Back in December, I commented on Dick Morris’ contention that Hillary Clinton faced the "insoluble dilemma" of trying to appear strong and hawkish on national security without alienating the increasingly anti-war Democratic base. I revised my earlier opinion (that she’d move decisively leftward) and concluded that she’d have to tilt toward the mainstream, not toward the moonbats in her party:
The more I think about it, the more I believe I was wrong, at least in the long run. Hillary may have briefly flirted with moving left on the war, but I think she’s going to decide to remain hawkish, while desperately trying to figure out how to get the nomination without pandering to the anti-war crowd.
New York Democrats just had their convention, and it’s clear that Hillary still faces the same dilemma and is still trying to be on both sides of the war issue:
New York State Democrats who nominated Hillary Clinton to run for a second Senate term on Wednesday closed out their convention by passing a resolution calling the war in Iraq "illegal."
Though media reports insist that Mrs. Clinton remains supportive of the war, Democrats gathered in Buffalo this week were seething with anti-war fever. …
…During her acceptance speech, however, the former first lady felt compelled to insert the line: "Stand with me as we put pressure on both the administration and the new Iraqi government to get behind a real plan for the Iraqis to assume a growing responsibility for their own security and safety so that we can begin to bring our troops home."
And what a godawful line it is! How rabid a fan of Hillary would you have to be to cheer such an awkward and mind-numbing call to arms?
The Clinton team managed to prevent Jonathan Tasini, her anti-war challenger, from gettting enough delegate votes to make the primary ballot. But he’s vowed to petition his way onto the ballot, and could still give her heartburn (emphasis added):
A Zogby poll released on Tuesday may explain why Mrs. Clinton is suddenly running away from the war. While 38 percent of New Yorkers in both parties said they’d back Clinton, 32 percent said they’d prefer an openly anti-war candidate like Tasini.
So I guess she’ll continue to zig and zag — and to utter leaden, soporific, practically content-free statements about the war. Algore is probably loving it.