Barack
Obama raises more money than she does.
The hard anti-war crowd beats up on her
for not apologizing for her vote
authorizing the Iraq war. Her critics
cite poll results showing a lot of
Americans say they would never vote for
her.
Yet,
Clinton has maintained her hold as the
front-runner in the Democratic marathon.
Though labeled cold and calculating by
her detractors, she seems to get better
as the campaign progresses. She comes
across as poised, confident,
authoritative, smart, thoughtful and,
most important, experienced that will
bring about change.
These
are the characteristics to make change
in Washington. It's that last trait that
she has exploited in the debates.
With
the recent clash concerning the legacy
of Martin Luther King, Jr., Clinton
rightfully evoked it was the civil rights dream
of Martin Luther King, Jr. but
making the dream a reality —
required passage of
civil rights
landmark legislation brought about by
the influence and support of Lyndon B.
Johnson.
A major obstacle to passage of the
civil rights act was FBI director J. Edgar Hoover who would not
investigate the murder by members of the Klan, some of them members
of the Neshoba County sheriff's department, of three civil rights
workers, James Chaney, a young black Mississippian and plasterer's
apprentice; and two Jewish volunteers, Andrew Goodman, a Queens
College anthropology student; and Michael Schwerner, a social worker
from Manhattan's Lower East Side who were murdered on June 21, 1964.
The national uproar caused by their
disappearance forced the FBI to investigate crimes against Blacks,
even though President Johnson had to use indirect threats of
political reprisals against J. Edgar Hoover to force him to do so.
President Johnson obtained support
across America and influenced southern congressional members in
approving the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act.
On July 2,
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the
landmark legislation.
Clinton
emphasized vision is important but
requires the legislative process to
bring about change in Washington.
Clinton
has demonstrated this characteristic
admirably of using the legislative
process beginning in 2000 with election
as the U.S. Senator from the state of
New York.
Understanding the ways and means of the
Washington legislative process is
Clinton's use of President Johnson
influence to bring change to civil
rights 1964.
With
less than 10 months before the 2008
presidential election poor judgment was
displayed by Obama praising ideals of
Republican Ronald Reagan rather than
providing accolades to Democratic
leaders. Obama argued that he had not
complimented GOP ideas and his comments
had been misconstrued.
Just
take a look at her subtle and adroit
handling of the YouTube debate question
about whether the candidates would be
willing to meet without preconditions,
during their first year in the White
House, with the leaders of Iran, Syria,
North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela.
While
saying the country needs to get
back to diplomacy, Clinton said she
would not "promise a meeting at that
high a level before you know what the
intentions are." She elaborated, "I
don't want to be used for propaganda
purposes. ... Certainly we're not going
to just have our president meet with
Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez and, you
know, the president of North Korea, Iran
and Syria until we know better what the
way forward would be."
In
contrast to that, Obama replied —
"eagerly,"
— he would make that commitment.
"And the reason is this, the notion
that somehow not talking to countries is
punishment to them — which has been the
guiding principle of this administration
— is ridiculous."
You may
agree with Obama's premise, but
Clinton's answer was a nuanced response
recognizing the complexities of dealing
with rogue nations such as Iran and
North Korea or with an anti-American
demagogue like Chavez.
Any
doubt about who came off better in that
exchange was erased the day after when
Obama's campaign accused Clinton of
flip-flopping on the issue of meeting
with the leaders of these countries.
Obama's camp knows they have to counter
Clinton's experience card. The first
out-in-the-open spat between the two
escalated with Clinton calling Obama's
answer "irresponsible and frankly naive"
and Obama accusing her of backing a
"Bush-Cheney lite" version of diplomacy.
Obama
clearly is the main obstacle standing
between Clinton and the nomination.
Charismatic, telegenic and youthful, the
Illinois senator represents a break with
the past and a passing of the political
torch to a new generation. The big
impact Obama has made in the race pushed
Clinton to enlist the active campaigning
of her husband earlier than planned.
Some might see this as a sign of
weakness. In fact, it's smart politics.
It shows the senator committed to doing
what it takes to win and confident
enough in her own standing to share the
limelight with the magnetic Bill
Clinton.
