Sullivan Drops in from Planet Make-Believe

From The Daily Dish, which rarely fails to punch my buttons, this fit of political prissiness:

Fading memory has helped some to forget about the Clintons, their political machine and their ruthlessness. A rising black politician in the Democratic party is a threat to them and their power over blacks. So they are doing what they can to crush him, and punish any Democrat who associates with him. As Hillary Clinton's poll numbers rise, her leverage increases. As does the fear of those Democrats who know what follows if they cross the power-couple from Hot Springs. I don't know what prompted Lewis to back Clinton; he marched between Obama and Clinton in Selma, but worshipped with Obama afterwards as you can see above. But I very much doubt that Bill did not have a word with him. Again: the way in which Hillary uses her marriage to advance her own power is striking. No real feminist would do this; only someone who postures as a feminist while using her husband as a tool.

Peculiar of Sullivan to berate the Clintons for acting like successful presidential politicians. Does he think the Bushes, or the Reagans, or the Nixons didn't or don't have a "machine," or that they don't "have a word with" people who might be inclined to differ with them? Oh puhleeze. Berate the Clintons for something no other successful politician does, not for exhibiting the sine qua non of the species.

And, could it be just that Lewis hadn't quite made up his mind in Selma? Could it be that he wanted to see where the odds would fall before needlessly pissing off one or the other candidate? That's what I would have done in his shoes. Furthermore, one might argue that Clinton deserves the post more than Obama, having far stronger credentials, and that Lewis reckons accordingly, figuring that Obama will live to run another day.

But noooooooooo. In classic boythink, Sullivan, unable to see Hillary as anything other than an appendage of Bill, projects his own fallacy onto her, and then presumes to give Hillary feminist lessons. Like, as if!

No feminist politician I know would fail to make use of her husband's political capital in the game of politics. That would be stupid, and I don't know any stupid feminists. Again, Hillary is a politician. Don't berate her for behaving accordingly. And try not to be jealous that she's married to the greatest politician of our time.

Andrew is visiting from Planet Make-Believe this week.