Today, as the roiling battle between the Obama and Clinton campaigns slowly cools to a simmer, there are already signs of worry on the faces of some Democrats. Of course there will be the inevitable wringing of hands and concerns expressed that, “perhaps we made a mistake. Might we have picked the wrong one?” Some will not simply worry, but proclaim that the party has rejected the candidate of a lifetime. Now that it’s all over including the majority of the shouting, and at the risk of dashing salt into a very fresh, open wound, please allow me to remind you of some uncomfortable, but still very real history. Where did these two candidates come from and how did they rise to the pinnacle where they were both within reach of the brass ring?
At the end of the day, there is one simple, inescapable fact about Hillary Clinton’s political history, though it seemed to have been politically incorrect to a radioactive level to mention it during the campaign. Hillary rose at a meteoric pace solely and completely in the shadow cast over her by the titanic figure of William Jefferson Clinton standing in the wings. Now, before you roll your eyes and say, “Oh, here comes the sexism again,” I would ask you to take a moment and consider the reality of her past.
Let us, for a moment, take as a given her history of activism and political engagement as a young woman. But pretend that Bill Clinton had decided that serving as Governor of Arkansas was as high as he cared to reach and, when finished, he felt inclined to head out for forty acres and some assorted mules to retire. Then, in the year 2000, Hillary arrives in New York City to announce her intention to run for the United States Senate.
“During my time working as an attorney and partner at the Rose Law Firm and as the First Lady of Arkansas, I have fought tirelessly to register and engage record numbers of women and minorities to ensure that we all have the same rights, opportunities and dreams for a better America!”
The collective yawns with which this would have been greeted could have cured insomnia in the Empire State for a decade and the only crowds gathering would have been realtors hoping to sell her a house. The idea of a person with such a background then turning around and running for president (no matter their gender, skin color or religion) would have been the stuff of late night comedy festivals. Hillary Clinton did not rise to unprecedented hights of opportunity through a lifetime of achievement, but from saying “I do” during a 1975 wedding ceremony. Remove President Bill Clinton from Hillary’s life story and you have the perfect boilerplate for a person who is virtually unelectable.
Barack Obama, while certainly the beneficiary of a couple fortuitous moments, followed a very different path. Coming up through the ranks of the Chicago Democratic Party political machine, it’s small wonder that he picked up a few grease spots on his sleeves from required associations with controversial activists, ministers and shady political fixers. When the time came to reach for national office, he found himself in the enviable position of facing a badly damaged interloper in the form of Alan Keyes, who he easily defeated. But then, in what will likely go down as one of the more savvy political decisions in history, somebody decided to make him the keynote speaker at the Democrats’ big party in 2004.
It was at that moment that his one major attribute came to national attention. The man was an orator of such power that old time, tent revivalist preachers would slink away in shame. New believers on the convention hall floor swooned and made for the fainting couches. And from that point on it was solely on his own initiative that he capitalized on that moment of opportunity, employed his speaking skills, and forged a path to the presidential nomination. There was no giant standing behind him to frighten away detractors and boost his credibility. His resume may be thin and his agenda (to be charitable) less than specific, but he put himself where he stands today by dint of his own skills and efforts.
So rest easy, gentle Democrats, and don’t be too quick to rend your clothing or break out the sack cloth and ashes. You didn’t pick the wrong person. But you came very, very, very close to doing so. Now the real job stands before you should you truly believe in this dream. Take a few days to revel in your success, but then you’d best get moving. The initial skirmish is done. The real war lies ahead.