Barack Obama, D.L.C. Clintonite?
If Barack Obama prevails over Hillary Clinton to become his party’s nominee, it will mark the end of an era for the Clintons. But the agenda of the group that devised their national political identity will be just fine.
At least according to Al From, the founder and CEO of the resolutely centrist—Clintonian, even—Democratic Leadership Council.
“What he has done is he has certainly taken a good part of the strategy we have articulated over the years,” Mr. From said. “Which is to not polarize, but try to unite and build a coalition that understands that a Democratic victory is a coalition.”
Mr. From said Mr. Obama had an intellectual, and not just tactical, connection to the D.L.C.
“I mean his chief economist, Austan Goolsbee, is a fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute, which is our think tank,” he said.
Mr. Obama is not the most obvious candidate to be the group’s standard-bearer. Mrs. Clinton has more history with the Council, which enjoyed its high-point in influence and profile when she and her husband were in the White House. And while Mr. Obama has presented himself as a great unifier, Mr. From has, for all of his third-way ideas about cross-aisle cooperation, proven himself a vicious party in-fighter, fairly reveling in the opprobrium of left-leaning bloggers and progressive think-tanks.
Mr. From said that he would not be so presumptuous as to call Mr. Obama the purest D.L.C. politician out there. But he nevertheless believes Mr. Obama has adopted whole-cloth the approach to winning elections that he and his cohorts had long advocated. He said Mr. Obama belonged to the group that had, despite “all the screaming and yelling and the blogs,” chosen the D.L.C. approach to the more partisan beat-‘em-in-50-states philosophy advocated by Howard Dean.
“There has sort of been a choice in the Democratic Party politics, particularly in the last four or five years,” said Mr. From. “A lot of people think that the way the Democrats ought to operate is to mirror Karl Rove. Go off to the other side and hammer him. Just talk to the Democratic voters because there are more of them out there and they will put you over the top.
“The other is what I call a D.L.C.-Clinton strategy which says we have to offer solutions and big ideas and approaches and reach out and not only appeal to Democrats but have a broader appeal to independent and some Republicans because in the end there aren't enough Democrats to win,” he said.
This, Mr. From said, was Mr. Obama’s approach.
“A D.L.C.-Bill Clinton strategy prevailed in 2006,” he said. “We won the Congress not because the electorate became that much more Democratic or liberal but because we were able to capture voters in the center of the electorate. I think Obama has carried that on.”
Mr. From made it clear that he thought Hillary Clinton was also a candidate in the tradition of her husband and the D.L.C.
“She is for a lot of the ideas,” said Mr. From, adding that Mrs. Clinton had been a consistent supporter of the group’s thinking. “The D.L.C. is about many things. One part’s about political strategy but fundamentally it's about ideas.”
Before the presidential campaign and the demands of anti-war constituencies pulled Mrs. Clinton left, she had a somewhat hawkish reputation, and like the D.L.C., she initially supported the war in Iraq. In 2006, Clinton also worked with the D.L.C. on something called the American Dream Initiative, a project that preached more fiscal and individual responsibility in the Democratic Party.
“If you look at that and look at a lot of the policies she has recommended in the campaign,” said Mr. From, “a lot of the policies came from that. But the truth is that a lot of Obama's ideas have come from that and a lot of other D.L.C. work too.”
Of course, groups committed to steering the party in another direction aren’t about to allow Mr. From to lay claim to Mr. Obama. At least, not yet.
Steven Clemons, a senior fellow at the rival, more liberal New America Foundation, finds any connection between Mr. Obama and the ideas of the D.L.C. tenuous at best.
“I think Obama’s political franchise is a very, very big tent,” said Mr. Clemons. “And I think a lot of institutions organizations and parts of the political spectrum are going to try and lay claim to him. But one only has to spend about 30 seconds on the Internet before finding Obama positions that run completely antithetical to the things that the D.L.C. and P.P.I. have put out.”
