Hillary Clinton is a hypocrite. That’s correct. She has again convicted herself as a shameless hypocrite.
This is not truly news for thinking voters, but here’s the basic evidence:
(1) On the topic of pledged delegates, Hillary says it is OK if delegates abandon their primary election pledge (and vote for her).
(2) On the topic of Michigan’s and Florida’s primary voters, she says: "Honor the results” and “honor the commitment” that Democratic voters made.
I could simply rest my case here and call for a directed verdict. But let us look at today’s evidence.
Interviewed (4/8/08) on NPR by Michele Norris, Hillary was asked point-blank whether pledged delegates were obligated to represent, at the Democratic Party convention in Denver, the candidate for whom they were pledged at their respective state caucuses.
Hillary tried to weasel out of a direct answer, but Michele pressed her hard and forced Hillary to answer clearly. Hillary’s answer was: Nope. No delegate is obligated to support the candidate for whom they were elected as delegate.
That’s right, to be absolutely clear here, Hillary told Michele Norris of NPR that no delegate—whether pledged to John Edwards, Barack Obama, Dennis Kucinich, Bill Richardson, et al.--was obliged to vote for the candidate they had vowed to support during the delegate selection process in the precinct primary caucus.
So, even if the delegate’s friends and neighbors in the caucus voted for that delegate solely because that delegate pledged to support a specific candidate, Hillary says it is OK for that pledged delegate to give their convention vote to someone else [e.g., Hillary, of course]. Forget “commitment;” forget “honor the results.”
Now, recall Hillary on the topic of Michigan’s and Florida’s disallowed early primaries:
"Honor the results or hold new primary elections," she said. "I don't see any other solutions that are fair and honor the commitment that two and a half million voters made in the Democratic primaries in those two states."
(L.A. Times, March 12, 2008—Johanna Neumann)
Earlier language from Hillary Clinton confirms her meaning (about Michigan and Florida):
“Now some say their [Florida and Michigan primary voters’] votes should be ignored and that the popular vote in Michigan and Florida should just be discounted. Well I have a different view,” Clinton said Saturday. “The popular vote in Florida and Michigan has already been counted. It was determined by election results, it was certified by election officials in each state. It’s been officially tallied by the secretary of state in each state.”
(FauxNews April 5, 2008)
The unavoidable conclusion is that any voter who expects that a Hillary Clinton presidency would represent change from the miserable standard of dis-honesty set by G.W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, et al., would be a good prospect for any sales representative looking to sell a bridge, formerly located over the Thames in London. Caveat Voter !