The Democratic race for the Presidency has been a bit confusing to me. In any other year, if I were to have told you that a rich, white, good-looking former senator from the south would lose to a current female senator from New York and a Black man from Illinois – you would have said I was crazy. But this is 2008 and the historic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton cannot be ignored. Granted my phrasing of the issues is from the perspective of a frustrated and sarcastic Edwards supporter [I even went to Iowa (Dubuque) to help John in the caucuses], but the sheer history of the Political party that at one point supported slavery and opposed civil rights will nominate either a woman or a black Man is historic. But the historic candidates out fundraised Edwards and stole all of his good ideas. So what’s an Edwards supporter to think now?
On the day that Edwards stepped out of the race, both campaigns tried to spin his withdrawal as a boost to their campaign. The Obama people claimed that Edwards was a candidate for change and that they were likely to receive the Edwards vote. The Clinton people claimed that Edwards appealed to white and low to middle income voters – a demographic that Hillary Clinton did well in (but not as well as John Edwards) – so that she would receive the Edwards vote. The Clinton campaign missed the important point. If people in that demographic weren’t supporting Hillary before, what would make them support Hillary now that Edwards is out of the race. Past demographics can’t predict future changes in primary support (but it sure makes for good spin). Don’t misunderstand my point. The Obama campaign’s claim makes a similar argument, but at least its consistent with their message and is not overtly spin. For me this understanding was made clear with Obama’s press release on Edward’s withdrawl from the race.
John Edwards has spent a lifetime fighting to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the struggling, even when it wasn’t popular to do or covered in the news. At a time when our politics is too focused on who’s up and who’s down, he made a nation focus again on who matters – the New Orleans child without a home, the West Virginia miner without a job, the families who live in that other America that is not seen or heard or talked about by our leaders in Washington. John and Elizabeth Edwards have always believed deeply that we can change this – that two Americas can become one, and that our country can rally around this common purpose. So while his campaign may end today, the cause of their lives endures for all of us who still believe that we can achieve that dream of one America.
This was just awesome rhetoric compared to the Clinton Campaigns message which is half good, and half a pointless thank you:
John Edwards ended his campaign today in the same way he started it – by standing with the people who are too often left behind and nearly always left out of our national debate. John ran with compassion and conviction and lifted this campaign with his deep concern for the daily lives of the American people. That is what this election is about – it’s about our people. And John is one of the greatest champions the American people could ask for. I wish John and Elizabeth all the best. They have my great personal respect and gratitude. And I know they will continue to fight passionately for the country and the people they love so deeply.
This little battle I think captures the race for me. Clinton is all about spin. Nothing is more evidence on this than her position on the war in Iraq. Hillary says that her vote for the “Resolution Authorizing Military Force in Iraq” was to allow the inspectors to return to Iraq and do their work. This is just plain spin. Everyone knew this was a vote to go to war. I mean – for God’s sake – look at the title of the bill.
At this point in the game Hillary wants to pretend that Iraq is not the issue, but rather the slumping economy is. To a certain extent, she’s right. But what is at heart of the poor economy? As democrats, we like to put the blame on the Bush Administration. Which is fair, in so far as that you think the President has any control over the economy. I contend that a large reason for the slumping economy is the War in Iraq. You cannot spend billions of dollars and expect that expenditure to not devalue the dollar and to not increase foreign ownership of the United States economy. Much less raise the deficit and create the conditions ripe for a recession. (Thus making the deficit worse).
Rather than realizing the implicit connections between the two issues, the spin goes on. So what is Hillary’s argument? I was duped by a dope? I am one of the (hopefully not) few people who are still mad as hell about the war. There was not a single coherent argument for the war. We have yet to find Weapons of Mass destruction, there were no 9/11 terrorists in Iraq, and we don’t go to war with a country just because we don’t like who’s in charge of it (except now we do). As a rhetoric student and coach of debate the break down of deliberation and discussion, that are integral parts of our democracy, that lead to allowing a war is an inexcusable act. I cannot in good conscious vote for someone who was so cavalier with his or her responsibilities to our country. Congress is supposed to demand undeniable proof before allowing the President to go to war. Am I wrong in reading that Constitution does, in fact, give Congress the power to declare war? (Or “authorize a military action” in modern lingo.) Instead, Hillary was content to believe George Bush.
Of course, I’ll support the nominee – who ever that is. But we have an easier time winning the Iraq debate with Obama. Obama is dead correct that he can say he opposed the War from the beginning and that he can resist any negative attacks from McCain that he’s “flip-flopped” on the War. We know what the republican play book on this issue is, why not defeat it before the play is called?
Returning to where I started, John Edwards – if you remember – was also duped by a dope, a.k.a voted for the War. But at least Edwards that the intelligence to realize he made a mistake and said so, not just because he wanted to score political points, but because it was the right thing to do. Spin does not matter. Doing what is right for our country does.
