Obama's Got Game

We've all seen the latest clips of Barack Obama bowling his way to an abysmal 37 pins. From what I've seen, it looks as though, even with kiddie-bumpers, he might only have shot 47. But bowling is not really his game; basketball is. On the morning of the Iowa caucus, his first win of many, he shot hoops. On the morning of the New Hampshire primary, his first loss of few, he didn't. His only nod to superstition that we've seen is that he's played every significant Tuesday morning since then.

Basketball is as good a metaphor as any to explain why Obama is not only going to win the Democratic nomination, but why he is the best choice to beat John McCain in the fall.

Like a number one seed being out-hustled on the floor by a scrappy underdog, Hillary Clinton finds herself down by 20 points with two minutes to play. So she's sent her goons onto the floor to throw elbows, hips and the occasional kitchen sink to foul Obama, hoping he'll miss his free throws and allow her to get back into the game.

Call it the March Madness of Queen Hillary.

There's no denying Hillary Clinton's got game, of a sort: the Bill Laimbeer sort. For those of you who don't recall the NBA poster child for thuggery, here is the beginning of his bio from nba.com:

"In 14 bruising NBA seasons Bill Laimbeer made up for his minuscule vertical leap, slow feet, and sluggishness by becoming a master of posturing, muscling, and anticipating -- plus fomenting trouble, pretending to be fouled, and drawing his opponents' ire."

Though he and the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons managed to pummel their way to two straight NBA titles, they were quickly and rightfully eclipsed by the Chicago Bulls led by the Barack Obama of basketball, Michael Jordan, of whom nba.com says:

"He burst into the league as a rookie sensation scoring in droves with an unmatchable first step and acrobatic drives and dunks and concluded his career as a cultural icon. Along the way, he became a true champion who spearheaded the globalization of the NBA with his dynamic on court abilities and personal sense of style that was marketed to the masses. He was an accessible star who managed to maintain an air of mystique."

The rookie sensation Obama's quick Iowa first step, unflappable calm on defense and dizzying oratorical aerobatics have left Hillary Clinton flat-footed in the paint and sputtering, "Foul! Foul!"

And it is Obama's quickness of youth and power of fund-raising that make him the much stronger match-up against John McCain in the fall.

Consider Hillary's half-court strategy. Drawn up on the DLC-chalkboard, it consists of anchoring the major blue states, conceding the basic red states, and fighting over the swing states. The depth to which she's sold out to this approach can be seen in statements by her surrogates disparaging the electoral value of states she's lost like Mississippi, Nebraska and Virginia.

This is the only strategy available to her, as all of the voters of the Far and Christian Rights who are tepid on John McCain have very clear feelings when it comes to Hillary: revulsion, repulsion and anger-with-the-white-hot-heat-of-a-thousand-suns spring to mind. She will re-solidify the South for McCain, and replay the same campaign strategy from 2000 and 2004. And how's that been working out for ya, Dems?

This shores up McCain's weaknesses, turning them into strengths: with a smaller court and an ever-shortening game clock, the geriatric McCain can concentrate his feeble financial, organizational and physical resources in a few key states where he matches up well against an out-of-shape, aging Mama Clinton, only 12 years his junior.

Obama's strengths - his organization, his war-chest, his crossover appeal, his youth and vigor - will push McCain into a full-court, run-and-gun game. Barack can run a competitive 50-state strategy, forcing McCain to spend his energies and his money in states like Colorado, Louisiana and Georgia, and even Mississippi, Nebraska and Virginia.

As any devotee of the game knows, you win championships by denying the opponent your half-court and playing in his. Obama excels at this type of game and will beat Clinton and McCain both the way the Harlem Globetrotters beat the Washington Insiders - I mean, Generals - soundly, repeatedly and with style.

Comments

[tdpubs]

No female HRC supporter will vote for McCain when they're reminded that he'll be adding one or two more supreme court nominees.
e pluribus unum

[Unrepentantliberal]

Basketball analogy. I like it! Many of the anti-Obama comments I have been reading lately seem to be of a very nasty and personal nature. The authors seem to take after HRC.

[jaynevada]

Obama is CORRUPT, a LIAR, and his slogan of change an ILLUSION.

