After much elbowing from her colleagues and chastisement from the blogosphere, Senator Clinton finally did on Saturday afternoon, what she should have done Tuesday night. After six minutes and some seconds, she joined the rest of the world in congratulating Senator Obama, on clinching the Democratic nomination for President. It was obvious this was a difficult task for Tenacious C, so the question lingering in my mind is, can a leopard really change her spots?
That question really stood out when I spotted Josh Levine. Mr. Levine, an artist who doesn't limit himself to traditional canvas, struck me as a person with something to say about the political landscape. I made a safe bet, with myself, that he was not in McCain's demographics, so I was not surprised to discover that he was a Democrat, who supported Obama. "At first I was down with Clinton, but then I started to listen to Obama and he inspired me. She didn't." Mr. Levine offered. "So I guess a leopard can change her spots," I quipped.
All kidding aside, this is a serious question that the Obama campaign is now faced with, in light of the Clinton posse's chorus, rival only to the Mormon Tabernacle choir, for her to be the VP. The usual suspects, Lanny Davis, Terry -"The next President of the United States"- McCauliffe, and the baby-boomer ya-ya sister club members have left no cable station unplugged. "Larry King," "Hannity & Colmes," "Reading Rainbow"...There they are beating that same old drum.
Clinton's strategy is to place Obama between Barack and a hard place. Jam him up, so he she looks rejected, scorned, spurned, all the feelings that most of her women constituents felt after their marriages went bad, the promotions passed them by, E-Harmony rejected them. Will she get a rose or will he kick her to the curb with the other VP hopefuls? Tune in to next week's episode of, "The Nominee."
How did Obama's historic win, turn into a story about Hillary Clinton's race for the VP? Well, it started when her most odious supporters, Lanny Davis and Bob Johnson, hawked their petition for Obama to place her on his ticket. It took Clinton less than 16 hours to chime in, by revealing, via the New York delegation, that she was interested in the VP slot. From that point, events took a very scuzzy turn. Instead of tamping down the VP talk, and giving Obama a moment to enjoy his victory, the Clintonistas turned up the heat and kept insisting, "If he wants to win, he'll pick her." "He can't win without her supporters." "He needs her," Lanny Davis declared. These are the same voices who just knew she would be the nominee, by February 5th.
In the midst of all the din, on both sides of the debate, Obama, remained cool and unruffled, "Everyone needs to calm down," he told CNN. After placing the traveling press on a flight to Chicago, he was able to do what Britney Spears is unsuccessful at, give the press the slip to meet privately with Senator Clinton, at Senator Diane Feinstein's home. Senator Feinstein said she gave them some water and left them to chat in front of her fireplace in "two comfortable chairs," for about an hour. Saturday's speech evidenced that Senator Clinton was more receptive to the ruse, than Obama's traveling press was.
On Saturday morning (PST), I was not convinced that she was ready to throw in the towel and when five minutes passed and she still had not said anything conciliatory, I thought Lucy did it again to poor Charlie Brown. Finally, after six minutes, Keith Olberman conspicuously noted, she acknowledged that the race was over and Senator Obama was more likely to be the "next President of the United States" than she. The crowd was a bit tepid to the idea initially, but came around when they realized that, like reports of the Virgin Mary's image found on Toast, reality bites. The next five minutes was straight down party line as she shook her pom poms for Obama's team, she didn't out yell George W. from his cheer leading days, but she gave an admirable try at, "Yes we can." One small step for woman kind, one great step for party unity.
Her next task should be to rein in her surrogates. It's only going to make it worse, if or when, Obama doesn't choose her. From a female vantage, it looks really desperate. "Call me, are you gonna call me, I'll be the best VP you ever had, I mean it, you got my number, here's my cell, here's my 90 year old mother's cell, here's Chelsea's cell, I would give you Bill's but I don't know it, you promise to call me, what time, I mean, O.K., I'll just wait by the phone." It looks like she may want to brush up on, "The Rules."
After all the rancor and divisive remarks can the Clinton's really get on board with Obama? I guess that remains to be seen. As far as her 17.5 million supporters, are they hers to deliver? First of all, I believe that number she touts, 18 million supporters, is greatly exaggerated. Aside from the Limbaugh effect there's the Clinton effect. I have met many people who stated they voted for Clinton in the early primaries, like CA, FL, GA and SC, but have since changed their support to Obama. Whether it was being inspired and impressed by Obama's campaign or turned off by Clinton's negativity, mendacity, or inflated resume, voters who once may have pulled the lever for the NY Senator, have come aboard the Obama train, in a big way. I got to see this migration up close in North Carolina.
Deborah Cross and her dog Teddy, traveled from Atlanta to Charlotte. They stayed with North Carolina Obama supporters, and was instrumental in helping him win that state by 14 points. Deborah, a retired marketing executive of Coca Cola, confided she was once a Clinton supporter, but after she discovered Clinton's top supporters where lobbyist, she switched her support to Obama.
"Follow the money and you'll find the truth. If your top donors are insiders you're gonna get the same old same old. I use to go to D.C. for Coke, so I know if you give money you're gonna get heard. I think it's time for corporate America to have less influence."
I asked Deborah to give Obama some advice as to how to reach those groups that Clinton claims she has a lock on. Deborah offered some marketing strategy:
"Follow the accounting philosophy for business-Do what's best for the bottom line. Target groups like Coke did, one market strategy for low income/blue collar workers, one for upper income. Less educated people need a direct approach. Less words and more pictures."
"Obama and Michelle just need to warm up and show their real selves. They're too guarded and reserved. They should go to a few BBQs, no suit, casual clothes. Clinton tapped into the emotional aspect of her brand. Going negative works because it hits emotions."
I agree with Deborah and Teddy. Without a doubt McCain is going to pick up where Clinton left off. She drew him a great blue print. He will continue to paint Obama as a stuffy, snobby Ivy leaguer, while he portrays himself as a swashbuckling ex-fighter pilot. Of course in reality, his wife is a gazillionaire, he was involved with the S&L collapse, his campaign is chock full of lobbyist and like his bud, "W," he's not the sharpest tack in the box. What can Obama do?
Deborah had the right idea. Keep pointing to where McCain's money comes from. Ask the Average Joe, is he living as well as John and Cindy McCain? Ask the Seniors, how many of them are as well off as their fellow AARP member, John McCain? Ask the returning Vets from Iraq, how do they feel about not having the same breaks as Veteran McCain had? Ask women, how secure they are knowing that the Supreme court could be stacked with conservative judges and their kids could be in Iraq for a hundred years? Ask those folks in PA, KY, OH, and WV, how do they feel about placing an economy in the hands of a man who couldn't manage or raise money for his Presidential bid?
Back to my original question, can Clinton change her spots? If she's able to erase as many doubts about Obama as she raised; If she's able to campaign for him, without conditions or angling for the VP; if she's able to conduct her chorus to sotto voce; if she's able to stop claiming her defeat was due to sexism and a biased press, and acknowledge that Obama out-strategized her, then perhaps her spots will fade.