Moving On
We all know that Hill-dog went after MoveOn at a recent gathering of Clinton donors, blaming what she labeled the “activist base” of the Democratic Party – specifically, the dedicated members of MoveOn — for her defeats throughout the nomination process.
The problem with attacking the “activist base” is three-fold. One, because she’s going to need help from the activist base if she magically captures the Democratic nomination. Two, because it re-ignites the infighting that has long plagued the American Left. And three, because she’s going to need help from the activist base if she magically captures the nomination.
So how did the activist base react to her statements? Well, MoveOn’s Eli Pariser, for one, felt that the organization deserved better than to be “dismissed using Republican talking points.” The rest just scratched their heads… and wondered why Hillary felt the need to take a swing at committed members of her own party, which just might motivate them to work a little bit harder for Barack Obama.
And that’s not good for Senator Clinton, especially in these crucial days before the Indiana and North Carolina primaries.
It makes sense that Hillary would have issues with the activist base. After all, MoveOn endorsed Obama back in February. And most of those crazy lefties — er, dedicated MoveOn members — are sporting Shepard Fairey’s “Hope” sticker on the rear windows of their old-school Volvo 240s. And they’re challenging the prowess of Hillary’s beloved Democratic Leadership Council at state levels nationwide by engaging themselves in local politics and supporting progressive candidates.
Still, why did Hillary feel the need to take a swing at MoveOn and the activist base at all? Well, the answer just might be related to the makeup of the above-mentioned gathering of Clinton donors.
Hillary was speaking to an elegant living room filled with high-end donors. And those folks are getting very nervous about the state of American politics, mainly because they can’t stand the fact that they now have to share the “little d” democratic process with the dedicated members of MoveOn.
So what’s the end result? Well, there’s evidence that some of Clinton’s donors are starting to think about Obama, even after his recent loss in Pennsylvania. When former Hillraisers are defecting at this stage of the game, it’s a probably safe to say that Hillary wishes people would move on from her recent comments.
