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Nov. 6, 2008 First of four parts: New York Senator Hillary Clinton’s road to the presidency was expected to be a smooth one. But what began as an assumed coronation and indeed ended with a bang, fell short. Instead of becoming the first female to head the ticket of a major political party, Hillary found herself watching her bandwagon of hopes derail and catch fire, as Barack Obama overtook her and won the nomination, and likely blew away her chances for 2012 as well. The hyperbole borne from 2004 TradeSports polls, and others, which showed Hillary being the preferred candidate of Democratic voters—was gone. In that poll Clinton had been the odds-on favorite with 34.1% (up to 43 in a subsequent TradeSports poll), followed by the junior Senator from Indiana Evan Bayh, 13.0; former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, 9.5; New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, 8.8; Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd, 6.8; Al Gore, 5.7 (who in the second poll went up to 14%); 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry, 5.5; Ed Rendell (Governor of Pennsylvania), 5.1; Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, 5.0; Delaware Senator Joe Biden, 4.5; Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Howard Dean, 3.8; then-Tennessee Senator Harold Ford, 3.1; General Wesley Clark, 2.7 ; Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, 2.5; Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman, 2.2 and the junior Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama took up the rear with 1.9%. Hillary’s popularity cut across racial and socio-economic lines. She had the money, name recognition and the support of her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Bill was considered to be the penultimate politician of the past quarter-century, a centrist who had presided over the longest economic expansion in American history. In short, there was brand-name loyalty, and Mrs. Clinton was able to assemble the political version of The New York Yankees. Like that New York baseball team, all the money and big names brought her was bitter loss after loss. The question is, how did the wheels fall off this bullet train, and how did a little known first-term Senator from Illinois one-up her? How did a young man, known more for his eloquence and “clean” record—and a black one, no less—manage to steal the thunder of one of America’s most powerful political dynasties? The answer is simple. Outside of the latter stages of John McCain’s presidential bid, Clinton ran one of the worst campaigns in recent memory. Obama stayed poised and on point. Tom Brokaw of NBC News called it “The best-run campaign I’ve ever seen.” (Source: Tom Brokaw on Late-Night With David Letterman, Nov. 5, 2008). As for Hillary, hubby Bill was more hindrance than helper. Also, there were times when Hillary seemed to play “the Bob Dole Card,” and appeared incensed that anyone would stand in her way to the nomination that she deserved; especially a man whom no one gave a realistic chance. The handful of political followers who did know of Obama saw him as a rising star, who delivered a stirring and memorable speech at the 2004 Democratic convention. Some saw him as a potential party standard bearer perhaps in 2012. The Senator from Illinois introduced himself to the country on July 27, 2004, stating: “My presence on this stage is pretty unlikely. My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya . He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father--my grandfather--was a cook, a domestic servant to the British… my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas . Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression… My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or ‘blessed,’ believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined…me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential.” When Obama announced his bid for the Democratic nomination, there was heavy skepticism. There were those in the Democratic Party who believed he was trying to do too much too soon. While he had served as a community organizer in Chicago and was once the President of the Harvard Law Review, his resume as an elected official was as thin as the paper it was printed on. Most pundits believed he would be out of the campaign after the first few primaries. Moreover, there were some who believed he could only draw black votes and that his totals would be diluted by the large number of prominent blacks supporting Clinton . A subsequent article in the Boston Phoenix expressed the notion that, “Obama might not receive a large share of the black vote. The reasoning [was that Obama — whose mother was white, whose father was Kenyan, and who grew up primarily in Hawaii and Indonesia, “did not share the African-American ‘slavery heritage,’ and therefore many American blacks would reject him.” (Source: Solver Stark, Presidentiall Toteboard: Why The Odds favor Obama, The Boston Phoenix, http://thephoenix.com, March 14, 2008). Obama made the announcement in Springfield , Illinois and cited his reasons for running: poor schools, economic hardships, oil dependence, the war in Iraq and "failure of leadership." He added, “I was reminded of the essential decency of the American people, where I came to believe that through this decency, we can build a more hopeful America…and that is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America." Taking a page from Howard