March 17, 2008

How Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton Can Salvage the Dems’ Opportunity

 

Our beloved Democrats finally have the opportunity to bring this country back from the Stone Age and seem intent on blowing it.

 

Hillary Clinton is the main culprit – making it clear she will do anything to win, including risking her Democratic opponent and party, not to mention the “issues I care about so deeply about”.

 

She accuses her ”potential running mate” of being unqualified as commander-in-chief – providing a key sound bite for John McCain’s campaign. Assuming Barack Obama is the nominee (most likely), or that she somehow wins and really asks him to be her running mate, “Senator Clinton, how can you in good conscience advocate someone for president who cannot protect our country? Were you lying then or are you lying now?” Ugh!

 

Samantha Power lets slip out during a supposedly off-the-record interview that she considers Hillary a “monster”. Welcome to amateur night with the UK press. Geraldine Ferraro counters by accusing Obama of being black. So there!

 

Ms. Ferraro should know about exploiting racial and gender politics. Here was a mediocre congressperson who, by the grace and poor judgment of Walter Mondale, and the “No Men Need Apply” sign in the smoke-filled room, became a less-than-mediocre vice presidential candidate. And now she has become a racially tone deaf representative of Hillary’s campaign.

 

Obama’s Power is gone in a day. Hillary’s Geraldine also goes – 13 days later. Hillary moves microscopically closer to her version of contrition by admitting, “Yes, there have been problems in both campaigns.” Perhaps she wouldn’t have put Ferraro on her Finance Committee if she “knew then what she knows now”. Monsters don’t admit mistakes either.

 

There is also a challenge for Obama embedded in this mess – getting practice at responding to attacks by someone who is not playing by the rules that he wants to champion for all of us.

 

Hillary is not Hugo Chavez or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but she is doing some of what they do, and what a President Obama would have to deal with. He gets points for keeping his cool, but so far he is not dealing with the attacks as people expect a president to deal.

 

So what might these folks do about all this, if they were really interested in a cause larger than themselves and their candidacies?

 

To both: Say clearly that your primary opponent is your clear second choice for president, that you will strongly support him/her if s/he is the nominee.

 

Focus your zingers on John McCain and the Republicans. Let the public decide who does that better. “Senator McCain, how do you feel about the president’s comments on fighting in his wars as romantic adventure?”

 

To Hillary: Apologize clearly for your statements about Obama not being commander-in-chief material. Something about “the heat of the campaign” might do it.  Do it now while it still costs and counts, rather than under Republican pressure later.

 

If you are serious about Obama as your running mate, perhaps as likely as real tears, say clearly that if nominated, you will ask him. In addition to the healing impact, it will be a good tactical move – dispelling the skepticism of people like me, who believe the hints are only ploys to peel away his support. This will also put pressure on Obama to respond. (I would advise him to politely decline).

 

And finally, to Obama: People are checking you for toughness and leadership. Begin with appropriate moral outrage at your opponent’s irresponsible behavior, as a fellow Democrat and as one who claims to so value her ideals. Leading Hillary’s supporters begins by leading her. Heaven knows she needs it these days. Be more assertive at keeping the press on track.

 

Your pastor provides another unwanted leadership opportunity. Assuming the Reverend has pro-you sympathies, he joins the Democratic self-immolation club by giving his incendiary sermon at this racially sensitive moment. Good defense won’t be enough here. Use the unfortunate speech to remind people of the remaining consequences of our racial past (of which white America is painfully unaware) and make your ability to forge a new racial reality even more crucial. It’s a tough one, even for you.

 

You can do more to dampen the resentment that Hillary has created among your troops. The feelings are understandable, but not useful – for Democrats, or your own campaign, especially when they leak into the public domain.

 

You should propose strong ground-rules for the duration of the campaign. Ronald Reagan got much mileage from his “eleventh commandment for Republicans”. You might offer ”a second golden rule for Democrats”, or something more secular like, “addendum to the Geneva Convention for warring Democrats”. It’s possible to promote oneself for president without making the primary opponent unelectable. The rules might include no last-minute ads on issues of dubious validity.

 

I’m not aware of parallel resentments on the Hillary side, except for upstart you beating her and threatening the restoration. Still, you might apologize for anything you might have done to denigrate her. That might send the press scurrying to find nothing.

 

Good luck to both of you in getting this back on track.