Diabolic quest for power!

I am quite concerned about the path Hillary Clinton is taking, now that she has lost the majority of pledged delegates to Barrack Obama in the race for nomination of the Democratic Party. Many pundits in the Main Stream Media (MSM) appear puzzled why she still continues her campaign -- that too with debts over 20 million dollars. To me it is quite clear. Hillary Clinton still has a chance to pull off the nomination, and she knows how to. The reality is that over the years, the Clintons have established strong relationships with a significant number of the super-delegates who will still vote for her if there is any reason to justify it. (The delay of the remaining super-delegates to come out and support Obama, now the elections are almost over, is an ominous sign). In short, it will be big mistake for Hillary to give up, and announce her support to Obama once the primaries are over on June 3^rd. She somehow has to hold on to her delegates till the convention. How is she going to do it? It is simple. Keep fighting for the seating of Michigan and Florida delegates who were disqualified for breaking the sequence elections dictated by the Democratic Party. Many believe that a compromise will be worked out on May 30^th when the Democratic Rules Committee meets to review the matter, and Hillary would still lose as the numbers still will not add up to beat Obama. But I think her strategy will be not to accept any compromise, and insist on the full seating of the delegates, which nobody will agree. She will keep appealing the decision of the Rules Committee (via courts if necessary). This will keep her campaign alive until the convention, which starts at the end of August. As a result, we will have a ‘brokered convention’ with the Super-delegates determining who gets the nomination. Any slip up or mistakes by Obama by this time will be blown out of proportion, and Hillary will come in as the ‘White Knight’ to get the nod from the Super-delegates as the nominee of the Democratic Party. Of course, this can destroy the party and give the election to John McCain, the Republican. But she does not care. This is her only chance for Presidency, and she is not going to give it up!

It is OK as long as you do not do it!

I am happy to hear the ruling by the Texas court today saying that the child welfare authorities had no right to separate the children from the mothers who were rescued from a polygamist’s ranch. It all started with a phone call by a teenager in the ranch, who complained about her being forced to marry an old man in their community. Without bothering to investigate the matter further, the authorities moved in and removed everyone from the ranch. (I doubt if they have even found the girl who made the complaint!). Anyway, once that is done, why remove the children, many babies, from their mothers, and dump them in some orphanage or foster home? Is that for the best interest of the children, or just to calm the outrage of the public (who pictures every teenager there being raped by crazy old men)?

Pornography is a thriving multi billion-dollar industry in USA with millions of customers. But in this country, there is a paranoia and over reaction to anything with a whiff of sex. During the last few years, a President was impeached, and a Governor was forced to resign when their shenanigans with a consenting adult, mind you, were revealed.

(Here is another example of the obsession about the sex lives of others - the trial of musician R. Kelly. The funny thing is that the supposed victim refuses the validate the accusation. Still the case continues!)

Float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee!

Looks like Senator John McCain is getting some sharp blows from Barrack Obama in response to his efforts to paint Obama as a candidate who is inexperienced and weak to protect USA. Although Obama’s statements are reasoned and carefully worded, they tend to carry a sting which must be making McCain wince (‘has lost his bearings’, ‘naïve and irresponsible belief’ etc.). This is an attribute of Obama we seldom saw in his race against Hillary Clinton who threw everything, including the proverbial kitchen sink, at him. Come to think of it, there is a good explanation for it. Obama knew that against Hillary, he had to avoid coming across as a person who bullies a woman, or as an ‘angry black’ -- either of which would have doomed his appeal to the general population. Now as the nominee of the Democratic Party, he is free to take his gloves off. If the ‘Rethugicans’ think they can get away with the type of the ‘below the belt’ attacks they launched against Al Gore and John Kerry, they have a surprise coming. (In fact, the Democrats crave for a candidate who can give it back the same way they get it).

(By the way, Hillary Clinton has gone completely off the news media now-a-days. Nobody covers her. I miss seeing her in a new designer outfit every day, fighting for the common folks!)

Shut your mouth after the sale is made!

I was thinking how close Barrack Obama came to losing the nomination of Democratic Party for U.S. President. Just three or four days before the May 6^th primaries in Indiana and North Carolina, he was hemorrhaging badly. Reverend Jeremiah Wright had damaged him with his foolish and provoking statements, and the Main Stream Media (MSM) was going crazy with it. There were concerns about him being too 'elite' and out of touch with the working people. His popularity had plummeted. He looked tired and dispirited, while a newly energized Hillary with her ‘fighting for the common man’ theme, shone in daily news clips on T.V. Hillary lead in polls to win Indiana by eight to nine points, and had narrowed the gap in North Carolina from 20 points to single digits. After his losses in big states Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania, a poor performance in Indiana and North Carolina would have validated the concern that Obama is not 'electable' in the fall against John McCain, the Republican. ‘Obama crashes!’ would have been the headlines everywhere after the May 6th primary. The election in West Virginia next week with Hillary winning with over 30% majority, would have raised matters to a fever pitch. The uncommitted Super-delegates (about 300 of them) would have gotten the reason they have been waiting for to vote for Hillary. In short, everything was set for a perfect storm for Hillary to win the nomination. So, what does Hillary do? She decides to throw in one more punch at the falling Obama. She vehemently defends her proposal to remove gas tax, painting Obama’s opposition to it as another example of him not understanding the travails of the common people (‘Thirty dollars is a significant amount for people who count every penny!’). Obama defends his position, explaining why Hillary’s proposal is pure pandering as the gas companies and suppliers would simply raise their prices to fill the gap of no gas tax. The newspapers and political commentators support Obama as being honest, and the Wright controversy disappears from the media. Hillary continues to defend her position, even calling all economists who do not support her plan, as 'elitists', giving Obama good company. Obama cites Hillary’s stand as an example of ‘old Washington politics’ where politicians will say anything to get the votes. People finally catch on to things, and feel that Hillary, who already has a reputation of saying anything to get votes, is manipulating them. Result? Hillary gets thrashed in North Carolina, and wins Indiana only by a squeaker. Obama proves that he is winnable despite of all the controversy, and MSM crowns him as presumptive nominee. The focus turns on to the coming Obama McCain race, while Hillary lamely continues her campaign (under careful scrutiny by the Democratic Party leaders who do not want her to say anything to damage their eventual nominee Obama!)

If only Hillary had kept her mouth shut during the last few days of the Indiana and North Carolina primaries, she could have won the whole thing. ‘Shut your mouth after the sale is made’, is a Sales 101 lesson. Hillary and her advisors obviously forgot it, and have paid the price!

What is the delay for the fat lady to sing?

I am bothered at slowness of the ‘super-delegates’ in coming out in favor of Barack Obama, now it has been established that he is going to have the majority of pledged delegates won, popular votes, and states won. There is a lot of hand wringing about Hillary Clinton still continuing in the race, damaging Obama's chances against John McCain. The easiest way to stop this is for the remaining super-delegates to come out and announce their support for Obama, thereby giving him the absolute majority of 2025 votes. So, what is the delay? My feeling is that most of these uncommitted super delegates are ‘closet Clinton supporters’. They are just waiting for a reason to vote for Hillary. Still hoping and praying!