First time diarist here, so please be gentle.
Like many Obama supporters, I have traveled a long road to this point. I hoped Gore would run, was drawn towards Edwards for his genuine straight talk (not the "trademarked" variety), and eventually found myself feeling pretty good about my two choices. I remember on February 5 feeling pretty damn amazed that I was actually going to the polls to choose between a woman and an AA man as my candidate. I cast my vote for Barack that day, but I felt that no matter who won the nomination, this country was headed in the right direction for the first time in many years.
I no longer believe that to be true. But I still believe Barack will win the nomination.
And I think Hillary will unintentionally have helped him win the GE.
Like many, I have been disgusted by Hillary's recent electoral tactics. She has played on the very worst instincts and fears present within every human being, shamelessly allowed half-truths and outright lies to be spread in her name and taken the lowest possible road to revive her fledgling candidacy.
And it has worked. So far.
I hate to admit it, but she has controlled the narrative in the media, put Barack on the defensive and slowed his momentum.
Whatever the reason, Ohio and Texas polls stopped trending in Barack's favor and even slipped back in her direction. The press, chided by Hillary, went on the attack and stunted Barack's growth among her demographics. In short, she won the battle.
The key was she finally decided to use the Republican playbook. And because it worked, she has decided to delve further and further into that playbook. And now she has endorsed John McCain for POTUS over Barack. Repeatedly.
But here's where she has done us all a favor. All of a sudden, we're in the General Election. She is running John McCain's campaign as we speak and hitting Barack on the three issues he will use in the fall: readiness, Rezko and race.
And here's the thing. If Barack cannot win the primary, if he cannot effectively learn to fight back against these attacks, control the media narrative and preserve his message of hope and change against Hillary, he cannot do it against the Republican machine in the fall.
Consider Barack's current lead:
- He leads in delegates, significantly.
- He leads in the popular vote.
- He polls ahead against McCain while Clinton is even at best.
The math has been examined to death. Unless Barack completely collapses, she cannot catch him. With this kind of head start, Obama is sure to have the delegate lead at the convention (if it comes to that). And that will be that.
So instead of waiting until September to begin fighting these issues in earnest, Barack has to begin now, and that will help him.
We already know Barack does very well with Independents and crossover Republicans, a block he must win to take the GE, especially considering McCain's supposed centrist standing. Hillary's attacks are the same McCain will use in the GE. Consider it training for a boxer. You have to beat the contenders to face the champ, and they won't be pulling punches along the way.
But if he somehow loses the nomination, it's hard to believe he would have won the GE. It means he was fundamentally flawed in strategy or execution, and I am happy to see him tested now rather than later.
Americans want a fighter for President. I believe in Barack, I believe he will win in November, and I believe Hillary has begun that process.