For the Good of the Party

Yesterday, Hillary lost the North Carolina primary to Barack Obama by14 percentage points, and squeaked out a two point lead in Indiana. As Hillary Clinton watches her chances for clinching the nomination slip away, is she feeling betrayed—scorned?

If Hillary’s number one interest is seeing a Democrat in the white house, then for the good of the party, she should step aside and let the real campaign begin. What campaign is that? It’s the campaign betwee a relatively well-known, long-term Washington republican John McCain, and the relatively new and less known Barack Obama.

Between now and November, Barack Obama needs to use every precious moment to getting to know voters in large cities and small towns across America. Obama needs to conduct his own version of John McCain’s Biography tour. Obama needs to be traveling the country solidifying his base, and having conversations with blue collar workers and farmers in rural America—because each and every vote counts. And remember, in most instances, to know Obama is to like him.

Each and every day that Hillary Clinton stays in the race is one less day Obama has to make the case to Seniors, Women, Reagan Democrats, disaffected Republicans and Independents, that he is the right man to lead our country. Each day that Clinton stays in the race, she lessens Obama’s opportunity to make that case, gain more ground and improve his lead against Senator John McCain.

Does anyone truly doubt that Clinton is fully aware of this fact? Is there any doubt that Clinton is thinking primarily about her interests—even while the greater interest of the entire Democratic party is at stake?

As the old saying goes, “Beware of a woman scorned.” You know, the “If I can’t have it [the presidency] no one will…” type of attitude. I’d hate to think that Clinton is responding in such fashion, but her actions speak volumes over her words that call for a “unified party” once a nominee is selected (albeit by the Superdelegates).

Well, I have news for Clinton—the nominee has been selected (by the voters), and his name is Barack Obama. Clinton should face the inevitable sooner rather than later, so that Obama and a unified Democratic party can get on with the business of winning the 2008 presidential election!

How Can She Win?

Hillary is in it to win it. So just how does she plan to do it? What is her argument for staying in the race until the convention or until the last contest in June?

1. Something surprising from Obama’s past may appear that will permanently derail the campaign.
2. A re-vote, or the counting of existing votes from Michigan and Florida.
3. Remaining Superdelegates go for Clinton and other Superdelegates switch their vote for Clinton.

Apart from those three highly unlikely scenarios, tonight was Clinton’s last best chance—and it’s over. If there’s no way the numbers can dramatically change between now and June, how does Clinton's staying in the race help the Democratic Party? It doesn’t. Does it waste precious time? Yes. Will Clinton bow out gracefully before then? No.

Remember, Hillary has morphed into the Annie Oakley, Rocky Balboa fighter and the Indianapolis race-to-the-finish line candidate. There’s clearly no escape clause for this candidate. In spite of being behind with no way to surpass Obama in pledged delegates, popular vote or number of states won, Clinton will be in it till the end.

Obama—Broader, Bolder, Better

Tonight was January 4, 2008—the night of the Iowa caucus—all over again. The room was electric, and Obama’s message filled the room with inspiration and hope. If you were an Obama supporter who had waned, you were recharged. Obama was back.

I felt all of the same emotions I felt that cold night in January—the hopefulness, the awe, the feeling of pride. In spite of the political injuries sustained from the Rev. Wright controversy, accusations of elitism and the questioning of his patriotism, Obama survived.

After what could undeniably be described as toughest six weeks of his campaign, and considerable dwindling of support in the polls, Obama accomplished what few thought he would—a landslide victory in North Carolina, and a near tie in Indiana. The Clinton Camp and the pundits had written Obama off. His support among blue collars was reportedly nonexistent and he was a candidate growing weaker with each ensuing contest.

Clinton called North Carolina a “game changer,” and a game changer it was. In Obama’s victory speech he referred to North Carolina as a “big state” and a “swing state,” the kind of state Obama supposedly “couldn’t” win. Obama’s response—“Yes we can.”

What struck me the most about Obama’s victory speech was its grand, presidential-like qualities and broad appeal. Obama was speaking in North Carolina, but he definitely was speaking beyond North Carolina. Obama spoke to the nation and the world—and as well as to the Democratic base. Referring to his party, Obama stated, “We are the party of Jefferson and Jackson, of Roosevelt and Kennedy, and we are at our best when we lead with principle, when we lead with conviction, [and] when we summon an entire nation to a common purpose and a higher purpose.”

Obama was bolder. He spoke specifically to the economic woes of the unemployed worker in Indiana, the college student in Iowa struggling to pay medical bills, and the mother in Wisconsin who lost her son in Iraq. He spoke boldly and with conviction regarding our need to support our veterans, construct an effective energy policy, and end the war in Iraq.

Obama described an America that “didn't just reward wealth, but rewarded work and the workers who created it.” And how Washington and Wall Street have “lost touch” with these core American values.

