How the Democratic Presidential Primary Has Become an Insufferable James Bond Sequel

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Elektra King: You don't take "no" for an answer, do you?
James Bond: No.
Elektra King: I hope you know how to ski, then.
James Bond: I came prepared for a cold reception.

Charlie Cook: "The good news for Hillary Rodham Clinton is that she’s winning a lot of battles. The bad news is that the war is pretty much lost."

If you've ever seen a James Bond film (and if you breath, speak English, and have access to a television, I suspect you have), you know the plot goes something like this: antagonists do something bad; secret agent James Bond tries to stop them; there are a few close calls along the way; but in the end, we all know how its going to end. The antagonists will be thwarted, and Bond will be left standing in time for the inevitable sequel. In an exercise of collective denial, the audience will suspend disbelief, gasp when Bond is captured or injured, be dazzled by the clever if implausible plunder and destroy methods of his opponents, and be delighted when Bond eventually defeats his foe. But its predetermined theatre, and the suspense is entirely artificial. We know how this story ends.

Somewhere between February 5th and the Ohio and Texas primaries, that's been the plotline of the Democratic Presidential primary. We didn't know what would happen on Tsunami Tuesday. Obama could have fizzled, and Clinton could have been crowned the heir apparent. Instead, the day was fought to a draw. On February 6th, looking ahead at the primary calendar, the next 11 contests were almost certain Obama victories. A huge scandal could have still derailed his chances, but as the days passed, as the primary and caucus victories mounted, and as the superdelegate endorsements continued to trickle in, it became obvious that Obama was our nominee-apparent. Sure, we saw Clinton as a formidable foe in Ohio, Texas, and Pennsylvania. And yes, if she stays in the race through June, Clinton will remain a formidable foe in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico. She may even win Indiana. But it doesn't matter.

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Image courtesy 2008 Democratic Convention Watch.