Performance Art

Do not think of what Hillary Clinton is doing as a political campaign; it’s art.

Performance art: part Richard Nixon, part Harold Stassen, part Christo, part Nicholson’s Joker, part bullfight, 1 part Tonya Harding.

Of course she is not going to win the nomination. And, while the extended run of the 20 year Bill & Hillary Show might help John McCain, there’s nothing we can do about that. As Brooks wrote, “Clinton’s long rear-guard action is the logical extension of her relentlessly political life.”

Let us enjoy it for what it is: a political theater of the absurd; ambition and narcissism tothe Nth degree; a three-month long train wreck. Every day brings a new spin, another removal from reality. It’s an excellent show, with a great cast: Hillary and Bill in the lead, a supporting cast of Mark Penn, Harold Ickes, Howard Wolfson, the dutiful daughter Chelsea, etc. And there are the critics, and the cheerleaders from the sidelines.

The show will go on for another few months. Mark Halperin reported:

Clinton suggests at Greensburg, Pennsylvania presser that she’s not going anywhere until all the states have voted:

“I think that what we have to wait and see is what happens in the next three months. There’s been a lot of talk about what if, what if, what if. Let’s wait until we get some facts…Over the next months millions of people are going to vote. And we should wait and see the outcome of those votes.”

Three more months (at least) of what is sure to be one of the legends of American political history: The Clintons’ Doomed Last Hurrah: from the Iowa Hill-a-copter, to the tears in the Diner, to the shredding of their legacy with the African-American community, to the denunciation of states that don’t count, to the latest shifting rationale, … for … well, for whatever it is. Punctuated by moments of surrealistic “comebacks” and “momentum.” The balloons will fall after Pennsylvania; the chattering classes will opine; and a few days later the long, inexorable slide will continue. Big Tent Democrat will rail; HotAir will hoot; Sully will exult. James Carville will unapologetically insult and smear and smirk. Donna Brazile will surgically enlarge a few orifices. Again! (I love that woman.)

These are all priceless moments that we are privileged to watch. Our grandkids might ask us “Where were you during the Clinton-Dammerung?” Will there be a Nixonian “Last Press Conference?”

So, why would anyone want this to end? It is the greatest reality show ever.

  1. Hillary is the bull, not the matador. [↩]

Comments

  1. Redhand wrote:

    Let’s hope there’s lots more where the “Hillary in Tusla” Four Pinnochios video came from. (Hey, I’m dyin’ out here, I’m dyin!”)

    Posted 25 Mar 2008 at 9:58 pm

  2. a former european wrote:

    Technically speaking, in your matador analogy, Hillary should be a cow. Bill was the (ever-so-randy) bull. Perhaps Bill envisioned himself as Zeus, and in keeping with his olympian lust, felt the need to copulate with mortal women at every opportunity. Although my classical mythology is a little hazy since college, didn’t Zeus have at Io or Europa in the form of a bull?

    Anyway, Hillary would make a great Hera — the embittered, cheated-upon wife who always sought her vengeance upon Zeus’ paramours rather than upon Zeus himself. For those better versed in the classics, did a “vast, right-wing conspiracy” exist in ancient Greece?

    Also, don’t forget she opposes our war in Babylonia, even though she supports our hoplites stationed there.

    Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 1:03 am

  3. Pigilito wrote:

    She seems to be willing to go to any lengths. I wouldn’t count her out just yet. There are plenty of people who look at Obama’s association with Rev. Wright and shudder. She will hammer that association and watch Obama’s poll numbers drop. If she wins Pennsylvania and the majority of the next primaries, she can go to super delagates with a compelling argument.

    I don’t know that it matters too much to her that she’ll disgust a good part of reliable democratic voters. In her and Bill’s mind there will be time enough to mend those fences.

    The important thing is to win the nomination, whatever the cost. Each crisis must be overcome, and at some point things will work out seems to be the Clinton modus vivendi. So why change what obviously works?

    AFE: I think the Hera analogy is spot on. She rarely punished Zeus, but the mortal women paid in full for Zeus’ transgressions.

    Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 8:45 am

  4. Stephen wrote:

    Pigilito,

    If Obama gets run over by a bus … “she can go to the super delegates with a compelling argument.”

    AFE,

    “hoplites in Babylonia,” .. Good one!

    Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 9:26 am

  5. David C. wrote:

    I wouldn’t count her out yet. It is going to be up to the superdelegates. Her argument is going to be that she won the big states and the purple states that are critical to the Democrats chances. Plus she will make the electability argument, say that Michigan and Florida delegates should count, and who knows what else. I know it would be a disaster for Democrats if Hillary somehow gets the nomination and it appears Obama was screwed out of it. But I don’t overestimate the intelligence of the Democratic Party leaders.

    Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 10:43 am

  6. Pigilito wrote:

    Stephen,

    I know I’m overly worried about Hillary’s chances. However, should she win the majority of remaining delegates, and should Obama fail to make headway with blue collar voters, she will be able to make her case on electability. At that point there will be very little separating them, and a pledged delegate lead of 120 or so will be little more than a fig leaf for Obama’s supporters to stand behind. God forbid that that scenario comes to pass, but I see it as a real possibility.

    Way off topic: My family and I are back in the states and are considering a summer vacation up in the Finger Lakes region. I recall you posting on your trips up there but haven’t found any (nor can I find your email address to ask you privately). Can you recommend a lake and a place that rents cottages?

    Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 1:48 pm

  7. Stephen wrote:

    We vacation in the Adirondacks, which is in upstate NY, but not really near the Finger Lakes.

    For ten years, we have been staying at the Ampersand Bay Boat Club & Resort in Saranac Lake. If you are ever in the Adirondacks, I recommend it.

    Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 2:03 pm

  8. libarbarian wrote:

    The problem with Hillary’s “electability” is that, with McCain as the GOP candidate, she isn’t electable anymore - at least when o

    . She has spent over a year building her brand as the “national security” candidate in the Democratic primary and telling voters that they should vote for “experience” and “security” over all other concerns. It is practically impossible to rebrand your candidacy in 2 short months before the general election. She can’t turn around and say “Nevermind all that stuff I said about experience in national security being the most important qualification for a presidential candidate. I really meant that the healthcare agenda is much more important than national security. Vote for me because even though McCain makes me look like a rank newbie when it comes to Security and foreign policy, I have a better healthcare plan than he does”.

    She will TRY to do this and “New-Hillary” will fail more horribly than New-Coke.

    Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 2:56 pm

  9. David C. wrote:

    The problem with Hillary’s “electability” is that, with McCain as the GOP candidate, she isn’t electable anymore

    I definitely agree. As a McCain supporter I would much prefer to see Hillary as the Democratic nominee. Obama has his weaknesses, but his strengths outweigh them in my opinion. Obama has the speaking ability, appealing message, and broad-based energized support that even includes some disgruntled Republicans. Hillary has little more than traditional party loyalists (and Obama has some of them anyway).I think Democrats would be crazy to pick Hillary over Obama. But I’m not sure the superdelegates will see it that way at the convention.

    Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 3:09 pm

  10. John the Marine wrote:

    The Rev. Wright situation (which has caused me to loose most of my respect for Sen. Obama) is hurting Obama now but with his political abilities and Hillary’s un-lovable persona he will recover in short order. I never understood the Clinton’s electability argument, it has been quite clear for a long time that Obama is much more electable than she is. The only consolation for me as an Anti-Liberal is that McCain has the best chance (a slim chance but a plausible one none the less) of winning against Obama.

    Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 7:56 pm

  11. Pigilito wrote:

    Stephen @ 7, Thanks. For some reason I thought it was the Finger Lakes.

    Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 9:39 pm

  12. Dreggas wrote:

    As a democrat I personally am enjoying watching the Clintons’ self-destruct. It’s a train wreck in slow motion and while part of me screams “please make it stop” there’s a part of me that loves seeing them exposed for what they are and were.

    Stephen: What part of the Adriondacks do/did you go to?

    As for Obama and Wright. It has its plusses and minuses. For me his speech was spot on and I was massively impressed with his reference to the resentment that some whites feel with regard to not feeling that they’re privileged etc. He also didn’t back down or run away, let alone throw wright under the bus. If I agreed with everything my minister (when I was younger) said, I’d still be a christian. I judge people more by how they act, not how those around them act.

    Posted 27 Mar 2008 at 12:10 pm

  13. Stephen wrote:

    Dreggas,

    We go to Saranac Lake, which is ten miles west of Lake Placid.

    Yeah, whatever Wright said, no one seriously believes that Obama “hates America” or whatever. It’s a chance to score some points, and Obama will have deal with it. So far, he’s done about as well as anyone could.

    Posted 27 Mar 2008 at 1:13 pm

  14. Dreggas wrote:

    Stephen,

    I grew up in the Adirondacks in Saratoga County, near the Sacandaga. Saranac is well known down there for their beer now. LOL

    Posted 27 Mar 2008 at 6:16 pm

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