January 25, 2008- Recently, the media has been in frenzy over the feud between the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns. Heated words were exchanged between Democratic presidential primary hopefuls, Senator Hilary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama during the South Carolina Democratic debate this past Monday night. At one point during the debate, Clinton suggested that Obama agreed with the Republican ideas about social security and how to balance the budget and alluded to an earlier Reno Gazette-Journal interview where Obama discussed the transformative role of President Reagan. Obama felt that Clinton misrepresented what he had said, and the two candidates entered an exchange where each tried to prove the other’s affinity for conservative President Regan. The argument turned for the worst. At one point, Obama stated, “…Because while I was working on those streets watching those folks see their jobs shift overseas, you [Clinton] were a corporate lawyer sitting on the board at Wal-Mart.” Quick remarks and accusations peppered this heated debated. Later when Clinton was once again trying to prove Obama agreed with previous Republican economic policies she shot, “I was fighting against those ideas when you were practicing law and representing your contributor, Resco, in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago.” Both candidates played down the other’s accusations. At this time, something extraordinary happened across America. If you were listening closely enough during the debate- you might have heard a shattering noise. That was every democrat’s heart simultaneously breaking.
The political punches kept on rolling, even outside of the debate forum. Former President Bill Clinton has also taken center stage in the controversy, sharing his displeasure with the Obama campaign as well. This political squabbling does not seem to reflect well for Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, or Barack Obama. It can do nothing but encourage splits among the party. Yet, if they wish to tarnish their own images by petty political bickering in the he said-she said game, is this their own prerogative? Are they allowed to run their campaigns anyway they want? Should they not have the right to clear their names from offences made against them.
Yes- but at what cost? Of course, many democrats want the candidates to differentiate themselves from each other. However, many democrats believe this fiery conflict between the frontrunner Democratic candidates only arms the Republican Party. Clinton and Obama may need to create a semi-amiable truce for the sake of the party, or else later this year, when the contest for the Presidency is between a Republican and Democratic candidate, the Republican will already have a stock-hold of political ammo.
Besides the Republicans, one person that also seemed to benefit from this bickering was former Senator John Edwards. Edwards who typically struggles for attention against his two counterparts, managed to avoid the mudslinging. Edwards in response to the disagreement between Clinton and Obama over Republican polices during the debate stated, “…I also want to know on behalf of voters here in South Carolina, this kind of squabbling, how many children is this going to get health care? How many people are going to get an education from this? How many kids are going to be able to go to college because of this?”
It seems that Senator Obama and Senator Clinton may need to take a page from the Republican candidates’ playbook. In the Republican presidential candidacy debate in South Carolina, the candidates were civil with one another and even complimentary. (With the exception of their campaigns emailing criticisms of the other candidates to the media mediators during the debate). It should be interesting to see how Obama and Clinton act towards each other during their next encounter. They need to learn how to distinguish their characters and platforms from one another without providing Republican ammunition and deep divisions within the Democratic Party. Alas, the days of dreaming of an Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama ticket seem to be all but gone. A genuinely kind word, solid handshake, or even, dare I say, a nod of agreement seems all that torn democrats can hope for to occur between the two leading Democratic presidential primary candidates.
Source:
Debate Transcript provided by CNN and reprinted in the New York Times online.
CNN. Transcript: The Democratic Debate in South Carolina. 2008. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/us/politics/21demdebate-transcript.html?ref=politics. (accessed January 25, 2008).
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