There are people that I know and respect that are supporting Hillary Clinton for president. I resist the instinct to ascribe either bad faith or stupidity to them because they are neither stupid nor dishonest. But I am still mystified. How can you go into battle every day for years and not notice that the Clintons are not at your side? How can you watch the New Democrats and Blue Dogs capitulate to the Republicans over and over again and even consider electing a New Democrat to be the nominee of the party? Republicans, at least, understand. Take Rich Lowry.
It is the curse of Clintonism that it is associated with the Clintons.
A centrist-oriented Democratic politics that is pragmatic and economically literate is better than the alternatives: a fluffy politics of hope (Barack Obama) and angry politics of anti-corporate zeal (John Edwards). At least on paper.
For the champions of this otherwise preferable approach are Bill and Hillary Clinton…
Al Gore would have been the natural ideological successor in 2000, but angered by Bill’s spectacularly irresponsible conduct in office, he distanced himself and lurched left. Since the left-wing base of the Democratic party never liked the Clinton pragmatism, the only ones with support in the party strong enough to maintain a relative centrism are the Clintons themselves.
And so the devil’s bargain: Clintonism comes only with the Clintons attached.
Look at the Republicans. Just look at them. Over and over and over again they admit that their policy preference is for a New Democrat to win the nomination. They are not saying this because they think they can beat a New Democrat. Lowry made it plain.
A centrist-oriented Democratic politics that is pragmatic and economically literate is better than the…angry politics of anti-corporate zeal (John Edwards).
Do you understand? Republicans find the Clintons acceptable on policy. They dislike them personally, but who cares? Many country club Republicans would vote for the Clintons in a Greenwich, Connecticut minute over Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, Duncan Hunter, Alan Keyes, or any other serious conservative. They want corporatism, not rule by evolution-deniers.
Bill Clinton has many talents. So does his wife. But they aren’t on our side and never have been on our side. Why is this so difficult for smart people that are paying attention to understand?
