Hillary reaching out to Obama?

[Opinion] Hillary seems ready to cut a deal behind the scenes but dares Obama defy his fans?

- an updated version of the one published by OhMyNews International:
"Hillary Seems to be Reaching Out to Obama"

Several facts and rumorus indicate that Hillary Clinton has seen the writing on the wall and is reaching out to Obama to cut a deal behind the curtains. However, her main problem may be that American tradition and a credulous demonising of her will lead to Obama saying no to his detriment because of fear of his own supporters.

Can Hillary be selected as VP and does she want to?
I believe that Hillary wants to but she may also be open for taking up a position as Foreign Secretary or the first female Secratary of the Treasury if it is announced at the Convention as I suggested in my earlier op-ed, ”Congratulations Obama ? now give the US a Black President”.

Hillary has demanded a drastic cut of spending from her campaign staff, something that goes not only against her character as a fighter but also against previous action such as constant lending of millions of dollars to her own campaign ever since March to keep herself in play right up to primaries in North Carolina and Indiana.

E.g. the New York Times today runs an article called "Short of Cash, Clinton Is Forced to Cut Spending" . Hillary with a personal fortune of $100m+ is short of cash? She's put in between $5m and $10m, but now she won't come up with the last million? My foot! As their faces showed on the election evening in Indiana all three Clintons know it's over.

Secondly, she allegedly dropped campaigning on May 8 tomeet with super delegates, a risky thing to do if you really want to win the next primary in only few days. Rumouralso has it that it now is the VP post she's going for, and that is the only thing that makes it logical for her to not yet concede her defeat, probably combined with the innate stubbornness and the things that made her keep running after February 5th in the first place: The fact that she and and Obama have been running very close, are appealing to different groups of the electorate and the many chances of a comeback actually seized so that Obama truly secured his victory in the nick of time.

The question is whether Obama will and dares to say yes to her. The other question is whether such a compromise can be hammered out so that the Clinton voters feel that their more than 47% of delegates and votes has not been totally run over. In my previous op-ed, , I presented a sensible compromise and the reasons for it, but let me reveal here that the main argument is that such a compromise is much likely to be simply necessary to beat McCain.

The obstacles
If you look at public opinion in the US as conveyed by media, bloggers and commentary Hillary has been cast as the most wicked witch since the Scarlet-letter episode in Salem in the 17th Century while Mr Obama is as clean as a choir boy ... Both views are pretty naive. Furthermore, not long ago everybody were enthused that the Democratic party and probably the country as a whole was spoiled for choice with both a black and a woman candidate having a real shot at the presidency. What happened?

First of all, the US system of voting - usually between two candidates with the principle of ”winner takes all” and "to the victor the spoils" - creates a polarising atmosphere that may make people unable to view things calmly and for even professional politicians to talk themselves and their supporters away from each other, also within the same party. No matter how much it needs unity against its real opposition.

The American media also has stooped to a level of reporting where they seem to be prepared to purport any rumour no matter how ridiculous. Combined with a large part of the establishment that has hated the Clintons ever since Bill's re-election in 1996 it has paved the way for making people the believe the most incredible things.

Credulous Clinton-bashing
It is worth noting that the worst comments on Hillary seem to come from people that pride themselves very much of being "real Americans" and highly enthusiastic political activists. Honestly, I think it is sometimes best not to be too close to a fight lest you want to be hopelessly embroiled in it.

Not only do some people actually believe that Bill was being racist when he called Obama "the kid" because he really was thinking of ”boy”, an allegation spread by - the Obama campaign. How then do you explain that Bill has called himself "the comeback kid" since 1992? Would they have rather have him call Obama ”a baby”? He was hinting at Obama's youth and lack of experience, quite simply, but the Obama campaign had an interest in calling him a racist and mobilize the black voters.

If the Clinton campaign was proven to have spread a picture of Obama in Somali clothes (on a visit as a senator) it would have been the worst own goal since Watergate. Not only would she alienate the black caucus so they at least would stay at home if she won the nomination, but te voters she might attract by suhc stupid manoeuvre would be people that always vote Republican!

Nonetheless, many Americans believed the right-wing Republican blogger Matt Drudge - not really the most impartial of sources - when he claimed that he got the picture as well as the accusation against Obama for being a ”closet-Muslim” from the Clinton campaign. No other source has confirmed it. The ”closet-Muslim” allegation has been spread by right-wing bloggers ever since the autumn of 2007. Do those rumour most benefit and energize voters for the Democrats or the Republicans? Or to use the age-old question: Qui bono? Whom does this benefit?

In the debate about my op-ed mentioned above a comment was that if Hillary was made VP she would only work to undermine Obama so she could take over in 2012. Right, Hillary would destroy the policies of an administration of which she would be a key member and naturally in particular those she had the most say over which would those falling under her own domain? And then after being a disastrous key part of a failed administration she would try run not only for political office, but for president? Get real!

Plain paranoia
Finally, let me mention my favourite: The renowned Liberal blogger Spencer Ackerman said on Danish television in a special interview on February 25th that some Obama supporters were convinced that Hillary only stayed in the race because she wanted to damage Obama and make him lose to McCain so she could run against McCain in 2012 -!

This must be the peak of first-rate paranoia against a second person on a third person's behalf! If people will believe that they will believe anything! And if enough US progressives really do believe such nonsense they more or less deserve to stumble into a McCain presidency ...