Hillary Clinton’s Use Of The Four-Letter-F-Word
When George Will hears Hillary Clinton using that word - "Fair" - he believes it is a bit obscene.
Judging from complaints by her minions, Hillary Clinton considers it unfair that Barack Obama has been wafted close to the pinnacle of politics by an updraft from the continent-wide swoon of millions of Democrats and much of the media brought on by his Delphic utterances such as "we are the change." But disquisitions on fairness are unpersuasive coming from someone from Illinois or Arkansas whose marriage enabled her to treat New York as her home and the Senate as an entry-level electoral office (only 12 of today's senators have been elected to no other office) and a steppingstone to the presidency.
The four-letter F-word that is central to Democrats' rhetoric and to discord everywhere — "fair" — is being bandied about. Clinton would be ahead in the delegate count if Obama had not won about twice as many delegates as she in caucuses, so Clinton implies that it is not quite fair to consider delegates accumulated in caucuses as significant as those won in primaries. Obama says it would not be fair for "superdelegates," or delegates chosen by Michigan's and Florida's renegade primaries, to decide the nomination.
Clinton has a small piece of a point but misses the important point. Caucuses are, indeed, less purely "democratic" than primaries. That is their virtue. They are inconvenient, requiring commitments of time and energy that are more apt to be made by especially interested voters. Thus caucuses filter out, disproportionately, the lightly committed and least informed, which is not cause for dismay.
Sure, the caucus format is not all that democratic, as I have written before. That does not mean it is a bad thing. All politicians are prone to defining "fair" as what is best for them personally. Clinton is just being more blatant about it. She's trying to change the rules in the middle of the game regarding Florida and Michigan delegates and is counting on securing the votes of superdelegates to win. That isn't exactly "fair" by any reasonable standard.
By martian, Thursday, 21 February , 2008 @ 8:50 am
This may suprise some people who know how I feel about Hillary Clinton (the Hildebeast), but at this point I’m in favor of her doing anything she needs to in order to secure the nomination - whether it’s "fair" to Obama or not. Why, you ask? Because SHE is beatable in November. I think McCain can take her. I don’t think anyone can stop Obama if he gets the nomination - and I hate that thought! He is dangerous - much more so than the Hildebeast. If he wins it will be because he has established a personality cult - not because he has any substantive ideas or approaches to the very real problems our country faces. The man is all fluff - no steel. I’m in favor of just about any campaign tactic that keeps him out of the Oval Office.
By kidrob, Thursday, 21 February , 2008 @ 8:50 am
fair! i love fairs! all the yummy food. yum! oh yeah and the big pumpkins, pigs and the BEARDED LADY she’s fair.
By GM Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET, Thursday, 21 February , 2008 @ 8:53 am
Someone should tell hillary that life is not fair. It’s life. You have to take the bad with the good. Of course the bad being president hillary robem clinton in my paycheck. I have enough to deal with. Her name is kathleen sibelius. A least kathleen is better looking.
By Sam Wah, Thursday, 21 February , 2008 @ 9:30 am
"She’s trying to change the rules in the middle of the game regarding Florida and Michigan delegates and is counting on securing the votes of superdelegates to win."That’s what they do. No surprise there.
By DavidL, Thursday, 21 February , 2008 @ 9:57 am
As to the concept of aiir, it like obsenity. You know when you see it, but you can’t define it.
As to Barack Obama, he is eloquent but empty suit. Pay no attention to the man behind the rhetoric.
By Mockinbird, Thursday, 21 February , 2008 @ 4:11 pm
I think Martian makes a good case. While Obama is an empty suit(heck, I can see the tag in the back of his dress shirt from here), Hillary was protesting in college while Jonh Mccain was toughing it out in a North Viet Nam prison. I think alot of people as time goes on, will see Obama for what he essentially is-no real experience. Additionally, Hillary will be viewed as having 35 years of being coddled in plum positions. McCain is already viewed as an Naval aviator (rocket science), tested by fire as a prisoner, and finally, experienced by decades, by being a U. S. Senator.