In the months leading up to the start of the race for the White House, the Republican Party ran an aggressive undertaking to inflict major damage to the prospect of a Hillary Clinton for President Campaign. There was talk about her presence as a polarizing figure or her low likability factor that would ensure an energized Republican base of opposition. However, when you look below the surface, the GOP's real motivation was that they did not to run against Hillary Clinton and to be more specific, her chief advocate, Bill Clinton.
As we watch Hillary battle Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination, we clearly see why the GOP had reason to be intimidated. Bill Clinton is a master political strategist and his goal right now to get Hillary Clinton elected president of the United States. Early in the contest, Hillary had worn the aura of inevitability. For Obama and John Edwards, the contest was almost over before it got started. To stay competitive, Obama and Edwards unleashed their own negative attacks on Hillary, in essence joining the assault already coming from the Republican Party. Their strategy was successful and Obama in particular closed the gap on Hillary. But the real wake up call for the Clintons came when Obama won the Iowa Caucus. Suddenly, the Hillary Clinton candidacy was in trouble.
Political pundits quickly jumped on the Obama bandwagon and declared Hillary's campaign to be in trouble and predicted that real damage would occur if Hillary lost to Obama in New Hampshire. The Clinton Campaign got the message and unleashed their big gun, Bill Clinton who directed a Machiavellian strategy. This spent big trouble ahead for the competition. A racial element was injected into the campaign when the words of Hillary were deemed to disrespect the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Bill used risky political doublespeak when he appeared to minimize the viability of Obama while Hillary was positioned as the white candidate running against the upstart black guy. In both instances, Obama seemed to fan the flames in order to benefit his campaign and increase his stature in the Black community in South Carolina. Also, the Clinton campaign put on a full court press for women and younger voters. The strategy worked to perfection and victory was had in New Hampshire.
Smelling blood, the Clintons went for the kill. They have kept constant pressure on Obama. Now the Obama Campaign response is to complain along with an able assist from some political pundits, that the contest is unfair because of the increased presence of Bill Clinton. I think part of the Obama counter-strategy is to portray Bill Clinton's level of intervention as unprecedented by a former President. I think the criticism is unfounded because it fails to recognize that Hillary Clinton's candidacy is equally unprecedented. It is unreasonable and unrealistic to think that Bill Clinton doesn't have the right to come to the defense of his wife. As a matter of fact, his actions validate the reasons that companies feel that a nepotism policy is necessary. When a family member is attacked no matter the context, it's personal and the normal rules will not apply.
So Barack Obama is facing the Clinton monster up close and personal. And let's not forget that the Obama campaign fired the first volley. Their problem is they failed to account for the old neighborhood axiom, "you have to bring butt to kick butt." If you dish it out, you better be able to take it. In other words, what goes around, comes around. Right now the Obama defense team doesn't appear to be up to the task. On the other hand, the Clinton strategy is, until your hapless defense can stop us, we're going to run the same play over and over again.
So don't expect Bill Clinton to take himself out of the game until mission accomplished. Bill Clinton is Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Tiger Woods, Dean Smith's Carolina Tarheels and John Wooden's UCLA Bruins. They're going to regularly beat the crap out of you and there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it.
Sidebar: All is fair in love and war and this is war.
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