In an Opt-Ed in this morning's NY Times, Frank Rich lays out what is really at stake in the contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Either of the two Democratic contenders will swing the pendulum. Their marginal policy differences notwithstanding, they are both orthodox liberals. As the party's voters in 22 states step forward on Tuesday, the overriding question they face, as defined by both contenders, is this: Which brand of change is more likely, in Kennedy's phrase, to get America moving again?
More below the fold.
I agree that either Hillary or Barack will defeat whichever Republican is nominated. While Hillary may have a tougher time against McCain, I do believe that she will prevail. The policy difference between the two candidates are minuscule and so I am left finding the real discriminator in this race being who I believe will be able to govern more effectively.
There's a third possibility, of course: A poetically gifted president might be able to bring about change without relying on fistfighting as his primary modus operandi. Mr. Obama argues that if he can bring some Republicans along, he can achieve changes larger than the microinitiatives that have been a hallmark of Clintonism.
Given the great challenges which face our nation and the world, we cannot afford to turn over the Presidency to a leader who can acheive only "microinitiatives". The change that many of us want to see is a break from the bitter divisiveness that has marked the past 16 years.
It's legitimate to wonder whether sweeping policy change can be accomplished on that polarized a battlefield. A Clinton presidency may end up a Democratic mirror image of Karl Rove's truculent style of G.O.P. governance: a 50 percent plus 1 majority. Seven years on, that formula has accomplished little for the country beyond extending and compounding the mistake of invading Iraq. As was illustrated by the long catalog of unfinished business in President Bush's final State of the Union address, this has not been a presidency that, as Mrs. Clinton said of L. B. J.'s, got things done.
Finally, my (and other diarists) additional concern is that the Clinton name appearing on the ballot will galvanize Republicans to come out to the polls in November like nothing else. This effect could have terrible consequences for downticket races. Here in Colorado, we have two races which could be negatively affected if Hillary is our nominee - the race to replace Sen. Allard (R CO-Sen) and the one to rid the US House of Marilyn Musgrave (R CO-04). Replacing Allard with Mark Udall and Marilyn Musgrave with Betsy Markey would be fantastic for Colorado and our nation.
Please consider supporting Barack Obama.
Thank you.