The Last Debate

Number twenty, but whose counting? Sad to say, I am. And with every debate I grow to like Hillary less. Sorry, Hillary. But I swear I can hear the echo of men across American saying, “Hillary, you’re a bitch!,” and I’m terrified no matter what you do or how smart you are, those men are not going to vote for you. That means in a general election we lose again. I can’t bear it. Please Senator Clinton, withdraw and get with the program of putting a history making Democrat in the White House. You’ve already lived there.

OK, I took notes, so here goes. Senator Clinton got the first question, and she chewed Brian Williams out for picking on her (my characterization about that exchange) and that’s the moment men across the land started groaning, and reaching for the remote control. Is this sexist, misogynistic? Probably, but it sounded like scolding, “Shame, shame on you!” It sounds like nagging. “Why do I always have to go first. I always go first, you never…….” Even to my ears. And I’m a woman. I heard my mother’s voice and I didn’t like it, I didn’t like it then, back in the day my mother was criticizing me, and I don’’t like it now out of the mouth of the woman who would be my President. You give her what you think she wants and she attacks you. Do I remember what the question was? No. I’d have to go back to my notes.

Oh hell, I think I’ll wing it. If it’s possible to drive the Democratic Party into a ditch, tonight’s debate is a good start. Barack Obama did have the best line of the night when Hillary was giving him a hard time about voting with her to fund the war once the war was going. He said “It’s one thing to help your friend pull the bus out of the ditch, but you helped drive the bus into the ditch.” Don’t quote me on that quote, since I’m not reading from my notes. But the big news tonight was Russert’s questioning Clinton about wanting to withdraw a vote, and she finally admitted that she would like a do-over on that vote. It came close to saying “I was wrong.” But I want to hear her say it, “That vote was a mistake. I shouldn’t have voted that way and I apologize.” No more parsing words.

Barack Obama was charming, smart, well informed and always graceful on every question, every rebuttal. He does not lose anything. But we are tired of this primary race. We really have chosen our candidate and now all this petty bickering about the details of each other’s health care plans. Bla, bla, bla. I’d rather read it on your web site. Don’t bore us into a stuporous coma now, we just got fired up.

It's Going To Be A Bumpy Ride

Hillary has become shrill again. The Republicans are doing research on just how racist they can go and not be accused of racism. The press is chasing the hounds on the pretty young Lobbyist and the grizzled old war horse story, not so much to perv on the sex angle, but to uncover the quid pro quo. So hang on to your hats folks.

The last (you promise?) Democratic Debate is tonight. If Hillary doesn’t stun us all with a gracious and charming concession tonight, I would like to hibernate until the evening of the Primaries in Texas and Ohio, Vermont and where else is it? I’m getting whiplash from Hillary’s mood changes. Put the gun down and back away from the ledge.

And if, by some magic slight-of-hand, it’s Hillary v McCain in the general election, I don’t want to watch the spectacle of two hawks on National Defense policy spending the next ten months duking it out for who’s the toughest. Defense is one thing, aggression is another all together.

Please, please, please, let it be Barack. Since he didn’t vote for the Iraq War Resolution, he and McCain will really have something substantive to say to each other in debates about this particular war in this particular time. Let’s get on with it. It will certainly be fascinating to see just how racist, racist enough is. How do you fight someone who won’t crawl in the gutter with you? I’m pretty sure Carl Rove’s got some pretty good ideas. Looking for sex tapes, are you, Carl?