Dean’s playbook, Obama used the internet to energize a massive youth-oriented grassroots campaign and contact 3.2 million donors, who eventually contributed more than a billion dollars to his effort. The media cited Obama’s “charisma” as another factor, and for the moment, ignored the fact that he was light on specifics. THE FIRST STEP Obama stunned the political world with his win in the Iowa caucuses, besting John Edwards (who finished second), and Hillary Clinton. The victory came in a state that is 2.8% black. His success was due largely to an enthusiastic group of college-age volunteers who criss-crossed the state advocating on his behalf and registering voters. Obama won 35% of the Iowa vote, while Edwards and Clinton finished in a dead-heat at 30%. Afterward, Delaware Senator Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Like Clinton , he too, expressed the notion that Obama simply “[Isn’t] ready to be President.” Clinton bounced back in New Hampshire . Polling indicated that the race would be close and would result in another Obama victory. Clinton began to complain that Obama wasn’t being asked “the tough questions,” and said that the media was treating her in sexist fashion. Clinton also complained during a debate that she was always asked the lead-off question. Later during the campaign, she broke down and cried during a press conference. The media played it up as “her vulnerability,” and Clinton never complained that such a depiction was “sexist.” It did cause the Obama campaign to wonder aloud how she might react when facing a national crisis or dealing with someone like Russia ’s Vladimir Putin. Clinton won New Hampshire with 39% to Obama’s 36 and Edwards’ 17. (Source: http://www.thenewhampshireprimary.com). The Clinton train was declared to be back on track, her supporters breathed a sigh of relief, and the coronation was expected to go on unimpeded. The path looked even clearer the following day when New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson bowed out of the race. Having once served under President Bill Clinton (first as U.S. Ambassador to the United nations; the following year as Secretary of Energy), it was expected that Richardson would endorse Hillary. The campaign moved to South Carolina , where two prominent black politicians, State Senators Robert Ford and Darrell Jackson, boarded the Clinton train. The former expressed the notion that Obama winning the state’s primary would damage the party. "It's a slim possibility for him to get the nomination, but then everybody else is doomed," Ford said. "Every Democrat running on that ticket next year would lose, because he's black and he's top of the ticket. We'd lose the House and the Senate and the governors and everything." (Source: The Associated Press, Two S.C. Black Leaders Back Clinton, http://www.msnbc.msn.com, Feb. 14, 2008). Racial sparks flew after Senator Clinton made a remark that angered many South Carolina Blacks. According to AHN.com, Clinton made a comment about Dr. Martin Luther king. “Dr. King’s dream began to be realized when President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It took a president to get it done.” According to politico.com, ”Her remarks ‘generated outrage on black radio, black blogs and cable television…and bothered" (Rep. Jim) Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American in Congress.” (Source: Kris Alingod, Clinton’s MLK Comments Spark Outrage In South Carolina , Janiary 11, 2008, http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles) Even without the support of any of the states black politicians, Obama swamped Clinton by more than 2-1 (55-27%), and won 25 of South Carolina ’s 45 delegates. Hillary earned 12 and Edwards finished a distant third and garnered 8. The day before the Florida primary, Dennis Kucinich would bow out, and the day after, John Edwards would follow suit. The racial flames billowed after the election, when the Washington Times.com reported, “former Pres. Bill Clinton was busy downplaying the significance of Obama's impending win, casting it as a function of the state's demographics and the Illinois senator's heavy African American support. ‘Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in '84 and '88,’ Clinton said at a rally in Columbia . ‘ Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here.’" (Anne E. Kornblut, For Bill Clinton, Echoes of Jackson in Obama Win, Washingpost.com, January 26, 2008). The Obama camp accused the Clinton ’s of playing the race card and “trivializing” the win. The Former President insisted that it was the Obama camp that had made race an issue. The banter would go on for several weeks. Senator Clinton later apologized for her husband’s remarks. “You know I am sorry if anyone was offended. It was certainly not meant in any way to be offensive,” she said. “We can be proud of both Jesse Jackson and Senator Obama." And: "Anyone who has followed my husband's public life or my public life know very well where we have stood and what we have stood for and who we have stood with." Bill Clinton accused the Obama campaign of doing a “hit job” on him and wondered why the media hadn’t reported it. Again, Senator Clinton found herself issuing an apology: “We're in a very heated campaign, and people are coming out and saying all kinds of things," she said in an interview. "I'm out there every day making a positive case for my candidacy. I have a lot of wonderful people, including my husband, who are out there making the case for me." Later, Geraldine Ferraro, who served on the Clinton campaign, asserted that “Barack Obama wouldn't be the Democratic front-runner if he were not black.” After being accused by the Obama campaign and black media outlets of making a racist remark, Ferraro countered, "It wasn't a racist comment. It was a statement of fact." She later resigned, writing to Senator Clinton: “I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign. The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won't let that happen. