Two formerly powerful institutions are now fading into the sunset, and both are going out with Norma Desmond-like denial.

1.  The New York Times.  Sure, it’s still got influence, but only because of the reflected glory of its past.  Today, it’s a mere organ for liberal propaganda.  Their smear story on John McCain yesterday—a charge of an extramarital affair dressed up as a story about corruption—had no sourcing, no proof, no reliability, no credibility. They had held it for months—knowing it they couldn’t back it up—and only went with it because another publication was going to out them.  The Times got bombarded by letters and emails condemning their decision to run it.  My guess is those emails didn’t all come from conservatives.  The true test of how solid this story is?  Whether the Times prints a follow-up with some evidence of what they’ve charged.  As of this morning, they haven’t.

2.  Hillary Clinton.  During last night’s Democratic debate, she grasped.  She went to her fallback: the old-time Clintonian scorched earth technique.  When asked if Barack Obama had used words not his own, she whined that that “wasn’t change you can believe in, that’s change you can Xerox.”  The audience groaned.  That burning-down-the-barn approach worked for the Clintons for 20 years.  It doesn’t work anymore.  She flinched too, when she delivered the line, because she even senses that it’s gone.  But it’s the only thing she really knows.  What you saw last night was the last gasp of the Clintonian legacy of total annihilation of the enemy.  Today, the enemy isn’t just still standing.  He’s thriving.

Goodbye to all that.

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