While I deplore the way the Clintons behaved in the Democratic primary, I think I understand their thinking. Bear with me for a second here...
Bill Clinton is enough of a political genius to have foreseen that Americans still have enough hatred in them to prevent Obama from winning. The Hillary campaign couldn't afford to say that outright, so they had to base their attempts to defeat Obama on the experience issue. With some effort, I can bring myself to believe that the Clintons thought they were doing what was best for this country. If one believes that the Democrats MUST win this election, then we have to consider that the Clintons might just have been justified - at least in their own minds - in going to great extremes to beat a candidate that they believed could not win.
Sadly, they may turn out to be right, but now that the primary is over they have no choice but to throw the full force of their political will into helping Obama win. We don't need to hear any more about the historic nature of her candidacy. We don't need to hear more about the cracked glass ceiling. All we need to hear is something along these lines: "I appreciate the passionate support of so many Americans. If, however, you truly believe in the issues that I've been fighting for my whole life - issues which include the rights of women - you must immediately channel that passion into electing Barack Obama. If, as I've been told, there are actually supporters of mine out there who are promising to vote for John McCain, I must be straightforward with you. You are being foolish. You are diminishing our cause. You are threatening to hurt women, children, working people, the uninsured, the poor, the middle-class, white, black, and latino. I hereby disavow you, your support, and your childish temper tantrums. No supporter of mine would ever - EVER - vote for John McCain."
Hilary must shock America with her speech tonight and place her supporters, by force, if necessary, in line behind Barack Obama. Nothing less will do.
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