Hillary supporters are claiming that the cover up of John Edwards' affair with Rielle Hunter may have cost her the nomination. Excuse me while I laugh uncontrollably!
I am back now and I did have a great laugh. I believe there is some truth to the assertion that Edwards took votes from Senator Clinton, but it is hilarious. Think about it; Hillary is married to Bill Clinton. Hillary and Bill cannot utter any criticisms about Edwards having an affair and lying about it. Bill Clinton could hold seminars for men who want to cheat on a spouse and lie about it.
Hillary is in a no win situation. She stayed with Bill after his infidelity. Her husband was not a nominee when he had an affair and lied about it; he was the man in the White House. It is literally impossible for her to complain about votes Edwards received after his indiscretions. Even her former campaign manager did not argue that point with any degree of enthusiasm.
A valid point is that this story was floating around in November, 2007. All of the campaigns and news reporters knew about the affair. The Clinton campaign was between a rock and a hard place and could say nothing because of Bill's promiscuous lifestyle.
None of the other campaigns had anything to gain by exposing Edwards. It would give more votes to Hillary. They all knew John Edwards was not a serious contender in the long run, so they were happy to see him get votes that would otherwise go to Clinton. Did he get enough votes to take the nomination from her? No one really knows, but it is a strong possibility.
There is one thing of which we can be certain; Hillary cannot complain now without starting a war that Barack will win. The millions of women who support her and do not like Obama can relate to the similarities between John Edwards and Bill Clinton, and they do not like those similarities. Hillary wants Barack to lose in 2008 so she can run in 2012. Inserting an infidelity debate into the mix now will risk driving a significant number of her supporters to Barack. Minimizing the Bill Clinton factor is a constant battle for her campaign and it keeps Hillary walking a tightrope..
Hillary has to play the hand she was dealt. The stage is set for her and Bill to control the second and third nights at the convention, leaving one night to Obama. Hillary will give a mediocre endorsement of Barack Obama on night two of the convention. On night three Bill Clinton may not even give an endorsement to the Senator from Illinois. We can be certain that Bill and Hillary will talk a lot about Hillary's eighteen million supporters. In the end, Barack will leave the convention with a nomination. Hillary will leave with the win and will start planning her campaign in 2012.
John McCain has the credentials to be President but he does not have the mental awareness to serve the country for four years. He is a great American hero whose time has come and gone. If he wins it will be because Hillary supporters vote for him. Immediately after her concession to Barack Obama, Hillary could have gone to McCain, formed an alliance and run as his Vice President. She would be elected and would become Commander In Chief before the end of McCain's first term. Would McCain have entertained this idea? Yes! Remember, he and Hillary actually do like each other.
Would Hillary's pride let her change parties in order to be elected? This columnist believes she would. However, the Republican Party wants nothing to do with Bill Clinton. He would be left off of the appearance schedule for the campaign; a strategy he would resist. He is a problem for Hillary, but one she can handle.
Bill Clinton can and will help Hillary kill Obama's chance to live in the house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. He will help her because he knows it will help him get to live in that house again. Hillary will use Bill to help with the sabotage of Barack Obama then keep him on a very short leash with respect to her 2012 campaign. She cannot afford to divorce him. He is vindictive and can speak to the skeletons in her closet. She has plenty of skeletons and Bill can douse her hopes for the Presidency. She has to help him preserve his legacy.
So, Hillary needs to settle in and take a huge win from the convention. Barack Obama cannot win without her supporters and she will stop short of giving them to him. The Clinton's convention message will be unmistakable; vote for Hillary in 2012. The only risk factor is who McCain will pick to take over for him during his first term. That person will be her opponent in 2012 and could have time to establish himself or herself in the Oval Office, depending on how long McCain's health allows him to sit in the chair.
All that said, yes, Edwards lied and because he lied he probably did cost Hillary enough votes to lose the nomination but that is politics. She is going to put a knife into the back of Barack Obama and that too is politics. Her plan to get into the White House in 2008 failed, but the Clinton's never give up. They will kick off a very aggressive campaign for 2012 at the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver.
