It's amazing how quickly I've gone from being a front-lines, enthusiastic Obama supporter, to being so turned off by the slash-and-burn politics of Hillary Clinton that I'm not even optimistic anymore...Instead of feeling empowered to save the country, now I'm just hoping we can run out the clock.
Until a few minutes ago...when I realized something that, at least for me, makes me want to fight again.
This is now a three-way race. Just as many of you supported Bill Clinton against two strong opponents in 1992 (I was in 3rd grade; I think I voted for the Power Rangers), Obama supporters (and, I suppose, Hillary and McCain supporters) need to now realize that this isn't two Democrats battling against a Republican; it's three candidates from three different political foundations.
We don't need to worry about the next couple months tearing down the Democratic party to the point that neither candidate can beat John McCain. This isn't Obama/Hillary vs. McCain anymore. Hillary Clinton has shown that she's not interested in the success (or even the survival) of the Democratic party; she's simply interested in gaining power at all costs. So let's view her like that. For so many of us, Barack Obama IS the Democratic candidate for President. John McCain, clearly, is the Republican candidate for President. Hillary Clinton is trying to use the Democratic party as a platform for her to reach the White House---but that doesn't mean Obama supporters need to accept her as an alternative.
Barack Obama, his team, and the grassroots must start building that narrative immediately; to frame this as a three-person race for the presidency, and not as a two-person primary that might turn nuclear (simply for a chance to fight ANOTHER two-person primary that might turn nuclear).
The media WILL follow. To Obama: enough pointing out the similarities. Enough showing your respect for Hillary's record (which is a myth, anyway; just because she claims 35 years of experience doesn't mean that it's true. I have 23 years of experience---granted, I was in diapers for part of that, but it's still 23 years of experience). From now on, this race is Barack Obama (D-IL), John McCain (R-AZ), and Hillary Clinton (I-HRC). Push that message first, and you control the narrative.
Don't forget the most important thing---Barack Obama has already won the nomination. Barring a collapse of unprecedented proportions, Hillary Clinton WILL NOT have enough votes to be the nominee. This is about damage control, and keeping (regaining?) the enthusiasm of all of those first-time followers who drove this campaign in the first place. We need to start claiming the momentum; forget the massive lead in states and votes, forget the 54 million in February, this is simple...we have WON this race. It's now Obama vs. McCain vs. Hillary, and we can win that one, too.