Clintons Plotting Their Comeback on Obamamania's Ashes?

While many Obama supporters where still delirious in the fresh afterglow of Barack Obama's "historic" election victory, a strange thing happened last December- he appointed his critical, often hostile, and recently defeated primary opponent Hillary Clinton to the head the State Department.

Was it based upon her qualifications?

What qualifications?- Clinton had no foreign policy experience to speak of. Other presidents lacking diplomantic exposure have brought someone who has such a background to the State Department--- but he didn't feel the need, for some reason. Perhaps the most unsettling concern is that Hillary's judgement is warped by her blinding ambition to gain power and control- causing her to be manipulative in her dealings with others.

So maybe it was their friendship? Deep interpersonal respect? LOL, not exactly...

In addition to other puzzling cabinet choices that starkly contrasted Obama's Hope-n-Change theme -old-guard party aparatchiks like Joe Biden and other primary challengers like Bill Richardson- the only explanation would be fulfilling political deals that got him elected... as well as the calculated co-opting of Democratic rivals that could pose a challenge in 2012 when The One's numbers are in the toilet. When you're talking about a guy like Obama who had all three other Democratic Party challengers thrown off the ballot in his very first Illinois State Senate race... a man who displays a history of shocking and ruthless political opportunism... the deduction seems obvious.

The appointment of Hillary to State was likely a political bargain struck at the convention- Obama wasn't about to let qualifications or ethical considerations get in the way of such a win-win deal. And Barack takes care of Barack- so given the opportunity, it was a priority to control and contain Hillary, Richardson... even Biden. And if he hadn't suffered a most inopportune bimbo-eruption, elaborately-coiffed leftist Ken-doll John Edwards would have been appointed to a substantial position in the Obama Administration too... he was certainly angling for it.

But the Clintons were -and still are- the #1 potential Democratic threat to an Obama-world future. Obama knows his radical domestic transformation foisted upon an economically shellshocked American public in a desperate "do something" mood all but ensures that his popularity won't remain stable for long... particularly when the print-money spending creates 1970's style stagflation with continued unemployment. Obama's plan is to ram his entire liberal domestic program down our throats as quickly and quietly as possible- while putting a lid on other potential power centers like the Clinton machine and keeping the GOP back on their heels with the help of his MSM allies.

However, the Voice in my Head blog reports that in the wake of the mild rift between Biden/Hillary and Obama re. support of Iran's demonstrators, it now appears as though Hillary and perhaps some of the old guard are hedging their bets... so as to stake a claim on told ya so credits when Obama goes into his inevitable political tailspin:

Last week, the New York Times dropped this tibit about the Obama administration's response to the protests in Iran:

Even while supporting the president’s approach, senior members of the administration, including Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, would like to strike a stronger tone in support of the protesters, administration officials said.

To that point, criticism of President Obama was mostly confined to Republicans and conservative leaning blogs. And while that story raised more than a few eyebrows, it was quickly dismissed by the White House.

However, since that time President Obama has begun to move away from his early hesitation in speaking out against the thuggish regime and for the protesters as reportedly advocated by both Biden and Clinton.

But even with this new approach, new evidence has emerged that Biden and Clinton may have themselves moved further toward the view that Obama is simply not up to the task.

So with Obama's poll numbers now slipping - the negatives are dragging him down- the Clintons' timing here in bringing-in such a loyal Clintonite Rottweiler like Sidney Blumenthal (who coined the phrase "vast, right-wing conspiracy") as consultant to Hillary is... let's just say they know what they're doing (as noted by Dan Riehl). And a betting man would keep an eye on them, for Clinton will be pro-actively planning her future with or without Obama- she's a canary in the coal mine that indicates top-level Democrats'/Clintonites' confidence in his leadership.

It shouldn't surprise anyone then if Hillary Clinton were to do a Bobby Kennedy, should it? RFK was Johnson's Attorney General -inherited from JFK- and when President Johnson's popularity started to slip, Kennedy turned on him and ran for President against him in the 1968 primaries. Anyone telling you today that the Democrats wouldn't run a serious primary challenge against Obama in 2012 -which I have heard and read often- plainly doesn't know what they are talking about.

