This is a perfect example of what makes HRC so problematic for many Democrats. She is running a campaign that is too clever by half, much like the Clintons' two terms in the White House often proved to be. Hillary and her staff profess disappointment in the divisive comments made by high-level surrogates and supporters but refuse to cut ties with the transgressors. In other words, she gets the negative campaign benefit of the offending remark, the public relations benefit of crying foul, and the political benefit of retaining the support of the individual responsible for the attack. Basically, she's Claude Rains in "Casablanca," pocketing his roulette winnings as he closes down Rick's Cafe upon "discovering" gambling on the premises.
Ferraro is merely the most recent example. In January, BET founder and Clinton supporter Robert Johnson referred to the drug use Obama has written about in his past, claiming that the Clintons were involved in black issues,
"...when Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood -- and I won't say what he was doing, but he said it in the book."
When the eventual and inevitable apology came forth, Johnson further insulted our collective intelligence by releasing the following (through the Clinton campaign):
"My comments today were referring to Barack Obama's time spent as a community organizer, and nothing else. Any other suggestion is simply irresponsible and incorrect."
What a crock. Clinton spokesman Jay Carson, when given the opportunity to denounce and reject this fairy tale, endorsed Johnson's explanation, saying, "That's not what he was talking about." Carson further responded that Clinton, "has made (it) crystal clear to supporters and staff alike that no one should engage in negative personal campaining."
To be fair, the Clinton campaign does take action when the fish are smaller. New Hampshire campaign co-chair Bill Shaheen was asked to step down after he said,"
"the Republicans are not going to give up without a fight...and one of the things they're certainly going to jump on is his drug use."
The campaign's reaction was that the comments "were not authorized by the campaign in any way." Hillary personally apologized to Obama, assuring him that this campaign had no place for negative personal statements.
Then there was the county coordinator in Iowa who forwarded an email stating that Obama was a Muslim. They got right on top of that -- the volunteer resigned. Patty Solis Doyle (perhaps reading from the same memo that was later recycled by Hillary in New Hampshire) proclaimed, "There is no place in our campaign for this kind of politics."
What she really meant was, there's no place in our campaign for these kinds of statements coming from the rank and file. When it's a Bob Johnson, or a Geraldine Ferraro, or even a Bill Clinton making comments that are baiting at best and flat-out racist at worst, we'll turn the other cheek and you should too.
In counter-point, senior Obama foreign policy advisor Samantha Power called HRC, "a monster," in a Monday interview with a European newspaper and her resignation was accepted by Thursday. It's called taking responsibility.
I'm not suggesting that Obama is getting unfairly raked over the coals in this campaign. He gets more than his share of doting press. (Maybe not John McCain levels but then, he doesn't throw personal BBQ's for the boys on the bus, either). This is, after all, the biggest of leagues and they're fighting for the largest of prizes. Bill suggesting that South Carolina is a state in which African Americans do well is not exactly Joe McCarthy smearing loyal Americans as Communists or Karl Rove swiftboating John Kerry. The gloves are off in the battle for the Democratic nomination and Obama will have to show that he is tough enough to mix it up with the old-school politicians who are not about to go gently into the night. If he can do so, he will emerge a stronger candidate, better qualified for the full-scale war that lies ahead.
But it doesn't change the fact that the Clintons' act is growing old. Pandering to their base with the politics of fear, saying one thing today and the opposite tomorrow, calling for change while employing the same old tactics they've decried when they were used against them -- these are classic Clinton strategies. In 1996, Dick Morris called it triangulation, and it worked. Today it looks more like old-fashioned manipulation. We'll see how it turns out.
In any case, I do think Ms. Ferraro should be led back to her seat and given something to keep her busy. She's not helping anybody.
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