In Which We Intend To Create a Parallel America Where Our Mothers Can Be President

Moms Are Awesome

by Alex Carnevale

A closely contested Democratic nomination has come down to a precious few states, and Hillary Clinton is about to be on the outside looking in.

In what was a series of desperation moves this month, Hillary fired her longtime friend and strategist Patti Solis Doyle in favor of Maggie Williams , she met with John Edwards and openly said she’d give him a prominent post in her administration, and she found herself weeping again.

“Run” – Air (mp3)

If Hillary has an eye towards running again, she’ll be facing a far more difficult challenge than the biggest rising star in world politics. She will herself be 68 after two terms of Barack, probably too old to mount a campaign if health concerns are dogging this one.

If Hillary could go back in time, she probably would. Her leadership on an overwrought and poorly conceived health care proposal hasn’t really hurt her during this campaign season, but it should have. Her oft-quoted statement about the campaign being over by February 5th hurts badly now, and shows how her people thought this race would go.

As several people have put it, if running a large-scale campaign is a meaningful test of managerial ability, then only Obama’s passed it. Both the Clinton and McCain campaigns have, at one point, run entirely out of money. But that’s not Hillary’s problem.

She’s not an inspirational person, and as someone put it to me yesterday, “Black people in America are in need of a lot more inspiration than women in America.” Unfair? Perhaps, but probably true. When it comes to inspiring identity politics, Clinton seems to be the candidate of choice. When it comes to inspiring the rest of us to take our clothes off, Obama gets it done.

“Fleur de Lis” – Cue (mp3)

“Quitter vs Feel So Sad (DJ Obama remix)” – Eminem feat. Spiritualized (mp3)

Despite some of the things I have written in this space, I like Hillary Clinton, certainly more than I do her asshole of a husband. Not everyone is destined for the presidency. It is a wearying and difficult job, and I don’t think there is really any way of preparing yourself.

Would a Hillary transition be easier? Of course, but a good manager is a good manager, and Obama has the advantage of not owing a bedroom to every Turkish anti-semite to donate to his campaign. Then again, Hillary does have Ugly Betty.

There is an overpowering sense that this is the Democrats’ election to lose. As George Stephanopoulus noted recently, the recession party has never won in American politics.

Last time the Democrats had power they faced a revitalized and charismatic conversative moment epitomized by Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America. The intense nature of the Clinton hatred led to gridlock, and there is nothing the American people like less than the appearance of inaction, even when it may be the proper course.

I think the great mistake of the Hillary campaign was in thinking that they had to warm her up. She’s a cold confident leader, that much we already divest from a moment with her. But the idea that her entire being is calculated is unshakable. They might have ran with that. Her sad statement this week that if this were a job interview, she’d be the top candidate may have been a campaign misstep, but at least it’s a theme.

To really stop Obama now, she has to make the case for herself.

Alex Carnevale is the editor of This Recording.

CAMPAIGN LINKS FOR THE KIDS

Josh Green’s classic piece about the gory insides of the Clinton campaign

Democrats don’t care when blacks are deprived of the vote

America’s three worst presidents

Talking Points Memo on Republicans educating their own about how to attack Barack

Obama talks to Edwards

This kinda says it all:

Real Clear Politics is the best

Bill gives Obama supporter a facial

The Corner is the best political blog there is

PREVIOUSLY ON THIS RECORDING

Sports Illustrated swimsuit mixtape.

Emily Haines and the hard turtle exoskeleton.

A private dictatorship of TMNT.