Mr. Clemons cited Mr. Obama’s positions on NAFTA and globalization, economic liberalization and human rights in China as places where he diverged with the generally trade-friendly D.L.C. He said that Mr. Obama’s repeated insistence that he would meet personally and unconditionally with leaders antagonistic to the United States was much different that the thinking of Will Marshall, the president and founder of the Progressive Policy Institute, and Peter Beinart, another foreign policy expert in the D.L.C. vein who wrote a book called “The Good Fight: Why Liberal—and Only Liberals—Can Win the War on Terror and Make America Great Again.”
“I think Obama is in a completely different place,” Mr. Clemons said.
He suggested that the D.L.C. felt able to attach itself to Mr. Obama because of the candidate’s own lack of definition when it came to the policies in which he believed.
“Obama has created a new doubt in the media and some circles about what he is really about because he has tried to embrace so many people and he can't deliver to all of them,” said Mr. Clemons. “I really see Al From trying to shoot a cannon across the bow early and say ‘he is ours,’ when in reality, the Economic Policy Institute will try and say ‘he is ours.’ The A.F.L. will say ‘he is ours.’ And lots of other groups will say ‘he is ours.’”
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Hillary Clinton speaks in the voice of Conservatives, now. That is to the right of the DLC, if you can believe it. Just this week:
1. Lip-synched Joe Scarborough of MSNBC re Barack Obama's open/courageous speaking out against the Iraq War BEFORE, when anyone going against the grain was putting his political career in jeopardy. Vehicle for HER/John McCain's talking points every morning -- w/Joe validating them via his political "experience." No corrections or balance.
2. FEARMONGERING commercials aka Karl Rove's greatest hits of the last 7 years, every Election cycle -- and, even further back -- Lee Atwater's for Reagan/Bush;
3. Tucker Carlson pushing Hillary every night on his show, via her surrogates (never any for Barack to balance the discourse) -- as a "victim" and/or as if she hasn't LOST 11 STATES IN A ROW! Repeating HER and John McCain's false talking points about Barack Obama, w/out correction.
4. Rush Limbaugh WANTS Hillary to keep fighting so she can "bloody" Barack Obama and destablize the Democrats. Willing participant and beneficiary of REPUBLICAN DIRTY TRICKS AGAINST THE DEMOCRATIC FRONTRUNNER AND PARTY. Nice.
5. Hillary Clinton ambushing Barack Obama's foreign experience by elevating John McCain's.
I could go on, but why bother. The trendlines are clear. Hillary Clinton/John McCain ticket -- for the Republicans only way to keep The White House. The Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton financial juggernaut continues...at the expense of the American people. Nice.
ADDENDM:
6. The Conservative Canadian Government interfering in the Democratic Nomination Process via leaks they deny/apologize for (very Clinton-Rove like) at the last minute -- but after the DAMAGE has been done...to benefit Hillary Clinton.
Yeah, Democrats stray from the centrist tack at their own peril. Air America and George Soros aren't gonna win the Dems any elections...ever. With Hispanics becoming the largest minority, Democrats are going to have to work, at every election, to secure a majority of those votes. It's not going to be like traveling to a black church in Harlem and winning 99 percent of the bloc. Challenging times for both parties ahead; the old paradigm is shattered.
Go Vote!
Go Vote For Barack
Go Vote For Obama
Go Vote For Barack Obama
Go Vote For Liberty
Go Vote For Justice
Go Vote For Liberty And Justice For All
Go Vote For All Students
Go Vote For Education
Go Vote For All Students’ Education
Go Vote For Health
Go Vote For Civilized Care
Go Vote For Healthcare
Go Vote For Lower Gas Prices
Go Vote For The United States Economy
Go Vote For Lower Gas Prices And
The United State’s Economy
Go Vote For Our Safety
Go Vote For Peace
Go Vote For Our Safety And Peace In The Middle East
Go Vote In The 2008 Caucus
Go Vote In The 2008 Election
Go Vote In The 2008 Caucus And Election
Go Vote For Barack
Go Vote For Obama
Go Vote For Barack Obama
Fired up and ready to go
Fired up and ready to show
Barack Obama is fired up in 2008
Just incase you didn’t know
Fired up in speaking bold
Fired up in the 2008 polls
Barack Obama is fired up just
In case you haven’t been told
Fired up on the stage
Fired up in the streets
Barack Obama is fired up
With no image of a 2008
Presidential Campaign defeat
Fired up x-Republicans
Fired up new-Democrats
Barack Obama got this
2008 Presidential Campaign
That’s a fact
Fired up and ready to proceed
Fired up and ready to succeed
Barack Obama is fired up in 2008
And ready to lead
Fired up and ready to go
Fired up and ready to show
Barack Obama is fired up in 2008
Just incase you didn’t know
H. Michelle Cooper
7333 Sterlingshire
Houston, Texas 77016
713-843-7037
Copyright 2008
He is not the AFL's or the Economic Policy Institute or anyone else's. He is his own man. And that is why I vote for him, not beholden to any special group.