Some time in the next 2 years, Clinton would simply resign as Secretary of State -saying that she can no longer support Obama, of course- and then run for President in 2012, perhaps presenting herself as the best (moderate) hope against Sarah Palin's appeal as a potential first female president.

You can never really count the Clintons out... and they've almost certainly schemed and brewed up a post-Obama "plan B" as The One employs politically high-risk policies at home and abroad... why wouldn't they? There's no real loyalty there, everybody knows that.

And although they are careful to say the right things these days, the pramatic, insatiably power-hungry Clintons must have all the bases covered, and are surely watching his ill-advised programs unfold like a gift from heaven as they wait for the exact right moment to expoit his mistakes. It would be hard to imagine Bill-n-Hill not holding a grudge too, desirous of revenge after the denial of a presidency they thought they owned, and of course all the things that were said by both sides in the primaries.

Hillary ain't going down with the USS Obamanation, bet on it- serving Chairman O to the bitter end is not the way the Clintons plan to end their legacy. And as for other Democrats who were caught surprised by the meteoric rise of Obama, then just went with the flow-- there's a lot of shallow support out there that could evaporate as quickly as it appeared. The arrogant serial-opportunist Obama seems destined to offend much of the party's old guard, as well as anyone else that he used to get elected... but now no longer finds useful.

The way he's burning through the unprecedented goodwill he's enjoyed is beyond me- a compulsive narcissistic personality disorder, coupled to a megalomaniac's warped sense of self-awareness has become the only apparent explanation. That, and he's incredibly spoiled after having the rails lubricated by a crooked Chicago Machine and adoring DNC for years... Obama simply doesn't seem to realize how quickly it can all disappear- he obviously believes his own mythical narrative... ala Elvis.

But Barack Obama's personality flaws and misguided decision-making are the kinds of things that political opponents tend to take notice -and full advantage- of.

You can be sure that the Clintons have- and are planning accordingly.

Obama, the Apprehensive Opportunist

After telling us in the Democratic primary debates he “questions her judgement”, that she “lacks experience” diplomatically, his staff even calling her a “monster”…suddenly, Hill’s OK now?

With flattery and plastic affection for the cameras, and in a substantial about-face, Obama this week nominated former rival Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State. All this, of course, does nothing to change the fact that she's a seriously flawed and unqualified nominee, to say the least.

Apparently it doesn't matter that Clinton has not one iota of foreign policy experience. She also lacks basic diplomatic skills, is known for a violent temper, use of foul language when angry, and for berating those unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity when she
"loses it".

Other presidents-elect with no diplomatic background have brought in a Secretary with the requisite experience to the State Department. Ronald Reagan with Al Haig, Carter appointed Cyrus Vance...even Bill Clinton and Warren Christopher. Oddly, Barack Obama doesn’t feel the need for such abilities and qualifications in the nation's top diplomat.

And if Hillary were not married to Bill Clinton, would we have ever even heard of her? Perhaps, but I doubt it. This explains why she stuck-around through the numerous public humiliations he has delivered over the years. Such opportunism and cynical maneuvering contrasts sharply with Sarah Palin's credibility, self-made success story, and happy family life... a woman that Democrats can't disrespect enough.

While 2009 will undoubtedly be a challenging time for an abecedarian envoy on the world stage, Clinton also has a number of conflicts and personality flaws that should have automatically disqualified her for the position... but for some reason, did not.

Recall Hillary's theatrical opposition in the Senate to the Dubai Ports deal- Clinton was key in forcing this company from (US ally) the United Arab Emirates out of the contract. Subsequently, Bill Clinton was hired and paid millions of dollars by the UAE to clean up the resulting PR debacle... which was much his own wife's creation. No conflict of interest?

How about the additional millions Bill has received in donations to his foundation and consulting fees from Kuwait, Morocco, Kazakhstan, et. al.… no problem there?

In a pitiful effort to embellish her shallow experience in foreign policy, Hillary was caught lying during the primaries, when she claimed to have come "under fire" on a visit to Bosnia in 1996... until witnesses and video footage comprehensively debunked her version of events. What happened to honesty and integrity as selection criteria?

And any possibility of Obama controlling this self-promoting loose cannon? Of course not, the Clintons can’t even control each other.

