Obama said today he won't go negative. Well, everyone says that. But he will have to dent Clinton a little, and he can do that without crawling down into the gutter.
It's a tricky play, but there's one angle he could work to his advantage.
He should hammer PA with ads reminding people of the botched '93-94 health care plan. This will work for three reasons:
- It's an issue, not a personal attack.
- Clinton runs on her experience. Obama can say, that experience wasn't so great.
- It can draw a clear distinction between a "fighter" who alienates people and a "unifier" who can create consensus (consensi?).
This will also allow his plan (which I think is flawed as a health care plan but strong as an election ploy) to seem more capable of being passed in Congress, revive the idea of the Clinton's being divisive (Clinton fatigue) without directly bringing it up and remind people of their own economic insecurities without having a phone ringing at 3 AM ("Do you know where your mortage is?")
He has to hit back, just to show that he can. But Clinton seemed to suggest that they may be on the same ticket. Clearly she wanted to imply that Obama would be her wingman. But she can see the math. Perhaps she's willing to be his "mentor" and Veep. If she's sending out an olive branch, maybe this is a way for him both to hit back, but not drive her to the mattresses.