Saturday, July 19, 2008

How Not to Win Friends and Influence People

You know, it turns of to be somewhat unrewarding, this decision that I have enough time to squeeze in writing the odd blog entry, considering that I haven't yet carved out the time to look at any other blogs.

So, as I'm not really part of a conversation anyway, I'll just ramble on about the primaries -- something I really meant to say more about when it was a little more topical.

Clinton the Lesser. She's proven the name appropriate -- at least provisionally. I never came out and endorsed her, so you can't blame me, but how in the hell did she manage to blow an election that she once had in the bag? Even after she started to let it get away, I kept expecting her to get it back together and pull it out. But it never happened. Everything was too little, too late.

Or too much too late, some of it. Pulling out the stops on pandering just looks desperate when you're that deep in the hole. I know it's all been covered - the affected Arkansas accent, the gas tax relief crap (come on, this country doesn't even have a significant national gas tax to begin with), the "I don't care what economists think" bullshit, etc., etc. But I do have to say -- Crown Royale? You're trying to be all middle American in a bar, so you're going to do a shot of Crown Royale? Crown Royale? Um, you're aware that it's Canadian, right? You know it comes in a velvet bag? Christ, why not just order a cosmopolitan? Is it that hard to say Jack Daniels? Or Jim Beam? Or if you really want to go with imported liquor, do a fucking tequila shot.

It was all very, very disappointing. As things now stand, Clinton the Lesser's political career will be remembered primarily for her two major failures: the failure to get health care reform through in 1994, and completely blowing this primary.

Or will it? There is one possible future that would put her back on top, not to mention winning her a new name. Obama losing this election, and then Clinton winning in 2012.

So, will Clinton the Lesser fully back Obama? Or will she go with her own self-interest, and subtly try to sabatoge his chances?

-- Satan

6 comments:

Fran said...

Satan, here I am getting ready to go to church and who should I happen upon but you?

What a delight to see you around. Seriously! (reaches for rosary...)

Speaking of seriously, this is a great post. Holy crap - the passage of time makes it more meaningful in its own way.

Hillary Clinton is my senator. While I appreciate her more than not in that role, she always leaves me wary.

Not in the popular I-hate-her-way... Oh no. She is brilliant and she is an able politician. She understands politics like nobody's business and knows how to play and play hard.

That is both the good news and the bad if you ask me.

So I never fully supported her and began to get really turned off. Which is by no means any ringing endorsement of any other candidate. I shall vote Obama in November because what else can I do?

In any event, I do take issue with one thing you say about her failures. The failure of health care legislation can not be laid at her feet in my estimation.

There were forces at play- perhaps the very forces that sharpened the razor that is Hillary Clinton, that made sure that health care reform would never happen.

And interestingly enough, she has taken tons of money from all sorts of health care related types, which leads me to believe that she would be the last person in any role to bring forth meaningful change.

Her moment is over, goodbye little Sheba.

(nice to see you Satan!)

Ubermilf said...

I am feeling very nihilistic about this election and our federal government in general.

I really don't think anybody at the federal level gives a shit about what I think or what happens to people like me.

I will be pleasantly surprised if someone proves me wrong.

Satan said...

FranIAm - I'm quite amused that part of your preparation routine for going to church involves checking what Satan has to say.

I don't know that it matters whether it was her fault or not that health care reform failed in 1994. She will still be remembered for it because she was the one on point.

Her political skill is exactly what made her screwups in the primaries so surprising and frustrating. She didn't get outplayed, she beat herself. (Which is not to say that Obama didn't run a good campaign - he did, but Clinton should still have been able to beat him.) It's precisely because she was mighty Casey striking out that it's of note at all. Nobody would have written the poem had Flynn or Blake ended the inning.

The last person? No, I think that would be Edwards.

Ubermilf - Did you feel that any of the candidates in previous elections cared about you?

I disagree only slightly - they care what you think, but only statistically. You personally, no.

Right now, you've most likely made up your mind about which candidate you'll vote for and that you'll vote, so, in fact, you don't matter. Your vote is set and both parties can - and will - safely ignore you. Am I wrong?

-- Satan

Ubermilf said...

I'm not sure it's ever safe to ignore me. I could go insane at any moment.

Mauigirl said...

Satan, I too was surprised the Clinton blew it. I thought she and Bill had all the tricks. But Obama turned out to be even better than they were at doing the right things, and being more organized.

So far she has supported Obama but we shall see...

Distributorcap said...

hey satan

just saying hi..... you have to keep the devil on your side

as for hillary..... add to the loss -- the fact she hired some of the most incompetent people ever to run her campaign
wolfson and penn.....

while she was the boss, they failed her miserably