Academic

Has Hillary No Shame?

By Robert Justin Lipkin

Did Clinton mean to suggest that someone should assassinate Senator Obama? Of course not.  But nonetheless her remark was "at best," as Mark Shields put the point on Friday's NewsHour, "totally reckless." Shields explained that "[t]he unspoken story of this campaign has been the assassination threats against Barack Obama. It's widely known. It's widely whispered. It's widely discussed, always in private."  Knowing this, as Mrs. Clinton certainly does, the only explanation of her remark is a pronounced insensitivity to any collateral consequences of her remarks. Senator Clinton will say anything she believes will serve her present purposes. She wanted to justify remaining in the race. She thought the RFK remark would provide an explanation of why staying in the reason is reasonable.  That's all that matters. The Clintons are totally immersed in the present, what works now. That's all that matters. They are inveterate egoists. And that's why she should neither be the presidential nor vice-presidential candidate. Oh yes, everyone involved in politics has a healthy dose of their own importance. But that's not necessarily egoism. An egoist cannot appreciate any inherent value in the interests of others. One cares for others only if doing so serves one's own purposes. This jaded politics must come to an end. Hillary's friends should persuade her to withdraw from the race, that doing so now is her only viable option, if she is to retain, that is, any remaining self-respect at all. 

Full post as published by Essentially Contested America on May 24, 2008 (boomark / email).