John's Blog

I haven't delved into the political realm for quite some time, largely due to the barrage of really painful news. Daily reports of the continued abuse of the governmental process at the hands of the Bushies almost makes you want to swear off politics. But the advent of the Presidential primary season sweeps in like a spring breeze and gives us a fresh breath of optimism, or so I had hoped.

Unfortunately, the "Billary" machine and the "Roveian" style campaign that we see emerging elicits a strange sense of "déjà vu" that plays nicely into the hands of the Republicans. Not only does this mud slinging "bloody up" both candidates, but it gives us a chilling view of the "two-fer" we'd be getting if Hillary emerges victorious. Not content to be the typical candidate's supportive spouse, his heavy handed involvement foreshadows an involvement in Clinton, Act II that few might have imagined. That's bound to motivate more than a few in the GOP who fear that this will just become Bill's third term. Although, sometimes, it's tough to tell where the line is at between parody and reality ("Screw It, I'm Running For President").

But the really scary/sad thing is witnessing Bill's embrace of the same negativity that caused him so many problems. In a recent Op-Ed piece Maureen Dowd hit the nail on the head:

If Bill Clinton has to trash his legacy to protect his legacy, so be it. If he has to put a dagger through the heart of hope to give Hillary hope, so be it....

The Clintons — or “the 2-headed monster,” as the The New York Post dubbed the tag team that clawed out wins in New Hampshire and Nevada — always go where they need to go, no matter the collateral damage. Even if the damage is to themselves and their party.

Bill’s transition from elder statesman, leader of his party and bipartisan ambassador to ward heeler and hatchet man has been seamless — and seamy....

Bill has merged with his wife totally now, talking about “we” and “us.” “I never did anything major without discussing it with her,” he told a crowd here. “We’ve been having this conversation since we first met in 1971, and I don’t think we’ll stop now.” He suggested as First Lad that “I can help to sell the domestic program.”

It’s odd that the first woman with a shot at becoming president is so openly dependent on her husband to drag her over the finish line. She handed over South Carolina to him, knowing that her support here is largely derivative.

This really makes it tough to hold on to any positive thoughts I may have had about Clinton's legacy, and casts more doubts (beyond those I already have) upon Hilary's suitability for a leadership role. But as much as everyone claims to hate negative campaigning, the sad fact of the matter is that it works. I can only hope that Obama can bounce back from this double teaming distortion before it's too late. My optimism that the American people can see through this kind of crap has been proven wrong before.

Tags: politics, Clinton, Obama, humor, pointless rambling