Obama Campaign Angers and Confuses Clinton Supporters
The thinking is all over the map as to why it was done, but one thing is certain: Obama’s hiring of former Hillary Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle has certainly unleashed a flood of public venting and fevered speculation within the Clinton ranks.
The donor, speaking on background, said that everyone in Clinton circles knows the two have hard feelings towards one another and haven’t spoken since Clinton removed Solis Doyle as campaign manager, and that Clinton loyalists view her with deep suspicion and believe that she is shopping around a book deal and acted as a background source for an extremely harsh Vanity Fair piece about Bill Clinton.
“Either one of two things happen,” said the bundler. “Hillary is selected as vice president and they fire Patti, or Hillary is not going to be the vice president.”
Obama spokesman Bill Burton said “nothing could be inferred about Obama’s thoughts on a vice presidential candidate from the hiring of Solis Doyle,” according to CQ Politics.
Nice try. However, something got lost in translation:
“Translated subtitles aren’t necessary,” the insider said. “There is no other way to interpret this other than ‘F*** you.’” Burton declined to comment on the Clinton camp’s reaction to the appointment.
Hiring a chief of staff for Obama’s vice presidential pick, who hasn’t even been chosen yet, doesn’t seem to demonstrate any respect of Obama’s running mate, whoever it might be. However, it’s not out of the ordinary. It’s just not the signal Clinton people are taking from it. Clinton circle loyalists are taking this very personally.
It makes one wonder what Hillary and Obama talked about in that private meeting they had with one another. Nobody knows. Clinton, of course, was gracious in her camp’s statement about the hiring, but she would be. Via Politico:
“Patti will be an asset and good addition to the Obama campaign. After nearly two decades in political life, she brings with her the ability to tap an extensive network that will be a huge asset to Senator Obama. As Senator Clinton has said, we’re all going to do our part to help elect Senator Obama as the next President of the United States,” said spokesman Mo Elleithee.
Jerome Armstrong thinks it looks similar to a move that was made during the Kerry-Edwards campaign.
The hire of Doyle raises the chances that Clinton is the VP choice of Obama. You’ll recall, in 2004, that Kerry went out and hired an Edwards staffer for this position, in the weeks leading up to the announcement of Edwards as VP.
I just don’t think the evidence supports that argument. First, Patti Solis Doyle and Hillary Clinton have some issues to work out between them. I don’t know if they’ve spoken within the past seven days, but they certainly did not speak for several months prior to that point.
Lynn Sweet doesn’t see it either:
Don’t read into the Solis Doyle appointment as a sign that former rival Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) is moving up on the vice presidential short list. Rather, the opposite is probably more realistic. Solis Doyle now is the highest ranking Hispanic on the Obama campaign. She helps build a bridge to Clinton women to join the Obama camp.
We don’t know what went down in the meeting Clinton and Obama had together. It’s quite possible that Hillary knew all this was coming, but loyal Clinton insiders did not, hence their reaction.
The possibility certainly also exists that the unity ticket is on. But according to John Heilemann’s piece in the New Yorker, suspicions about Clinton’s ambivalence have now been confirmed.
Naturally, the answer depends, first of all, on whether Obama decides to offer her the VP slot. For all the talk of her trying to muscle her way onto the ticket, one senses in her a genuine ambivalence about whether she wants the job. If Obama does offer it, however, she will have no choice but to take it. She is all too aware that if she turned it down and he lost this fall, she would be blamed even more loudly than she will be already, even though in her view his downfall is foreordained, and has nothing to do with her.
Frankly, I find the prospect of a unity ticket more and more remote. Hillary would want to hire her own chief of staff and given the fallout over Solis Doyle leaving the campaign, with Maggie Williams replacing her, I just don’t see them pairing up again, and the reports persist that the two haven’t spoken in weeks.
The way in which Obama treats Clinton during the vice presidential selection process is very important to her supporters. Given the recent polls showing Hillary’s supporters are moving to Obama, maybe he feels this has already been taken care of.
The bottom line is that there’s absolutely no evidence that Obama would stiff-arm Clinton, so the reality that she is in on at least some of his planning seems quite possible.
We can speculate all day about the move, but besides teasing what type of vice president Obama wants, he may also be about to pick someone who isn’t encumbered with their own people already. This could mean any number of things, but points to someone outside the Senate, like a military person of Wes Clark’s stature who’s been superlative in slamming McCain lately, or maybe Ret. Gen. James Jones, the former Marine-turned-NATO Supreme Allied Commander. Having an aide in place likely wouldn’t bother a former career military man (or woman, though no high ranking military female has surfaced), with Jones the latest to reportedly be on Obama’s short list.
