the right way to concede.]
HuffPo reports:
Hillary Clinton has summoned top donors and backers to attend her New York speech tomorrow night in an unusual move that is being widely interpreted to mean she plans to soon suspend her campaign and endorse Barack Obama – not tomorrow night but within a day or two.
Bill Clinton is dropping his own hints, telling South Dakota supporters: “I want to say also that this may be the last day I’m ever involved in a campaign of this kind.”
Just so it’s clear, though, aides are denying it’s the end. But I gotta say, the denials have a “let her have her moment” sort of feel to them.
Someone phone Don Meredith. It’s time to start singing: “Turn out the lights . . . “
She’s done this before. She has her staffers, and other people around her, drop hints that she’s going to quit. She sets it up so she’s the center of attention, and people are ready to hear her “goodbye and thank you” speech.
But then she doesn’t quit.
I don’t know if it’s genius or madness. I don’t know if it’s planned or if she just can’t bring herself to quit. She’s a fighter–that’s for sure.
Daryl Herbert (4ecd4c) — 6/3/2008 @ 3:19 amIn the “Whitey do” / “Why’d he do” rumor-mill vein, Bob Beckel asserted on Fox’n’Friends this morning, that a Michelle Obama shoe will drop tomorrow, courtesy of the Republicans. He said whatever the show was, it was more damaging than the pastor-problems.
cboldt (3d73dd) — 6/3/2008 @ 4:08 am.
The hosts of the program feigned ignorance and had a generally playful time with the tease.
Bill Clinton is a monument of selfish vanity, and he never did a damn bit of good for anybody except himself. And he isn’t one-tenth the man Hillary is.
Are we allowed to say things like this now?
Glen Wishard (02562c) — 6/3/2008 @ 4:48 amThis darkens my day…
Run Hillary! Run!
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 6/3/2008 @ 6:01 amThe Clinton Dynasty slowly sinking like a Malibu sunset is like a dream finally coming true. Epitaths by “journalist” will be written about how the annointed failed because the left wing media supported the more socialist candidate.
Exit prediction: Barring Hillary getting on this current ticket, divorce papers will be filed in 6 to 8 months.
Rovin (a5d8b7) — 6/3/2008 @ 6:03 amTomorrow’s big announcement is: Hillary in 2012.
Perfect Sense (b6ec8c) — 6/3/2008 @ 6:10 amPlease, please, please, Hillary stay in the race! Keep up the good fight.
JD (75f5c3) — 6/3/2008 @ 6:15 amI want Hillary to finish what she’s started. Have caught myself a couple of times admitting a grudging respect for her that I never had. Comparing what she faced and her perseverance vs. how Obama handles every single controversy thrown his way (usually of his own doing just being chiiiiiiiiiiiickensssssssss…cominhome……….taroost!!!!!!!!!) I think people have seen who really has a pair in the pants.
Jack Klompus (cf3660) — 6/3/2008 @ 7:17 amcboldt,
Yeah, the same goniff that tried to blackmail the Electoral College into electing Al Gore in 2000. A real ethical source of anything but Liberal Conspiracy theories.
PCD (5c49b0) — 6/3/2008 @ 7:45 am— “I want to say also that this may be the last day I’m ever involved in a campaign of this kind.” —
.
Emphasis on “of this kind.” Does that mean out on the stump in a primary state? If so, well, yeah, it’s inevitable. These are the last primaries. The campaign moves into a different phase if, after the primary votes are cast, victory can’t be outright claimed by either contender.
.
I’ve heard nothing resembling a hint of concession from either side of the battle.
cboldt (3d73dd) — 6/3/2008 @ 8:03 amHillary will either say: “I’m suspending my campaign so I can live to fight another day and replace that geriatric stiff John McCain in 2012”
or
“I’m suspending my campaign, and shall return to the Senate for the good of the American People. Now that the Lion of The Senate (you pick ’em whether its Kennedy or Byrd) is in the hospital, I’ll audition for the roles of Lioness of the Senate and Saint Hillary of New York”.
Either way she’s not going to crawl or slither off the national stage.
Mike Myers (31af82) — 6/3/2008 @ 8:29 amNow that the Lion of The Senate (you pick ‘em whether its Kennedy or Byrd) is in the hospital, I’ll audition for the roles of Lioness of the Senate and Saint Hillary of New York”.
Interesting comment Mike. But would the Party make her a Majority leader if she intended to leave for the campaign trail (again) in two years?
Rovin (a5d8b7) — 6/3/2008 @ 8:36 amDemocrat and presidential candidate Hillary (not Rodham) Clinton is engaging in cheap theatrics. Nothing more. She is not down. She is not out. She is never down. She is never out. She and Bill ‘Slick Willie’ Clinton will never go away.
Thank you for your time.
