海角大神

Possible Democratic presidential candidate Martin O鈥橫alley took a swipe at Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday. Maybe 鈥� it鈥檚 kind of hard to tell whether he鈥檚 decided to go on offense, or is just sparring with the woman who鈥檚 likely to crush him in primaries in 2016.

Speaking to reporters at Harvard University following a speech, Mr. O鈥橫alley criticized Mrs. Clinton for changing her views about same-sex marriage and immigration.

鈥淚鈥檓 glad Secretary Clinton鈥檚 come around to the right position on these issues,鈥� said O鈥橫alley, according to. 鈥淚 believe that we are best as a party when we lead with our principles and not according to the polls.鈥�

Clinton now says she supports a federal right to same-sex marriage. Back in 2004, she said that was an issue best left to the states鈥� discretion. She also now says she鈥檇 allow undocumented workers to get driver's licenses, something she opposed in her last (losing) presidential campaign.

As Maryland governor, O鈥橫alley signed into law bills allowing same-sex marriage and undocumented immigrant driver licenses.

鈥淟eadership is about making the right decision and the best decision before sometimes it becomes entirely popular,鈥� said O鈥橫alley.

Progressives on the left side of the Democratic Party welcomed O鈥橫alley鈥檚 jab as a reminder to not take their votes for granted. They keep talking about a more liberal challenger to Clinton 鈥� perhaps O鈥橫alley will indeed fill that role.

Conservatives were glad a possible primary rival finally depicted Clinton as a flip-flopper. Mitt Romney endured numerous such attacks in 2012, and it hurt him, writes Noah Rothman today at the .

鈥淢ore than a handful of political analysts have dubbed Hillary Clinton the Democratic Party鈥檚 Mitt Romney,鈥� writes Mr. Rothman.
But did O鈥橫alley actually intend to inflict political damage? We think not.

After all, O鈥橫alley鈥檚 phrasing there isn鈥檛 exactly stinging. Contrast it with the words of another likely 2016 Democratic candidate, the currently-Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. On, Senator Sanders said nobody knows what Clinton鈥檚 campaign message is.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know and I don鈥檛 know and the American people don鈥檛 know,鈥� he said.

Plus, how ferocious is it to point out that Clinton, on a key issue, has taken a position consistent with public opinion? Support for same-sex marriage has now solidified above 50 percent, according to Gallup. For Democrats, it鈥檚 74 percent. Back in 1996, in the middle of Clinton鈥檚 first ladyship, support for gay marriage was only 27 percent, according to . If she鈥檚 changed her mind here, so have lots of other Americans.

Look, O鈥橫alley鈥檚 in a tough spot. His quasi-campaign isn鈥檛 clicking. It鈥檚 not just that Clinton has all but wrapped up the nomination. It鈥檚 that O鈥橫alley鈥檚 polls are so low 鈥� he鈥檚 at 1.2 percent in the latest RealClearPolitics rolling average 鈥� that he has little chance of winning even if Clinton drops out.聽

Somebody new would jump in 鈥� Sen. Elizabeth Warren, or Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand 鈥� and big-foot their way to victory.

O鈥橫alley鈥檚 not the front-runner for the vice-presidential nomination, either. That鈥檚 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro. If a Clinton/Castro ticket wins in 2016, perhaps HUD is where O鈥橫alley will end up.

In the meantime, O鈥橫alley gets to play the role of the Washington Generals, the exhibition basketball team that鈥檚 lost more than 13,000 games to the famous Harlem Globetrotters.