"I Am Vetted"

Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane in Iowa: "Gee, Hillary. Not even SuperBill can save us now!"


Yesterday, Hillary Clinton, faced with the polls showing her nine points behind Barack Obama in Iowa and her leads slipping away in New Hampshire and South Carolina, appeared before the press to make her case why she should get the Democratic nomination. Her main theme? "I am vetted. I am tested." Did she mean that she has a long track record of political experience, managerial experience or legislative accomplishments? Well, no. What she is referring to is the fact that she has been the target of attacks from those mean old Republicans for years and has managed to survive. Great! So has Barbara Streisand (one of her biggest supporters). At least she didn't claim to have "gravitas".

Concurrently, her erstwhile husband, Bill, has declared that at this point, it would be a "miracle" for Hillary to win in Iowa. The reason? It's all the fault of the media for focusing on her disastrous answer to the debate question on drivers licenses for illegal aliens. The news media??!!? You mean the Republican-controlled news media? The Republican controlled New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, CNN, NBC, CBS, and ABC? C'mon, Bill! You know darn well that most of the news media is pulling for Hillary to go all the way. It's time for the Clintons to pull out the victim card again. Blame everybody but Hillary herself.

What I think (hopefully) is happening here is that, after all these years, even Democrats are starting to see through Hillary Clinton and realize that she is a vapid, ruthless empty pants suit. Maybe Democrats in Iowa are starting to view her in the same light as 4 years ago when Howard Dean and his northeastern manner swept through Iowa and destoyed his candidacy in the process.

Let me tell you what Hillary's greatest hope for reclaiming the lead and winning the nomination is. As I sit here typing and watching Barack Obama's speech in Waterloo, Iowa, I have to believe that voters will similarly catch on to Obama. How can one man talk so much and say so little? He has a great speaking style, but no specifics. Lots of platitudes, but no substance, no plan. The man is a carnival barker-a man who will talk his way through your front door- but talk his way out the back door. Most people will eventually catch on to that. If they do early enough, then Hillary may get back some lost ground. Probably, however, any support that Obama loses will go to John (Two Americas) Edwards.

This promises to be an interesting race after all instead of the expected coronation. It should be fun with lots of treats (for us) ahead.