The Schleicher Spin

Still gliding glibly along the high of my Democrats regaining control of Congress this past November, I turn to the early stages of what is shaping up to be an insanely interesting Presidential primary campaign.  2008 will mark the end of a ruthlessly wrong-headed regime that even its base at the Religious Right is having a hard time defending.  As we celebrate the New Year, the President’s image has sunk so low he can’t even muster some victory cries over the execution of mad Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein.  Sadly, it seems only a madman could perhaps keep Iraq together.  Hindsight is always 20-20, but that’s a topic for another time.  Here I will paint with hope the upcoming battle for President.  2008 just might be the year politics presents itself to the masses as something monumentally entertaining.  In these prenatal stages where some top candidates are still coyly dancing around their announcements to “officially run” two bona fide “celebrity politicians” are looking to shatter the glass ceilings that have hovered above them since the dawn of our great Republic.

On one side of the ticket you have Hillary Clinton, the now veteran New York Senator and former First Lady.  With President Bush’s ratings at an all time low, memories of those good ol’ Clinton years hover over Hillary like a shining halo.  She is still viciously hated in many circles, but hell, that didn’t stop Dubya Bush from getting two terms.  She has a great Senatorial track record, the support of her ex-president husband, and her ever increasing national spotlight to lead her to front runner status.   

Hillary has one major downside: it’s often hard to pinpoint her true political stance on certain issues.  The Iraq War especially will play a huge role in 2008, and her vague stance marred in that type of political doublespeak that sank Kerry’s 2004 bid makes it seem like she is skittish to wear that Liberal label or speak out against certain policies for fear of retaliation from the Right Wing.  For too long Democrats have been shying away from that in an attempt to appeal to the undecided masses in
Middle America.  Hillary should be wearing “liberal” like a badge of honor, and if she has any guts, she will hire some speech writers and public speaking experts who will help her avoid sounding like a slimy politician and more like that progressive liberal crusader Democrats so badly want her to be.  In the end, she’s going to come out swinging, and with a great number of people just looking to smash that glass ceiling to pieces, she’s the first ever viable female candidate for Leader of the Free World.

On the flip side, you have Barack Obama.  The Illinois Senator of mixed heritage is peaking fast.  He has a youthful charm and charisma, a nifty way of appearing at all types of events and making you feel like he belongs there (check out his recent visit to an evangelical mega church), and a progressive momentum that makes him the ideal choice of a “new generation.”  He also has some glaring stumbling blocks aside from the fact his middle name is Hussein.  There’s a significant portion of the population still unsure of who he is, and more importantly, scared to death of electing a “black” man.  His mixed heritage and upbringing as the son of black man from Kenya and white woman from Kansas and growing up in Hawaii bare not the hallmarks of the typical African-American experience, but instead the classic luster of your standard American immigrant “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” story.  This could play to his favor with Middle America, but it could also alienate him from his base.  Some are seeing echoes of JFK.  It will be fascinating to see how this plays out.

Still yet, we have the old stand-by, John Edwards, the only one of the major three to officially announce his candidacy.  Out of public office, but still very much in the public eye with speaking engagements and book signings, Edwards is still the man many Democratic faithful see as the guy who almost won the election for Kerry in 2004.  This former Vice Presidential candidate is cut from the same gritty populist stone as the mighty Democrats of the Bill Clinton years.  Like Bill Clinton, he has a powerful way of speaking, was once a crusading lawyer fighting for the “little guy,” is overflowing with Southern charm, and is highly educated.  His 2004 campaign of “Two Americas” is still going to ring true to many angry citizens looking for change and hope.  He’s lurking in the shadows right now behind the spotlight of Clinton and Obama, but he will emerge as the “safe bet.”  He’s the “classic” candidate, and those too nervous to make history, might settle for his earthy “grass roots” appeal.  For me, Edwards was the strongest candidate in 2004, and has the potential to be the strongest here in 2008.

Of course, if Al Gore (please…don’t run) or John Kerry (for the love of God, don’t run!) throw their hats into the ring, anything goes.  I can’t recall a primary where there were so many potentially great candidates.  With Clinton, Obama, and Edwards, I would wholeheartedly support any combination of two of the three.  Clinton seems too “big” to go the Vice Presidential route.  Likewise, I don’t think Edwards is going to be willing to play second fiddle again.  Obama, on the other hand, still the political novice, might be an ideal choice for a running mate for either of the other two.  A Clinton-Obama ticket might be so earth shatteringly progressive, I don’t know if it could be sold to those sitting on the fence.  Better yet, I still think some of us are dreaming of a Clinton-Clinton ticket, though that seems too fantastic to actually happen.  Sure, there’s nothing stopping an ex-president from being Vice President, except perhaps his all-powerful wife.

Still we have to be wary of the Republicans.  John McCain stands right now as the front runner.  Though he seems to have lost a bit of his backbone in his support of Bush and along with that some of his spitfire that made him such a formidable candidate back in 2000, he’s an old stalwart that has mass appeal to both moderate Republicans and Democrats.  He’s a classic character-a man who has spent most of his adult life in service to his country through the military and the Senate and has an amazing and harrowing tale of surviving a POW camp.  In any day and age, he makes for a great politician.  He’s setting up to be the perfect foe of what could be an overly zealous and slightly “ahead-of-its-time” and “peaking-too-soon” Democratic ticket.  His hardened wisdom and no-nonsense speak will go a long way. 

What will happen in 2008?  One way or another, history will be made…and for now, only time will tell.  Though still just a twinkle in the eyes of most voters, one thing is for sure, the race is on.

Written by David H. Schleicher