Monday, August 25, 2008
Convention Dispatch: Does It Always Have to Be About the Clintons? (11:26 am)
Does it always - ALWAYS - have to be about the Clintons?
This is the question on Day 1 of the Democratic convention. About a week and a half ago, the Denver Post previewed the convention with a story about how the Clinton forces are attempting to make the first two days of this convention a celebration of the Clintons - and Clintonism. As one Clinton ally told the newspaper, “We want to make this all about her.”
Now, on the first day of the Democratic convention, top Clinton aide Howard Wolfson has taken to the pages of The New Republic to publish a screed demanding Barack Obama use the convention to make amends with Bill Clinton. Wolfson writes:
“There is still work to do on the Bill Clinton front. He feels like the Obama campaign ran against and systematically dismissed his administration’s accomplishments. And he feels like he was painted as a racist during the primary process.”
As disgusting and disingenuous as this is, it is pretty predictable. The Clintons are doing everything they can to make this convention all about them - and to absolve themselves from the substantive criticism of both Clintonism and Bill Clinton’s behavior on the campaign.
Yes, many of the Obama campaign’s themes indict the Clinton record - and rightly so, because so much of the country has turned against Clintonism. In places like Wisconsin and Indiana, Obama turned the primary into a referendum on the Clinton-backed NAFTA-style trade policies that have decimated the heartland swing-states that will decide the 2008 election. According to polls by the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine and CNN, those policies are now wildly unpopular - and Obama is capitalizing on the populist anger they have fostered.
No, Bill Clinton was not “painted as a racist” - he was a racist during the campaign. He famously downplayed Obama as a new Jesse Jackson - a not-so-subtle attempt to tie Obama to all the unfair and racially-charged animosity regularly directed at Jackson. The Clinton campaign told the Associated Press that Obama was “the black candidate.” And perhaps worst of all, Bill Clinton claimed the Obama campaign “played the race card on me” - a clear attempt to stoke the usual anti-affirmative action backlashes that mark so many campaigns.
That Clinton’s top surrogates are now saying Obama’s major task is to appease Bill Clinton - rather than, say, win the election - shows just how egomaniacal the Clintons really are.
What Obama should respond with is a very simple directive: President Clinton, please exit stage Right.
posted by David Sirota
Reader Comments
I am a feminist, and want a female president of the USA. I would not vote for Hillary under any circumstances, and certainly would not have voted for Obama if Hillary were on the ticket.
I support Obama/Bidin with hope that Obama will not follow the “free market” global economy because of the consequences to people who labor. We see the results of those policies in loss of USA jobs, low wages of USA workers and slave wages and unsafe working conditions for foreign workers, and unhealthy food and products coming from unregulated foreign productions.
posted by Joan Denoo on 8-25-08 at 1:45 PM
I always love David Sirota’s writings and articles. This being no exception. The Clinton’s need to get off their high-horse and stop acting like children. Hillary LOST the election because she had no clue as to what American’s, in particular, DEMOCRATS, want in their next POTUS. She was definitely not the choice and she and Bill need to suck it up.
posted by Brett on 8-25-08 at 1:55 PM
David is right as usual. It seems to me Clintons desperately want Hillary’s core supporters not to vote for Obama by either staying home or voting for McCain.
Their behavior is simply despicable and they are getting away with it! Just imagine if the tables were turned. Would Obama get away with the same machinations? I can just imagine the whole democratic party rising against him, telling him to stop such selfish and damaging behavior.
Clintons would rather we all suffer under four years of McCain than let Obama win. The most desired outcome for them is for Hillary to run in 2012. For that Obama must lose in 2008! This by itself should disqualify Hillary for ever!
I do not wish to see another Bush or Clinton ever again on any presidential ballot. Do we really need political dynasties?
posted by Martin Bassani on 8-25-08 at 2:00 PM
I’m hoping the convention becomes a farewell party for the Clinton way of politics, but I’m a dreamer.
posted by Christine on 8-25-08 at 2:02 PM
I voted for Bill in 1992 and the first thing he did was put health care on the back burner to push NAFTA. Then we have Hillary cozying up to Tata Consultancy(outsourcer) and Bill Gates (unlimmited H-1B’s) and Bill Clinton lobbying for Columbia FTA. Yuk! No more Clintons. By the way I am a 62 year old woman.
posted by Marsha on 8-25-08 at 5:47 PM
Amen David. I hope BO can chase this former alpha-dog to the back of the pack. If not, Obama’s heels will be scarred and his leadership continually challenged.
posted by Cordier on 8-25-08 at 8:35 PM
The Clintons are acting just like the little kid with the football who says, “If you don’t play the game my way, I’m taking my ball and going home!” I’m sick to death of both of them - especially the old grump.
posted by Ken Bachtold on 8-26-08 at 4:59 AM
Agreed on many of the comments. I’m so tired of the Clintons—both of them. It’s time to turn the page…Go Sen. Obama…yes we can, yes we will!
Amen to Sirota.
Hillary Clinton lost the primary in no small part to “Clinton fatigue” on the part of many of us. Weren’t we justified in fearing that a H Clinton administration would have the first spouse doing a lot more than “pillow talk?” By the way, I’m a 65 yo woman, prime Clinton supporter by my demographics.
Another of the Clinton era policies that has not been sufficiently challenged is the Iraq sanctions. We forget that it was “successful” in decimating the economy and caused, by many reports, hundreds of thousands of deaths. No wonder Sen. Clinton voted for the war and never convincingly explained herself or said she’d made a mistake. She was covering Bill’s ass whether or not she agreed.
They should be given a handshake and H Clinton goes back to the Senate or gets an appropriate position in a new Obama administration. WJC seriously needs to find something else to do.
posted by Colleen Clark on 8-25-08 at 1:06 PM