Yes, She Can

Barack Obama's signature campaign line---"Yes, We Can!"---was delivered with a little less gusto last night.

Hillary Clinton---in the glow of her popular vote wins in Texas, Ohio, and Rhode Island---even co-opted it for her own version: "Yes, we will!"

A few lessons from yesterday's results:

1. Never underestimate the Clinton War Machine.

2. In order to win, she has to club the baby seal to death. And she's willing to do it. Now that she's got a bit of momentum, she must bring him low. She must attack him on every front. She must go negative. Expect more "do you really trust him to answer the red phone at 3am" ads. Expect more "Obama in native dress" photos. Expect to hear more about Tony Rezko---who just went on trial this week in Chicago for corruption and fraud----and his association with Obama. Expect to hear more of the fact that he's a Syrian immigrant, who made 26 trips between Damascus and Chicago from 2003 to 2006. Expect to hear additional Arab names associated with Rezko in this web of corruption----and perhaps in the orbit of Obama.

3. Voters don't like to be told for whom to vote by the press. Over the past two weeks, "Saturday Night Live" has spoofed the media's fawning coverage of Obama. Even Queen Bee picked it up during last week's final (?) Democratic debate: "Should we get Barack another pillow?" Those "SNL" skits had an effect: the press felt they needed to question Obama more aggressively, and they did. He did not respond well. Expect the Clinton Ladies Intervention Team to keep the pressure on the media to ask Obama tougher questions, and to expect answers. Like Hillary until about early January, he hasn't had to do that before. When she started to lose, she started answering questions. He may now have to as well.

4. The delegate calculation may still be against her, but she's won most of the big, industrial states, except for his home state of Illinois. Meaning: her argument going forward will be that she can win the general election popular vote once she gets out of this Democratic nightmare of proportional allocation.

5. There will be ---Lord Almighty, help us!--- another Democratic debate before the Pennsylvania primary on April 22.

6. She is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Here comes the patented Clintonian scorched-earth, total annihilation strategy. She will take down the Democratic party if she has to.

7. In order to avoid that, she may try to reach back out to Obama's core constituencies, whom she will need not ticked off at her if she's the nominee: black voters, the young, the higher earners and more educated. You will see her court them much more aggressively: "I forgive you your flirtation with the Hope Guy, but now it's time to stop screwing around and come back home to Mommie Dearest."

8. There's a new 50-50 split in America. For the last 15 years, there's been a huge focus on the 50-50 split between red and blue, conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats. Now we're seeing an equal split within the Democratic party. Sort of takes the heat off the GOP-Dem split, doesn't it?! The question for the Democratic nominee will be how best to heal that rift. Obama can do it. Hillary, who relishes her grudges and swims in vindictiveness, will be less able to do that kind of healing. A divided Democratic base will be a Gift from the Gods for Republicans. Will the Democrats let it happen?

Can she win? The delegate numbers are against her. But the momentum no longer belongs exclusively to Obama. Her losing streak is broken. She's calmer now. She can exhale a bit, and be more of herself. That means more self-effacing jokes on the late-night shows. But "being more of herself" also means more cannon-fire and more dirt.

Will she go nuclear on him? Yes, she will. Will he fight back? Yes, he will.

Hillary was right a few weeks ago: "Now, the fun part starts."

Comments

[Ree]

Monica,

Check me out, http://imustimes.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/matt-taibbiwhen-doves-cry/

[M/M]

Everybody should check out Ree's response to Matt Taibbi's article on "Imus Times". Ree did an outstanding job defending McCain, so we won't have to.

[Dgscol]

McCain seems as unenthusiastic as his base. It almost seems he wants to lose, but the campaign goes must go on. He might be, a democratic trick.

[Dgscol]

A word on Buckley - After having his wife dead from smoking, and having contracted emphysema, a reporter asked him if he would recommend that people people not smoke. His answer : Yes. Very much, yes.

[Ree]

M/M

Let Matt Taibbi, take on McCain for substansive reasons, there are plenty, the argument that McCain will be strong on National Security and he is old...well is that all the lefts got? You know I think it was Laura Ingraham who said if the Democrats can't win in this political climate, they need to hang it up and disband because they can't win at all...or words to that effect. I did enjoy giving Matt Taibbi the Eskimo treatment:)

[SteveOk]

Hillary's victories last night will ensure the Democratic Party is completely divided. If she gets the nomination she will not be able to unite the Party. Obama has a chance to unite them but she cannot after running a scorched Earth campaign. This is great news for John McCain even though Republicans are not completely united yet, the Democrats are in complete civil war mode. Congratulations to the War Machine and continued success in running the Democratic Party completely into the ground.

[Dgscol]

You should have seen the the two fly-boy prodigal sons in front of the White House. Its proof that McCain can still lay an egg or two on the deck of his campaign before the fall. I was reading Bush's lips, and I thought he was telling McCain to buy gold before it is too late. It was humorous, is a dark way.

[M/M]

Hey FredK2929, can I call Satan the AntiChrist instead? Ann Coulter is not a comedian. Jon Stewart has redeemed himself. I'm lifting my ban off NBC for SNL - Tina Fey rocks!

O'Reilly said that Rush helped Hillary get 9% of the vote. McCain is a maverick, but so are we. Rush says we conservative mavericks who, like our nominee, reach over to our friends on the left.

[M/M]

Ree,

I read a few of Matt Taibbi's articles when he was reporting on the Republicans on the right and I thought he was biased. Specifically, I didn't like his article on Fred Thompson.

I saw Chickaboomer post to you on SupportImus.org. Great job.

[FK]

Ann Coulter is always writing what purport to be jokes, so she is sort of a comedian. Otherwise, you really don't have a comedian, do you? Maybe Dennis Miller?

