Obama Camp Presents Clinton As McCain-Lite

[ariesgem]

Advisers to Senator Barack Obama sought to change the context of the campaign's foreign policy debate by casting Sen. Hillary Clinton as John McCain-lite.

In a conference call with reporters late Thursday afternoon, Obama aide Greg Craig went through a litany of issues in which the New York Democrat and Arizona Republican aligned on international affairs.

"For seven years she aligned herself with Sen. McCain in putting all our eggs in General Musharaf's basked," Craig said. "And she aligned herself with Sen. McCain when they both criticized Barack Obama for taking action against al Qaeda leadership, which has taken safe havens in Pakistan. She aligned herself with Sen. McCain in supporting the Kyl-Lieberman resolution," which many Democrats fear raises the specter of war with Iran.

Earlier in the day, Clinton held a press conference with retired military leaders, in which she played up the notion that Obama was too wet-behind-the-ears to serve as commander in chief.

"I think that since we now know Sen. (John) McCain will be the nominee for the Republican Party, national security will be front and center in this election. We all know that. And I think it's imperative that each of us be able to demonstrate we can cross the commander-in-chief threshold," the New York senator said. "I believe that I've done that. Certainly, Sen. McCain has done that and you'll have to ask Sen. Obama with respect to his candidacy."

Craig and adviser Susan Rise hit back against this argument as well, challenging Clinton to produce one instance in which she was involved in "crisis management," and arguing that she had drastically overemphasized her roles in the North Ireland peace process, pushing for women's rights in China, and opening up borders in Bosnia.

The crux of at least the early portion of the conference, however, was focused on tying Clinton to the presumptive Republican nominee.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/06/obama-camp-presents-clint_n_90297.html

[Eurobabe]

1. Well, you know what they say, if the shoe fits

:shrug:

[Adelante]

2. Hillary aligned herself with McCain just the other day

Two peas in a pod.

[Barack_America]

12. And again in the conference call referenced above...

...From TODAY. It's not hard to align one candidate with another when that candidate is already singing the other's praises. :eyes:

[gkhouston]

15. hey, maybe she'll let McCain be her VP.

:evilgrin:

[Barack_America]

21. Nope. I think she's hedging her bets to be VP for either Obama OR McCain.

OMG, could you imagine a McCain/Clinton ticket? Limbaugh would finally have that coronary we've all been praying for.

[pbca]

3. Sounds about right to me

Bill and Hillary are moderate Republicans at best.

[angie_love]

4. They're BFF's, vodka buddies and all...so makes sense

[earthlover]

5. Crisis management? She didn't even have a security clearance....

not at 3AM or any other time.

McCain Lite is good description!

[AtomicKitten]

18. McCain Lite IS a good description.

Ironically she positioned herself there by taking sides with McCain against Obama on foreign policy experience. That less than smooth move on her part regardless of who wins the nod in the primary will most certainly come back to bite the Democratic party in the ass in the fall.

[skipos]

6. She wanted to put herself and McCain on one side of the line, Obama on the other

so this should be fine by her.

[polichick]

7. Good move!

[FrenchieCat]

8. That's what I've been thinking.........

Why vote for Lite when you can vote for the real thing.


That's the problem with Hillary running the same campaign that McCain will run in the fall. Too many similarities for comfort.

[XemaSab]

30. As Jim Hightower says:

"When you run a republican against a republican, the republican wins every time." :P

[City Lights]

9. Two peas...

[OzarkDem]

10. Keep it up Obama

we'll be writing your political obituary any day now.

[susankh4]

22. Indeed.

I think they may be waaaayyyyyy overestimating the willingness of PA to go for extremes. Ohio didn't buy it. And I doubt PA will either. Or KY. Or. IN. Or WVA.

Somewhere halfway between Obama and McCain is just about right!

[OzarkDem]

25. They need to cut back on the caffeine

and go out in the real world to talk with real people once in a while.

The Obama phenomenon has peaked.

[susankh4]

27. Nah... let's let 'em keep up the McCain lite theme.

That's what I'm lookin for.

After all, Mr. McCain is pretty danged moderate himself. If Hill's midway to his left, on the way to Obama... Why, she is JUST RIGHT!

Like baby bear's porridge.