Ultimately, Obama proved that he is attempting to be a “better” candidate than what we’ve become accustomed to. Maybe he’s not a gun-toting, whiskey drinking, street fighting, tax cutting populous like Clinton (to borrow the words of political analyst Wolf Blitzer), but he’s honest. As he put it, it’s time to tell the truth “forcefully, repeatedly, and confidently.” He’s striving with all that’s within him to build on our strengths, to find our common ground as Americans, and to build a better America as a result.

Obama stated in his closing words, “Don't ever forget that we have a choice in this country, that we can choose not to be divided, that we can choose not to be afraid, that we can still choose this moment to finally come together and solve the problems we've talked about all those other years and all those other elections.”

On Tuesday, May 6th, Obama proved that his hope chest wasn’t empty—that he hadn’t lost his swagger. On this warm spring night in North Carolina, Obama, the “imperfect messenger” proved that in spite of Preacher-gate, Bitter-gate, charges of elitism, and Rush Limbaugh’s Operation Chaos, Obama couldn’t and wouldn’t be counted out. He was broader, bolder, better—with a clear path to to the Democratic presidential nomination.

C’mon, Tell Us How You’ll Win

At a campaign stop in North Carolina, on May 5th, Barack Obama was asked how he will win the general election against John McCain. After taking 15 seconds to begin his answer, he began this long-winded soliloquy about how he’s been the underdog since the beginning of this race, and concluded three minutes later with, how after he is the nominee, Democrats will rally together to defeat the Republican nominee.

Unfortunately, Obama the constitutional law professor surfaced to answer what could have and should have been a short, persuasive answer. So, just in case Obama is asked this question again, the simple answer is:

There is a vast ideological and practical difference between me and Senator John McCain. I’m for universal health care; he’s not. I’m for middle class tax cuts; he’s not. I’m for bringing our troops home from Iraq. He says he’s for keeping our troops in Iraq as long as it takes.

The differences between me and Senator John McCain are stark. And once I become the nominee of the Democratic party, I’m confident that our party will rally together because we realize the stakes are too high and this choice too important. We cannot afford four more years of Bush policies.

So I’ll will win on the policy front. I will win with a broad-based coalition of everyday Americans from all across the country. Lastly, I will win because the American people want change. They want an America that can restore it’s standing in the world and restore the American dream for ALL Americans. We can do that. And with your help, we will.

Who’s Distracted?

“Distraction, distraction, distraction!” That’s all anyone in the media is talking about—how the Rev. Wright controversy is a distraction for Senator Obama. I’m inclined to think that it’s more of a distraction for the news media than for Obama.

Yes, Senator Barack Obama gave a press conference on Tuesday to disassociate himself from Rev. Wright, but aside from that event, Obama has never stopped being “on point,” nor has he been distracted from the issues that matter most to voters.

It’s always amusing to hear someone in the media use a phrase or key word and then hear every other media echo with a resounding chorus. Rev. Wright is a distraction because the news media (along with bona fide help from Rev. Wright) is making it one. If talk radio and the news media decided to stay focused on the issues, Rev. Wright wouldn’t be the front page headline. However, we all know that the media loves whatever is odd, intriguing, horrific, or salacious—so, I guess the media won’t be letting go of the Rev. Wright issue anytime soon.

But as for Obama, I’ve watched three of Obama’s campaign events in North Carolina and Indiana over the last few days—both prior to and after his press conference on Rev. Wright—and to his credit, Obama was never “off point” or distracted, and neither was the audience. In fact, I found his remarks and his demeanor particularly poignant. He seemed like a man on fire. Now that his wife is on the campaign trail, she too is on point and is as determined as ever, to continue advancing the message of change and hope that launched this remarkable campaign.

If anything, I think the Rev. Wright controversy and the long, hard-fought primary campaign overall, has served to fortify Obama and make him an even stronger human being, a stronger candidate, and stronger future President of the United States.

America Needs Solutions, Not Gimmicks!

After eight years of fiscal, diplomatic and military irresponsibility, we need a president who is smart enough and wise enough to decipher good public policy—policy that actually solves problems. That’s the kind of leadership Senator Barack Obama is offering.

Standing his ground in the face of two opponents who are offering what looks like a quick fix, Obama is well aware that the supposed “gas tax holiday” scheme is likely to make the problem worse, not better—and we should be investing our precious time, energy and resources into real solutions to bring gas prices down—not mask or make worse the problem at hand.

Tough position. Obama is not taking the easy road out on this issue. Politically, he’d be better off joining Clinton and McCain in saying, “Let’s take a summer holiday, everybody!” However, Obama is actually concerned with more than just politics—he’s actually concerned with solving real problems in order to bring real relief to every family in America.

After eight years of Bush’s drain on the United State’s budget, the kind of leadership Obama offers would be a welcome, refreshing relief. We should all know by now that political pandering and short-term gimmicks only lead to long-term suffering. We’re all suffering now. And while it may come as a surprise to some, it appears that the youngest of the presidential candidates is the wiser of the three.