Killing The Electricity

This has been on the newsstand for what, three weeks now?  Well, it was never more timely than yesterday.

Besides the leadoff use of the word "hope" -- the Obama tag line, what ties Obama to Kennedy in '68 is Bobby's decision, as a first-term Senator, to challenge the incumbent power in his own party primarily through his opposition to an unpopular war.

Hillary's reference to Kennedy's assassination as justification for her staying in the race is not just because Kennedy died so late in the calendar.  The youthful radiance of this portrait -- as it resonates with Hillary's various comments about Obama's rhetoric and charisma -- suggests that Clinton sees Obama more as a phenomenon.  Painting that kind of picture, she seems to indulge the HOPE -- fed by a little racial tension, and the kind of enmity she and Bill can harbor -- that something, anything, could still kill the electricity.

Clinton Sorry For Remark About RFK Assassination (WAPO)
Why Clinton Says She Won’t Quit: Just Look What Happened to RFK (Rolling Stone)
The Heartbreak Campaign slide show (Vanity Fair)
Article/book excerpt: The Last Good Campaign (Vanity Fair)

(image: Bill Eppridge)

Comments

[catfood]

Hillary's ill-advised, recurring references to such an emotionally-charged event as the RFK assassination are baffling. When somebody like Bill O'Reilly talks about joining a "lynching party" you can chalk it up to his fundamental ignorance of well... everything. Hillary on the other hand, (usually) parses her words as carefully as any person on the public stage.

It appears she was actually attempting to draw a convoluted parallel between the RFK campaign and her own. One crucial difference, in this case the wound was self-inflicted.

[martin]

Trust me, or not?( I would prefer you actually did not) Stalin appeared with a big moustache, jonny Hitler with a slightly smaller one.
I doubt there are many posters who would recognise either of the above.
If your parents are alive. whether as a forthcoming voter in US, or a rememberer from Europe, you may well have an inkling of the effect that that event had.

As a European: it mashed us for decades. It shaped my parents personnalities: continues to do so...

Americans made huge sacrifices too within this period. Why oh why then, is a lot of of the debate around ongoing and possible continuation of conflict: Hilary?

Might it be better to attack Iran? Now. Via Israel even; even obliterate?

Would it have been better for America and willing coalition not to have attacked Iraq?

What sort of danger would RFQ's detractors have been in if his assassin(s) had appeased??

I am largely with Mr. Cole; have a good look at the people who are telling you 'how' this will be spun, before you even decide to spin this one: well/will to truth.

In the process. If I might avail you of current circumstance.

The tide has turned. Circumspectively and circummanstantially. For a lot of potential American voters. It would seem that you have been presented a choice between this man; Obama. And this man, Mcain.

Overdue? Possibly/maybe. As a non-voter. I would imagine that you have a tremendous choice ahead of you: choice being democracy.

There are a lot of people out here eagerly awaiting your decision-making!

Process.

Vote making as lineage will take you straight back to England: yes, your majesty...

[weisseharre]

gar-bo't mangificat(?)

[donna]

Geez, it's like they just want some whack job to do it.

The powers that be really shouldn't want to create yet another martyr. It would end badly for them. Very badly indeed.

[jmac]

Her justification for staying in the race is precedent from other campaigns going until June, which was never a problem before.

It's a problem now because one's sides supporters all of a sudden realize their dream might be just that - a dream. But must you all go bonkers like Keith Olbermann and Andrew Sullivan?

[siri]

This remark by Clinton goes beyond the pale for being tasteless, and straight into the books as HORRIFIC! And who can believe it was a 'gaffe' of some kind when the campaign put out this flyer in WV before the primaries there???

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/4/2019/37925/478/509057

The Democratic Party desperately needs a leader. One who will stand and put an end to the shameful candidacy of Clinton, and one who will insist the delegates come forth or give up their super status! Is there ANY Democrat who can lead???? Step forward now please????!
[email protected]

[Donut]

I came here actually hoping to see if there were any photos posted of Hillary taken while she gave her apology / follow-up statement from the grocery store. The video was stunning. Her back was ram-rod straight, but her chin was tilted down, eyes blinking fast and ranging around the room in front of her, not quite downcast but definitely not her usual demeanor of easy confidence. Yesterday, Clinton couldn't have looked any more opposite of the way RFK looks in that VF cover shot.

Found some here:

http://www.southernledger.com/images_ap/bb4b8f77-9a68-40f3-a1e3-2bf721fdb7d4-bb4b8f77-9a68-

http://www.southernledger.com/images_ap/5c223e27-4b85-4a8c-8002-fc1b76a2c109-5c223e27-4b85-

(AP Photos by Elise Amendola)

[swarmofkillermonkeys]

The smell of a campaign? WTF? So what DOES spontaneity smell like? There better be a damn good explanation for that in the text, but even if so that disconnected title and subheading smells like failure to me. In no way worthy of NYT front page.

As far as Hillaries body languge during the non-apology (links are truncated, and don't work BTW) it seems to me she clearly got a talking to by someone in her campaign. Maybe even Bill. Probably the very first dressing down of the campaign; far too late I'm afraid. And she STILL is too stubborn to follow the advice whole-heartedly.

Pride goes before a fall, for all of us I guess.

[Zzyzx]

Now that we can all see the narcissism of Hillary's personality, I wonder how much Bill is an enabler. Yeah, those words are frequently thrown around these days, but we are watching a huge and public drama being played out here. It's beginning to shape up as the Clintons vs. the world. Bill seems incapable or unwilling to help his wife out of the dilemma and rather, is tossing lighter fluid on the fire. Hillary's followers worship her and unless and until that spell is broken, they will go down with her. Just as Bush's worshippers are going to go down with him. (Except, of course, for all those formerly in the administration who are now writing books saying that they had no part of his delusion. Yeah, sure!)

While I don't think it would be worth Dr. Frank's assessment, however interesting that would be, I'm beginning to think that many of the troubles the Cintons have encountered in the past may be of their own making, at least in part. That does not rule out the likely scenario that there was a concerted effort (conspiracy, if you will) to hamper and diminish Clinton's presidency. I'm just questioning how much their dynamic may have played a part in enabling those efforts, and not being able to successfully counter-attack.

Well, something to think about, anyway.