But beyond that, Obama is sending an anti-Dick Cheney message. Patti Solis Doyle has known David Axelrod for around two decades, so they’re not only friends, but trusted allies. She’s being tapped to be Obama’s running mate’s chief of staff so, obviously, Solis Doyle will be an ear for what’s going on. There will be no extra-curricular vice presidential activity in an Obama administration. The other reality is that the Solis Doyle’s hiring was hinted at weeks ago and this is just the realization of what’s been coming.
As a Clinton supporter, I’m now completely committed to keeping a McCain presidency from happening, I intend to give our nominee the benefit of the doubt. I’m counting on the fact that Obama shouldn’t be foolish enough to disrespect Hillary in a manner that drafts her former campaign manager, then makes a vice presidential choice before sending further messages about what’s happening to Clinton.
Obama’s the nominee. He won. This move could represent Democratic Party takeover time for the Obama camp, gathering the best from all the teams; Stephanie Cutler from Kennedy and Kerry, Solis Doyle from Clinton, Al Gore, etc. Obama has never had a hard time stepping over vanquished adversaries before. Just ask Alice Palmer. I’ve reported on him and done enough research on his style to know that he’s not all that into making sure his former opponents are happy.
However, the man is not stupid. Why anger Clinton and her crowd if you don’t have to? We may not know the whole story for quite a while. But one thing is certain: Hillary loyalists are obviously ticked off. No matter what Obama’s motives were, that’s not a good thing right now.
Taylor, I know you are a diehard Democrat, but your party has been hijacked and you are naively going along for the ride…
How you can, as “a Clinton supporter” continue to stomach this man’s actions, knowing full well he is the LEAST qualified candidate EVER to be “selected” as the nominee, and then he goes and does this to “stick it” to Hillary…is beyond me.
HOW LONG will you give your “nominee” the “benefit of the doubt”??? That line ALONE tells me you are having DOUBTS…but you are either too blind or too stupid to admit you are being played by Obama and the DNC. Of course, don’t feel so bad, you’re not alone!
At least Hillary is smart enough not to hitch her future as a VP to this loser!
As I see it, Obama chose Senorita Doyle either
# out of p*ss poor judgement (she did extremely miserable work under Clinton’s employ), or
# out of pure unadulterated arrogance (see: the “Clinton insider” remark above).
For either reason, Obama is not qualified to become President.
Solis’ brother is an alderman in Chicago. Obviously, Obama is honoring the time-honored Chicago tradition of packing his payrolls with the relatives of political allies.
As a Chicagoan, I can’t tell you how much you all are going to looooove Chicago-style politics brought to D.C. /sarcasm
Shopping around a book deal??
How could someone who worked is such a postition for Senator Clinton possibly write a book that would make her former boss look bad (as is assumed)? It’s unheard of!
Fortunately, if it does happen, we can be assured that her Democratic supporters will be certain to remind us all that she’s just writing it for the money, that none of it means anything, etc. They would never take a book in such circumstances seriously, would they?
“Obama Campaign Angers and Confuses Clinton Supporters” Ha! Unfrozen Camveman Democrats!
“I’m just a Clinton supporter, frightened and confused by your candidate’s promise of hope and change…”
As a Clinton supporter, I’m now completely committed to keeping a McCain presidency from happening, I intend to give our nominee the benefit of the doubt.
Taylor, I’ve got to ask: given the appalling ignorance of American foreign affairs and History that Obama has shown (The Vienna summit as a model to follow? His complete misreading of Nuremberg in relation to Boumediene? The list goes on.), how can you back him for president? Regardless of party, our duty as voters is to choose the person we think best suited to be president. Does loyalty to Hillary and the Democratic Party really trump national interest?
Taylor,
He is that stupid.
Taylor….not stupid? His key foreign policy advisor compares the war on terror to Winnie the Pooh for crying out loud. Certainly you can’t be serious about your little guy, BHO, who is obviously in way over his head.
He thinks there are 57 states, or at least he said it. He can be that stupid.
Taylor, given all that you’ve learned, would you please answer the following question:
Which candidate, Obama or McCain, would be more likely to betray you in some way?
You may not like McCain’s stated position on many issues, but can you trust Obama at this point?
You might ask Hillary Clinton those same questions if you happen to see her.