The Outlander (18f9fc) — 6/3/2008 @ 9:01 amRovin, that depends on who wins in November. If it’s Obama, she won’t be on the trail for ’12.
Pablo (99243e) — 6/3/2008 @ 9:17 amBill Clinton is dropping his
own hintspants again, telling South Dakota supporters: “I want to say also that this may be the last day I’m ever involved in a campaign of this kind.”This is like the aging arena rock band that has a good fifteen “farewell tours” on its agenda in the future but at the end of every set they tell a saddened Cleveland that the party is over.
Jack Klompus (cf3660) — 6/3/2008 @ 10:37 amI think the staffer thing is a non-issue. The primaries are over — what does she need and advance team for? Of course a campaign would shut them down if it is behind and not likely to catch up.
But, Clinton’s fight from now to Aug. is for the Superdelegates. That fight can be waged in person and by telephone, and can be handled by a small number of surrogates like Ickes, Lanny Davis, et al.
The play for the last two months has been to muddy up the vote total as much as possible — which she has succeeded in doing — and then wait for an Obama disaster. There are lots of rumors about the latter.
My view of it is that the nomination no longer has value to her. If she were to get it now, the damage to the AA vote and the youth vote would be so great that Clinton would likely lose to McCain due to depressed turnout.
But a Obama melt-down after he has the nomination would leave her in the catbird seat heading off to 2012.
Bill beat a one term GOP President during tough economic times. I’m guessing the Clintons figure Hillary could do the same in 2012 if the chance presents itself.
wls (ec2de1) — 6/3/2008 @ 11:19 amRe #2 and Beckel’s comment — this is a little too transparent an effort to blame any such “black op” on the GOP.
The most likely candidate behind such an event tomorrow is the Clintons. It would be designed to prevent a flood of superdelegates to Obama at the same time Clinton is trying to convince the party that she got more votes than he did.
If the GOP had it, they would wait until after the convention, and use it to take down his post-convention bounce.
wls (ec2de1) — 6/3/2008 @ 11:21 am17, WLS, again, this from Beckel, who with Bob Mulholland tried to blackmail the Electoral College into voting for Gore in 2000 by threatening to release stories the Electoral College Voters would be embarrassed or ruined by the release of said information.
Who says Mulholland isn’t at it again with the Democrat Superdelegates?
PCD (5c49b0) — 6/3/2008 @ 11:26 amHillary is “persistent” and “tenacious” the way an obsessive compulsive or stalker is “persistent” and “tenacious.” It’s not a willed exercise of virtue. Far from it.
Federal Dog (1404a2) — 6/3/2008 @ 11:34 am19, I’ve considered Hillary to be a Megalomaniac since 1992.
PCD (5c49b0) — 6/3/2008 @ 11:40 amTime For Her 11 O’Clock Number!
David Ehrenstein (fc61c1) — 6/3/2008 @ 11:53 amSee the update.
AP says Hillary will concede.
I put it at the top of the post.
Patterico (a89f73) — 6/3/2008 @ 12:12 pmI put up a second update.
Hillary’s campaign denies the AP story, per Hannity. I’m listening to him now.
Patterico (a89f73) — 6/3/2008 @ 12:17 pmThey have been denying the AP story all day.
This smells of a leak from the Obama camp. Stories about dropping out ALWAYS hurt the one they are about…
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 6/3/2008 @ 12:19 pmI think there are some in the Clinton camp who would like to see her concede so they can jump on the Obama ship before it sails. The worst place to be between now and August is as a loyal Clinton surrogate who can read the writing on the wall. What benefit is it to someone like Vilsack or Rendell to go “balls to the wall” in a hopeless situation. All it will do is lock them out of anything meaningful with the winning candidate going forward.
I think the AP story is a plant by loyal Clintonistas who want her to get out so they can become loyal Obamotimies (that’s an Obamacon with lobotomy — a necessary step to get into the inner circle).
The line has been forming at the clinic door all day.
wls (ec2de1) — 6/3/2008 @ 12:31 pmFast Eddie Rendell will always find a way to schmooze his way into good graces with the higher ups. He’s that savvy. Great mayor but unfortunately due to his incredible ability at the political deal making game led to 8 years of John Street whose kinship to Satan himself has been documented and proven in a lab.
Jack Klompus (cf3660) — 6/3/2008 @ 12:45 pm24, I don’t think $h*tsack is going to be very welcome in the Obama camp. He isn’t in office. He doesn’t have the machine in Iowa, Harkin does. Most important, our dear ex-governor is not black.
PCD (5c49b0) — 6/3/2008 @ 12:46 pmwls, you’re assuming that Hillary’s camp thinks Obama will win. If Obama loses, the narrative will be that Hillary would have won, and should have been given the chance because she won the popular vote, but because of sexism the Obama disaster occurred. (I don’t believe any of that).
