There's a certain entertainment to be had in watching Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign implode. Not, of course, that she's finished; she may well pull the nomination out of the fire. But if she does, it's almost a given that the Democrats will lose the White House.
Everything about Clinton's campaign so far tell you why. She went into this thing with a sense of entitlement. The Democratic faithful had all but anointed her before primary season even began. Other nominees existed merely to offer voters a token choice, to create the illusion of diversity.
When Barack Obama emerged as a real contender, The Presumed Nominee went into absolute panic mode, and we got a terrifying glimpse into Clinton's psyche, as she dispatched her increasingly boorish husband to make borderline racist comments while she herself appeared in a series of stage-managed events with all the spontaneity of a Bush town meeting. If this is how Team Hillary reacts in a crisis, it's not very reassuring.
After dumping her campaign manager over the weekend, Clinton now intends to make herself all things to all people: pretending like she gives a shit about working-class people in Ohio, faking concern for Hispanics in Texas. She doesn't care, of course, and her haughty, patrician manner makes it obvious. Deep down, we know our elected representatives never have our best interests in mind, but with Clinton, she can't even pretend. Pure ambition is all she is, victory for its own sake is all that is ever on her mind.
And let's face it, the Republicans know this. Their hatred for her comes from deep within the hollow core of their souls, and they will be all too eager to infect the public with that hatred. This year, this season, when the Democrats had a real shot at the presidency, they could not have picked a worse choice than Clinton. Presumably, they expected the Republican nominee to be someone like Mitt Romney, someone every bit as unlikeable as Clinton, a wingnut mouthpiece easily painted with devil horns. But it looks like the nomination will go to John McCain, not the straight-talking maverick he pretends to be, but an avuncular presence, and politically moderate, at least by Republican standards.
Many hardcore right-wingers can't abide McCain, but his nomination would be a clever move for Republicans. You can see the campaign already: Wouldn't the nice old guy seem like a better national caretaker than the strident bitch? A cheap tactic, to be sure, but honestly, the Democrats have it coming: Bill Clinton's presidency pushed his party so far to the right, there are very few meaningful differences between the two parties anymore. Democrats continue to fund Our Beloved President's little war, continue to look the other way as civil rights are eroded, shrug over torture. Sometimes they sputter a few words of opposition, usually they don't even bother.
The only choice, sadly, is no choice.
