Dana Milbank: Much Ado About No Delegates

[Colobo]

Cheering supporters? Check. Election returns on the projection screen? Check. Andrea Mitchell and Candy Crowley doing stand-ups? Check and check. In fact, the only piece missing from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's Florida victory party here Tuesday night was a victory.

Yes, Clinton (N.Y.), as expected, beat Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) by a wide margin in the Democratic primary in Florida. But all the Democratic candidates had agreed months ago to boycott the contest after the Democratic National Committee stripped Florida of its delegates to punish the state for moving up its primary date. The result was a primary without purpose, a show about nothing.

But in a political stunt worthy of the late Evel Knievel, the Clinton campaign decided to put on an ersatz victory party that, it hoped, would erase memories of Obama's actual victory Saturday night in South Carolina's Democratic primary. "Thank you, Florida Democrats!" Clinton shouted to the cheering throng. "I am thrilled to have this vote of confidence."

It was a perfect reproduction of an actual victory speech, delivered at a perfectly ersatz celebration at a perfectly pretend location: a faux Italianate palace with lion sculptures, indoor fountains and a commanding view of Interstate 595. The Signature Grand ("Elegant Weddings and Grand Social Occasions") was also holding receptions Tuesday night for a pediatric practice and for a group of optometry students, but the Clinton campaign was the biggest draw: It filled the Silver Palm Room, the Golden Palm Room and the Emerald Palm Room.

But even some of the faithful in the hall doubted that the big margin for Clinton, flashed on a projection screen, was an accurate gauge of the race here. "Probably not," said Eleanor Forte, on the outer rim of the celebration. "If they had campaigned here, it probably would have come out differently."

Mucho more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/29/AR2008012902998.html?hpid=topnews

[K Gardner]

1. Glad to hear other people, who can write about it, think she's a joke too.

[DainBramaged]

3. They won't stop

She'll remember next time he tries to interview her.

"Oh hi Dana, nice tie. Say what? No I'm busy, goodbye".

[DJ13]

2. Was Hillary a recording artist?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/61/Lesley_Gore,_French_EP.jpg/180px-Lesley_Gore,_French_EP.jpg

[DainBramaged]

4. Are you a Craftsman or a Snap On?

[milkyway]

5. Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark. Damn near Orwellian bush-like made-for-tv show.

I didn't realize she had spent so much time in Florida this week.

[Barack_America]

6. Funny article.

Particularly the bit about the banquet hall. You just don't get to hear enough about that side of these campaigns. lol

What a sham.