You Go, Girl!
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, losing ground in his desperate head-to-head fight against GOP’s No. 2, small-town mayor/hockey mom Palin, brings in the big guns … Hillary. I thought you’re supposed to dance with the girl, uh, old geezer with hairplugs, whatever, that brought you. NYT:
ST. PAUL — The names at the top of the ballot on Nov. 4 will be McCain and Obama, but the juicier battle this fall for an important group of swing voters — white working women with children — may be fought between the other two stars of the Republican and Democratic conventions, Sarah Palin and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Ms. Palin, the governor of Alaska and Mr. McCain’s running mate, gave the best speech of her party’s convention on Wednesday night, drawing 37 million television viewers. And she made it clear that she aimed to win over undecided women voters with her own version of the history-making, “I’m one of you” message that Mrs. Clinton employed to great effect in her fight for the Democratic nomination.
Mrs. Clinton, meanwhile, has a legacy to protect: She has no intention of turning over her “18 million cracks in the glass ceiling,” as she called her supporters, to Ms. Palin, a social conservative whose policy positions are poison in Hillaryland. What is more, Mrs. Clinton wants to be the one to make history as the first woman to win at the top of a presidential ticket, be it in 2012 or 2016.
The question is, will Mrs. Clinton fight Ms. Palin to help her former rival, Mr. Obama? Clinton advisers say that Mrs. Clinton wants to do everything she can to elect Mr. Obama, so that she cannot be blamed if he loses — yet she also does not want to be too closely associated with him if he does lose, nor to tarnish her own image by taking on a rookie national politician like Ms. Palin and possibly coming up short.
Mrs. Clinton is heading to Florida on Monday to campaign for Mr. Obama. And while his advisers expect her to serve as a counterweight to the McCain-Palin ticket, Clinton advisers are emphatic that Mrs. Clinton does not plan to attack Ms. Palin. Whether that remains the case through the fall is an open question, especially if Ms. Palin starts doing as well with, say, women who watch “The View” as Mrs. Clinton did.
CNN’s Amy Holmes, Girl Fight:
In a strange twist of logic, the Obama campaign is touting the woman they passed over as the woman they need to beat the woman the other guy picked.
The New York Times reports that “Mrs. Clinton’s campaign event in Florida, her first for Mr. Obama since the Democratic convention, will serve as a counterpoint to the searing attacks and fresh burst of energy that Ms. Palin injected into the race with her convention speech on Wednesday, Obama aides said.”
So, let’s get this straight. They didn’t choose her and her 18 million voters to put on the ticket. They gave the VP spot to Joe Biden. But now that Sarah Palin has arrived on the political scene, they’re promoting Hillary as the female answer to the Republican VP nominee. Awkward, to say the least.
And as one female democratic strategist tells me, don’t think that Hillary hasn’t noticed.
Yeah, she’ll want something. But Obama may want to do the math on that “enemy of my enemy is my friend” thing and make sure he’s figured it right. Back to NYT:
How much Mrs. Clinton wants to help Mr. Obama is another matter. Some of her aides note with a hint of resentment that Mr. Obama did not pick her as his running mate; he did not even vet her fully. Plus, they add, her fall calendar also includes campaigning for Senate Democratic candidates, not just for Mr. Obama.
Indeed, some Republicans in St. Paul predicted that Mrs. Clinton might not turn out to be “the great asset” that Obama advisers like to call her.
“Let me tell you something,” said Luanne Van Werven, a Republican delegate from Lynden, Wash., as the convention closed late Thursday night. “I secretly think Hillary loves Sarah Palin.”
Why?
“Because she wants Barack to lose, so she can run again, of course!” Ms. Van Werven said with a laugh. “I just bet Hillary was watching Sarah’s speech on T.V. Wednesday night and cheering, ‘You go, girl!’ ”
Pitfall-a-palooza! Driscoll notes another Clinton has been recruited, and yeah, maybe that’ll work, too.
Surber: Does Obama really want to brag that he “won’t be bullied” by Palin?
Gateway: Ouch … Palin hits Obama on his ridiculous Surge stands.
That could get interesting. Dems might find commanding the Alaska National Guard in wartime and having a son headed over there give the smalltown mayor more foreign policy cred than they counted on.
Michelle’s running BS watch: The Bogus Sarah Palin Banned Books List.
Hotair: Another Smear Bites the Dust. You know, the Palin Affair. Also, Inexperienced? Not Really.
Boston Herald Lone Republican’s cruel focus: Obama’s Accomplishments (quick read).
More problems for the Dems. Troopergate trooper, “I made mistakes.” Also, LA Times discovers that Nat’l Guard CINCs don’t actually get to declare war on other states, but do in fact have responsibilities.
Welcome, Punditeers, Boltists, etal, always good to see you. Come on in. Culture warriors welcome. Ever hear of a place called the Alamo? It’s in Musa Qala. Meanwhile, you’ll want to buy my friend Joe Galloway’s new book: quickie review and excerpt from “We Are Solders Still.”
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:46 am on Saturday, September 6, 2008
7 Responses to “You Go, Girl!”
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September 6th, 2008 at 10:11 am
The question is, will Mrs. Clinton fight Ms. Palin to help her former rival, Mr. Obama?
Somebody needs to ’splain something about this. Why is Senator Clinton “Mrs.” and Governor Palin “Ms.”? Is this a preference on the part of these women, or a sly (but really stupid) dig by the NYT?
Oh, wait, it’s the NYT, right, right,……
September 6th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
I envision a tremendous fight for the presidency between Hillary Clinton-D and Sarah Palin-R in 2012. That will be a historic moment!
September 6th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Obama is using Hillary like a piece of damp kleenex.
You think she realizes it?
September 6th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
One other observation … the only thing that would make Hillary try to help getting Obama elected would be another woman who might beat Hillary to the White House.
This will be interesting to watch.
September 6th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
old geezer with hairplugs
They shoulda’ put the damn things in upside down. At least something would have been on the inside.
September 7th, 2008 at 5:10 am
Jules:
As a pro, do you have any idea why the New York Times has chosen to designate Sarah Palin as “Ms.” Palin when it’s “Mrs.” Clinton and elsewhere, “Mrs”. McCain?
September 7th, 2008 at 11:19 am
As a tabloid professional, I’m in no position to grasp why the dishonest broadsheet media do anything, except to accept virtually everything they do as more evidence of rank hypocritical bias. Good catch, and very odd. You’d think they’d be more interested in distancing Hill from that problematic marriage. Hard to tell whether it’s a sexist effort to render Palin girlish, or maybe a lefty feminist tweak.