Obama 08
The begiining of a new Clinton Era..The change of a woman taking charge and proving yes we can make it happen! Yes we are the ones that will change our nation. We are the ones that are going to bring our nation back! Men that are secure with themselves, that respect women and can accept the fact that we are all created equal! and together we will march on to defeat, defeat the bs that we have been preached, fed and yes Men and women with self respect, confident, knowledgeable. We now are the people that will unite and make our Country once again a country of respect, a country of inmense of mutual respect. Together we will unite to a prosper America!
Go Hillary lets make it happen!!!
Hillary for 2009
I can't wait until Obama becomes president and that laundry list of items mentioned above doesn't come about.
Silly bitches.
Both Obama and Clinton are communitarians (see Amitai Etzioni's blog or visit the Communitarian Network online).
We're in the synthesis between all opposing political thought. Watch what happens to nations and individual liberty under communitarian law and policy changes. That's the future. It's called regional integration and harmonization (and McCain supports it too, as does Bush and most members of the U.S. Congress.)
Community norms are passed daily at the international and regional level, while the American nation is so caught up in the dog and pony shows called elections they can't even stop long enough to identify the emerging ideology.
Yes it's time for a women, just not this women!
obama is an empty canvass that the people paint whatever they want on. his supporters can never tell you (without cutting and pasting a link from his website or quoting a speech) what he is about. he has become a rock star, and our well meaning but uninformed youth culture want to turn this election into american idol. wake up call.
The poster above hits the nail on the head. obama has indeed become this elections "rock star", so do we really want a shaped and formed performer running our country?
hilary clinton comes to the table with a lot more than a snazzy speech and an internet cheerleader. it'a about time a woman take a turn at leading and i can think of no woman better suited for the job than hilary clinton. she will bring about the change that obama can and will only talk about. let's not forget the invaluable resrource she would have being married to Bill Clinton. seriously folks, the country did well with him at the helm.
the time is now, and this time belongs to hilary.
OBAMA FOR GOD AND CONSTITUTION
The loyalties of the finest Ronald Reagan Conservatives are not for sale to Neo-Cons/Neo-Libs at any price. It is far better to be defeated now by a John Kennedy Liberal, Obama, than to be defeated by the Podhoretz Neo-Cons supporting McCain, who have corrupted the Republican Party; and Obama's defeat of Hillary will be a Republican victory over the Leiberman Neo-Libs, who have so thoroughly corrupted the Democratic Party.
In subsequent elections, more Neo-Cons shall be defeated and expelled to restore the integrity of the Republican Party. Finally, with both the Democrat and Republican parties finally restored to their traditional liberal and conservative social and economic foundations, the ideologically subversive Neo-Libs/Neo-Cons shall have the choice of either conforming, or again pursuing their sixty year old dream of creating an ideologically subversive Neo-Marxist Party.
We don't want a "rock star" as president? No, we want someone whose qualification for the office is pouring tea for visiting dignitaries. (read the partial schedule she's released.)
Yes, things were better under Clinton than Bush 2. Bush2's administration will be compared to Warren G. Harding in history, so yes Bill did a better job.
The fear of a president who has the capacity to positively inspire is what I don't understand. Maybe it's just a love of mediocrity.
