Hillary's Big Gaffe

"My husband didn’t wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June. We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know I just dont understand it.”

And with those words, Hillary Clinton touched off a firestorm. The Clinton campaign tried to throw some water on the issue by explaining the historical context of the words but the damage had already been done. Drudge splashed the words quickly across his site and today it made the front page of the New York Post.

Far be it for me to defend Clinton but, perhaps, she publicly stated what many have privately wondered. There remains a lot of sickos in this country and there is that fear that Obama could be the target of some heinous plot between now and election time. Quite frankly, some have opined about the ability for a few to accept a woman for president and have wondered if Hillary could/would be in danger in much the same way. Unfortunately, given the contentious nature of the race, John McCain could be in as much danger as anyone.

Fortunately, Secret Service does an amazing job quashing threats before they are able to actually be carried through. George W. Bush, if you believe the press, could be the most hated president ever and yet his life is not in any apparent danger. And you have to know the Secret Service works very hard to keep Obama, Hillary and McCain safe.

So, I believe Clinton's remarks were more along the lines of "you never know what could happen" rather than creating an atmosphere of fear around Obama. I don't believe Clinton hopes or believers for one instant that Obama would be assassinated. I believe she articulated a fear that many have without considering the fact is does touch a nerve with many and I'm sure she regrets it now. It's a shame we have reached the end of the electoral process and Hillary saves her biggest gaffe for the end. I don't believe her words were said with malice but I do believe it will cement the final meltdown of her campaign. If she is wise, she will make that difficult decision to step aside now and prevent any further damage to her already battered image.