While working as loyal aide for Hillary’s campaign, Patti Solis Doyle was criticized for hiding out in her office (sometimes watching soap operas !) not returning phone calls and, generally, not really being up to the job she held.
She will fit nicely into the Obama campaign, with the marginally intelligent Susan Rice, the Obama foreign policy guy who told Canada not to worry about what Barack says about NAFTA and the other Obama foreign policy guy who recently referred to Iran as a “small country” when on screen in a discussion with Robert Novak.
Government by incompetence works for me.
Qazi
Mohammed only advised that women be covered when the marauding tribes came around with an eye to stealing them.
Having stolen a few women himself (including a Jewess or two), Mohammed knew from whence he spoke.
It’s highly unlikely that Mohammed’s first wife Khadija (15 years older than he and his financial benefactress) went about “covered” in any way.
“Taylor, I know you are a diehard Democrat, but your party has been hijacked and you are naively going along for the ride…”
Precisely. Any Democrat voting for BHO becomes a radical far left wing nut in my book. This election is a joke. McCain should win easily. Obama’s base is ignorant collegians, radical american haters, profs and people who discriminate based upon age or hate the military.
I used to be a Democrat. Then they lost me when the party was hijacked by Soros.
“Either one of two things happen,” said the bundler. “Hillary is selected as vice president and they fire Patti, or Hillary is not going to be the vice president.” … ..
I hope the bundler misrepresented Hillary’s take on this. Makes her sound petty and unprofessional, undeserving of any public office. Reminds me of Kerry’s “secret” plan to save thousands of military lives, a secret he refused to share unless elected.
I really don’t get this – by any standard, Solis Doyle is known to be incompetent and unqualified for the position, so why would Obama hire her?
Why would you hire someone who essentially threw Clinton’s campaign?
Does this mean Solis Doyle deliberately sabotaged Clinton’s campaign, and this is the payback?
And why can’t the VP appoint her or his or its own Chief of Staff? Seems to me the VP deserves at least some input into who gets this position.
Maybe Percy is right and it’s all about connections. But aren’t there other people, just as well connected, with less baggage than Solis Doyle?
D
Obama’s base is ignorant collegians, radical american haters, profs and people who discriminate based upon age or hate the military.
You left out his fellow worshippers at the Trinity madrassa that crave “the love of a God who participates in the destruction of the white enemy” [Cone].
tanstaafl, the economic advisor who said Obama was not serious about repudiating NAFTA was Austan Goolsbee, a really smart guy. He was right, too, when he said not to pay attention to what Obama was saying about NAFTA because it was pure political posturing. Gotta love the new politics Obama represents, eh? Now, if he can just avoid triggering a nuclear war with Iran because he’s unaware of the political background to the words he uses when he goes to meet with Ahmadinejad…
Gotta love the new politics Obama represents, eh?
It’s love all right.
And Barack gets away with grandiose mis-statement after grandiose mis-statement (gee, lately, it was about Nuremberg and those guys got due process so why not habeas corpus for Guantanamo guys…?) and “the base” just keeps pouring out the love.
If you people were so concerned about the path this nation was going in , why did you vote for the present presidential joke . Look up his prior experience before becoming prez and compare it to the catastrophe he’s compiled in 7 1/2 years …
You threw away the chance to have mccain ,now he’s pat his sell by date .
So buck up mates and face the inevitable .
By the way , quit with the car salesman pitch . I thought coercion was for commies …
regmaxi:
why did you vote for the present presidential joke . Look up his prior experience before becoming prez and compare it to the catastrophe he’s compiled in 7 1/2 years
Please enumerate the things you think Bush has done that constitutes a catastrophe.
“However, the man is not stupid.”
Are you sure? Because I’m beginning to have serious doubts. Really. At the very least, he’s ignorant and uninformed. For a man with an undergraduate degree in political science, he seems to have little knowledge of history or how to apply the lessons of the bit of history he does know. For a man with a law degree, he seems to have little understanding of the proper role of the judiciary. For a Constitutional law instructor, he seems to have little understanding of the Constitution and it’s original intent. Maybe the suit’s emptier than even we thought.
Wes Clark. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Like they say , denial is not a river in Africa . And if you truly think that this admin has fortified this country in anyway , then my friend you are truly among the blind … Look around You .
Oh yeah , plez spare me the ” we haven’t been attacked since 911″ schtick the fact that we were attacked on his watch says enough .
