Clinton: Just kidding, guys. I'll support Bernie if he's the nominee.

Yesterday, Allahpundit asked what the hell Hillary Clinton was thinking when she tore into Bernie Sanders on the eve of the Iowa caucuses. Apparently he wasn’t the only one, and somebody must have slipped a note to the former Secretary of State. Only a few hours after her tirade set the news cycle on fire, Clinton was back with a “clarification” of what she really meant when she said that nobody likes Bernie.

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So what’s her new take? Obviously, she will support her good friend Bernie Sanders if he’s the nominee. Because the only thing that matters is removing Donald Trump from office. So, Bernie… we all good now?

In an abrupt about-face, Hillary Clinton said Tuesday night that she would endorse her 2016 rival Bernie Sanders if he wins the Democratic nomination to face President Donald Trump in November.

The former secretary of state had earlier refused to say whether she would endorse Sanders in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Tuesday, instead telling the outlet: “I’m not going to go there yet.” She had also offered a broad condemnation of the progressive candidate’s style of politics.

“I thought everyone wanted my authentic, unvarnished views!” Clinton tweeted Tuesday night. “But, to be serious, the number one priority for our country and world is retiring Trump, and, as I always have, I will do whatever I can to support our nominee.”

I have to wonder at this point… does Hillary Clinton seriously believe that “everyone” wants her “authentic, unvarnished views” about the upcoming election? For the most part, large segments of the Democratic Party appear to have moved on from the Clinton era and really just wish she would settle into retirement.

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Keep in mind that back in October one of her aides was still teasing the idea that Clinton might jump into the race at the last minute. At that time, Politico went around and did some unofficial polling of the Senate Democrats. While they were all polite and thanked her for her previous efforts, virtually every one of them said it was time for some new blood to lead the party. Minority Whip Dick Durbin said, “I believe it’s time for another nominee.” (Sick burn there, Dick.)

Jon Tester said it wouldn’t be good for her and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico simply said, “It would be a mistake.” They couldn’t find a single Senate Democrat who expressed any interest in seeing Clinton dive back into the fray. And why would they? She had her chance to grab the brass ring… twice. The first time she couldn’t stave off Barack Obama and then she managed to lose what every media maven assured her was a slam dunk race against Donald Trump.

Clinton still maintains her share of nostalgic supporters among the base. Heck, nearly half a million copies of her book What Happened were allegedly sold. But if she’s seen as undermining any of the candidates or the eventual nominee, her reception will likely grow far more chilly.

I’ll close with my personal guess as to what really went down during this brief spat. First, Hillary Clinton still very much craves attention and acceptance. She expected to be entering the final year of her first term as President about now, a belief that she held right up until election day in 2016. She didn’t envision herself being a bit player on the sidelines or yesterday’s news. So saying something confrontational probably helps fill that void.

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But at the same time, she’s also never gotten over the bare-knuckle brawl that Bernie Sanders dragged her into four years ago. She believed that she was next in line and would be handed the nomination on a silver platter just as it happened during her first Senate run in New York. And she’s still dwelling on that. When she dropped those comments about Bernie Sanders, I’m confident she really meant what she said. She’s still very bitter and in her heart, she still blames Bernie for her loss to Trump.

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Ed Morrissey 10:00 PM | November 22, 2024
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