On Blaming Others

» NYT: Vulnerable Democrats See Fates Tied to Clinton (Carl Hulse)

House Democrats do not like to discuss the idea of reverse coattails for fear of giving it too much credence and angering the Clinton camp. But they are privately nervous about what Mrs. Clinton's nomination might mean in Republican-leaning locales where they made gains in 2006 that were crucial to their becoming the majority.

Democrats say they have not polled on the issue, though a private survey that surfaced this year found that the nomination of either Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama could cut into support for House Democrats in tough districts.

Interesting that the Time (they of the allegedly "liberal" media ilk) chose to single out Clinton when the only substantive evidence they have shows that pretty much any Democratic nominee for President might have a negative impact in tough districts.

» NYT: Who's Afraid of Barack Obama? (Frank Rich)

Clinton-bashing is the last shared article of faith (and last area of indisputable G.O.P. competence) that could yet unite the fractured and dispirited conservative electorate.

... and Frank Rich's own acceptance of a republican talking point? Seriously. Read the rest of Rich's column and you'll get the old standby of Democratic Presidential politics - that if we look for the one candidate the other side simply cannot beat up on, we'll stand a better chance of winning.

It bears repeating - so I'll repeat it. They'll beat up on Obama, too, if he's the nominee. And when they're done, his negatives will look an awful lot like Hillary's. And the Frank Rich's of the world will be left wondering how they got it all wrong. Again.

Better to go with the option that's been through the ringer and lived to tell about it - and might just know a thing or two about how to persevere against it. It's a favorite pastime of losing Democratic candidates to blame the top of the ticket for their loss. I can't tell you how many people I've met here in Texas who have said from their 1988, 1992, 1994. 1998. 2000, 2002 and/or 2004 situation that they were "running against George Bush" and blame that for a loss that was solely their own to assume responsibility for.