1) CORRUPT: A houseowner wants to sell both a house and adjoining land. Obama can afford to buy only the house. No problem, the criminal Rezko to the rescue. Rezko pays full price for the land, whereas Obama gets a discount of $300,000 on the house. Nice to have criminal friends like this!!! (ref ABC News)

2) LIAR: Obama claims he did not know about Wright's America-hating (God damn America) and racist views till it was revealed in the mainstream media in March 2008. Obama attended Wright's church for 20 years, was married by Wright, had his children baptized by Wright, donated over $20,000 to Wright's church and named his book "Audacity of Hope" after one of Wright's sermons. You really believe after 20 years and all this he did not know?

3) ILLUSION: Exelon Corporation had not disclosed radioactive leaks at one of its nuclear plants in Illinois. Obama, a senator for Illinois introduces a bill to make disclosures mandatory. Seems like Exelon doesn't like it. Each draft of the new bill by Obama goes more and more towards Exelon till disclosures end up being "voluntary". What gives? How about $250,000+ donations by Exelon!!! Obama is not change, he is WASHINGTON BUSINESS AS USUAL. (ref NYT)

People need to realize that Hillary has been fighting for them all along. All the way back to 1993 when she tried to introduce universal health care.

[NotMyPrez]

Fighting, and winning what, exactly? go back to your microphone, Mr. Limbaugh. Operation Chaos is over.

[blog4um]

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4580397

[indc]

why don't you get facts straight instead of this propaganda for Clinton.

where are her taxes, the donor lists, the WH papers, the earmarks....do you believe the $500 M they received for the library isfree money, we already know he sold us out to Dubai in the port deal and other deals with corporations and foreign governments...

she is an incompetent and a dependent and psychologially abused person... she has accomplish amazing little given her extraordinary opportunities, mostly she has represent corporations, in AK and as a Senator, same as he did as president.... two liars, low-life people always on the make.

[thedave25]

you mean, when she alienated ELECTED OFFICIALS from her OWN PARTY, pushed her health plan over several others that would have passed, and undercut her husband's presidency to the point where it cost HER OWN PARTY a Congressinal majority it had enjoyed for 40 years?

[Herrington]

HuffPost's Pick

Just in case basketball is not your game. Obama has beaten Clinton tactically and strategically. His choice of emphasis on broad fundamentals and common goals contrasts in high degree with Clinton’s minutiae of old school campaign promises. His bottom up campaign organization is more responsive and creative than Clinton’s top down fearless leader political crony organization.

Dean’s fifty state strategy requires more human capital than does a swing state strategy. Clinton ran her primary as if to prove the validity of the swing state strategy and unwittingly proved the prowess of the fifty state strategy under current political conditions.

In the future, conditions may change, requiring a swing state strategy to win. The thing is not to be wedded to a mythology of strategy and tactics that have worked in the past when analyzing the future. History and debriefing of the Obama campaign will reveal whether the fifty state strategy of Obama’s choice in the primary was a doctrinaire choice or a practical choice, but given from where he started, it was definitely the right choice.

All this reflects strongly on the question of judgment. Clinton went with trusted and conservative strategy and Obama went with the untried but theoretically sound one. Had Obama been more cautious, he would have chosen a duplicate of the Clinton campaign and lost. Audacity.

[democritus]

As a yellow-dog democrat, I will happily vote for either candidate. I have always thought Hillary's negatives too high for her to make a good presidential candidate, but the argument that Obama will be more competitive in the South feels dubious to me. If Obama's really a uniter, why can't he see that a joint ticket would unify the party? It feels to me that he is the one splitting the party. A ticket with hims as VP could yield a 16-year run for the Ds. I worry that Obama could be another McGovern. From the policy point of view, Hillary seems a little preferable, though the Clintons blew many opportunities to kill bin Laden, and are therefore weak on national security. McCain seems to be the only one who is realistic about the war which Iran declared on the US in 1980. Bob Baer's book See no Evil details Iranian involvement in the embasssy and Marine bombings in Lebanon, the downing of Pan Am 103 in Lockerbie, and one has to wonder about 9-11. In this context, McCain could actually turn out to be a very strong candidate. By beating the Dem establishment, or a significant part of it, Obama could be sealing his fate. (By the way, I support Obama due to his stand--anemic as it is--on marijuana freedom. I still think Hillary-Obama would be almost as strong as Gore-Obama, and stronger than Obama-X.)

[DAbraha]

Party loyalty is a good thing but to be honest with you, I am totally not for Obama/Clinton ticket. Clinton is not a good person, not trustworthy enough for me to vote for her over him. The fact you undermine Obama -X as the least of your choice says how folks have bias about something new...a Black/White President! It is ok and it is understand­able...thi­ngs will change and this country will become #1 again.

