THE PROBLEM IS THAT HILLARY AND BILL ARE MASTERS ARE LANGUAGE AND NUANCE. EVERY TIME HILLARY HAS USED THE RFK EXAMPLE, SHE HAS LEFT OUT THE "STILL CAMPAIGNING" PHRASE AND SIMPLY SAID AND RFK WAS ASSASSINATED IN JUNE IN CALIFORNIA. WHEN I HEARD HER SAY THAT, I ASKED MY HUSBAND, I DON'T GET IT. WHAT'S SHE SAYING? THE FIRST THING THEN THAT CAME TO MY MIND WAS - IF OBAMA IS KILLED, I'LL STILL BE IN THE RACE.
I WAS SHOCKED.
HER EXPLANATION OF COURSE MAKES SENSE. THAT'S THE BRILLIANCE OF USING LANGUAGE TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY A THING DIRECTLY, AND YOU LEAVE YOURSELF AN OUT.
NOW IS THAT STRETCHING IT? I DON'T THINK SO. STILL, I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS WORTH A SPECIAL COMMENT BY KEITH OLBERMAN.
PT
Ian Welsh: Ok, Enough With the Hysteria About Clinton's Kennedy Statement.
Ok, based on Hilary's mention today that RFK was still campaigning in June when he was assassinated, I'm hearing reasoning that Clinton is staying in because if Obama gets assassinated, then she'll get the job.
Enough. Does no one think these things through for two seconds before setting fingers to keyboard?
So follow with me down the following logic chain. Clinton drops out this very second and does not release her delegates. Obama is assassinated before the convention. Who has the most nominees? Who is most likely to get the nod?
It is, in fact, damn near unthinkable that Clinton would not get the nomination in that case. Hilary Clinton does not need to stay in the nomination race in order to be the nominee if someone assassinates Obama.
The level of near hysteria, of complete unwillingness to read Clinton's words in any context with any good will that is sweeping large portions of the blogosphere is tiresome. Clinton has used the exact same examples in the past, and no one has objected.
If you don't believe me, believe Robert Kennedy Jr., who said:
It is clear from the context that Hillary was invoking a familiar political circumstance in order to support her decision to stay in the race through June. I have heard her make this reference before, also citing her husband's 1992 race, both of which were hard fought through June. I understand how highly charged the atmosphere is, but I think it is a mistake for people to take offense.
Turns out Hillary was wrong about her own husband, amusingly, but the point remains that all she was doing is saying "races have gone this long before."
 [The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com]
8:19:01 AM 
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