I just watched Hillary’s big speech at the DNC convention.
Yawn.
The best part of it was the anecdote about Harriet Tubman and the “Keep Going” phrase. Otherwise, it was straight Democrat talking points. The speech was interesting, however, but not for what Hill said – but for what she didn’t say. Hillary didn’t say “Obama will make a great president.” She didn’t give her endorsement of his ethics, his personality, or his perceived ability to get the job done. Essentially, she said what she had to say, in order to look gracious. She said everything she had to, in order to have plausible deniablity to those who would insist that she is scuttling Obama’s candidacy. In short, she went just far enough to “do the right thing,” but not one step farther. Not that I blame her. Her appearance was as much like a triumphant general returning home after a long campaign, as it was like a second-place finisher taking her consolation lap. Now it’s up to Joe Biden. If he doesn’t kill as a speaker, people are going to be wondering, “why wasn’t Hillary chosen as Veep.” Now of course, we know why – she’s got more baggage than a debutante on a sea cruise, and that’s not even counting the built-in scandal machine that is her husband, the former Bubba-in-Chief.
Hillary want’s to win. And she wants to be President. She’s obviously hoping that Obama tanks, so she’ll get her shot in four years. Can it happen? Sure – if McCain works a miracle, Obama torpedos himself, and if Hillary is able to get a second bite at the apple.
It’s interesting to note that – so far, at least – there is no bump in the polls for the Dems – in fact, they’ve had their first fall-behind poll since Biden was selected. Will Obama get a bump after his speech? Probably. But not as much as they expect. And if McCain announces his Veep pick tomorrow or Thursday, even a small bump may be out of the question. According to Dick Morris, Obabma has a “women problem” – he is nowhere near as popular with women as Democrats historically have been, and that could translate into BIG problems for his candidacy. Obama needs his traditional constituencies – women, minorities, blue collar works, and the youth vote to win. If he tanks with women, he’s gonna have to find a miracle to get the votes he needs. Women are furious at the way that Obama treated Hillary. Will that translate into a groundswell for McCain? Stay tuned…
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