Is Obama The New Jimmy Carter?

Well sure–minus the gubernatorial-level executive experience and military service.

Dick Morris writes:

If Obama lost — after Hillary made a fuss at the convention — they would blame her for all eternity (just like Democrats blame Ted Kennedy for Carter’s defeat). But, without having any leverage or a decent hand to play, the Clintons bluffed Obama into amazing concessions.

Hillary will get to play a film extolling her virtues produced by Harry Bloodworth Thomason. Bill will speak on Wednesday night. Hillary’s name will be placed into nomination. She will get to have nominating and seconding speeches on her behalf. And, on Thursday night, the last night of the convention, the roll call will show how narrowly Obama prevailed.

So Obama gave away Tuesday night, Wednesday night and part of Thursday night to the Clintons. It will really be their convention. A stronger candidate would’ve called their bluff and confined the Clintons to one night on which both Hillary and Bill spoke (he would have outshone her). He would have blocked a roll call by allowing a voice vote to nominate by acclimation. He would have stood up to the Clintons and recaptured his own convention.

If Obama can’t stand up to the Clintons, after they have been defeated, how can he measure up to a resurgent Putin who has just achieved a military victory?

Which makes quite a sharp contrast to this look at California State Controller John Chiang, whose 15 minutes of Democratic fame have arrived after becoming a thorn in the side of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger–not to mention every other California taxpayer:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suffered a setback Wednesday when a superior court judge temporarily put on hold his plan to cut state worker salaries down to minimum wage. The governor also said he would not be speaking at the Republican National Convention unless a budget agreement could be reached in California

At the same time, a new star has emerged in the Democratic Party in the form of State Controller John Chiang, who refused to put Schwarzenegger’s executive order into effect.

Chiang also now finds himself in the national spotlight because he has been chosen to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

The decision to pick Chiang was not a coincidence, NBC Bay Area’s Mike Luery reported.

The implied message according to party officials is that Democrats are not afraid to stand up to Schwarzenegger, in part because they believe the public will not side with the Governor’s order.

Arnold’s no Putin, but still, maybe the Democrats could consider the Torricelli Option with Chiang to combat growing Obama remorse…