Buck up mate
He is SO stupid and yet he beat your girl. Kinda like when that idiot Bush beat your egg-headed policy wonk Al Gore. Sour grapes.
Liberals like regmini ALWAYS repeat democratic party talking points. They can’t seem to handle or relate to the objective reality of facts. Debating a liberal is like having a gunfight with an opponent who has no bullets.
Like I said , DENIAL is not a river in Africa mate . I only state facts not tp’s , America is in a foul state of affairs due to a bunch of seasoned politicos running it into the ground …
Just the facts mate .
Buck up and welcome to reality yourself …
We’re not debating mate . I’m laying down the facts to you and your dodging my bulletless gun …
Buck up and relate to the reality so eludes you .
Glad to see an Obama troll showing up here to help make our case…stupid is as stupid does…
As for Obama “gathering the best from all the teams”…don’t make me laugh! (Al Gore??? please…)
Just the names he announced yesterday for his National Security (Disaster) Working Group are telling enough:
Madeleine Albright: Former Secretary of State under Bill Clinton and pretty much a disaster when it came to Rwanda, the embassy attacks in Kenya, and Al-Qaeda! (Haven’t we already been there, done that?)
Warren Christopher: Former Secretary of State (first term) under Bill Clinton, a Deputy Secretary of State under Jimmy Carter, and a Deputy Attorney General under LBJ. Gee, and they think McCain is too old???
Richard “Winnie the Pooh” Danzig: Former Secretary of the Navy under Bill Clinton, (which was gutted during his term!) and who said,
“Winnie the Pooh seems to me to be a fundamental text on national security.”
Susan Rice: Former Assistant Secretary of State for African affairs under Bill Clinton, who flubbed Rwanda terribly, and who declined the Sudan’s offer of Bin Laden on a plate. She is a basically a rude nitwit. (Calling her “tenacious” is being kind.) She and Michelle Obama are cut from the same cloth.
William Perry: Former Secretary of Defense under Bill Clinton, and former Undersecretary of Defense for research and engineering under Jimmy Carter, who basically gutted the military under BOTH administrations. Gee, if at first you don’t succeed…
Anthony Lake: Former National Security Advisor to Bill Clinton and former Director Of Policy Planning under Jimmy Carter. Yeah, that worked out real well. Gee…are we seeing a pattern here???
Jim Steinberg: Former Deputy National Security Advisor under Bill Clinton. Again, same ol’…same ol’.
Eric H. Holder: Former Deputy Attorney General under Bill Clinton, appointed as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia by President Bill Clinton, and ” played a leading role in one of the most infamous events of a presidency filled with infamy: the pardon of billionaire fugitive Marc Rich.”
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/obamas-new-advisor-stained-by-clinton-pardon-scandal/
Greg Craig: Former director of the State Department Office of Policy Planning under Bill Clinton, and a key player during the “Lewinsky years” of Bill Clinton, serving as “quarterback” of the President’s team that was assembled to defend against impeachment. Read his report about Hillary’s foreign policy experience, and his attempt at propping up Obama’s lack of experience. No wonder Obama picked him!! It’s a “first rate” lawyer’s arguement to sell us on Obama! (I’m not buying what he’s selling though!)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/mmemmottpdf/obama-on-clinton-3-11-2008.pdf
David Boren: Former Democratic Senator from Oklahoma, and former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee…who voted AGAINST the Persian Gulf War in 1990, surprising most political observers. Intelligent??? You be the judge.
Lee Hamilton: former Democrat Representative in Congress from Indiana (for 34 years elected in 1964 retiring in 1999), and Vice-Chairman of the 9/11 Commission, who never thought to check our intelligence on Iran until the report was on the verge of being published. He’s now 77 years old. Again, let’s not talk about McCain’s age, okay???
Sam Nunn: Former Senator from Georgia for 24 years, who may still become Obama’s VP (to help win Georgia?!). He also voted AGAINST the Persian Gulf War in 1990. (Think Sadaam would STILL be in Kuwait today if these Dems had their way??? Why not???)
There you have it…Obama’s collection of who he feels will bring “change”. Excuse me if I am HIGHLY underwhelmed. It looks like a collection of tired ol’ Clinton appointees and Carter flunkees, Obama administration wanna-bees, and old out-of-touch has-beens. If this is what we can expect in the way of Obama foreign policy …be afraid…BE VERY AFRAID!!!