P.S. WHERE ARE HER TAX RETURNS??????????????
These are the questions that I think that Obama should answer:
- Documents regarding your time in the Illinois Senate. (Obama refused and now says the documents were lost)
- The documents concerning your house purchase and the purchase of the lot next door and the subsequent purchase of part of that lot by you.
- A document showing how you handled the "gift" from Rezcko on your house purchase. (If it was not on your tax return during the year you purchased your house then you have violated federal law?
- A list of the people who have bundled your contributions, including any money from overseas sources.
- A transcript of the conversations that you had as a sitting U.S. Senator with Railla Odinga while he was running for the presidency of foreign government( Kenya).
- An explanation of your wherabouts during the period Nov 3 through Nov 8, 1999, while a State Senator from Illinois.
Senator Obama's main contributor from the beginning of his career has been Rezko. Rezko also has close ties with Auchi…who has been found guilty by of deals relating to nuclear plants in Iraq. That makes Obama three times removed from that situation. Auchi is the reason Rezko is in jail now…due to flight risk.
Obama got his money from misuse of taxpayers funds. Rezko said he couldnt pay for the heat in the buildings in Chicago. People going without heat in a Chicago winter? Chicago gets cold. During that time…Rezko gives a thousand dollars to Obama for his political career. I find it hard to believe that Obama didnt know about these conditions in his district…when the City Of Chicago was taking Rezko to court for this. Obama wrote a letter of recommendation for Rezko to get funding for his housing. Those letters are available to see at a website …taylor marsh. They have government heading on them. You cant tell me that Obama didnt know that Rezko was under federal investigation when he go a deal with him to buy his house. Check it out. Senator Obama hasnt been that honest about all of this.
I AGREE WITH ANONYMOUS. THERE ARE TOO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF IT IS OBAMA'S CAMP WHO COVERTLY ENGINEERED THE "HILLARY SHOULD DROP OUT" MANTRA. POSSIBLY TO GET HER OUT BEFORE MORE OBAMA ISSUES AND NEGATIVE INFORMATION SURFACES. AT THE "REZKO WATCH ONE DEGREE OF SEPARATION OBAMA'S 2002 SPEECH" WEBSITE THERE IS A "FOLLOW THE MONEY" COLUMN. I DECIDED TO DOCUMENT MY OWN "FOLLOW THE ANSWERS" SENATOR OBAMA RESPONDS WITH REGARDING QUESTIONS POSED TO HIM. THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF WHAT I'VE FOUND:
1. I DON'T RECALL.
2. I HAVE NO SPECIAL RECOLLECTION.
3. I DON'T KNOW.
4. I FRANKLY DON'T REMEMBER.
5. I CAN'T SAY UNEQUIVOCALLY.
6. I FORGET.
7. I DON'T REMEMBER.
8. IT'S HARD FOR ME TO KNOW.
9. I DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY.
10. I MAY NOT KNOW.
11. I WASN'T AWARE OF.
12. THIS WAS NOT BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION.
13. I WASN'T INVOLVED.
14. I DON'T KNOW THE EXTENT.
15. I WASN'T APPROACHED.
16. I HAD NOT HEARD.
17. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY.
18. IF I HAD KNOWN.
19. I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH.
20. I HAVE NOT CLOSELY FOLLOWED.
21. I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY.
22. THAT WAS NEVER BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION.
23. IF I HAD HEARD.
24. I KNEW NOTHING.
25. LAST I KNEW.
26. WE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF.
27. NO ONE TOLD ME.
28. I WASN'T IN CHURCH WHEN.
MOST OF THESE RESPONSES ARE TO QUESTIONS ON REVEREND WRIGHT, TONY REZKO, SENATOR OBAMA'S HOME PURCHASE AND AN ADJOINING STRIP OF LAND, AND OTHERS.
AS A PERSON, I LIKE SENATOR OBAMA. AS A PRESIDENT, I DON'T WISH TO ELECT HIM (OR ANY OTHER CANDIDATE) AND SIX MONTHS LATER PAY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
I AGREE WITH ANONYMOUS.