[Ree]

M/M

For some reason my blog "Matt Taibbi,When Doves Cry" got removed from Imus times. and replaced with Evidence of Harm, this has to be the shortest blogging career on record.

[Dgscol]

Despite the Right looking more dusty than a deceased Louis R. Rukeyser, we can rely on Monica to set us straight : "The Democrats are on the run, and the Republicans are not even aware of it!"

[FK]

The best development was today: Bush's endorsement of McCain. Congratulations, McCain, on getting the stamp of approval from a complete failure of a president. A great gift for the Democrats!

[Dgscol]

Georgette Mosbacher is going to be on Lou Dobbs radio tomorrow.
She is the former wife of Robert Mosbacher, who is teaching the Third World how to economically develop correctly. She will be talking about limbering up John McCain, improving his appearance, among other things.

[Electrian]

'...club the baby seal to death!'

I love it !! God help me, I love it so.

[SteveOk]

According to Obama's website he got a net 5 more delegates than Clinton in the Texas Primary last Tuesday. With Obama expected to win in Wyoming and Mississippi in the coming week it looks like he will continue to lead in the delegate race and possibly increase his lead by even more than before Texas and Ohio.

Hillary is going to pay a heavy price for her scorched earth tactics (aka: clubbing the baby seal) approach. She will pay at the Democratic Convention where all hell will break loose if she obtains the nomination through backroom deals, and the general election with a divided Democratic Party. It is now very clear that she will not be able to unite the Democratic Party if she gets the nomination. Only Obama has the ability and charisma to unite the Party. If she gets the nomination a huge block of Democrats will vote for McCain or stay home.

McCain must be loving this scenario play out. You will either have a badly divided Democratic Party in the general election, or an inexperienced candidate like Obama. The Democrats are setting themselves up for a big fall in November.

[SteveOk]

If you notice the Hillary camp has been floating the rumor of a Clinton/Obama ticket in November. That is more a hope and prayer on their part. Clinton sees the handwriting on the wall now. If she gets the nomination she will not be able to unite the Party. Only Obama can do that. That's why she will desperately need him to be on the ticket.

[SteveOk]

Only the Clintons would have the gall to club the baby seal to death, then ask the baby seal to speak to the public and ask them to not be offended by the clubing. These people are bottom feeders.

[FK]

The Clintons are still severals steps up the food chain from George W. Bush. If the Clintons are "bottom feeders", then George W. Bush is the trash that gathers at the bottom of the pond, contaminating it and sickening all the other inhabitants.

[FK]

"God I HATE McLAME and the media who are propping up this dhimmicrat-in-repube-clothing!!"

Just a nice little Allah Schmallah quote, showing how full of hate he is.

Allah Schmallah, you are even more annoying on www.jihadwatch.org than you are here. Once you get started, you can't stop yourself, huh?

[Allah Schmallah]

hey Fred K-hole.. It's good to know that I am under your skin.

You are an islamo-fascist aren't you?

Alla snackbar to you!

[Allah Schmallah]

Keep scouring Jihadwatch. You might learn something. The KKKoran is a war manual. Nothing less.

And certainly nothing more.

[FK]

I have so much to learn from you, Allah Salmonella. Tell me more!

[Allah Schmallah]

I can tell that you are from one of those kook groups who keep hounding Michael Savage.

Why are you always on this blog?

I am getting very suspicious of you. You are more than the run-of-the-mill liEberal. You are some sort of an activist or something more sinister perhaps?

I got it now. You're working for SATAN herself. And she wants you to keep an eye on the Resistance.

[FK]

LOL. I don't even know who Michael Savage is!

Hmm. You are pretty smart guy. Maybe you are right. Maybe I am some activist and belong to some group. Maybe I work for Hillary and am specifically keeping an eye on you.

You have made me very suspicious of myself. Tell me more please!

[Allah Schmallah]

Fred "Special" H has an awful lot of time on his hands to stalk around Monicamemo and - by his own admission - Jihadwatch.

[Allah Schmallah]

Does anyone ever get this message:

We're sorry, your comment has not been published because TypePad's antispam filter has flagged it as potential comment spam. It has been held for review by the blog's author.

[FK]

I'm sorry. I was preoccupied reading "Das Kapital" and Hillary Clinton's campaign propaganda. Did you say something, Allah Salmonella?

[Allah Schmallah]

Too bad that Obama is deeply mired in moslem muck or else he could talk about Hitelry's SOWdi sponsors.

And he could talk about the rich moslems..

Fred, repeat after me: islam is not a race, islam is not a race, islam is not a race..

who are putting millions of dollars in Bill's pockets via contributions for his Presidential library.. [I wonder if Sandy Berger is allowed in there?] and for his America-bashing speaking engagements around the Gulf States.

So Obama cannot talk about these connections but Monica can.. and so can McCain.. ohh.. never mind...

Like I said, I wanted Rudy to be the one to answer that phone.

[FK]

Should I just say you are prejudiced so there's no trouble with semantics? I know you prejudge all Muslims.

[Allah Schmallah]

I don't prejudge anyone. But I do know the moslem way of thinking.

What about you, K.. would you have "prejudged" Nazis before and during the War?

The sad thing is that you liEberals just don't get it. And when the sh*t hits the fan.. who will be crying the loudest?

Yes, it will be you, the Quislings the Chamberlains.. the "thoughtful" "gentle" and "morally superior" people who stood strong against the "war monger" Churchill.

Aaaaarrrgghhh.. if only someone could teach them History!

[FK]

Nazism was a political way of thinking, friend. If someone chose to be a Nazi, that would have been a clear way of figuring out how what they believed politically.

I read a lot of history, friend. But I don't learn it from Ann Coulter and Fox News.