Republicans would have more hope, from a purely partisan perspective, if Hillary Clinton would pander to the Kos crowd. In fact, she has not done so. She has refused, for example, to apologize for her vote to go to war in Iraq. And at the Kos gathering she was booed for defending her decision to accept campaign contributions from lobbyists. The positions she’s taking are, I believe, indistinguishable from the ones she would take if the blogosphere did not exist and Kos was still managing projects for a software company. They are formulated with swing voters in mind for the purpose of winning in November 2008.
Clinton has not yet had her “Sister Souljah” moment with the Kos crowd, nor would one expect her to have it while she’s still seeking the nomination. But as she steamrolls her way to that nomination without owing anything to that fringe of her party, she will leave Kos and company with a simple choice — sign on or be left out. Kos, a realist at heart, will probably sign on. Otherwise, we might well see that Sister Souljah moment.
I hate to admit it, but Clinton’s campaign seems to be hitting on on cylinders these days. I particularly like her response to the nuclear weapons question, although it does represent some hypocrisy and a flip-flop. Still, it sounds good now.