Tuesday evening Andrew Sullivan was incensed that Hillary Clinton didn't concede. He wrote:
The speech tonight was a remarkable one for a candidate who has lost the nomination, though not remarkable for a Clinton. It was an assertion that she had won the nomination and a refusal to concede anything to her opponent. Classless, graceless, shameless, relentless. Pure Clinton.
So what did Sullivan write when news broke less than 24 hours later that Clinton was getting out of the race this week and would back Obama?
Reality Bites
04 Jun 2008 07:55 pm
She'll withdraw Friday and endorse Obama. Money quote:
"We pledged to support her to the end," said Representative Charles W. Rangel, a New York Democrat who has been a patron of Mrs. Clinton since she first ran for the Senate. "Our problem is not being able to determine when the hell the end is."
Heh.
"Heh." That's it. No hat tip to the fact she made the decision pretty darn quickly (certainly by historical standards), and also no recognition that she went out of her way yesterday to defend Obama as a friend of Israel at AIPAC.
Clinton clearly could have been more gracious on Tuesday night in acknowledging Obama's achievement, and she could have used softer language in describing her campaign. On the other hand, as a candidate who spent the better part of two years campaigning and who won 18 million votes across the country fighting her way to what was for all intents and purposes a tie, she also had ample justification for touting her accomplishments and for not conceding immediately on Tuesday night - despite what others may have wanted.
But for Sullivan, there is no room for such perspective where Hillary is concerned, and certainly not for any empathy. His hatred of the Clintons is as fierce as his infatuation with Obama, and rivals only Dick Morris' in its pathology. Yet despite Sullivan's predilection for painting in the extremes, Barack Obama is not a modern day Messiah and Hillary Clinton is not the anti-Christ.
For Sullivan to assail Clinton on Tuesday night for "refusing to concede anything to her opponent," and then be so dismissive of news of her actual concession is - if I can borrow a phrase from a notoriously excitable blogger - classless, graceless, shameless, relentless. Pure Sullivan.
