I Can't Quit You, Babe

An interesting insight from a reader at TPM: 

Just a random and probably not very helpful observation... But isn't a big part of what's going on in this lumbering undead primary race that the media -- and even the voters at large -- are actually having a hard time letting go of the Clintons just because they're more fun? Love them or hate them -- and I've done both -- they always give us a good show.

Barack gives you passion and inspiration and a sense of belonging to something important -- but there's a big problem. It's okay to love him, but what if you hate him? (I use "hate" here more in the sense of an audience's experience of a fictional character: simultaneous self recognition, contempt, judgment, catharsis). Can you hate Barack without feeling racist? It's not easy. But with Hillary it is. You can hate her without feeling sexist, because she's a Clinton.

It feels like Obama is stealing the "fun part" of politics from us. Every third attack on him triggers a new spasm of soul searching about the lingering stains of wretched racism on our national psyche. Which of course is important. But it's way less fun.

I'll be the first to admit: I'm a political junkie largely because I'm addicted to the show. And who doesn't crave the distraction in times like these, with wars and recession and whatnot. That's why television entertainment (where I work) is considered recession proof. We offer escape. Like politics used to. But the "sideshows" don't play like they used to. For that, we need characters we're free to love to hate.