Hillary Clinton - Tragic Figure

Hillary Clinton's story is one of tragedy. It's still unfolding, but, as with all tragedies, the end is clear long before it is realized. Obama is her Macduff. Thinking herself invincible because she'd pick up a huge chunk of votes on identity politics alone (when your political party is defined by liberal guilt, you can really count on the auto-votes to come in), Hillary met her suspect-class match. As friends betray her and the castle crumbles around her, she fights on. It's touchingly sad.

This was supposed to be Hillary's year. She's been running the cursus honorum as long as she's been in the national eye - First Lady, senator, presidential candidate. No one really doubts that her choice to move to New York and run for Daniel Patrick Moynihan's Senate seat was born of pure ambition. Further, it was clear that the presidency, not the Senate, was her ultimate goal. This was the year for her. She's had experience in national office, "change" is in the air, the current VP isn't running, and her party is on the upswing. The last two Democratic nominees were pathetically weak, so she had every reason to expect weak and easily-defeated competition in the primary race.

And then along came Obama...

I don't know if Hillary will get another chance at this. After all, old senators make weak candidates (remember John Kerry? Yikes). She's lost face and lost the respect of her former supporters in the media and political establishments.

Tragic.