The Presumptuous Nominee

So between now and the Democratic National Convention in August, Sen. Barack Obama will be referred to as the presumptive nominee of the party. Funny, I always thought of him as being presumptuous. And arrogant to boot, in the way he and his campaign treated Sen. Clinton; stacked on one side with his lone speech at a small gathering (which had to be re-enacted later for television commercials) in the kindergarten years of his political life, against a lifetime of involvement in the poor people's, children’s and women’s causes by Sen. Clinton, as well as her eight years as the First Lady, and eight years representing the state of New York. By the way, she won her reelection to the senate with a comfortable margin, lest anybody think that her first election was fluke, coming so quickly on the heels of her husband’s of two terms, a rare feat in recent democratic fortunes.

And today to that list of adjectives defining the freshman senator, I would add the adjective – over-confident.

He wins the democratic contest in say Alaska, and thinks Alaska is in play. He wins against Sen. Clinton in Mississippi, and thinks that that state is in play too. Heck, if you pit two donkeys against each other in Mississippi, or Alabama, or any of the 57 states he visited (or is the correct count 59?) one of the donkeys has to win, but it would be wrong to think that that by itself confers invincibility on the winning donkey, against the republican elephant in November. And that doesn’t take into account what other bitter statements might come to light between now and then.

Ex-Mayor Willie Brown of San Francisco was on TV today exuding confidence. Asked what may be Obama’s weakness, he says – he has none, he is perfect. Asked if Obama would try to mend fences with disgruntled (read – bitter rural people who cling to their guns and church) democrats who voted heavily for Sen. Clinton, he says Obama doesn’t need them; his is going to be a revolutionary campaign and election.

One wishes such confidence in one’s supporters. However, there have been many instances of late, when the sophomore senator had to explain (a synonym for apologize in political speak) his statements. The opposition research people of both parties have good and long memories, but they don’t rely on their memory. They keep copies, transcripts, video clips, and brandish them at a moment’s notice. They don’t consider it ill mannered to feature these prominently in grainy video commercials.

It is difficult for a party to retain the White House after eight years; especially eight disastrous years, the occupant arguably vying for the dubious distinction of “Worst President Ever”. If there is a single area in which George Bush managed to have a modicum of success, it eludes me. Foreign, Domestic, Religious, and Economic – he had the reverse Midas touch. He has alienated his friends, and infuriated his enemies. A John McCain aspiring for the presidency feels obliged to disinvite his party’s standard bearer to his political events. The ignominy of it all!

That is the situation facing the democratic nominee. She ought to have been able to file the nomination papers, and take a vacation during the summer months, and come back after Labor Day to review the situation, and take another vacation. She could have learned about her resounding victory on the Internet on some cruise ship.

But no. McCain has managed to make a contest of it, thanks to Sen. Bonehead reveling in his press attention. RealClearPolitics recently showed Hillary Clinton beating John McCain, and John McCain beating Barack Obama. But the Obamaniacs don’t see it that way. They see that Obama having defeated Clinton using the trifecta of Caucuses, disproportionate delegate representation, and wimpy Super Delegates (none of which are featured in the General Election), they come to the conclusion that voilà , Obama beats McCain.

Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad. Obamaniacs are certainly mad with their perceived power, their notion of invincibility, and an air of arrogance of infallibility.