Democrats abandoning the Clintons?

Rejecting a personal entreaty from President Bill Clinton, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) plans to endorse Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for president in a joint appearance on Monday, Democratic sources said.

The embrace provides a dramatic rocket for Obama to ride into the frantic, nationwide campaigning ahead of the spate of Super Tuesday primaries on Feb. 5, the biggest day for nominating contests in U.S. history. Caroline Kennedy, the senator's niece and the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, will also appear at the rally, the sources said.

So what gives?  I wrote about this last year, wondering, almost betting that, in the end, the Democrats wouldn't all commit collective political seppuku by nominating what would be the most flawed general election candidate in history.  Elections are, after all is said and done, about winning.  As Bill himself once said, "Losers don't govern".  Well, it seems that the bulk of the bigwigs in their party are starting to take that advice to heart.

Another aspect of this may be that a lot of the liberal elitists in the Democrat party have always viewed the Clintons as interlopers on their social turf.  Politics, after all, is in many ways tantamount to the social life of these people...and Bubba and Hillary never really had the right pedigree.And the language of Caroline Kennedy's endorsement of Obama is telling...

“I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president – not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans,”... 

In other words, not just does Hillary leave her cold, but she thinks her opponent is the most inspirational candidate since JFK.  Not exactly something you'd say if you thought nice things about Hillary...or wanted to be friends with her in the future.In the end though, I'm still torn about how I think this thing will end up.  The smart money is almost always on the establishment, which is essentially the Clintons.  But now we've got significant slippage among the "in crowd".  Does the rest of the party establishment begin to swing behind the supposed JFK heir, (now that he has the seal of approval from the royal family)?  Do they come to see him as their best chance for victory?

The other side is the level of ferocity that the Clintons will bring to bear when necessary.  And it's getting necessary.  They've still got a talented cadre of hacks and hangers-on who are looking for a restoration.  And they play for keeps.  Race-baiting?  No problem.  Slanders about drug use?  You got it.  Thought Bill was fighting dirty in South Carolina?  Odds are we haven't seen anything yet.  They've obviously decided they have to get Obama off his pedestal (that the media helps keep him on) and down in the mud with them, where they excel.  This then turns him into just another politician.  It may work.

They've got an entitlement mentality, and they'll work to crush whatever gets in their way.  The question is whether or not the rest of the party will let them get away with it.***

More over at Real Clear Politics