Perhaps the biggest cause for concern is Hillary's judgement, which is often warped by her thirst for power and control. Because of this, she's developed a tendency to be manipulative and Machiavellian in her dealings with others- is this the kind of person who should represent the United States with foreign governments? And is Obama right to trust her to work for his (and the country's) agenda... rather than her own?

It has been reported that for several months he "envisioned" Clinton as his top diplomat. But more likely, the decision was actually made some time ago. The most logical explanation for this nomination is the fulfillment of a political deal struck during or after the Democratic Convention... in exchange for her support, of course. And Obama was not willing to let ethics or qualifications get in the way of a win-win deal that serves both his and Hillary's ambitions so well.

All this shouldn't surprise anyone who’s done any real due-diligence on this disingenuous serial opportunist Obama. He has long combined soaring rhetoric for the plebes with pragmatic, if unsavory, alliances... and cold political calculation. And one shouldn't rule-out the possibility he "envisioned" this to eliminate this rival once-and-for-all; take her from her senate stage, let her bungle something significant- then fire her... it's certainly not out of the question. Anyone who would expect Obama to put the country's interests before his own political security has not really taken a serious look at how he got this far in the first place.
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And what might our enemies think? The Ayatollahs are elated, the Stolichnaya's flowing in the Kremlin, and they're slaughtering a goat at Bin Laden's cave, in all likelihood. What a relief and opportunity to put tyro diplomat Hillary in the trick-bag... sure beats facing down someone wise to their tricks and agenda, like a McCain appointee. And when someone has personality quirks such as Clinton's, it's not hard to construct a strategy that exploits them to your advantage at the negotiating table. Wouldn't it be interesting (and comical) to read the Russian intelligence profile on the Senator? There are reasons that Obama was all but endorsed by Russia, Iran, Syria, Hamas, and Venezuela.... and this is just the sort of thing they were hoping for.

Senator Obama had opposed the the Iraq Surge strategy vehemently… and continued to deny it’s progress for months during the campaign. When the positive results on the ground became apparent to all, he just dropped the subject. But now, Bush's Defense Secretary Robert Gates is OK for Team "Change", too? Didn't Obama base his whole primary campaign on an anti-Iraq-war, anti-Surge platform? Rapid retreat and withdrawal? ASAP?

The nomination of "safe" Clinton and Bush establishment types could be attributed to the very hollowness of Obama's campaign narrative - as he knows better than anyone that he's no Messiah. His considerable skill in taking vague positions supported by vacuous rhetoric, enabling him to be all things to all people, is not going to be quite so useful anymore after January 20th. The populist "blank canvas" strategy that served him so well to this point could boomerang soon, and produce quite a bit of dissapointment out there. Barack Obama apparently fears a comprehensive political collapse following the overblown charade of "Obamamania"... which has created quixotic expectations among many.

While the liberal agenda goes on the back-burner for now, Obama clearly feels the need to delegate policy to multiple big egos and known quantities... as-well as strike deals with the DNC establishment. Joe Biden as VP was an early indicator to the observant that "Change" was just a catch-phrase to exploit President Bush's low job-performance ratings... and little more.

As for the unruly, multi-polar cabinet he is creating, Obama's "The buck stops here" response last week sounds sufficient... until one realizes he lacks the stature to contain the Clintons; certainly Congressional leaders Pelosi and Reid too; Rahm Emanuel will be a handful; plus he's basically subcontracted the management of both wars to George W Bush's Defense Secretary for at least a year.

So, for all the lofty cloud-talk of "Change" and "Hope", Obama is now seeking only safe moves and continuity, basically an admission that he really doesn’t have anything like the whole new direction he’s been promising for over a year… nor the courage he once feigned.

Now we are already hearing Democratic Congressional leaders like Dodd, Frank, and Levin complaining about Obama's lack of commitment and specifics in dealing with the major problems of the day. The clock's ticking now Barack, and reality is waiting for you around the corner... with a truncheon. The time for hard decisions that not everybody likes is here... for the first time in Obama's entire political career.

Apprehension regarding the daunting circumstances waiting for him, after riding a wave of infatuation to victory, has promptly overshadowed other considerations already- six weeks before he's even taken the oath of office.

“Change You Can Forget Was Ever Mentioned”

Simply put, Obama is in way over his head now- and he knows it.