Instead, the party did far more than merely acquiesce in Hillary’s decision to run. It did virtually everything it could to guarantee her victory. Scandal-free progressive politicians such as Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden stood aside. Superdelegates signed on with Hillary en masse. The DNC put its thumb on the scales to such an extent that Debbie Wasserman Schultz was ultimately fired to appease the Sanders holdouts. When angry Trump voters were accusing incompetent Republicans of “rigging” the system against their man, ruthless Democrats were were actually rigging the system for Hillary.
They’re still ruthless, of course. It is Hillary who inarguably created this incredible mess, and it is her aides who inarguably compounded it. But from the wails of the entire Democratic establishment, one would think the true villain of the story is FBI director James Comey.
Comey was in an impossible position. He had informed Congress that the FBI’s e-mail investigation was complete, a fact that was no longer true. Stay silent and he would inflame the tens of millions who see a double standard applied to the Clintons. Speak up and experience what he is experiencing today, a furious assault from an establishment that only weeks ago was applauding his wisdom and integrity. At least speaking up carries with it the virtue of truth: She is under investigation, and the American people need to know.
The contrast with the hapless Republicans is profound. Confronted with Donald Trump, the Republicans lurched from denial to incompetence to spinelessness. Even the god-awful pledge that torments Republicans such as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio originated as part of an effort to limit the damage Trump would cause to the party. They hoped he’d stay out of the race after he (inevitably, they thought) lost the primary. The pledge was meant to bind Trump. The super PAC firing squad that helped kill Rubio’s primary chances wasn’t designed to help Trump but instead to help Jeb Bush.
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