SHE'S THE STRIFE OF THE PARTY
By CHARLES HURT
nypost.com
March 5, 2008 -- Hillary Rodham Clinton can not win the Democratic nom ination without destroying her party.
Going into last night's voting, she trailed Barack Obama by more than 150 delegates. In order to catch up, Clinton must rack up unprecedented victories in all the upcoming contests - a tall order.
The only way she wins without such mystical intervention is if superdelegates - the party insiders loyal to her and her husband for whatever political reasons - step in and throw the election to her.
The other trick she's trying is to change the rules long after the game was finished in Florida, which she lists as one of her precious victories. A big reason she won there is that it was an uncontested race. Now that she's losing she wants it counted.
The state's Republican governor, Charlie Crist - on John McCain's short list for vice president - has no doubt watched this never-ending Democratic dogfight with glee.
Earlier this week, he offered for the state to pay for a new primary, thus prolonging the whole mess.
Even with last night's victories, Clinton cannot win fair and square. Yet, she will not go home. What does she want? Does she want Obama to surrender?
No one is calling for HIM to quit. And why should they?
From nowhere, he has earned more delegates, more popular votes and raised more money than Clinton, a former first lady whose life has been dedicated to politics.
Starting at third base, Clinton can't even make one lousy sprint.
He is the movement candidate. She is the retro candidate.
If she wins the Democratic nomination in spite of the overwhelming demand for Barack Obama, many of his supporters - including the party's crucial bloc of black voters - will desert the party.
Whenever Clinton finally does surrender - or she's booted out of the convention - she can rest assured she will have left her mark.
Republicans have already begun crafting all the nasty ads against Barack Obama based on the attacks invented by her campaign. |
