Indiana Senator Evan Bayh apparently said this with a straight face:
Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, who backs Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, proposed another gauge Sunday by which superdelegates might judge whether to support Mrs. Clinton or Senator Barack Obama.
He suggested that they consider the electoral votes of the states that each of them has won.
“So who carried the states with the most Electoral College votes is an important factor to consider because ultimately, that’s how we choose the president of the United States,†Mr. Bayh said on CNN’s “Late Edition.â€
Translation: “If you sort of cock your head, just like so, and squint a little bit, Hillary Clinton isn’t *really* losing.”
Come on Evan, the point of being a Hoosier is to be something of a no-nonsense realist, not given to flights of fancy. If the rules were different than what they were, strategies would have been different, resources would have been allocated differently, and you can’t just flap your arms and hope people forget what the rules of the game really are and were at the time the game was played. As Josh Marshall suggested, it’s kind of like losing a game of chess and saying, “well, if my rook could move diagonally, I would’ve won.”
The first thing that popped into my head when reading your translation was a Kids in the Hall sketch – “I’m crushing your head!” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuSl5hGu_P8) And then, of course, I start picturing Evan Bayh holding out his fingers, trying to “crush” Obama’s head.
Now I’m afraid that’s the image that will stick with me from this election.
Well, this gets back to the whole 50 state vs. “17 key states” thread that Doug talked about. Evan’s definitely not a 50 stater.
Plus, he’s probably being deluded into thinking he’s Vice Presidential material. He’s just so bland … I mean, he makes Pat Boone look like Iggy Pop by comparison.
The Clinton campaign is getting into the delusional stage – the only way they win is by changing the rules. If they do that, I have to choose between a continuation of the Bush presidency and someone who has shown they’re not different than George Bush.
If it gets to that point, I think I’ll vote for my dog.
Joe, don’t forget Mayor McCheese. Depending on the SuperDelegates, he might have a chance on the write-in!
As to Bayh & Clinton…
I don’t get the idea that the Democratic primary has anything to do with the general election in those key states. What matters is how everyone that doesn’t hold a elephant or donkey card in those states vote, not just the Democrats.
Going by that logic, shouldn’t the “supers” support whatever candidate has higher poll numbers in a Obama v McCain or Clinton v McCain battle among all voters? That might look a bit different than the primary results in some of those states.
Probably post-traumatic stress disorder from that Bosnian sniper fire she and Sinbad weren’t subjected to.
Hey, if you were stuck on a plane with Sinbad and Sheryl Crow, wouldn’t the experience warp you a little?