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to make this a better world for my children and grandchildren.” Thomas Schaller, in an article at Salon.com wrote, “Though a majority of black voters may inevitably have gone for Obama, nothing precluded the wife of the so-called first black president [Clinton] from keeping Obama's margins among blacks significantly narrower -- say, losing to him by 4-to-1 or even 3-to-1, rather than the devastating 9-to-1 margins by which Obama has often won African-American Democrats.” The article further noted, "’The Clinton campaign has been focused on Barack Obama's performance with white working-class voters in a few states, but they fail to mention Senator Clinton's abysmal performance with black voters all over the country,’ says political consultant and Obama supporter Jamal Simmons. ’She has gone from leading among black voters to losing them 90 percent to 10 percent in Pennsylvania . One would expect Obama to win these voters, but 90-10 is a total collapse that Obama is not experiencing among any constituency. Simply put, Hillary Clinton has a black problem.’" (Thonas Schaller, How Hillary Clinton Botched The Black Vote, salon.com, May 5, 2008). After South Carolina , Senator Clinton. Clinton “won” Florida with 50% of the vote, even though it had been ruled that none of the state’s delegates would be seated at the convention for violating party rules by moving up their primary. Obama never campaigned in the state. Still, at this point the delegate count was still close, even with both sides claiming the other was making race an issue. At this point, Clinton announced that she was “taking off the gloves.” SUPER TUEDAY, BUT FOR WHOM? On Super Tuesday Obama’s performance exceeded expectations as he captured 11 states: Connecticut , Delaware , Georgia , Alabama , Illinois , Idaho , Kansas , Minnesota , North Dakota , Colorado , and Utah . Clinton won 8: Massachusetts , New York , New Jersey , Tennessee , Arkansas , Oklahoma , Arizona , and American Samoa . At one point, Obama had won 12 consecutive caucuses and primaries by an average margin of 33%. or better than 2-to-1. This occurred even as Hillary raised questions about Obama’s “lack of experience” and his past associations with “Tony Rezko, a Chicago slumlord currently under indictment”; the incendiary Pastor Jeremiah Wright, head of the church Obama attended (Trinity United Church of Christ); and former domestic terrorist and Weather Underground co-founder, Bill Ayers, whom Obama served on a board with and whose home Obama held one of his first fundraisers. Hillary also wondered if Obama was “tough enough” to deal with the harsh attacks that were sure to come from the Republican far-right. And more bad news rained down on the Obama campaign. On the day of the Hawaii and Wisconsin primaries (both won by Obama), Fox News began it’s incessant playing of clips from a speech made by Michelle Obama. The Senator’s wife said of the campaign results, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country, not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change,” she said. “I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment.” In a Chicago Sun-Times article, Mrs. Obama explained that she had always been proud of her country, but was surprised to find “people rolling up their sleeves in a way that I haven’t seen.” She added, “Barack and I, our stories wouldn’t be possible, if it weren’t for fundamental belief and pride in this country and what it stands for.” She would later go on NBC’s The Today Show and reiterate her remarks. Despite the clarification, Fox ran the clips for several weeks, and other voices on the right claimed that her comments were “anti-American.” Rush Limbaugh would light a fire under another rumor: that the GOP had a copy of a tape of Michelle Obama “going nuts” in church while making an anti-American speech where she referred to whites as “Whitey.” The GOP was allegedly saving the tape for an “October surprise, if needed.” The rumors turned out to be unfounded, but that did not stop the nit-picking and doggedness of the Obama haters. There was a report that Michelle had been overheard referring to Barack as “My baby daddy.” Barack was also painted as “unpatriotic” because he failed to wear a flag pin in his lapel, and numerous internet blogs accused him of being a Muslim, when he is in fact, a Christian. Hillary never condemned such unfounded rumors. Instead, she too, insinuated there was something un-American about the Obama’s by repeating the mantra, “I’ve always been proud of my country.” A Clinton staffer also released a photo of Obama in Somalia wearing traditional Somali garb, playing on the fears that Obama was indeed, Muslim. Limbaugh also took the reins of that bandwagon, and on the Fox News show The O’Reilly Factor, said of the photo, “’I think that Michelle Obama is seething over the attacks that the Clintons have made against her husband with that photo with, you know, Obama looking like [Osama bin Laden's chief collaborator] Ayman [al-]Zawahiri, all of this talk about his middle name [Husseun] and so forth.’ In fact, Hillary Clinton has denied any knowledge of the photo's release and said, ‘That's not the kind of behavior that I condone or expect from the people working in my campaign.’ Limbaugh added that Mrs. Obama responded ‘with a womb-to-womb frontal attack on Hillary Clinton.’" (MediaMatters.org, March 3, 2008) This Clinton ’s continued to act as if they were victims. According to an ABC News report, “Bill Clinton accused Barack Obama's campaign of ‘playing the race card on me’ and told a Philadelphia radio station that the Obama campaign took his Jesse Jackson comment and ‘twisted it for political purposes.’ And as the interview concluded, Clinton turned to an associate and said, ‘I don't think I should take any shit from anybody on that, do you?’" (Source: Sunlen Miller and Sarah Amos, Bill Clinton: Obama Played Race Card On Me, ABCnews.com, April 22, 2008). By this time, it appeared that Hillary needed a knockout, as more of the Democratic Party’s “superdelegates” were throwing their support behind Obama. Clinton saw her 258-186 lead in such pledged delegates disappear as Obama won the support of 143 of the next 173 superdelegates to pledge (86%), to take a 329-288 lead. The Clinton ’s argued that such support was “premature.” Clinton then insisted that the state parties that moved their primaries up (against national party rules), be seated at the convention and counted. The DNC had already decided that those delegates, representing Florida and Michigan , would not be counted. Clinton demanded they be “treated fairly.” Obama had not bothered to campaign in either state, Furthermore, in Michigan , his name didn’t even appear on the ballot. Hillary wanted the DNC to count those Delegates, and contended if it was done fairly, she would actually lead in delegates. [NOTE: A compromise was later worked out, but by that time, Obama had the nomination all but sewed up]. By this time, Obama had also captured New Mexico , Alaska , the Virgin Islands, Nebraska , Washington , Louisiana , Maine , Washington , Virginia , Maryland , Wisconsin , Hawaii , Vermont , Wyoming , Mississippi , Guam, and North Carolina . Even though he lost Texas , it was a two-tiered primary/caucus and he eventually won more delegates. The Clinton campaign was having trouble raising money, and Mrs. Clinton eventually loaned her campaign 11 million dollars of her own money. However, the body was already embalmed, and there were members of the DNC and the media suggesting that Hillary shut the lid on the coffin. Hillary however, vowed to battle “to the end.” Some thought this would splinter the party. Clinton continued to bray that she was ahead in the popular vote, which she failed to realize had never counted for anything more than bragging rights. While she might have been technically correct, the truth of the matter was that vote totals in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico , and those from overseas were not counted. Obama had defeated Clinton on all counts, so chances are, it was Obama who had actually pulled higher vote totals. Pressured to bow out gracefully, Hillary plowed forward and declared that she night ask for a roll-call vote so that the voices of the 18.5 million people who cast votes for her would “have their voices heard.” She was also hopeful that she could get some of the delegates committed to Obama to “flip,” on the basis that she had trounced the Illinois Senator in the more recent primaries, had momentum and that the delegate count was too close to call. She declared that she was the only Democrat who could beat McCain in the general election. When all of that failed, she resumed harping that the male hierarchy of the DNC was treating her in a “sexist” manner and ignoring the views of female voters. Many of Senator Clinton’s supporters were dubbed “PUMAs” (Party Unity My A$s). This contingent of white women threatened to bolt the party and vote for McCain, rather than support Obama, whom they declared won because of a sexist and racist campaign. Pundits were certain that the backlash would result in those disenfranchised females casting their votes for McCain, which would throw the election to the Republicans. Others argued that was what Hillary wanted, so when Obama was defeated she could say “I told you so,” and be the uncontested frontrunner in 2012. Such a move, however, would only result in Hillary “pulling a Jesse Jackson” and nuking her legacy. Instead, she caved in and threw her support behind Obama, praised him at the convention, requested (and had it granted) that Obama be named the party’s nominee “by proclamation” (voice vote), and went on the campaign trail with him. The vast majority of her supporters moved toward Obama. Bill was a bit more reluctant, and seethed that Obama had gotten away with injecting race into the campaign and painting him as a racist. Still, in the name of party unity, he did campaign for Obama in New York and Florida , The next step, was to contrast Obama with the GOP candidate, John McCain, whose nomination also defied political prognosticators. ------------ About the author: Timothy N. Stelly, Sr. is a writer who resides in Northern California. His latest work, under consideration for publication, is a poetry book titled "Stories From The Black Side Of The Rainbow." website: http://stellbreadO@tripod.com Email: stellbread@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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