Then, the best place to be will be as a Hillary loyalist who stood by her through thick and thin. Hillary will lead the fight against Mccain as Senator, and attempt to take the White House in 2012, and those who opposed her this year won’t be forgotten.
Besides, the cuts are too deep in the Democratic party. It’s more than a career move to go from one ship to the next… these folks really do hate each other.
Jem (4cdfb7) — 6/3/2008 @ 1:28 pmI am 100% unable to see Hillary dropping out. They will have to carry her kicking and screaming off the stage at the convention…
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 6/3/2008 @ 2:15 pmI think HRC does what we have all suspected all along and announces the formation of a new political party, called the Clinton Party (or Rodham-Clinton Party, if you prefer). She and her husband have never lost a moment of sleep worrying about what is good for the Democrats — to them the party served only as a tool for their out-sized ambitions. The party symbol will be the chameleon, the party platform will be whatever polls well at that particular moment, and the motto will be “I don’t remember that.”
JVW (78155f) — 6/3/2008 @ 2:58 pmMitt Romney has still not formally ended his campaign and released his delegates, has he? Why should HRC?
She’ll suspend like he did, but not quit. She has pre-empted BHO’s VP perogative already. That is enough to to get the DNC to help her retire her debt to whatever legal extent.
Her showing in SD, per the exit polling, is astonishing. She took the breaking undecideds 61-39! If this isn’t proof of BHO’s vulnerability and her power, little else can.
The “Lioness of the Senate” concept is not a bad one, but no way will Reid voluntarily step down. Also, she has/is pissing off a lot of her colleagues for keeping Operation Chaos running this long. I don’t see her getting leadership.
Ed (532eeb) — 6/3/2008 @ 3:03 pmafter tonite, it doesnt matter what hilly says, shes out. cable news is reporting this hour that she’s trying to arrange a shotgun wedding for VP slot and force her way on ticket. NOT A CHANCE! heres the way i see what happened to clintons.
james conrad (7cd809) — 6/3/2008 @ 3:13 pm1. they allowed howard dean to be party chair (big mistake)
2. the dems stumbled upon the notion they didnt need clintons to win (congress 2006)
3. hilly was arrogant & lazy early in campaign and got out hustled (a major NO NO in politics)
4. there was & is alot of hard feelings in party toward clintons (how many of their own people fell on their swords for them over past 16 yrs?)
5. the fact is dems could have nominated almost anyone in 2008 and won but instead choose to nominate someone who most likely will lose, I LUV IT!
32 james – well summarized. Agree with all points wholeheartedly. It’s amazing how two candidates with virtually identical political and governing philosophies basically turned it into a battle of who could pander to mopey identity politics better. Will the woman or the almost-black guy absolve my guilt more?
Jack Klompus (b796b4) — 6/3/2008 @ 3:29 pmWatching their Balkans of the Victims war has been delightful. All of the dems sanctimonious bullshit that they’ve been spewing to trash their opponents as sexist, racist, knuckle-dragging rubes and simulataneously anoint their bumper-sticker laden Prius driving holy selves has proven to be complete utter shit, known to many and now to many more.
They’re like wind-up toys in their predictability right down to the exact talking points they will use to explain what happened if they lose in Nov. None of it will of course, as we know, have anything to do with themselves and their idiotic, vapid preening and complete cluelessness about what makes people make political decisions. It will just be another chance to dust off What’s Wrong With Kansas.
But she made an appeal to the 17 million or so who voted for her to kill Barack I-Thwarted-The-Wrong-Person’s-Ambitions Obama by June 6. Don’t you think that will happen?
nk (be56c0) — 6/3/2008 @ 3:31 pmAnother AP story has this line …
cboldt (3d73dd) — 6/3/2008 @ 3:45 pm.
“In a formal statement, the campaign made clear the limits of how far she would go in Tuesday night’s speech. ‘Senator Clinton will not concede the nomination’ …”
.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/clinton (content apt to change as AP routinely fudges its reporting)
“Concession? We don’t need no steenkin’ concession!”
Horatio (a549f7) — 6/3/2008 @ 4:20 pmi will hoist a glass to the end of the clinton era, whenever it happens to be.
assistant devil's advocate (7d6ddd) — 6/3/2008 @ 5:35 pmJust because Obama may have the super-delegates now doesn’t mean he will necessarily have them come the Democratic National Convention. Buyer’s remorse can be a powerful thing.
Alan Kellogg (b81401) — 6/3/2008 @ 7:10 pm38 The Obama camp will declare racist any opposition to their new on-the-spot announcement of “super-duper” delegates that they bring out from behind a curtain to declare for the Messiah.
