Deranged Narcissism

The pundits are pretty much unanimous in saying that the first thing Barack Obama must do, having won the nomination for President of The United States of America, is go kiss Hillary Clinton’s ass. The pundits should kiss my ass. Only in the mind of a pundit should the nominee for leader of the world’s most powerful nation go and court the junior Senator from New York.

Having lost that nomination, Hillary Clinton is saying the same thing the pundits are. She let it be known through a news anchor that she wants a private meeting with the nominee as soon as possible. I sincerely hope that Senator Obama lets it be known that he is too busy at the moment. I hope that he lets this Clinton person, the one who lost the nomination bid, know that the loser does not dictate terms to the winner.

Her speech last night has been referred to as “deranged narcissism.”
Given that it included no more than a brief mention of her opponent without acknowledging his victory, a statement that “South Dakota had the last word” without acknowledging that Montana had yet to close its polls, the same spurious claims of superiority in popular vote and in “states with the electoral votes to win in November,” a list of her demands, and a final statement that she will make “no decision tonight,” I would say that description fits rather well.

Especially since all of those self-serving claims and statements were preceded by a vow to unite the party for a victorious election in November.
“I will unite the party,” she says, and adds without saying it “but only on
my own terms.”

“I will make no decision tonight” she says. The decision is not hers to make. She is so narcissistic that she cannot see, or so arrogant that she will not accept, that the voters have made that decision. The decision belongs to the voters, and they have made it. She can try not to accept it, but is made.

And now she wants to dictate terms. She stands at the podium on the night that Barack Obama wins the nomination, on the night that Barack Obama makes history, and dictates terms about what she wants.

Clinton has let it be known through her news contacts that she wants to be on the ticket in the number two slot. For her to make that demand, to even hint at it, is an unconscionable intrusion on the prerogative of the nominee to name his own running mate.

All of this is business as usual in Clintonland. She is going out with power plays, dictating terms under which she is willing to play her role in reuniting the party. “I have my loyal voters,” she is saying, in effect, “and if you want them back in November here’s what you have to do for me, because this is still about me.”

Hillary Clinton divided the party, and it is her responsibility to reunite it. It is not the responsibility of Barack Obama to come crawling to her begging for forgiveness, and the idea of him doing so is repugnant. Even now, the GOP is running film clips of Clinton attacking Obama, of her making statements about his lack of qualification to serve, and they are running those clips as part of their candidate’s campaign for the presidency. She gave them that ammunition and it is her responsibility to repair that damage. She must do that without Barack Obama having to beg her to do so.

Hillary Clinton is now the junior Senator from New York. She is one of fifty one hundred people to hold the title of Senator, and is not even the senior one from her state. She needs to accept that reality and to deal with it.

Barack Obama will become President without this Clinton person.