The Tipping Point

A few musings on the election front.

Up until now, I've said that I'd be OK with either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. See Can Do. In fact, have vacillated over who I would support (after John Edwards dropped out), Do I Follow My Sex or My Heart?.

However, I think we've reached the point where the Democratic candidates are doing the work of trashing each other for the benefit of neither -- the only one who benefits is He Who is the Anointed One as the Heir to the Throne. Bush endorses John McCain for president. While the Democrats battle it out, McCain can sit back, rest up, collect money and ammunition to use against the winner in the fall.

The fact that Clinton has begun campaigning in a more negative manner, is also beginning to contribute to deep divisions within the party. I don't see her necessarily benefiting from these attacks, since the likelihood is that she still won't be able to prevail at the end of the day. So, all it ends up doing is creating further riffs within the party, which we don't need for what is sure to be a gruesome general election.

The "celebration" over her victory in Ohio and Texas is disingenuous to me, since she was always favored in those states. The reality is that the margin of victory is substantially less than it was expected to be (especially in Texas). So what's so great about winning something you were always supposed to win anyway -- that you didn't end up letting it slip away?

Finally, my biggest fear is that at this point, if Hillary Clinton were to pull it off and win the primary, it would be such a devastating result for the Obama contingent, that they will be bitter enough to either stay home in the general election or vote for McCain, thereby handing McCain the Presidency.

As much as I looked forward to having a say in the primary in Pennsylvania, at this point, I'd rather do without.

(Cartoon: Jack Ohman)