Monday, January 28, 2008

Family feud?

That was quit a performance this afternoon at American University, where Ted Kennedy, flanked by his Congressman son and Caroline Kennedy Schlosberg, gave a good-old-fashioned thumper of a speech throwing his endorsement and enthusiastic support behind Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination.

He countered every one of Hillary’s charges of inexperience, etc., one-by-one and declared the Senator from Illinois: “ready to be President from Day One!” Then he wrapped the candidate from head to toe in the Kennedy legacy until you could barely tell Barack from Jack. Barack has to be the skinniest Presidential candidate since JFK, and he favors those slim fit suites right out of the ‘60s, so the image is eerily similar on some level.

And if there was any piece of the Kennedy legacy left ungifted by Ted, Obama claimed it in his acceptance speech that followed, which was also very stirring. They had a gym full of mostly college kids whipped into a real frenzy.

I’ve been avoiding making predictions, but I think you can put a fork in Hillary now – she is done. It’s not just the Kennedys jumping on the Barack bandwagon. The pundits have turned so harshly on the Clintons, and I sense there is just a general feeling in the country that we’ve had enough of the Clintons and the Bushes, and that it is time for a change.

Then there is this very interesting subplot. By endorsing Obama, the Kennedys are helping send the Clintons packing, which lets them regain their position as the first family of the Democratic party. Perhaps Uncle Teddy just had enough of Bubba and his bride and this was his way to regain the spotlight for his brothers’ legacies and his own amusement?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen. And, a vote for Hillary is a vote for McCain. He will eat her and Bill alive. Any person left of center with half a brain wouldn't vote to put her on the slate.

Rudy and Huckabee are toast.

Mitt is now projecting himself as the best bean counter in the room. That isn't what the nation is looking for. This comes down to a clean slate, fresh face and brilliant mind vs the old soldier who has been beaten down by the posers who had given him a blanket party.

GWB and Bill have pushed the national mood to where we have had our fill of dynasties.

America wants to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The $64,000 question is how the independents see this.

Anonymous said...

That was quite a speech by Uncle Ted. It makes me wish I were a Dem. But I have been cast from the primary having registered as an Indie. If this is a return to 1960 I hope they get it right this time.That is, having all our heroes survive the next decade (like JFK, RFK MLK, Jimi, Janice and Jim.
Ole Ted basically sent the Clinton's back to the trailer park, deeming them unworthy of leading the Dems of his children and grandchildren.

Anonymous said...

The Clintons must really be PO'd. They pretty much begged uncle Ted to stay out of it but when his niece jumped in on Sunday he had to play his hand. I wonder if the Clintons or their surrogates will bring up Chappaquidick? I agree that McCain will eat the Clintons lunch. He has more of every quality that Hillary claims to have.

Anonymous said...

Hillary is far from done. She may lose but she has double digit leads over Obama in California and NY.

There is huge dissatisfaction with McCain in the right wing of the party. Do the evangelicals and hard right turn out for him in large numbers, like they have for W, in the general election? He will get some indies, who would have voted for a dem, but does that offset the evangelicals not showing up in large numbers?

Also, if Mitt gets it do the Evangelicals turn out in large numbers?

Anonymous said...

Don't discount ol' Hil. Just like McCain, she can rise from the ashes.

If she manages to win MA, Ted's endorsement will lose a lot of steam.

My biggest fear is Mittens will get the GOP nod.

Anonymous said...

You are right to warm not to count Hillary out just yet. She's tough. But I just have this feeling she's peaked and is turning down now.

kgwhit said...

kgw