[PrdAmerican]

I think the problem lies in the fact that Clinton's past is bound to trip her up if she were to even manage to get in the whitehouse...if she were to flop miserably, than Obama would be done for good...he would be too tied to her and she would become the goose around his neck, much as Bill is Hillary's goose. Her healthcare plan as it is (with a mandate) won't see the light of day, and that alone could sink her presidency and credibility. He would be wise to keep his distance from her.

[crazyv]

John Kerry made the comment that HRC's health plan with mandates was dead on arrival in the Senate. There just are not the 60 votes to override the Republican filibuster. HRC like GWB is a creature of ideology. I think candidates owe the American people the truth pushing a plan that they know has no chance of being approved is "misspeaking at best". Although there aren't many policy distinction between HRC and BHO there are major differences. HRC wants to win on a K.O , Obama will take it to 15 rounds and win on points i.e. he will settle for what can be achieved and come back again and again to keep moving towards the final objective.

[deb123]

It seems to me that the obvious reason Obama would decline a VP spot (other than the fact that he is winning the primary) is that he is too smart and talented to be sitting in a broom closet while HRC and WJC further diminish the Democratic Party -- and the country. I have faith that Obama can overcome his few political flaws with the citizenry and convince them that it's time to turn the page on old politics (and old pols) and move this country into being what it can be. It's time. We're fortunate he stood up when he did.

[Shozen]

Why is Obama-X the weaker one? He's won most of the races. most of the delegates, and is stronger against McCain in the national polls. Hillary-Obama would destroy Obama. He would never become President. Hillary has proven her weakness. She can only win with Obama by her side. She knows it, that's why she suggests it. If any combination structured X-Obama would be the stronger one, then Obama must be the stronger candidate.

[PioneerKing]

Not a bowling game.

[Titonwan]

Great stuff! And so true. This is going to be a blowout with old "hotshot" McCain't. I'd say Hillary could be a cheerleader, but come on...Mama needs to back to Arkansas and relive the memories (while she's still able :)

[lafrance]

Absolutely love this article. Basketball is indeed the game of choice for Obama and he has been performing like Jordan on the court of the primaries.
Hillary is running an old style 60s type game.

[labqi]

There is a big fallacy in Hillary's primary wins - there have been republican voters tactically infiltrating into the count. The reason Obama has consistently won at the caucuses is that these same moles darent physically appear at them! Whatever she is smoking and inhaling clearly makes her unable to see the truth. Or perhaps the devil is a lot more hidden than we thought.

[December7]

Obama won more Primaries and more caucuses (nearly all) than Hilary.

[PioneerKing]

Team Billary is really starting to stink up the place.
Ralph Nader is starting to look pretty good these days.
RALPH NADER 2008

[Titonwan]

Ralph couldn't even dribble the ball, let alone "shoot". HA! Ralph Nader...sheesh!

[mikey683]

As far bas I can remember the Clinton's are the only Democrats to win the white house in the last fifty years twice. And you?

[JAJ2007]

And two years after they won the White House, they lost the Congress - leading to today's hyper partisan battles....

[BlueAsh]

And here are the details:

http://www.counterpunch.org/wypijewski03082008.html

"The Only Way to Fight the Clintons" by JoAnn Wypijewski

[SCG]

I saw this a year ago. When others were worried about his early debate performance, I knew there would come a time it would be one on one. The choice would be clear.

About the "DLC" strategy of running republican-lite which gives us 49% / 51% elections, I think of this quote:

"Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time." - Harry S Truman

[ProfessionalGun]

Great piece, Chip! I enjoyed the parallels you drew.

[DavidK08]

Very good. The Clinton supporters like to leave out the fact that the right wing nuts hate her. And would vote against her at all cost...check that...they would vote for her, just to face her instead of Obama. Hillary has zero chance winning over anyone in the GOP base. Obama has already done better with independants. The independent vote is the only thpart of the primaries that will carry over to the general. HRC doesn't bring that up. She focuses on the dem base only. Base only gets you less than 45% of the general. I think that Obama can get her supporters+his own+ more independants than she can.

Her suppporters aren't going to let McCain win out of spite. Too much is at stake. Supreme court, tax cuts to the rich, bush tax cuts becomming permanant ect........too much at stake for that type of bickering. Two months from now that will all be gone.

[knixphan]

agreed!