Clinton's Journey: Anyway You Want It

With Obama securing the position of Presumptive Democratic Nominee for President the instinctive pivot of the media has been to the issue of Hillary Clinton. Specifically, What does Hillary Clinton want? Does Hillary want the Vice Presidency, a speaking role at the Convention, a Supreme Court seat, a Prime Minister position, an assassin to take out Obama in RFK fashion so that she can be the nominee? While we can certainly entertain ourselves with speculation regarding Hillary's desires I think it may behoove us to take a step back and answer, what I think, is a far more pressing question at this time: Why the fuck should we care what Hillary Clinton wants?

Hillary Clinton mathematically lost the nomination long before last night yet the media, her supporters, and the narrative of the primary stayed with her. Even after Obama won 11 contests in a row Hillary Clinton was still considered to be a contender. As Mikey mentioned there is a mystique to Bill and Hillary Clinton. The democratic political zeitgeist says that the Clintons are winners, that they never give up, that they maintain some political force unique unto their selves which will propel them ever forward in the Democratic party. The common knowledge, the shared understanding, is that the Clintons are a substantial political force.

Except...Hillary Clinton just lost the nomination to a political nobody, for all practical purposes, from Illinois whose only noteworthy accomplishment was his delivery of the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention.

So, again, why the fuck should we care what Hillary Clinton wants?

It seems to be the case that perhaps this loss was merely a misstep; that Hillary will be back and continue to be relevant to Democratic politics. It seems to be the case that Hillary Clinton ought to be offered the Vice Presidency, that Obama needs her. But what is the foundation for this thought?

The Clinton campaign ceaselessly advertised their "18 million votes" claim in an effort to reinforce the idea that Hillary matters, that 18 million people wuv her. But, one must ask, how many of those 18 million votes came from genuine Clinton supporters? When you subtract the racist vote, the sexist ignorant feminist vote, the Clinton familiarity vote? What is left? What percent of Hillary Clinton voters actually voted for Hillary Clinton rather than voted for the white woman whose last name we know?

That is the question upon which we need to focus; the question which demands an answer. The other questions? The other concerns? Those are irrelevant. We do not need to know what Hillary wants.

We need to know who wants Hillary.