NYT, Paul Krugman: Hate Springs Eternal

[DeepModem Mom]

Hate Springs Eternal
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: February 11, 2008

....The bitterness of the fight for the Democratic nomination is, on the face of it, bizarre. Both candidates still standing are smart and appealing. Both have progressive agendas (although I believe that Hillary Clinton is more serious about achieving universal health care, and that Barack Obama has staked out positions that will undermine his own efforts). Both have broad support among the party’s grass roots and are favorably viewed by Democratic voters. Supporters of each candidate should have no trouble rallying behind the other if he or she gets the nod.

Why, then, is there so much venom out there?

I won’t try for fake evenhandedness here: most of the venom I see is coming from supporters of Mr. Obama, who want their hero or nobody. I’m not the first to point out that the Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality. We’ve already had that from the Bush administration — remember Operation Flight Suit? We really don’t want to go there again.

What’s particularly saddening is the way many Obama supporters seem happy with the application of “Clinton rules” — the term a number of observers use for the way pundits and some news organizations treat any action or statement by the Clintons, no matter how innocuous, as proof of evil intent. The prime example of Clinton rules in the 1990s was the way the press covered Whitewater. A small, failed land deal became the basis of a multiyear, multimillion-dollar investigation, which never found any evidence of wrongdoing on the Clintons’ part, yet the “scandal” became a symbol of the Clinton administration’s alleged corruption.

During the current campaign, Mrs. Clinton’s entirely reasonable remark that it took L.B.J.’s political courage and skills to bring Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream to fruition was cast as some kind of outrageous denigration of Dr. King. And the latest prominent example came when David Shuster of MSNBC, after pointing out that Chelsea Clinton was working for her mother’s campaign — as adult children of presidential aspirants often do — asked, “doesn’t it seem like Chelsea’s sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?” Mr. Shuster has been suspended, but as the Clinton campaign rightly points out, his remark was part of a broader pattern at the network.

I call it Clinton rules, but it’s a pattern that goes well beyond the Clintons. For example, Al Gore was subjected to Clinton rules during the 2000 campaign: anything he said, and some things he didn’t say (no, he never claimed to have invented the Internet), was held up as proof of his alleged character flaws.

For now, Clinton rules are working in Mr. Obama’s favor. But his supporters should not take comfort in that fact.

For one thing, Mrs. Clinton may yet be the nominee — and if Obama supporters care about anything beyond hero worship, they should want to see her win in November.

For another, if history is any guide, if Mr. Obama wins the nomination, he will quickly find himself being subjected to Clinton rules. Democrats always do....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/opinion/11krugman.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[emilyg]

1. Thanks. This was just posted recently.

[aquart]

2. I've always adored this man.

Clearly, I was not wrong.

[cellphone]

9. He's a great one

Always accurate.

[ToughLuck]

3. At least he admits up front its a crock of biased junk..nice try though Kruggy

[SoDesuKa]

4. What's Behind Door Number One?

Yes, there's some uncertainty when you vote for Obama. He might turn out to be a lousy choice for Chief Executive. No doubt about it, there's some risk in choosing Door Number One.

On the other hand, we know what a disappointment Hillary has been as a senator from a blue state. If we assume it's likely that she will continue to take more or less the same positions as president, then we can guess what's behind Door Number Two - a lot of disappointment.

Frankly, I'm an optimist. I'd rather go with the unknown for the possibility of a bigger payout. Hillary's big selling point is that you know what you're getting, but that's also her biggest drawback. As a presidential candidate she just doesn't interest me.

I voted for Obama without looking back. If Hillary is the nominee, I'll go third party. To hell with excuses.

[Dan]

5. I'm sorry, I don't know what a disappointment Hillary has been

as a Senator from a blue state. Care to enlighten me?

[pnwmom]

7. She received more than 60% of the votes in her re-election to the Senate.

Guess he thinks he knows more than her constituents.

[pnwmom]

6. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. n/t

[GoreVidalIsGod]

8. More sour grapes from one of Hillary's supporters.

[buckeyechick1]

10. racist politics in san antonio???

san antonio and south texas big returns for clinton. obama did
a great job, but hillary really pushed hard on the latino
vote. i think they both would be embarrassed and shocked to
see the racist political view of some (hopefully not many!).
one is to too many for me! ck out this newsletter that
comments on local county politics
with this little tidbit... 

...are old fashioned Bexar County warriors who are not owned
by anybody.  It scares folks that Watts is hiring Brent like
he is some migrant worker who is going to pick his fruit or
cut his yard.  Mario is simply the light skinned kid who is
going to do the accounting and make sure his boss Watts has
his tea served at 3pm.  This makes the ladies furious. They
know this game because they have cut off a few _____ over the
years to get what they want.  
 

I suspect Brent and Mario are close to getting a family jewel
adjustment at the hands of JoAnn.  Just you watch.  One way or
the other, there will be hell to pay for crossing JoAnn.  If I
were Mario or Brent, I'd watch the first Godfather movie to
get taste of your future.  They are going to LOSE even if they
win the election.  Why?  You do not cross these ladies because
they have decades of connections and markers to be called in. 
You can't expect to raid the party so it will have shiny
computers without paying MAMA some respect.  You have to pay
your dues to the establishment.  Mario wants to have it all,
but this is not the way it works in Bexar County.  

this is so sad... here is the link to the newsletter. scroll
down to 'the republicrat.'
http://www.southtexasrepublicans.com/newsletters/newsletter_template_3_04.htm