Many of us who have supported Hillary Clinton have done so with full knowledge that she represents a school of thought that believes one must first do well at the polls before one can do good as an elected official.
That had meant her campaign has been full of positions cautious by design, which alienate as few as possible, appeal to as broad a base as possible, while not over-promising.
For this she had been criticized by her opponents for “triangulation,” for being less than honest, for being manipulative. And while I have no doubt she has a strong core of progressive beliefs, it is also obvious that every expression of those beliefs is tempered by what it will take to win.
On the other hand, Bernie Sanders has been laying it all out, over-promising at ever opportunity, speaking as though the key is to lead the electorate and not simply pander to them. The technical aspects related to governing, to getting down-ballot allies elected, to understanding that every policy plank ought to come with at least a casual nod to how it gets done, none of that has seemed to concern him at all.
Good for him, I guess.
It’s all but over for Sanders, and in no small part due to the fact that Democrats decided they were more comfortable with someone who knows how to play the game, especially as Republican obstructionism in Washington has made Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign rhetoric on bi-partisanship sound more than a little naive.
Though not a particularly idealistic sentiment, I have always thought Hillary Clinton best equipped to fight the battles, make the laws, provide the leadership, build the coalitions, understand political power and its uses in ways that will improve the lives of the greatest number of Americans should she win the White House.
In his autobiography, David Axelrod, former Obama senior strategist, writes that voters don’t simply want a candidate for president to mimic the policies and strategies of a predecessor. They want perceived failings of the incumbent to be addressed by the new candidate, no matter how popular the incumbent may be.
Washington is a brutal and nasty place where thrilling speeches may have a place, but preparation, experience, and toughness are likely more important.
No knock on President Obama, who has done great things with what he was dealt, but Hillary Clinton, once she has frustrated so many of us by doing what it takes to get elected, will probably be able to do more in a Washington environment that is becoming more contentious by the day.
It is not an inspired view of politics, but it’s what we’ve got.