The Clinton Effect: I see your hatred and raise with venom.

Bill Clinton is a regular fixture on his wife’s campaign trail now, reminding all that Hillary is a package deal. He commands the spotlight with as much red-faced bluster as an aged, bloodless philanderer can muster and the media does little else but hand wring over the efficacy of his distortions of Barack Obama’s record. It has declared that his outbursts are inflating his wife’s delegate count and puncturing Obama’s unity message.

Commentators who span the ideological gamut genuflect towards the mighty Clinton machine and regard the wheezy windbag as a master of the game. The brilliant strategy is this: Democrats hate Republicans and the feeling is mutual.

Bill’s reentry into the political arena is a recurring topic on talk shows, including MSNBC’s Hardball, where it was mulled over today by Air America president Mark Green, radio talk show host Ed Schultz, and conservative author and political pundit Pat Buchanan.

Chris Matthews calls the deceptive, bigoted and racist campaign against Obama hardball politics. He regularly features apologists like Salon.com‘s Joan Walsh who attempt to mitigate the calamity of the duo’s trampling of civil discourse. Matthews was stomped recently by a Media Matters internet campaign demanding he be fired for misogynistic bias against Hillary Clinton. Matthews seems to have earned a reprieve with this comment.

Ed Schultz was the only guest who noticed that the Clintons have resurrected old hatreds for the party and have buried the momentum for healing hearts and minds.

The strategy may get Hill & Bill the party’s nomination but the Clintons have lost the presidential race.

Unfortunately, this distortion of democracy won’t be wrapping up soon.