Huffpost has 2 pieces on the latest from HRC's drama machine: One on the people on the Rules and Bylaws committee and one by Thomas Edsall on the growing anger (way to go kossacks!) about HRC's "nuclear option." Yesterday I asked the question about pushing back in some way. Another person has provided emails for the RBC members on this blog. What else can be done? And what (looking down the road further) will be the next drama dreamed up by the HRC machine to get the nomination, cause confusion, or merely prevent becoming completely irrelevant?
My first question: What else can be done to throw water on the effort to make a BIG drama out of the RBC meeting on May 31, given the short time left to mobilize anything? Some questions that I have follow, and maybe someone else can answer them:
What if there is no decision? Thomas Edsall's (and others') earlier pieces mention the fact that, if the RBC's decision is contested (which HRC's people may very well do), another committee takes up the issue and then it can go to the floor of the convention. This is precisely what Rachel Maddow was warning about yesterday. It may be a way for HRC to prevent BO from proceeding on full speed ahead and making plans for the general. This allows for doubt, confusion, loss of independent voters, etc. Is it enough chaos that BO could lose this election?
What if HRC's more volatile and angry supporters decide to protest the decision, even as far as the convention floor, as BO's supporters have considered doing if the nomination is given to HRC by the superdelegates? If they threaten to revolt, what will the remaining superdelegates do? What will the DNC do? Does anyone have ideas? More importantly, does BO have a plan in case his best efforts at reconciliation are rebuffed by HRC's supporters?
What if, as someone else in a rec list blog has suggested, the plan is for HRC's members on the committee to refuse to accept any possible decision regarding MI/FL all the way to the convention? With 13 members, only 2 more are needed on the RBC to delay or prevent a decision. With lots of angry and disaffected supporters, can a decision be delayed and a protest be mounted that will give HRC the cover to say she can't do anything to prevent what's happening? Some supporters seem to suggest they are willing while others say she would never allow it? Which is true?
What if the RBC votes to seat the delegates in a fair way, say giving each delegate a half vote from both states, or some such plan, and the HRC s supporters simply refuse to accept it? And show up at the convention to say so.
What if the latest taking point by her surrogates from yesterday, the "Hillary is the victim of sexism and sexists have prevented her from winning" gathers steam and provokes a protest of the nomination of BO all the way to floor?
I count five "what ifs" here, and I'm sure others can think of more, but my final ones are these: What if nothing less than the nomination will cause HRC to stop? What if she has NO PLAN WHATSOEVER to stop bringing up ways to confuse, obfuscate, muddy, delay, raise doubt, etc. until there is no chance Barack Obama can win, and she ends up with the nomination? What if she actually believes she can do that, then bring the party together herself, win the election, and be the best President? What if she believes that so totally and completely that she will not ever let it go?
What if, when she says, "I believe I will be the best candidate for President," she not only has no doubt but feels justified in using any means whatsoever to do so?
Finally, will the superdelegates finally see that one or many of these catastrophes might actually be possible, and will they show the leadership for which they were chosen, appointed, or elected?
Barack Obama cannot say these things out loud. He cannot show any weakness, or even act as if he considers such behavior possible by HRC lest he appear to be creating a drama himself. He is left with only one choice: complement her, cajole her supporters, and hope for the best. I love the optimism, but is it misplaced?
While I hope none of this will happen and everything will proceed nicely to the finish line in early June as many predict, what if they are wrong? What then can I do? Will registering 100 voters who say they will vote for Obama in November prevent these possible outcomes? Kossacks, you tell me. I await your collective thoughts, wisdom, strategy.