Jack Klompus (b796b4) — 6/3/2008 @ 7:23 pm#31 – she doesnt need to be the leader to be the “lioness” of the senate. teddy was never majority or minority leader. he was majority whip for a short time but that is all.
chas (12a229) — 6/3/2008 @ 7:45 pmAmerica, we’re screwed.
retire05 (474558) — 6/3/2008 @ 9:27 pmI hereby declare that anyone using some half-baked Limbaugh-concoction of a name for any political party or candidate is a dim-bulb, and that I will laugh at him/her in a mean and degrading way (either on this blog or in my head).
It’s not hard to say “Obama supporters” instead of “Obamacons” (for instance), and you sound like less of a kindergartner doing so.
Leviticus (22eefa) — 6/4/2008 @ 5:05 amI think Obamaenads is very fitting.
nk (be56c0) — 6/4/2008 @ 5:28 amSo BusHitler/Monkey/Bushchimp are not mean or degrading? Calling for assassinations or massive myocardial infarctions or painful deaths from cancer, etc. for Republicans such a Bush, Cheney, Rove and even Tony Snow is just fine with the likes of Leviticus, Levi and Loveie? Or is a double standard acceptable because they truly deserve that or being frog marched to prison for “lying” about Saddam’s WMD or Bush ripping up the constitution and wiping his dupa with it? “Torturing” terrorists with loud music, lights, water boarding, hazing is unacceptable to libs and the international community of despots but putting scissors through a viable late-term baby is a personal choice?
madmax333 (c1f4e3) — 6/4/2008 @ 5:45 amAllowing millions more to die from starvation world-wide because we need to use corn for bio-fuels to assuage the liberal conscience and desire to worship the fat,massive energy-devouring Goracle? Gotta love you limo libs. Free Mumia Now! Blacks are disportionately incarcerated in prisons because Whitey makes him steal/kill to acquire some bling, Beemers, colt 45 and crack.
Do continue your blind worship of the new deity kaka obamalamadingdong. And to think Rethuglicans chose an old man as standard bearer when they could have easily opted for an old man who is the only one who can save America- Luap Nor. You barking moonbats have much in common with the paultards- you’re here, you’re criminally stupid/blind/illogical/america-hating toe jam and you’re in our face.
Fine. I figured you’d be smart enough to read between the lines (given the stances I’ve taken time and again when it comes to partisan shenanigans), but here goes:
No. “BusHitler/Monkey/Bushchimp” are stupid fucking nicknames dredged up by stupid fucking individuals. There is a segment of the left that engages in the same moronic name-game that so many of you take such childish delight in. Equality in stupidity.
THE DEMOCRATS ARE NO BETTER THAN THE REPUBLICANS; the whole system blows.
That’s my position on (more or less) any issue where that position is valid. Use it as a rule of thumb.
As to the rest of your post:
If a whiny conservative moron throws a temper tantrum on blog largely populated by rational adults, does anyone give a shit?
Leviticus (22eefa) — 6/4/2008 @ 6:12 amTo be fair to Leviticus, I don’t think he ever spoke or acted in a way that suggested he thinks such terms or statements were even remotely appropriate…
About Levi and Love2008, however, I will make no such claim.
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 6/4/2008 @ 6:20 amAnnnnnnnnnnnnnd I should have refreshed before posting. Shoulda known. Darn you Levit for beating me!
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 6/4/2008 @ 6:21 amMadmax,
I didn’t know you spoke Polish.
PCD (5c49b0) — 6/4/2008 @ 6:50 amBaracky makes me laugh. So does Levi.
JD (75f5c3) — 6/4/2008 @ 6:57 amI can’t laugh regarding Sen. Obama… I’m too scared shitless about his possible Presidency…
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 6/4/2008 @ 7:03 amHilly may be out out
cousin redneck (08858b) — 6/4/2008 @ 7:18 ami will not vote for Obama ’cause he walked from his Church…and if he waltzed from them, the country ain’t no bigger deal, Right?
My Uncle Zeke said “all ways said, you got to stan’ on yer groun’ or somebody else’ll plow through”
An it’s a hard thing walking back to God oncet you’ve turned your back on Him and your own.
That Republican fellow-McCain. He’s Startin’ to look a bit Nobler. He ain’t got a Halo going, but i swear, they’s a Nimbus startin’. And who’s to say, but he might plow through.
Scott Jacobs – As do I.
JD (75f5c3) — 6/4/2008 @ 7:27 amScott and JD: me, too.
retire05: Yep. Royally.
EHeavenlyGads (f29174) — 6/4/2008 @ 7:40 amMichelle is coming for your pie.
JD (75f5c3) — 6/4/2008 @ 7:51 amMe and my good friends Mr Smith and Mr Wesson welcome her attempt…
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 6/4/2008 @ 8:11 am