The dirty operatives

Fergus Finlay wants Hillary Clinton to be the next President. No real surprise there. He gives three reasons to want her to win: her expertise, "she's a woman", and "the right-wing press hate her so much". Whatever. In truth, nothing he says about Hillary or the "right-wing press" is all that new or interesting.

There was this:

[i]n the past few days one television commentator was suspended from his network because he suggested on air that Hillary was “pimping” her daughter Chelsea — apparently because Chelsea is working on the campaign.

That comment was by David Shuster on MSNBC. I don't know much about Shuster at all, whether he qualifies as a member of the "right-wing press" or not, but MSNBC definitely does not.

Regardless, it was this passage that interested me most.

The question is, will she get a shot? Right now, the likely republican opponent, John McCain, looks a lot easier to beat than her rival for the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama.

And by the way, the dirtier operatives on the Republican side are already lining up to have a real go at him. It's not just his colour they will be focusing on in the sleazier corners of that campaign. They have latched on to the fact that his middle name is "Hussein" and they intend to use that name, and all sorts of invented links to the Muslim world, to terrify the more easily-duped voters if Obama wins the nomination.

So, the Republicans will play the race card? Well Bill and the campaign team have beaten them to the punch on that one. And, the Republicans will imply that Obama's a Muslim? Well, again, Hillary's folks have already been there, bought that tee shirt.

The Republicans will have to come up with something new or anything they'd say about Obama might violate the Hillary team's copyright.