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Hillary Clinton has already lost, even though she is pinning her hopes on Texas and Ohio. The problem with using a specific marker for anything important is that there tends to be no Plan B, if the original aim does not go to plan. Hillary did not begin to lose with the primaries in 2008, she began to lose much earlier than that, in 2007, in fact, and the best thing she could do for her dignity and the Democratic Party is to gracefully concede on March 3rd with her dignity intact. Otherwise, it could prove rather humiliating for her on the big day.
Hillary began the slippery slide to being a loser in 2007 with the following actions:
1. Her early and sustained lead lulled her into a false sense of security where she completely underestimated her opponent. Underdogs can be lethal because they have nothing to lose and everything to gain, especially the glory of competing and besting the opposition, the one expected to win. That carries such a sweet smell of success for the challenger. As long as she was in the lead, she couldn't take that for granted. But she did, very often, even apparently telling friends on the phone at every opportunity, "When I'm in the White House...."
Really? It was that certain, eh? Wow!
Notice not a humble 'if', or a 'maybe', but a 'when'. That kind of arrogance tempts fate. Fate was obviously tempted and reacted with a vengeance. Politics is such a transient pastime because its success depends on the fickleness of the public. They do not like people who take their votes for granted or ungracious people who cannot even thank supporters or the opponent when they win. She clearly thought that her lead was invincible and could not be breached and is paying for that arrogance now.
2. Like many political pundits in the country, and commentators here on the Vine, people had only their old mindsets to go on, the same old perspectives to use to judge the new election. But we cannot move into a technological age where the rules are different and use the same old narrow mindsets to serve new purposes. Barack Obama was written off before he even began his campaign, almost like a court jester to Hillary's serious purpose. To those knowledgeable commentators, he had not a hope in hell of beating the Clinton darling who had so much 'experience' and pedigree. Her team certainly didn't give him any chance of beating her either, otherwise she would have treated him with much more caution and respect from the very beginning.
Barack Obama is now regarded as 'a phenomenon' by members of her team, but it took a lot of beatings for them to concede that of him. I mentioned last year in another article (Four Key Reasons...) that Obama was like the Google juggernaut that no one could actually see approaching until it was flattening them, and that is what has happened to Hillary Clinton. He had to almost run her over before she acknowledged his presence. When there is massive change afoot, the last people who will see it are those with closed minds, insecurity in their usual comfort zones and fear of the future. They believe ignoring it, belittling it, shutting it out or speaking of it in a derogatory manner will keep the change away, keep them safe in their usual hideaways. But we can never ignore change when its time has come and America itself could not have continued the way it has been over the past 8 years. A change had to come at some point, and this is it.
3. The Man himself. Hillary and her team totally underestimated the charismatic and appealing power and sheer determination of Barack Obama. Alarm bells should have rung out when he started getting all those donations from people being excited by his presence and vision. People don't support losers. They saw something amazing in him and were willing to give their hard earned dollars to get him up there. He is a formidable person who, whether one loves or hates him, has to be admired for his sheer tenacity, bravado and messages of hope. Whether Barack is successful in the white House or not is not the real point here. He would have acted as a catalyst to get people to begin the self-reviewing process to make the USA a much better place because they can never be the same again after this year's elections. A lot of old mindsets would have been replaced as people gradually begin to realise the age they are in and what is now required to go forward. All of those cosy cobwebs would have been blown away in the process.
Yes, Hillary should do the honourable thing and concede defeat on March 3rd, with head held high. But I hope she doesn't because then her supporters might think she 'helped' Barack to win. By taking it to the bitter end, Barack will leave no doubt as to the force he now has behind him to confirm that change. It should be very interesting to see what happens in Ohio and Texas and many people are waiting with bated breaths. Never have two states had so much riding on them!
