A light of her own

Some political pundits have suggested that Hillary Clinton should be given time and respect to sidle up to the conclusion most of the electorate has demonstrated by voting--that she will not be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States in 2008. Reportedly, regarding when and how she will exit, the Obama campaign has said "the ball is in her court." However, that laissez-faire approach may not be the healthiest or most respectable posture for the Deomcratic Party or for Hillary.

That is because Hillary Clinton may not know how to exit the primaries, nor, in this slow and painful period of decline, may she possess the sound judgment and willpower necessary to call the game over. It can be understandable that the campaign has made her an emotional wreck. Hillary blithely entered the campaign season last fall fully expecting to bear the mantle of Democratic nominee for president seemingly by SuperTuesday in February 2008, and she has desired to don the crown of president for an even longer time.

I don't think that Hillary believed that she would have to break a sweat in the race. She had this in the bag, given her "background," her time served as the unofficial co-president, her claim to Bill Clinton's presidential legacy (the successful aspects), her overreaching sense of entitlement (because she and Bill had a pact?; because she endured the humiliation of Bill's philandering in the White House?; because she believed the fervent adoration that some supporters had for Bill Clinton would transfer to her?)

Today, Hillary Clinton is probably in shock, like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. The diffculty, however, is not in facing the light for, indeed, it seems that Mrs. Clinton has been preparing for a long time--at least 35 years--to be out of the shadows of her husband, to be in her own spotlight.

The psychological tragedy for Mrs. Clinton may not be that the spotlight is staring her down, but that the spotlight is about to become a glare in her rear view mirror. With each day that passes, the dizziying but egotistically gratifying spotlight of public attention, relevance and power attached to being a commanding presidential candidate will fade into the distance.

What will she be left with? The luster that has encircled her for eight years--her potential to one day be president--will have dimmed. No longer in Bill's shadow, she will walk in a shadow of her very own unfulfilled potential.

It cannot be easy to face the reality. That is why the superdelegates, the Democratic Party leadership, must step in now to end the campaign. In addition to the pressure they are bringing offstage, more Party powerbrokers have to do as Barbara Boxer of California did yesterday, strongly recommend publicly that Mrs. Clinton present a detailed outline of how she will proceed through the rest of the campaign, i.e., script an exit strategy and execute it.

Oh, what a night

Tues. May 6th was a resounding victory for Sen. Barak Obama in North Carolina and Indiana primary elections, particularly in light of the firestorm around Rev. Jeremiah Wright that Obama's campaign withstood over the last four weeks.

The day before the May 6th primary, several television news program pundits considered both races as potential toss ups, speculating on what would happen if Clinton won both primaries or if Obama won both primaries, usually adding that Indiana was expected to go for Clinton. And it did--but by a slim margin of about 22,000+ votes, less of a margin than the number of people that attend some Obama rallies.

Despite the suggestion routinely lobbied at Obama--that he cannot close the deal--it is really Clinton who needed a knock out punch last night to convince superdelegates that she has a reason to continue to put the Democratic Party through more divisive campaigning. Clinton failed last night to do that. Since South Carolina, her campaigning has depended on fanning the fumes of racial division, stirring up animosity, resentment and fear among the electorate where these attitudes can most easily be ignited, among poor white uneducated.

The race-baiting tactics of the Clintons' and their supporters are despicable ("who do you want to answer the telephone at 3:00am?"; Jesse Jackson also won South Carolina; Obama would not still be in the race if he were white; Obama is winning because he is Black; next Obama will brag that he has not stolen cars; calling Obama "kid" and "that boy.")

By pursuing a desparate strategy of playing to racial bias, the Clintons spit in the face of Black voters, the faithful Democratic electorate that validated Bill and delivered him and Hillary to the White House in the first place. In 1992, it was not Saturday Night Live but The Arsenio Hall Show that launched Bill after his saxophone solo, which should be a lesson to the Black electorate not to sell its soul for a song.

Last night was the end for The Clintons; even Hillary's speech last night sounded in part like a swan song. Although she has not conducted herself respectably so far, Hillary Clinton should sound the first note of harmony to unify the Democratic Party by graciously exiting the primary campaign today.

Obama gave as close an acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination last night as he could. Clearly buoyed by his North Carolina victory, his confidence, energy and call for Americans to take back America was as appealing and inspiring as ever. Obama from the beginning has had the message that most Americans want to hear, the message that speaks to our hurt over the country's 8-year deterioration under Bush and our desire for the arc of democracy-for-all to once again lean toward justice and opportunity for every citizen.

Barak Obama should launch a salvo at McCain today, and by doing so, decisively declare the beginning of the general election campaign. Then, go on to run the campaign that he wants to run, and win in November.
Updated Thurs May 8

Sen. Obama - in his own words, Meet the Press 5/4/08

When asked what happened between the support he expressed for Rev. Wright in his remarkable Philadelphia speech in March and his renouncement of the Chicago pastor last Tues. (4/29) in North Carolina, Sen Barak Obama, speaking on Meet the Press (Sun. 5/4/08), said that Rev. Wright "amplified and defended" the controversial remarks he had made in the past instead of taking the opportunity to build unity.

Sen. Obama continued, saying "that told me [Rev. Wright] was intentional in making comments that offend, but it also told me he is willing to distract our country and what [my campaign] is trying to do."

"In March I did what I thougt was right--denounce the worlds not denounce the man. What [Rev. Wright's] National Press Conference performance told me is that [Rev. Wright] was going to double down on divisive comments...."

Same cloth, different pattern

After a reasonable presentation before the Detroit NAACP annual program Sunday night, surprisingly televised by CNN, Rev. Jeremiah Wright turned the page on pragmatism and poise the next morning, when he wrote a new chapter in his national profile through a presentation that included dramatic posturing and cockiness on Monday morning at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Defending and defining himself in light of the media-crazed defamation he has endured?
Injured and insulted by Sen. Obama's earlier denouncement of 30-second sound bytes from his sermons?
A Hillary supporter in sheep's clothing?
An opportunist?

Whatever his motivations, Rev. Wright (on Monday, 4/28) may have done what Obama has not ably done, even in his second denouncement on Tuesday, and that is draw an obvious distinction between himself and Rev. Wright.

Whether one supports Obama or not, it is hard to swallow that the hopeful, high-minded and uplifting Obama is overly influenced intellectually or philosophically by Rev. Wright. Sen. Obama and Rev. Wright share a Christian heritage, cultural and gender profiles, geographic domicile. Obama may be inspired by Rev. Wright's sermons on Jesus, but give Jesus the praise for that. He may also be strengthened by the African cultural framework in which Rev. Wright expounds on the Judeo-Christian heritage.

However, for the purposes of the American electorate deciding how much of its votes for Obama are also votes for the Chicago minister, Rev. Wright has done the most effective job of demonstrating that, though threads of their lives run within the same cloth, he and Sen. Obama are not cut in the same pattern.