[ProSense]

11. That's not all she said

In a Cabinet-style setting, surrounded by retired military leaders, Sen. Hillary Clinton said the public should ask whether Democratic presidential rival Barack Obama has met the criteria needed to become the nation’s commander in chief.

“I think that since we now know Sen. (John) McCain will be the nominee for the Republican Party, national security will be front and center in this election. We all know that. And I think it’s imperative that each of us be able to demonstrate we can cross the commander-in-chief threshold,” the New York senator told reporters crowded into an infant’s bedroom-sized hotel conference room in Washington.

“I believe that I’ve done that. Certainly, Sen. McCain has done that and you’ll have to ask Sen. Obama with respect to his candidacy,” she said.

Calling McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee a good friend and a “distinguished man with a great history of service to our country,” Clinton said, “Both of us will be on that stage having crossed that threshold. That is a critical criterion for the next Democratic nominee to deal with.”

more

(emphasis added)

A "critical criterion"? So is she suggesting that if she is not the nominee, Democrats should consider McCain?

Unbelievable!

[4themind]

24. How is "critical criterion" spun..

if she doesn't win and if she claims to support the nominee. I think people are going to ask her to justify her support of obama on an issue that she herself says will be "critical" to the election. If she says "well it's not important" then she looks like a hypocrite arguably (unless she explains how it is not essential, or how her comment was not meant to suggest that it was). If she says it is important and obama has "met" that threshold, I think she'll be asked to justify why that is, when her comments could be interpreted as implying that she does not . If she just punts the issue all together then McCain could have a field day with ads, without the Obama camp having a chance to respond by having it blunted by the primary source (possibly his best defense). If these tactics continue from either side, I think we run the risk of it being all the harder for ANY democrat to win november, the individual candidates may not care about that( I have my personal opinion on who does, but I don't want to shift the conversation from my central point), but I would think that many of us on DU would..

[LSparkle]

13. Excellent way to characterize the (non)choice

If we want voters to REALLY have a choice in November, we'll
make Obama our nominee.

[UrbScotty]

14. If Hillary and Bill Clinton were to split, Hillary should go out with McCain

He wouldn't mind having a third wife. And she wouldn't mind having a partner who is actually faithful to her.

[4themind]

16. Looks like he's starting to use some "ju jitsu"

[tishaLA]

17. Obama also has to take a page out of Clinton's playbook

(Bill's, that it): change the terms of the debate to one about the economy and domestic issues. Allowing it to be a referendum on "national security" plays into Hillary's fear fear fear hands. If he creates a very pointed message about his domestic agenda, he takes the ball out of her hands and keeps her from framing the terms of the debate.

The campaign has to take a step back for a second and get meta. Think about the frames again. The frames and the narrative made this campaign strong; by accepting foreign frames and narratives it is looking weaker.

[sandnsea]

19. At least McCain will end torture and close Guantanamo

Will Hillary?

:shrug:

[susankh4]

20. I think they should keep that up!

Alot of dems would like someone who is about halfway between Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain. In experience. In moderacy. In tendency to cross the aisle. Esp. in PA, KY, WVA and IN.

Yep... our girl is just where she needs to be!

[ExFreeper4Obama]

23. McCain-Lite? She is McCain!!!

After all they both have a lifetime of experience and Obama is just a speech.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

26. it's almost like they read DU.....

see number seven...damn, I oughtta start chargin' for this...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4904312

[Orsino]

28. He must have a new platform...

...'cause the one he's been running on looks remarkably like hers. I think he's only going to look foolish trying highlight infinitesimal differences.

[smiley_glad_hands]

29. Aren't they going to run on the same ticket? eom

[musiclawyer]

31. Obama needs to present a stark contrast

between him and HRC. This is a good start

For years, the left has viewed HRC and the DLC and nothing but GOP -lite. Obama needs to reinforce that now very hard. She is making it easy for him. This is very crucial especially for the Dem voters of Penn. and the supers. Not only plant that seed, make it grow ripe. HRC wojuld be a wonderful running mate for McCain. All upside and no downside by taking this approach. Do it in a presser, nationally televised. And thriow in the people with whom she surrounds herself. This would shape the news cycle for a long time.