That Hillary is somehow more battle-hardened and able to withstand the slings and arrows of a presidential campaign is by far one of the most baseless pitches being sold to the American public. Being paranoid and being tough are not the same thing. More over, Hillary has more self-inflicted wounds than any other Democratic candidate: her cringe-worthy ads (particularly the Christmas one), her cringe inducing Hill-o-copter, her use of Barack's kindergarten essay. Every day or two there is some new bit of idiocy coming out of her camp. And that doesn't include the contributions of her husband.

Watching Bill over the past few weeks has been an incredibly sad experience for me. I was a huge Clinton fan. He was the first president I was ever proud to be represented by. I forgave him everything, and was so exhilerated by his ability to overcome the impeachment proceedings and leave office with very high approval ratings. He was so smart, so gifted, so able. Unfortunately, none of that has been on display as he has played attack dog for his wife. Bill has become a petty, snipey defender of the establishment in a way I never imagined was possible. Ironically, his recent "support" of Hillary is going to do more to damage his legacy than his fling with Monica ever did. I suspect he will be years recovering.

Obama by contrast does nothing cringe-worthy. When he talks, I relax. I know that whatever comes his way will be artfully, capably, intelligently, and decently deflected. Same goes for his media guy David Axelrod. Both have this very understated genius quality. There is no better defensive tool, no better "armor", than being able to set people at ease and allow them to relax. Reagan had that quality (though not the understated genius thing), and there was a time when Bill Clinton had it to some extent too.

Hillary has never been a natural politician. She ran for senate at the height of her husband's popularity, her chief qualification being that BC was her husband. She beat Rick Lazio--not exactly a power house. Her chief contributions to her husband's administration were a failed health care initiative, the role of the betrayed spouse, and the phrase "vast right wing conspiracy." Her name has always been synonymous with "polarizing figure." I do think Hillary believed all those who told her she was inevitable Democratic candidate. Unfortunately, she was not as skeptical of those who flattered her as she was of those who always distrusted her.

My understanding of Hillary's current health care proposal is that it differs from Obama's primarily in that is has a gimmick: a mandate, with no enforcement mechanism, that everyone have health insurance. So everyone is required to have health insurance and if they don't, well, they don't. Big advantage.

Obama doesn't need to come in with a lot of specifics. He's selling decency, pragmatism and authenticity. His calculation is that people are sick of calculation. And Hillary is all about calculation. On NPR one morning one of their folks was recalling a rather silly incident wherein a question had come up in Hillary's campaign about a single word in a speech she would be giving. Should she say "good" or "excellent" (or something like that)? After consulting with a couple of staff members, Hillary couldn't decide and called a conference call for the following morning to take up the issue. In short, Hillary doesn't trust herself. She doesn't believe that her own words, her own priorities are really shared with those whom she says she wants to lead.

By contrast, Obama exudes a self-assuredness and intellectual engagement perhaps unparalleled in modern political life. Bill Clinton is the only possible comparative, but Obama has sufficient assurance to keep his trousers zipped. One gets no sense that the happy family on the podium after the Iowa caucus was anything other than, well, a happy functional family.

If my heart goes out to anyone it is to Edwards. His surly new tone bears no relation to what I found so attractive in him four years ago. In a sense, it is his turn. Unfortunately, his turn came when the politician of the century burst upon the scene.

Edwards for attorney general? Coud work.

About a month ago I became convinced that the race was effectively over: Obama had won. Though New Hampshire was a bit unexpected, I still feel the same way. While Hillary got what was widely perceived to be a sympathy vote that put her over the top in NH, that does not strike me as likely to be repeated. Sympathy wears thin pretty quickly--particularly when its object has dropped the teary sensitive persona for more of an aggresive pit bull approach.

I think it is telling that none of her Senate colleagues has come out in support of Mrs. Clinton since the actual voting began. All of her senatorial endorsements to date were picked up when she was "inevitable." By contrast, Obama has picked up four endorsements from his senate colleagues since the voting has begun, even after Hillary edged him out in NH.

Obama is being swift-boated right now, not because of any failing on his part, but merely because he has gotten in the way of she-who-had-planned-to-be-president. The storm will pass.

Here comes the sun.

America for Obama.

My Mom is squarely in Hillary's demographic and has been willing to make excuses for almost everything Hillary has done. Until now.

I called her up today and read her this article and the comments. Her response? "So how do you feel about Edwards?"

Just fine, Mom. Just fine.

Obama 2008

or Edwards

or McCain

or anybody in the world to make the Clintons go away. I even want her out of the Senate now.

And yes: I voted for Bill twice and helped out a little locally with the campaign in 92. If I never see him again, it will not be too soon.