Hillary Used Badly in Eight Belles Comparison

Blogger Tom Watson rightly, in my opinion, points out the insulting, cruel and inappropriate nature of this comment that was posted underneath one of ABC News' Jake Tapper's blogposts comparing Hillary Clinton and her candidacy to the euthanization of the racehorse Eight Belles after she'd tragically broken her two front ankles during the Kentucky Derby race:

Tom Watson says: "...over at Jake Tapper's they're green-lighting comments like this one:"

Comment that was posted at ABC News website: "This race parallels the nomination race as the one HRC picked lost to Obama's pick..now the only question remaining - since HRC will finish second to Obama - should she be put down because she is broken down, lying old hag?"

It's an appalling comparision and comment that has since been deleted (probably because it was being pointed out as such by the public). Jake Tapper has updated his blogpost, defending his comparison and telling readers that he isn't making light of Eight Belles' death. I think he invited this kind of commentary from the public by perpetuating goofy superstition and using the death of a lovely, regal creature as a political stick for any idiot to poke in the eye of their political opponent. I think that anyone..especially Obama supporters.. who wish to make hay (pun intended) out of this unfortunate and tragic death at Clinton's expense will be judged according to how much the individual loves horses. If Obama dares to joke about it, he'll look like a horse's ass (pun intended, and I don't suspect that Obama would be so tactless even though many of his most-rabid online supporters have been).


My comment at Tom Watson's blog reads as follows:

I was heartsick over Eight Belles. As I watched the whole thing unfold before my eyes yesterday, I saw the one picture next to the other - one owner of the swift and lovely horse who'd won the race cheering joyously -- and the deep sorrow upon seing the other beautiful animal laid low..broken and dying...

..it was a bit too much for me. I'm passionate for all horses. Once I'd learned Eight Belles had died, I could no longer join the others in sincerely cheering for the winner.

I am sad to see these comparisons being made to the Democratic candidates. It could, however, be a foretelling, that when one of them wins (bear in mind it's going to be inevitable) and we hear the cheering throng, there will be the other passionate half among many of whom will be turning the whole thing off as I turned off the overwhelming and strange emotional spectacle yesterday.

The only remedy to turning off the passionate supporters of either candidate that I can see is a situation where the losing Democrat gets the chance that poor Eight Belles will never have...to be resurrected as a running mate for the winner.

If only Eight Belles had gotten the opportunity to rise once more to claim life once again...the fact of having lost the great race notwithstanding.

Posted by: Jude | May 04, 2008 at 12:53 PM

As much as the two Democratic candidates choose to avoid the topic and their respective impassioned supporters reel and rebel at the very thought of their candidate taking second spot, the beating of John McCain after such a divided season with the race being so consistently close is going to have to take a Unity ticket. I've never been more convinced than I am now. Whether a nominee is decided upon in June or August, it matters little now. When it came down to Superdelegates deciding the nominee for us, we Democrats passed the point where the party will be free from major damage without Democrat-Unity '08. I've been saying it for quite some time. Andrew Sullivan's talking about the practicality of what he calls a 'Fusion Ticket' today.

My cartoons from early March:






UPDATE:

In fairness to Jake Tapper (whose comment can be seen below), my headline shouldn't have read Hillary Used Badly in ABC Eight Belles Comparison.

My focus on the sad analogy (which is, indeed, a comparison in nature, albeit not made by Jake directly) was more about the type of comments I was seeing underneath the blogpost rather than about the actual content of the post itself.

I have changed my headline and apologize for making it sound as if Jake was making the horrid analogy himself. He wasn't. He was providing facts about a sitution that I'm sure he and his editors knew was relevant to what may someday be looked back upon as a story that will have become political lore.

I'm sounding off about the people who support either Obama or McCain who'd use this to do intentional political harm to Hillary Clinton and walk over the dead body of a noble creature in order to complete the process. It's the side of politics (and people) that I surely wish would change, but there will always be ugliness. As much as people at Daily Kos passionately support Senator Obama in this race, I give them credit because even THEY heavily criticized anyone who tried to build upon this analogy with any seriousness yesterday.

While I'm here updating, as much as I love animals, I firmly believe that PETA's most recent politicization of the Eight Belles incident is just too opportunistic. Another political boot-mark on the body of the horse.

Once again, I didn't mean to mislead readers about Jake Tapper or about ABC.
I pride myself on fairness.
This season's been rough on this Democrat...and many other Democrats.
My apologies for an untentionally misleading headline.