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Two Reasons for Obama Supporters Why Clinton's Attacks Are Good for Him...And the Dem Party
Although I’ve been reading DU for about four years, this is my first posting, so please be gentle. I wouldn’t even post this, but I feel there is a perspective on the current Clinton-Obama Democratic fratricide that isn’t being talked about, and that is this: whatever her motivation, Hillary’s “kitchen sink” and negative campaigning is the best possible thing for him and for the Democratic party.
-- A quick aside: In the interests of full disclosure, I am registered Independent and an Obama supporter, and have been since I heard him speak shortly after the 2004 DNC at a small community park in my rural university town in Illinois. This was before he was even elected Senator, and the park was literally overflowing with thousands of people. I remember Senator Durbin shaking his head as he approached the mic to introduce Obama, because so many people had turned out in the Republican heart of Dennis Hastert country to support a Democratic nominee.
(a sign that times are changing: this weekend, our Republican-since-I-can-remember district elected Democrat Bill Foster to take Hastert’s seat for the remainder of his term). End of aside. --
Although I admire the leadership and eloquence of Barack Obama, I also admire Hillary Clinton’s accomplishments. It really is an embarrassment of riches for Democrats this election; Edwards, Clinton, and Obama are three of the finest candidates we’ve seen in years, especially in contrast to the Republicans, who can only offer the same crusty, old men offering the same tired policies of scare tactics, straw men, and thinly-veiled racism. Indeed, if Obama were not running, I’d happily cast a vote for Hillary.
But my admiration for her in recent weeks has been put to the test – as it has for many I’ve read on these boards. We have trouble making sense of her negative campaigning. Especially because we know how smart (and politically savvy) the Clinton campaign machine is – why then, would they go so darkly negative when they must know and understand the math? They must know she has virtually no chance; why go on?
There IS a razor-thin chance she might still win. That’s reason enough for her to go on, in my mind. Democracy is about pluralism – in representation and ideas. Her participation is an important part of the dialogue. But there are also two compelling reasons for her to stay in with a negative campaign that are very, very good for Barack Obama and the Democratic party:
1. He’s going to be attacked like this – and much worse – in the campaign for general election.
Obama supporters, if we were to think the experience factor, or mocking his message of hope, or innuendos about Rezko or being Muslim aren’t going to come up in the general campaign, then we’re guilty of the type of head-in-the-clouds idealism that we’ve been accused of. In the typical Rovian style, they won’t come from the candidate, of course – they’ll come from a small Republican voicebox (say a smalltime radio show host), so that the heroic McCain can stand above the fray and mildly (and with a wink) denounce them from safely beyond the media-frenzy that’s sure to ensue.
Hearing all these attacks so far in advance gives Obama a chance to steel himself for the Hannity/Limbaugh/Swift Boat/Coulter attacks that are sure to come, and to have defenses prepared. And let’s admit it, some of his defenses so far have needed some work – but I’d much rather see him stumble defending himself against her than against McCain in the fall. By the fall, he’ll be polished, having fought off these attacks for months. When these attacks re-surface in the fall, he’ll have a credible “been-there, done-that” response. And with any luck, the MSM may treat these claims with the annoyed “we’ve already been over this nonsense” that they deserve.
In that sense, it is important for us to remember that Hillary largely is not here as a foe, but as a foil. Every attack, every negative thing she says better prepares Obama for the gutter of the general election campaign. And that’s good for Democrats.
In a metaphor fit for the start of baseball season, she has become his spring training. And she’s not just throwing batting practice fastballs. Nor would we want her to. She’s throwing curves, sliders and knucklers (and maybe a bean ball or two) that will get him ready for when the real season actually starts.
2. McCain will only be able to “parrot” Clinton’s attacks
Another reason to welcome Hillary’s attacks is that many will be all but spent by the time McCain and company try to use them. Many conservatives already think little of McCain, so what will happen when the best attacks he can mount only parrot things that the most-hated conservative target, Hillary Clinton, has already said months before? What could be worse to a Republican than voting for a Hillary-dittohead? And since the only thing the Republicans have to go on anymore is fear-and-smear, Hillary is helping to take away half of their campaign.
Besides that, think of the impact it will have when Hillary finally does concede. She’s too savvy to hold a grudge with Obama, given his chances; her eventual reconciliation will make for powerful imagery, as Obama’s harshest critic becomes a staunch ally and defender. The Democrats will get much more from her eventual endorsement than McCain did from Bush’s recent one. And when McCain plays the experience card, she’ll be able to stand up and say “That was what I used to think, and he proved me wrong. So shame on you, John McCain.” It will also put her in a position of strength in his first term to push for her superior (IMHO, at least) health care plan.
Make no mistake, there will be a lot of fence-mending to do once the Democratic nominee is locked up. The tone of the reconciliation will be vital to the party’s chances in November. But once the nominee is decided, the differences between Obama and Clinton which seem so unimaginably huge now will seem miniscule when contrasting either candidate to McCain. This nation will be immeasurably better off with four years of Obama OR Clinton than it would with four more years of the failed economic, military, environmental, energy, and domestic policies of McCain. And that's to say nothing of the two vital supreme court seats likely to open up in the next four years.
So let’s remember, as we tear each other’s heads off on these boards, that Hillary and her campaign aren’t bad people, they’re just bad-cop. I, for one, admire her guts for keeping up a fight that a lot of people would have quit. She knows the math. Whether she means it to be or not, this is tough love. The more dirt she can come up with (and consequently help Obama defend himself from), the fewer surprises we’ll have by November.
Flame away!
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