Unpresidential, But Not Unsurprising
Some Democrats are upset about Bill Clinton's attacks on Barack Obama, deeming them unseemly for a former president.
Well, indeed. Clearly, the Clinton camp is willing to run the risk of tarnishing the Clinton "brand" in the long run in order to win the short-term political gain that could result in Hillary's clinching the nomination.
But Democrats like Teddy Kennedy are hardly the kind of people who are worried about unseemly behavior in general on the part of the ex-president -- at least judging from what they were willing to tolerate during his term (with scandals ranging from Lewinsky to Marc Rich).
What they're really worried about is that President Clinton's scorching attacks on Barack Obama will result in disenchanting some African Americans enough that they might be willing to give the GOP a second look -- a phenomenon that would spell disaster for the Democratic Party as a whole. That's not only why Teddy Kennedy is giving Bill Clinton an earful . . . it's why I'd bet there's a good chance he'll endorse Barack Obama, grasping such a move's resonance for blacks.
And they're right to be worried. The Clintons are hardly known for their willingness to subordinat their own ambitions to the best interests of the Democratic Party (or of anyone but themselves).
Well, indeed. Clearly, the Clinton camp is willing to run the risk of tarnishing the Clinton "brand" in the long run in order to win the short-term political gain that could result in Hillary's clinching the nomination.
But Democrats like Teddy Kennedy are hardly the kind of people who are worried about unseemly behavior in general on the part of the ex-president -- at least judging from what they were willing to tolerate during his term (with scandals ranging from Lewinsky to Marc Rich).
What they're really worried about is that President Clinton's scorching attacks on Barack Obama will result in disenchanting some African Americans enough that they might be willing to give the GOP a second look -- a phenomenon that would spell disaster for the Democratic Party as a whole. That's not only why Teddy Kennedy is giving Bill Clinton an earful . . . it's why I'd bet there's a good chance he'll endorse Barack Obama, grasping such a move's resonance for blacks.
And they're right to be worried. The Clintons are hardly known for their willingness to subordinat their own ambitions to the best interests of the Democratic Party (or of anyone but themselves).
posted by LadybugUSA at 2:32 PM
2 Comments:
Carol, you really are a "prude". Picking on such nice folks.
I disagree with you. I'm not a fan of Ted Kennedy at all, with one exception: he has fought tirelessly to bring African Americans into the mainsteam of American life.
In my opinion, liberalism is bad for blacks, but I don't question Kennedy's motives in this area.
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