When Hillary Attacks

There are many reasons why I don't believe Hillary Clinton should be the Democratic nominee for president. Chief among these is the deep well of hatred ("the vast right-wing conspiracy") that will rear its ugly head and work against the Democratic wave, possibly delivering the presidency and countless down-ticket races to an outmoded, foundering GOP. Furthermore, the insider-first, triangulation model of government that Hillary strives to uphold is the opposite of what the party should be working for: the real change that Americans want.

The worst thing about Clinton, however, is the tone that her campaign has taken in attacking Barack Obama. Until a few months ago, the Clinton campaign attempted to deflect any of Obama's criticism by mocking the "politics of hope," a cynical knock on something that many people feel passionately about. But after losing Iowa and substantial momentum (even after winning in NH and NV), the campaign has gone on a full-throated offensive, spreading lie after lie about Obama's works and words. By using President Clinton as just another surrogate, the campaign teamed up on Obama in a way much worse than any Obama/Edwards parternering ever could be. The ugliness continued at the last debate in South Carolina, which found Hillary at her most shrill and angry.

This is scorched-earth politics at its worst, and it comes from Clinton being unprepared or simply shocked that someone would have the audacity to challenge her inevitable run. A new radio ad once again takes Obama's words about Ronald Reagan and the Republicans out of context. Obama was making a point about the conservative movement and how Democrats should emulate his success in crafting a governing supermajority. He definitely wasn't praising his policies; you will not find much common ground between the two. Obama was simply reiterating a strength of his campaign: reaching out to a large group of Democrats, independents, and Republicans.

Will the attacks work? Obama will probably win by a large margin in South Carolina, which no doubt will be spun as black voters choosing "one of their own" rather than a clear win for a candidate who made a nearly 20-point net gain in just a few months. This conclusion gives Clinton the rest of the week to start hitting Feb. 5th states with this crap, negating any bump Obama should receive from a solid SC victory. If her tactics don't change, hopefully the media narrative will, focusing on her dubious claims and petty politics.

EDIT: I alluded to it in the last paragraph, but the race card has been played by the Clintons, and it may be what eventually dooms Obama. If they can cast him as "the black candidate," emphasizing his win in SC, its no longer a post-racial candidacy. Plus, by Clinton ceding the black vote for the Latino one, she positions herself better for Feb. 5 but plays off racial tension.