The phony catharsis at the convention

So, Obama and Clinton have made their big unity deal for the convention. In fact, the big storyline now about the convention is how much the Clintons are dominating it. She gets her own video made by the Clintons' favorite video-makers, Chelsea gets to introduce her, and she gets a big spot for her own speech on Tuesday. And then Bill gets his speech on Wednesday. The vice-presidential nominee will seem almost like an afterthought after that. Face it, whom will people be more interested in listening to? Those who care to watch will be watching Bill Clinton's speech just to see how full-throated he is in his endorsement of Senator Obama. (One thought I'd been having is this: if John Edwards' lying and affair disqualifies him from speaking at the convention, how come Bill Clinton gets a featured spot? Just a thought.) And on Thursday, Hillary will get her roll call vote so that the Clintons will be the ones that reporters will be talking about for three days straight of Obama's convention.

This is supposed to provide Clinton supporters with their catharsis that will help them get over her loss and get behind Obama.

"I happen to believe that we will come out stronger if people feel that their voices were heard and their views were respected. I think that is a very big part of how we actually come out unified," Clinton said at a California fundraiser, which was captured in a video clip by an attendee and posted on YouTube.

"Because I know, from just what I'm hearing, that there's incredible pent-up desire. And I think that people want to feel like, 'OK, it's a catharsis. We're here. We did it, and then everybody get behind Sen. Obama.' That is what most people believe is the best way to go," she said.

Clinton's most ardent supporters have been loudly arguing for months that Obama needs to do something to show respect to the 18 million people who voted for Clinton during the Democratic primaries.

I just can't relate to these voters. I'm not a Democrat, but if that's what I believed in, I'd want to get behind my party's nominee. And if I were still upset over Hillary's loss, would some fore-doomed roll call vote wouldn't suddenly make me feel all better. I would either be willing to vote for the guy I think is the best of the two candidates or I'm not. Seeing the Clintons pretend that they support Obama wouldn't change my mind. We all know that they are secretly hoping that Obama loses so she could run again in 2012. Her supporters are either willing to vote for Obama or not; no phony catharsis moment should make a difference to anyone in how they vote.

And it seems that we're still not done with the Clintons. Jonah Goldberg has found the perfect metaphor.

or months now people have been saying to me, “Do you really think they’re gone?” “Is it finally over?” “Is the coast clear?”

The questions have been in response to Barack Obama’s supposedly yeoman service in putting an end to the Clintons in public life.

My response to those who believe our long national nightmare is over has always been: “Have you seen no monster movies?”

Freddy Krueger always comes back. Jason re-emerges from the pond one more time. Dracula had so many comebacks; nobody was surprised to see him hanging with Abbott and Costello.

What is striking is this is the deal that Obama negotiated for himself. He's the nominee and should be in control of the party and his convention. And the best deal he could get is three out of the four nights to feature the Clintons? He caved to the Clintons. And he took his own sweet time about it allowing the story of would he or won't he allow a roll call vote and a prime speaking spot to both drag on for the summer. If he was always going to cave, better that he had done it earlier so that bored pundits wouldn't be spending the time before the convention still talking about Hillary Clinton. Why drag out the question for almost two months so that Hillary's role would still be an open question for most of the summer and reporters would still be talking to recalcitrant Hillary supporters worried about her getting dissed at the convention? Some negotiator he's turned out to be. Imagine this guy negotiating with Ahmadinejad or Putin.