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This is an interesting power play by Hillary (and Bill as well).
They're attempting to put the squeeze on Obama by making Hillary's demand for the Vice Presidency (and that's what it is, despite any pretense that it was raised in private conversations and "coincidentally" by one of her major supporters) public. It's a very clever trap.
If Obama gives in, he'll have demonstrated that he's weak and can be pressured; hardly a good way to start the general election campaign. Not to mention the fact that he'll constantly have to cope with constant attempts to overshadow him and subvert his agenda from both Bill and Hillary!
But if he refuses, Hillary can play the "scorned woman" role. And she'll play it to the hilt. It will be her excuse to give Obama backhanded, unenthusiastic "support" which will effectively sabotage his campaign. Her goal, of course, will be for Obama to lose to McCain, thereby setting her up for (she believes) a triumphant procession to the White House in 2012 - the scenario that she was so sure would happen this year.
Many of her supporters will probably swallow her line (that she "earned" the VP nomination and has been insulted by Obama's refusal) hook, line, and sinker. With Hillary's unoffical but tacit approval, they'll vote for McCain - an utterly inexplicable act for any self-proclaimed feminist or supporter of women's rights – or, at the least, sit out the election.
The resulting McCain Presidency will be utterly devastating for the issues and people that Hillary claims to champion. The war will continue, the gap between rich and poor will continue to expand, our infastructure will continue to decay, and our economy and environment will suffer incalculable damage. Not to mention the impact that McCain's first appointment to the Supreme Court would have on women's rights! Abortion rights would become a state-by-state affair. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of women would likely die every year from botched illegal abortions.
But it's quite clear that none of these issues really matters to Hillary - not compared to her own personal ambition. She'll flush the Democratic Party and the future of our country down the toilet for a chance to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency.
