There is an old joke in Hollywood about the brilliantly talented but famously disliked drummer Buddy Rich. Ten thousand people attended his funeral, the joke asserts, but only to make certain he was dead. Barack Obama may be enjoying his own Buddy Rich moment now that he is back in a real race with Hillary Clinton. During the brief period between Iowa and New Hampshire, when most of the leadership elite in the Democratic party thought Sen. Clinton was finished, the sizable but long-silent and subterranean anti-Clinton faction in the party began emerging from the safety of their hideouts to enjoy the new sunshine. Long silent due to the consequences of speaking against the Clintons, these anti-Clintonistas were enjoying a brief Prague Spring, with the happy promise of a future Democratic party no longer dominated by the Clintons and their crowd. Now having rebounded in New Hampshire, Sen. Clinton is very much back in the race and the anti Clintonistas are faced with a stark decision: either fight for the Clinton-free future they tasted for those all-too-brief January days, or retreat to the fearful shadows. I think a good number will decide to risk all and openly rebel, which would be very helpful to Obama. Look for more endorsements of his candidacy by Democratic party leaders who have avoided opposing Clinton until now. It’s hard to settle for another decade in Arkansas, once you’ve seen Paris.
