Frankly, I care very little about this Hillary in Bosnia story. I got a bit excited when the media finally caught her in her web, but the story alone is not going to overturn a double-digit lead she has in Pennsylvania (Obama will have to win on his own merits, if he wins there at all; I'll just be happy if he keeps it to single-digits). She is a liar in the vein that everybody lies and politicians lie even more.
What the story has demonstrated, however, is how intractable this nomination fight is between supporters from both camps. And when I mean intractable, I mean somewhere a while back we passed the point of no return and probably didn't notice, but any effort at reconciliation, before someone is labeled "presumptive Democratic nominee," is now impossible.
One need only cross the front line and read the diaries of the opposition. I do it for fun most of the time: when it's Foleygate, the midterm elections, Craig's "wide stance" or Stevens' Bridge to Nowhere, I check out Freeper land. On the day Pelosi assumed the Speakership, I couldn't help but laugh when seeing a picture of Vietnam and the words "socialist death toll" written all across RedState.
Sadly, one need only browse over to MyDD to see how SniperGate is playing out:
You know the sad thing is these threads and BO campaign pushing this story is hurting BO more than HRC.
Here's another one:
OK then BO and his campaign are being hypocrites for parsing what HRC says and not MO????? BO supporters can not have it both ways. Either we can parse every word by everyone or you all need to be consistant.
And that is why BO apporval numbers and match up numbers against McCain are going down.
This diary is not intended to be about calling BS on the comments of Hillary supporters. Obama has made missteps throughout this primary season that would give all of us considerably fewer headaches (for one, we probably wouldn't be waiting on Pennsylvania). And all of us have been so inclined to say how this mistake or that news doesn't affect Obama and, quite possibly, might end up hurting Hillary. The picture of Rev. Wright at the White House, for example.
But this does show a disturbing trend that is inevitable for both sides. We have now arrived at the point where supporters of both candidates believe their candidate to be invincible.
"Don't bother attacking my candidate, it just makes our campaign stronger."
There is no sense of finite strength or resources in either camp; both campaigns have achieved permanence and are locked in until something significant and greater than each candidacy takes place.
A lot of this happens between Democrats and Republicans. As it should. There is a rift that cannot be closed unless there is a total and absolute destruction of one side at the hands of the other. General Lee surrendered ONLY upon the realization that a prolonged struggle would sweep his army into extinction.
Not many conflicts get to that point. A lot of divorces become bitter and stay bitter forever. Some people who are so utterly betrayed never learn to forgive. These people live with the rifts they've created with each other, because it often never gets so bad that one has to unconditionally surrender to the other.
Democrats and Republicans are just too far apart to reconcile. But, short of a second civil war, neither side will ever become so dominant in every arm of the government that one must surrender to the other in the end.
Then we come to the nomination fight inside the Democratic Party. There is a rift in the Democratic Party. A fight for control of the party that is so intense that neither side sees surrender as an option. Defeat, to many supporters, can only be forced onto them.
Thank God, then, that the rules of the nominating contests will end the conflict before both have at it and destroy each other.
There are really few things more absolute and decisive than an electoral decision. For most days in the calendar, no one really knows whether it's the Democrats or Republicans who have the upper hand. No one can say with absolute certainty that Obama has sewn things up, and that Hillary is facing imminent defeat. Only electoral victory and electoral defeat can decide these things. Only then can we begin to pick up the pieces.
Then there are the diaries that hope to head things off at the pass and get everyone to get along. We're all Democrats at the end of the day, so why can't we just hug one another?
Take this one well-intentioned diary:
I disagree with some of what Clinton has done. (ok alot of it has been dirty) But she still is better than the GOP and war and pain that McCain would give us. The middle Class CAN NOT take 4 more years like this. If this nation sits like this for 4 years in 10 years we will not be a NATION! so as an Obama Supporter, if something happens and Clinton is choosen, the other Obama Voters should Suck it up and Vote for Clinton. However if Obama is the winner, then BY GOD the same should be true for Clinton and her supporters
There's nothing wrong with wanting peace and quiet in the Democratic Party. The longer this plays out, the more uncertain the general election becomes.
But, as this diary has been trying to argue, there is a rift. A non-negotiable, unmovable and definite rift between the Clinton and Obama wings of the Democratic Party. We may all want peace in our own little way, but there is nothing to stop anyone from calling those cries for reconciliation self-serving for either campaign.
The only way this ends is when one earns enough delegates to make the case to the other that there is a mathematical impossibility that makes continuing the fight look like a fool's errand. When all future efforts at the nomination seem futile. When total and complete destruction of the opponent has been decisively achieved.
Eventually, that will happen. The convention will not fall into disarray, and one of the two candidates will have enough delegates to claim the nomination for the fall.
Until that happens, however, there is no sense in getting along. There is no point in pledging a vote for unity within the party. Until the end is upon us, there can be no reconciliation.