Hillary Clinton said today, "I'm staying in this race until there's a nominee . . . ," which means that she intends to stay in the race until the Democratic Party officially selects its presidential candidate at its August convention, in Denver. So, does Clinton meet the dictionary definition of "spoiler" yet?
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines the word "spoiler" as:
"one (as a political candidate) having little or no chance of winning but capable of depriving a rival of success" Merriam WebsterThe National Review called Al Sharpton a "professional spoiler" in 1992. In 1996, calling the Democratic Party "the party of spoilers," Time Magazine said of Jesse Jackson and Ross Perot, "each of them could play havoc with the 1996 presidential race . . . each is a failed presidential candidate with no realistic chance to win the White House . . ."
Today, that's what virtually everyone is saying about Hillary Clinton. The Hutch Report blog has said,
While it is a logical assumption that Hillary Clinton will drop out of the 2008 Democratic race if she does not win in Pennsylvania, that actual announcement will be hard for her to make. Hopefully, friends of Hillary Clinton have already been priming her for a potential defeat in Pennsylvania and telling her what the right thing to do will be if she is not successful there. If Hillary Clinton continues her campaign after a Pennsylvania defeat, then she and yes her husband too will become damaged goods in a political party that stood behind Bill Clinton through thick and thin when it came to his mistakes in moral judgment.It is clear to most objective observers that both Bill and Hillary Clinton are very narcissistic and getting either one of them to admit they have lost a campaign is something that most people would not even attempt. That said, there is a time for the 'fat lady to sing' and if Hillary loses in Pennsylvania tomorrow night that lady's voice should ring loud and clear even in her own ears. Hutch Report
Everyone, including now Hillary Clinton's advisers and ex-supporters, now agrees that it is virtually impossible for Hillary Clinton to win the Democratic presidential nomination.
Clinton advisers sketched out a scenario that they said could still deliver the nomination, though they acknowledged privately that the odds are long.She's just too far behind numerically.( . . . )
One Clinton adviser, speaking on the condition of anonymity to be frank, said: "If the supers weren't buying it before, it's hard to see how they'll buy it now. Washington Post
Tuesday's results drastically reshaped the dynamic of the campaign, positioning Obama as the all-but-certain nominee and casting Clinton as a dogged but deluded also-ran. At least one prominent Democrat, Clinton supporter and former South Dakota Sen. George McGovern, called on Clinton to quit the race. Yahoo NewsAlthough Clinton was once known for running a notoriously tight ship that eschewed leaks, her own supporters are telling the media that she just cannot win, and needs to accept it and bow out gracefully.
Another Clinton supporter said privately that the candidate has but one option: "Withdraw gracefully and help unify the party to beat McCain." Washington PostAnd yet we're still, still reading headlines in the Washington Post such as, "Clinton Spurns Calls to Quit Race."
More . . .
Notice that, by definition, it is not necessary to have actually caused the opponent to lose to be a "spoiler". It is necessary merely to be "capable" of causing the opponent to lose, which virtually everyone agrees is within Hillary Clinton's power, if she cynically sets her mind to it, with a Rovian determination.
Today, by definition, Hillary Clinton is a spoiler, by "having little or no chance of winning but [being] capable of depriving a rival of success", and staying in the race anyway. When will Hillary Clinton stop spoiling the Democratic Party's chances of taking the presidency in November?
The author is editor of the Truth About McCain Blog.
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