A lot has been written and said since the West Virginia primary about what recent results indicate in regard to Barack Obama's chances in a general election. Some of it's been said by pundits, in print and on television, and some of it's been said by mere citizens. A lot of it's been said by Hillary Clinton and her campaign staff. "He can't win," the argument seems to go. There are a lot of "hard working" people who'll never vote for a black man, and that's why we're staying in the race.
But I've got questions for Senator Clinton, her campaign staff, and her supporters. Do you think he can't win on his own, once his flaws have been picked apart by both Republicans and members of his own party? Or, do you think he couldn't win, even with your quick endorsement and unambivalent support?
For instance, what if the results of the most recent primaries had been followed by a statement from Hillary Clinton saying that she'd seen the exit polls, and that anyone who said they'd never vote for an African American candidate ought to be ashamed of themselves? It wouldn't be a revolutionary statement for Hilary Clinton to make. After all, doesn't she condemn the thinking that would lead a voter to make such a statement? And, if she does, then why would she choose, as she did, to try to expose and exploit the stated bigotry for her own gain, as opposed to condemning it? It's puzzled me. Down by an insurmountable margin, the opportunity was there to state that the reason given by many voters for opposing Obama were reprehensible. Yet she didn't do that. Talk about a missed opportunity to exit on high ground.
I assume there are those who'll say it's not her job to support another candidate while a primary race is still being run. But there is no mathematical way for her to win the primary race. There is only the hope -- and the possibility -- of exposing and exploiting Barack Obama's shortcomings, and the concurrent bigotry of much of the voting public, to the point where he is transformed from a viable, though flawed, candidate, into an unviable one. Which leads me back to another version of my original question: If sincere efforts by Senator Clinton and her supporters could lead to either Senator Obama's victory, or his defeat, why wouldn't they exercise their substantial influence for the former?
I took a certain amount of heat for my last entry here at Huffington Post, as have several others who've been critical of Senator Clinton's continued candidacy. "Sigh," read one response to my post. "You missed a spot on that dead horse, Mr. Handler." The next was more to the point. "What a jerk," it said.
The general thrust of these opinions was that being openly critical of Clinton's candidacy invited retribution in autumn. "Nothing is more dangerous than a cornered animal," stated one such concerned citizen. "But if you allow an escape route, most wild animals will take it."
If I can use the same analogy without agreeing she's a wild or a cornered animal, I'm saying there was a gallant escape route which she chose not to take.
Again, another respondent was more succinct: "You're going to eat your words in the fall when 25% of Hillary's supporters shut down your candidate."
It's that last statement that scares the hell out of me. There is anger about Hillary Clinton's apparent defeat that's being directed at a candidate whose positions are nearly identical to hers. There's talk of a movement to ensure his defeat to someone whose positions are diametrically opposed to hers. There are a substantial number of people who even say they'll go out and vote for the Republican candidate, John McCain -- a man, and a party, who are devoted to continuing to destroy much of what Senator Clinton has worked for her whole life. Why? Has Barack Obama abused her during the campaign? Or, is his somewhat extraordinary popularity at such a young age so much of an insult that they'd throw all principles away just to see him, and his supporters, thwarted?
I've spent some time imagining how transformative it would have been if a statement from Senator Clinton had emerged immediately following the West Virginia primary, or any time since. "I'm pleased to have the support of so many Americans who believe I would better represent them as President of the United States. However, the reasons given by many of those supporters troubles me. We are, and should be, long past the time when a man's skin color, or a woman's gender, should have any impact on whether or not he or she receives your vote. I'd like to be the first woman to serve as president of the United States. Senator Obama would like to be the first American of African decent to hold the office. Each one of us is qualified to serve. If I'm chosen as the candidate of my party, I'll hope for, and expect, Senator Obama's unwavering support. And if he is the party's eventually nominee, he'll certainly have mine -- just as he should have the unwavering support of anyone who has supported me."
Imagine that.
My new book is in stores now! It's Only Temporary: The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive. Find out more about it at evanhandler.com.