The Greatest Endorsement of All

We might have heard the preamble to the most important endorsement of the Democratic Primary last night when Senator Hillary Clinton promised to back the Democratic nominee, "no matter what." It's now time for Hillary Clinton to think through what that will entail. After having spent months and millions trying to convince voters that Barack Obama is not really qualified to be president, Clinton must now do a 180, and make the case that Obama, and not John McCain, is the one and only candidate suited for the presidency. Perversely, Hillary Clinton's political future now depends on the vigor with which she supports the Obama campaign.

Clinton has a vital decision to make about how she will change course. Many rightly worry that if she makes the wrong choice, she will hurt the chances of the Democratic Party in November. A tepid endorsement of "the Democratic candidate" might well serve as a signal to her base that she prefers they withhold support for Obama in the general election as a show of loyalty for her. This could mean that the Democratic Party would hobble forward toward November with bleeding wounds. Fortunately for the Party and the country, it's in Hillary Clinton's best interests to come out swinging for Obama, and Hillary Clinton can always be counted on to look out for Hillary Clinton. Of course, there is a risk that, because of the emotional nature of the loss, and the bitterness in the Clinton camp over defections from friends and former staff, Clinton won't change course in time. Her friends in the Democratic Party need to urge her to do so, and those in the Obama camp need to make room for her support in the tent of the 2008 presidential campaign.

Clinton has spent months hammering away at Obama and employing questionable tactics to alienate white blue collar workers from him. Poll numbers back up her claim that she has more sway among these voters than Obama. But the wedge she has helped drive between them and Obama should not be impossible to remove. He espouses almost the same political ideology as Clinton, represents their interests, and offers relief from the Bush policies that would certainly continue under a McCain presidency. Hillary Clinton now needs to remind that white blue collar demographic she has touted as her base of the similarities between herself and Obama. "Yes he can" must be her new mantra if she is going to keep that demographic loyal to the Party and deliver their votes in November.

If she can prove that she keep prevent those voters from staging a political temper tantrum on her behalf, hers will prove to be the most important endorsement of the campaign. She will prove herself capable of uniting the as well as dividing the Democratic Party, and of forging a coalition of her supporters and those who have been inspired by Obama to create a broad base to defeat McCain. But, if she can't undo some of the damage she has done, the Democrats will suffer. So will she. The party elders and respectful onlookers who have not endorsed her rival and have defended her right to continue her campaign have had an implicit expectation that Hillary will ultimately put the interests of the Party ahead of her own political ambitions. If she is perceived to be anything less than a tireless champion for Obama in the upcoming election, those same party elders will cringe every time McCain uses a clip of her touting McCain's experience in one of the primary debates and shun her as the spoiler of the fortunes of the Democratic Party. Hillary Clinton's bank account of political favors is as empty as her campaign coffers and if she is astute, her main concern now should be to restore her political capital within the Party by proving that she still has something to offer. Anyone who dreads a President McCain should hope that she swallows her pride, thinks strategically, and employs the same spirit in endorsing Obama she has demonstrated in fighting him.

Read more reactions from Huffington Post bloggers to the Indiana and North Carolina primary results

Comments

[Golux]

I think the two questions now are when will she withdraw from the race and with how much enthusiasm will she support Obama. She should actually take a little time- win Kentucky and West Virginia (thereby preventing the embarrassment of the presumptive nominee losing to a withdrawn candidate) and then graciously bow out and throw her support to Obama. It's time. It's actually past time. But as so often in this campaign- it's all about waiting.... At least this time something HAS changed

[burnt]

you forgot a few points

1. She must act NOW to ameliorate the extensive damage she has already wrecked upon the Democratic Party!!

2. The Clintons are proven liars.

3. Any endorsement that doesn't totally serve her self-interests above all else, will be lukewarm at best.

4. She is a Republican posing as a Democrat.

5. Obama will be obliged to pay her campaign debts... and she will want a hefty return on her investments (loans to her campaign).

[tbone99]

You have a lot of balls wanting support from a "selfish, bitter , dirty tricks" candidate.Whatever would you want her support for, I mean wouldn't it just sully his campaign.? You might want to start describing her in better terms , if you're looking to win over her supporters. Just a thought.I mean I'm sure the "new politics" people should have no trouble in describing her in the same glowing terms they throw around so glibly.

[Repub4Obama]

Hillary is definately in it for herself, but let's be realistic. As soon as the May 20th primaries are over, and BHO has a majority of pledged delegates, there is no option available to HIllary other than the "nuclear option." We'll see a stream of SD's flow to Obama over the next two weeks, and a flood after that.

She will be working on:
1) Getting her $5 million or $11 million out via donations (which she just called for last night). Or perhaps getting BHO to buy her campaign out, or getting the DNC to buy her campaign out of debt.
2) Striking a deal with the DNC and party leaders, seeking majority leader or NY Governor, or something else to her liking.
3) Using a withdrawal from the campaign to increase her political capital and put some 'favors' back in her political bank.
4) Using a promise to back Barack 100% as a negotiating tool with the same people, so that she gains even more political capital.

Yes, it's a bit pessimistic and small-minded, but I've learned from the Clintons that they will try and profit and take favors even in the middle of a negative situation. She WILL HOLD OUT until she gets them.

[RickO]

Hillary has created an awkward situation for herself. By playing "kistchen sink" politics, and losing, she has reinforced Obama's assertion that people are tired of the way things are done. If she comes out in strong support of Obama, she may have to answer as to why the sudden 180, to which her response could be that her strategy was based on her understanding of how it works, not that she meant what she said, but that she was simply doing what it took to win. (Unless she did mean it, what other explanation is there except for an epiphany leading to conversion?).

She could use that as a positive by saying she herself has learned from this experience that change can happen and her campaign's trajectory from inevitability to obliteration is the best example of that change beginning to occur, that her life experience in old-school politics is not the way forward.

No thinking person believes that Obama will wave a magic wand and change the way Washington works. There may be some Pollyanna believers out there and god bless'em, but the goal is to change course and head in a better direction. That has happened before (FDR, JFK) and we're all better for it. And there's no question that we face an onslaught of gutter-shit politics from the dying hard right. They do not want to change and will dragged kicking and screaming into it where they, to, will be better for it.

[Theogracias]

Hillary has never done a thing in her life that was not for herself. This will not change. She cannot be trusted and you can tell be how scared the Democratic party is of what the Clintons might do.

It's pathetic.

[Jamchinadian]

Excellent post Ms. Gans. If she can do that, apart from what you say, she would restore some semblance of her own integrity and dignity - both of which she has shattered herself. It's a simple binary choice for her: let her higher self prevail, or sink deeper into the gutters of ignominy.