Even In Victory, Obama Is Overshadowed

I once heard a speech by Ward Connerly that recounted his memory with a former professor, I believe, where by the professor will believe that our country has overcome many racial problems when a black man is running for president on a national party ticket. Well that has happened with Obama apparently having enough delegates and superdelegates to put him over the top.

That should be the big story of the day, instead the news cycle is dominated by Hillary Clinton, her lame speech last night and the question of whether she will be VP.

To answer the question of her as VP, the answewr should be unequivocally no, although I understand teh Obama camp needs to look like they are considering the idea. The closest Hillary Clinton should come to an Obama White House is a State Dinner invitation and Obama certainly doesn't need Bill Clinton in the neighborhood either.

But instead of relishing the history of the moment, we are treated to the spotlight hogging of one Hillary Clinton, as if she, and not Obama, was the real story. I don't like Obama's politics and frankly I hope he loses in a landslide to McCain (the landslide won't happen but it would be nice). But the fact is that he is the first black man to lead a national party ticket and that, in and of itself is worthy and should be noted as more than just a simple footnote to a Hillary Clinton story.

The vanity of this couple is beyond belief. Her speech was calculated to give her the impression of victimhood and thus derserving of a spot on the ticket. If she wanted to make a case for a spot as VP, she should have conceded weeks ago and if not weeks ago, she should have dropped out formally yesterday. But she can't bring herself to do it, she can't admit that she lost to some upstart who five years ago was a state senator in Illinois. She lacks the humility to serve in the shadows so she makes a non-concession speech that still leaves lots of doubt as to the status of things.

So, Obama's history making achievement is swallowed by the vanity of a loser. Let's face it, Hillary Clinton and her campaign lost this race more than Obama won it. Yes, he ran a smart, aggressive campaign, but a year ago no one would have thought this possible. But Hillary Clinton lost this race, and she has plenty of people to blame, but the fault is ultimately hers.