Now,
many of Clinton's policies are enough to
make a conservative like me shutter, but the point here is not
issues but experience among the
Democratic field. And we have more
Clinton-Obama clashes and months to go
before the parties pick their nominees,
and no one should anoint Clinton the
winner. But it's safe to say she has
demonstrated she's learned a lot
from years of helping her husband in
Arkansas and national politics, from the
experience of two terms in the White
House, and from her own electioneering
and seven years in the U.S. Senate.
Clinton
can plausibly claim that by the
yardstick of experience she is the best
qualified Democratic presidential
candidate.
Then there are different positions
on issues.
Clinton, Yes to Migrants in Universal
Health Coverage. Obama, No to Migrants
Of utmost importance to Hispanics is
universal health coverage for everyone
including the 12 million undocumented
Hispanics. Clinton's proposal provides
coverage for the 12 million undocumented
in the U.S. Obama's proposal does not
provide universal health coverage to the
undocumented.
A
t the
January 21
Myrtle
Beach, S.C. debate, the sparring
focused on the major issue in the
primary contest — universal health
care
Suzanne
Malveaux
from
CNN
asked
Senator
Clinton,
"It
was
the
PBS
forum
at
Howard
University
where
you
said
if
HIV/AIDS
was
the
leading
cause
of
death
among
white
women
ages
25
to
34,
there
would
be a
national
outcry.
Obviously,
you're
calling
attention
to
the
need,
specific
need
for
African-American
women
and
their
health
concerns.
Why
is
it
that
African-American
women
would
be
better
off
in
your
health
care
program?"
Clinton
responds,
"Well,
first
of
all,
my
health
care
program
will
cover
everyone.
I
don't
leave
anybody
out.
It
is a
universal
system.
It
will
build
on
the
congressional
plan
that
provides
health
care
for
members
of
Congress,
their
staffs,
government
employees,
and
therefore
it
is
not
a
new
system."
Clinton,
"It
is
not
government-run.
It
has
the
advantage
of
being
proven,
so
that
we
can
withstand
what
will
be
obviously
the
attacks
coming
from
the
Republicans,
and
the
right,
and
the
drug
companies,
and
the
health
insurance
companies.
It
also
will
give
comprehensive
health
care
to
everyone.
It's
especially
important
we
do
that
with
chronic
diseases.
And,
thankfully
(sic)
HIV/AIDS
has
become
a
chronic
disease.
We're
able
to
keep
people
alive
in
the
United
States.
We
don't
do
enough
around
the
world.
And
we
don't
do
enough
yet
to
get
the
services
as
quickly
as
necessary
to a
lot
of
our
people
who
are
not
given
the
kind
of
immediate
help
that
they
deserve.
But
we
need
a
universal
health
care
system
where
we
manage
chronic
diseases,
where
we
get
prices
down
because
we
can
bargain
with
the
drug
companies,
where
we
say
to
the
health
insurance
companies
that
they
must
cover
everyone,
they
have
to
do
it
at
an
affordable
rate.
And
for
people
who
might
have
some
financial
challenges,
I am
proposing
health
care
tax
credits
that
will
make
health
care
for
everyone
affordable.
And
I
think
that
that
is
the
right
way
to
go,
because
if
we
don't
have
everybody
in
the
system,
we
know
what
will
happen.
We
will
begin
to
have
more
and
more
people
who
are
uninsured.
The
health
care
companies
will
continue
to
cherry
pick.
The
hidden
tax
that
comes
when
someone
does
finally
show
up
at
the
emergency
room
will
be
passed
onto
everyone
else."
Clinton
includes
everybody
in
universal
health
care
Clinton
declares,
"So I
am
adamantly
in
favor
of
universal
health
care.
And
that
means
everybody
is
covered.
And
we
will
have
a
system
to
make
it
affordable,
but
it
will
be
required,
as
part
of
shared
responsibility,
under
a
new
way
of
making
sure
that
we
don't
leave
anybody
out
and
provide
quality,
affordable
health
care
for
everyone."
Obama
does
not
include
migrants
in
universal
heath
care
Senator
Obama
was
asked,
"We
all
know
what
universal
health
care
is,
as
Senator
Clinton
just
said,
sort
of
the
idea
that
everybody
deserves
health
care.
And
I
have
not
been
able
to
sort
of
zero
in
on
your
position
on
this
one
question:
Does
your
plan
cover
the
estimated
12
million
or
so
illegal
immigrants
in
the
country?
Obama,
"It
does
not."
