Eric Margolis

`SUPER TUESDAY’ FAILS TO ANOINT A DEMOCRATIC WINNER

NEW YORK - The 5 February Democratic primaries were supposed to produce a decisive victory for Hillary Clinton’s well-oiled machine.

Instead, Barak Obama’s close second place derailed Hillary’s purported coronation, leaving her facing months of bitter, costly house-to-house political fighting at a time when her campaign is straining to raise cash. Instead of battling Republicans, Democrats will be stuck battling one another.

By contrast, the super Tuesday primaries anointed John McCain as Republican frontrunner, leaving the robotic Mitt Romney in the dust, and `Friar Huck’ Huckaby speaking only for the Bible Belt. Romney faced reality and quit this week, Huckaby should also.

Republican Ron Paul, the only candidate speaking the truth to the public, won more votes than expected and vows to stay in the contest. Some are urging him to run as an independent. This might very well doom the Republicans by carving off 6-10% of their supporters.

Perennial gadfly Ralph Nader is again threatening to run. Back in 2000, his entry into the presidential race siphoned off enough liberal Democratic votes to hand the election to George Bush.

At Washington’s airport, I saw a stark testimony to the brevity of political fame: a rack of `Rudy Giuliani for President in 2008’ t-shirts with a big sign, `Clear-0ut. Were $14.99, now $1.99.’

Many Americans clearly want change after eight years of the disaster-prone Bush/Cheney Administration. Obama put his finger on the problem when he said in a recent speech that America had to stop thinking about war. But this will be difficult in the face of the continuation of Bush’s politics of fear. Polls show 75% of Republicans still support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the White House’s faux `war on terrorism,’ and a militarized foreign policy. Rural southerners retain their head-lock on the Grand Old Party.

Another very disturbing element is the lack of new ideas among the leading candidates. The race has become one of personality, image, and ethnic/religious/gender/and age voter blocks.

If Hillary wins the nomination and presidency, it will be due to votes of middle-aged women who clearly identify with her problems, from wandering husbands to expanding hips and thighs. This should not be criteria for the most powerful political office on earth. But as every advertiser knows, to sell products to females you need to have a woman in the ad with whom potential customers can identify.

Too many blacks will vote for Obama because he is partly of their race. Skin color should not be a criterion but, in US politics, it always is. It’s time America have a person of color in the White House – not because of his race, but his abilities. The past sin of slavery still hangs heavy on America’s soul.

Hispanics are overwhelming supporting Hillary Clinton because she and Bill paid attention to them when no other politicians cared. And because blacks and Hispanics have become bitter competitors and rivals in the quest for low-paid jobs.

Hillary Clinton also won most of the vitally important Jewish vote last week. Her machine has been busy spreading rumors in the Jewish community that Barak Obama is `soft on Israel’ or even a closet Muslim. Now that she is struggling to raise campaign funds, Clinton will be ever more beholden to Jewish supporters, who traditionally provide 50% of the Democratic Party’s finances. This means no change in the current US Mideast policy.

Narrow-minded Christian conservatives are furious at John McCain for his grown-up, civilized attitudes towards social issues. But once their current tantrum abates, America’s Taliban will fall in line behind McCain when faced by the choice of Hillary or Obama.

Republicans are on their knees praying Hillary will win the Democratic nomination. This, they believe, means almost certain victory for McCain. They may well be right. Cynics might even suspect some bigwig Republicans will rush to covertly finance Hillary’s campaign.

A friend gave me a birthday card. On the cover was a picture of President Hillary Clinton, sitting in the Oval Office. Inside, the card read, `see, there are things even scarier than your birthday!’

Copyright Eric S. Margolis 2008