February 6, 2008 [LINK / comment]
It wasn't until this morning that I learned about Obama's narrow victory in Missouri, and New Mexico is still too close to call. Tim Russert pointed out the virtual dead heat between Obama and Clinton in both popular vote and delegate totals, which is truly extraordinary. The race will almost certainly go on for at least a few more weeks, providing plenty of opportunities for the two candidates to get nasty during debates. The thing is, there are no major disputes over issues or philosophies between the two Democratic candidates, and I expect they will reconcile and unite well before the fall campaign begins.
On the Republican side, McCain's big-state victories got him to within striking distance of the nomination, but it won't do any good as far as bringing the party's right wing on board. In the Virginia blogosphere, for example, Leslie Carbone slams McCain as "Unfit to be President," based primarily on his hot temper. Well, he's not unique in that regard. Like Rush Limbaugh, she seems to prefer a victory by Democrats to a win by a moderate in her own party. I guess party loyalty doens't count for as much as it used to. Andrew Sullivan can barely contain his glee at the election results and asks, "Is The GOP Self-Destructing?" Well, duh-h!
It is tough getting used to the idea of McCain carrying the party's banner in the fall campaign. A blog called Watchman's Words (via Instapundit) offers "Five Stages of Voting in the Republican Primary," which almost applies to me. Ouch!
WaPo columnist Harold Meyerson writes that the results constitute a "Repudiation of Rove," and for once I have to agree with him, at least in part. He is right to blame the right wing for its embrace of amoral campaign tactics, but he is wrong to link this to conservatism as an agenda or as a philosophy. The "exhaustion of conservatism" that he claims would more aptly be described as the "perversion of conservatism" by party activists lacking in education.
I recently heard on the radio that the Citizens United group headed by David Bossie was paying for TV ads attacking John McCain. After checking, I learned from the Sunday Times that it's true. A few months ago I made a small contribution to Citizens United with the understanding that the money would be used for a movie expose on Hillary Clinton, and they have been pestering me for more cash ever since. Now I find out they are abetting the civil war within the Republican Party. I want my money back.