Why don’t you guys run for office. We have always said politician = sleazy. So now it’s the impending apocalypse all the sudden. Your a bunch of idiots.
cognitive dissonance
–noun Psychology.
anxiety that results from simultaneously holding contradictory or otherwise incompatible attitudes, beliefs, or the like, as when one likes a person but disapproves strongly of one of his or her habits.
You are smart people, DON’T COMPROMISE YOUR PRINCIPALS
- while you’re Democrats at heart you can’t possibly select a candidate saturated with intolerance, disturbingly evasive, whose heartless & sinister behavior exposes an extreme lack of integrity.
GW made your case , not me mate … And he’s still making it . And Mccain is bringing it home . LOL
Buck up
Maybe a nice, relaxing lounge-about in a comfy pair of Ojamas would smooth some feathers? http://www.ojamas.us.
Remember, the Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend.
A lot of Hillary supporters are becoming McCain supporters, because they recognize that an Obama presidency will mean Hillary will NEVER become president.
I grew up with one parent being anti-Democrat and one parent being pro-Dem. As I grew older I made my own decision. That decision was to become a Democrat myself.
I was a major Clinton (Bill) supporter, and I voted my party in both the last two elections (we tried).
In ’08 I had hoped this would be the year for Edwards *sigh* but unfortunately not.
I’ll be the first to admit wayyy back when they said because of Bush Hillary would be the next President (wishful thinking) that kind of scared me (Hillary for President) I wasn’t sure I was comfortable with her being the next president, but what was scarier was another Republican getting back in office in ’08.
I knew I definitely did NOT want another 4 yrs of the sameo sameo Bushs**t from the Republicans.
When Obama appeared on the scene I gave him the “benefit of the doubt” and listened to what he was about, but something about him just scared the hell out of me more than the thought of Hillary ever could.
When things began to wind down to the final three. Hillary/Obama/McCain
I thought okay now we have three and the lesser of three evils would be?…..
At one point (in the beginning) when McCain appeared to be the opposite of all GWB is/was I listened to him and kept an open mind, after all it’s not which party you vote for it’s who IS the best person qualified to run our Country.
I began watching and listening closely to Hillary as well. The outcome?….
McCain reverted into a Bush like clone after he got the Republican nomination (again with the scary).
I began to believe Hillary would best serve this country than those other two. She was the lesser of three evils. I even came to the conclusion I actually liked Hillary after watching her and really paying attn to the three.
Most everyone I knew (and these were many people from all over the country) backed Hillary from the start, even when I was still really leary of her.
A few backed Obama, maybe a small % of people I know were going with McCain, and many of those that were going with Hillary USED to be hardcore diehard Republicans.
One of my Republican friends wanted to vote McCain but said she would vote for Hillary if she thought it’d keep Obama from winning the election.
I can’t see how people are blaming Hillary if McCain gets in. It’s definitely not her fault, it’s the fault of those who blindly choose to vote for Obama.
Why? I know many many people across the nation, I even took a poll in my blog, and I have many watchers on my blog.
MANY of these people are ex-Republicans that decided to vote for Hillary but yet swore they will NOT vote for Obama and thus have decided NOT to vote at all. These are various people from all different races, lifestyles and beliefs.
Many of them are original Democrats who now plan to vote Republican (if they vote at all) Republicans-turned-Dem-turned Republican, people who will vote for McCain simply because they fear Obama, and this (not because of Hillary) is why we could be facing 4 more years of a Republican President.
As ‘A Berman’ (above) wrote:
Which candidate, Obama or McCain, would be more likely to betray you in some way?
You may not like McCain’s stated position on many issues, but can you trust Obama at this point?
I’m sorry but I’d already made up my mind awhile back, as have many others I know had too….
It comes down to the lesser of two evils, NEITHER of these two candidates Obama or McCain are my choice, but my vote gives me a voice, a right to speak my opinion.
Not voting gives me only the right to sit back and watch what happens and not say a word.
But I have said all along if Hillary doesn’t get the nomination as hard as it will be to do, I will have to cast my vote for McCain, and many many others I know feel and intend to do the same. So if McCain gets in it’s not Hillary who caused that to happen, it’s Obama himself.
This was said by many way back before McCain actually won the Rebuplican nomination. Many stanch Dems voiced that when it came down to it, if voting Democrat meant voting Obama forget it they would have to go Republican.
I actually believed Hillary had it so I just knew my vote was vested in her. But sadly that didn’t quite happen how so many of us had planned and the more I got to see of Obama and the facts that began to surface sealed my decision, if not Hillary, then I am forced to go with McCain.