I have this vision in my head of Dean Martin singing "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime" as a back-track to images of Senator Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton sitting side by side on the campaign plane en route to Unity, New Hampshire yesterday. For those of you not old enough to remember, or know who Dean Martin was...that same vision, only this time the soundtrack is Elton John and it's Can You Feel the Love Tonight, from "The Lion King". Ah, those were the days!

 

We're still not sure what Obama has in mind for Hillary; we're not sure what Hillary wants--and no one knows--and little do I care-what Bill Clinton wants for Hillary. But, the love--ah, the love between these once bitter enemy combatants on the primary campaign trail...now that, that's the stuff dreams are made of--or, at least political dreams. That's politics folks! My daddy always said "Kid, politics makes strange bed-fellows". And, that had nothing to do with which politician was in bed with which call-girl, or congressional page or clandestined bathroom stall meetings. It had everything to do with the metaphor of politicians kissing--and making up after a bitter, hard fought battle for the same seat. All for the good of the party; and, in this particular case, the country.

 

To now see Obama lauding and praising Mrs. Clinton, with the same mouth that contested her every verb not-so-long-ago; and, she now the silver-tounged orator of all things Obama tells me one thing. That one thing? They are both excellent, consummate politicians. Am I now less of an ardent Obama supporter? No! But, I'm wary, let's say leery, that the 'Clinton-power-machine' will strong-arm, or bully Barack into a decision and all the while say the decision is entirely his prerogative. Again, that's politics. Is it "Change"? Not so much. Is it 'politics as usual'? Largely, yes! But, do I accept it? You're damned right I do. "For the good of...the country". Not for the good of the party or even the party system.

 

Our country, the greatest country in the universe can not afford, accept or tolerate four more years of the "Grand Old Party" (GOP) and government by fear. I think Ralph Nader used the word oligarchy a few days ago in his rant against Obama. In case anyone hasn't noticed--we have had an oligarchy since this nation began--that is--'government by a few' as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary online. (If i'm not mistaken, the print edition features a picture of George W. Bush is prominently displayed right next to the definition).

 

I'm not even a hard-line, party loyalist. I've split tickets and crossed over--reached across the aisle, so to speak in  many elections. For me, it's never about the 'good of the party' ...it's about how good I believe the candidate will be for us, our city, our state...our country. And, in the end, I've picked a few winners. At the same time, a few 'winners' have also ended up being losers in office. Stagnating, forgetting the zeal with which they went after the office in the first place. The real losers in that scenario are the voters. Candidates get pulled in every direction. "Special Interests" have many faces. Defense contractors, Oil companies, are special interests--but so too are the anti-war protestors and low-income agancies serving families hardest hit by rising oil prices. You, and me are a "special interest' group--we're voters. All the money in the world can't buy a candidate an office if we stay home. Or, vote for the other guy--or woman.

 

So, whatever unfolds in this historical, exciting time in which we live. Take note. Participate. Talk about it. Support it if you can afford to donate. While I'm on the subject of money...Obama personally wrote a check to Clinton's campaign to help pay down her debt. The maximum allowed by law--$2, 300.00 his campaign finance chairperson wrote an equal value check. In turn the Clinton campaign--and Bill each wrote checks in the same amount to Obama's campaign. Now, Im no mathematician, or a rocket scientist--but, isn't this a 'break-even' scenario? In the end, who got how much? A wonderful symbolic gesture--and an environmentally unfriendly waste of checks! I'm sure the whole confusing thing was engineered by some political consultant who got paid a lot more than the sum total of all of those checks. You can bank on that. Deals been cut for highly placed Clinton aides to join the Obama team and new faces have been hired on to shape and sharpen Obama for the Obama-v-Mc Cain battle, now that the Clinton-v-Obama battle is over. "Handlers", consultants, spokespersons, and image consultants to 'package' the presidency. That is politics too.

 

In a lot of ways--now, I see Obama being 'handled'...Clinton acting gracious, when I believe she still feels that he should have this spotlight he's so enjoying right now. As I listened to Senator Obama speak yesterday about his one time most zealous rival--he talked about a woman doing the same job as a man...and doing it better!..."and doing it in heels!" he added. We all laughed. But, my thoughts were "Hmmm, wasn't that exactly HER message, Barry?". So, you see, there's a part of me that doesn't even believe those were his words--but those of a hipster speech writer, campaign aide, intern or staffer.

 

Personally, I believe Senator Barack Obama, with his lack of experience in insider-politics, beltway betrayal tactics and corporate connections--IS the best 'man' for the job. That in no way rules out my respect for and admiration for Mrs. Clinton's status as equal; as a United States Senator, as a former first lady, as a committed, hard-fighting female. I just think her inside the beltway, long term political experience and corporate connections (can you say Wal-Mart?)...are what made her wrong for the job.

 

At this point, I put aside my anger at her and would even support her as VP--if I somehow felt assured that Obama was not pressured and brow beaten into submission to choose her. If she's not on the ticket--I can envision her as a Supreme Court Justice, U N Ambassador [thus strengthening Obama's perceived foreign relations weaknesses], or even White House Counsel or Secretary of State. In any case, I see Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as a valuable and needed resource to the Obama campaign and this country...not only for the next FOUR years, but for the next two successive four-year terms of the next President of the United States of America, Senator Barack Hussein Obama.  Maybe, we'll just call him Barry.

 

D M B
June 28, 2008
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DMB COMMUNICATIONS~Philadelphia
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