I'm suspicious.
Kerry in 2008? Would the Democrats really give one who lost the nomination on such an important election? Kennedy thinks Hillary is too moderate?
Haven't we seen this tactic before?
Leading Democrats claim to oppose one of their own, often on claims that he or she is too conservative. It draws attention to all of them and away from Republicans. The media focuses on the "in fighting." Then, Lo and Behold! they all work out their difference and lend unified, dedicated support. The base is then galvanized and...now where was that Republican all the while who was so easy to ignore?
Sounds like a con job to me and they're already working for her.
Divide the GOP, then conquer it. Kinda like Perot.
Sounds like a con job to me and they're already working for her.
Kerry isn't working for her. It's about power and ego, and it would be foolish for these guys to get on board too soon. In the end they almost certainly will get behind Hillary -- who else do the Democrats have? -- but they don't want to give away their bargaining power too soon.
You're right about the basic dynamic: attacks on Hillary for not being liberal enough help her in the long run with the general electorate, and these people will be behind Hillary when she gets the nomination. But there's not a conspiracy.
Maybe you can explain it economically. Political influence is like cattle futures. Sell them too soon and you don't make a profit. Hold on to them too long and you can lose your shirt.
And sometimes there really are bad feelings involved. Bob Kerrey and Jerry Brown really didn't like Bill Clinton in 1992. Maybe hated isn't too strong a word. Kerrey and Brown didn't want or didn't get anything from Clinton after the election -- feelings were that bad.
In 1976 a lot of Northern Democrats were ABC (Anyone but Carter) up until he was nominated. And Kennedy certainly wasn't doing Carter's bidding in 1980. Democrats do get together in the end, but some fight like anything until then.
The book though, doesn't seem to be a head-on attack on Hillary. It's like a vaccination. She gets hit with charges that she can dismiss and she becomes stronger. She can say, as her husband did in 1992, "That's old news, I want to talk about what's important now." It may even help to create some sympathy for her.