Breeze Perspectives: The dissolution of the Clinton crown
Hillary’s Iowa loss and N.H. comeback have reinvigorated the race and repositioned the candidatesThe New Hampshire primary last week found the erstwhile Democratic golden girl, Sen. Hillary Clinton, fighting not only for votes, but also, it seemed, for her soul. Having come in third place in the Iowa Caucus Jan. 3, Hillary was expected to place a distant second in the Granite State. Yet somehow Clinton defied the polls and scored one of the biggest upsets in recent political history.
If you support either Clinton or her rival, Sen. Barack Obama, you might be disappointed at the 1-1 score so far. Wouldn’t the Democratic Party and the American public be better served with a candidate who carried both of the first two states? Not at all. Clinton’s recent performance, namely her defeat in Iowa coupled with her unexpected victory in New Hampshire, is the best thing to happen so far in the 2008 presidential race.
First off, it has debunked the inevitability factor Clinton was counting on and has sent a reassuring message to those who want change. Clinton’s defeat in Iowa formalized the notion that Americans are wary of the all but dynastic Bush-Clinton-Bush lineup over the last two decades. Up until recently, her candidacy has rested firmly on name recognition and her connections, history and an oft-cited sense of inevitability.
However, Iowans ended the era of inevitability and we can now rest assured that, as Tom Brokaw put it, there will be elections in this race, not coronations. Rather than crowning Hillary, the people of Iowa demanded change. This rebuke of a famous and established public character showed that Americans will not always be mesmerized by celebrity or familiarity.
This reality check forced Clinton to lay off her shtick as a quasi-incumbent and establishment figure. Her public persona also shifted (perhaps slipped momentarily) to that of a more human, genuine public servant. Everyone has seen the clip from Clinton’s campaign stop where she gave an authentic answer and
made a surprising show of emotion. This is something she needed to do months ago. Not only does that clip humanize her for all to see, it also stands in stark contrast to the cold, menacing, revered matriarch of the party so many see in Clinton.
Most importantly, however, that answer contains something people rarely get from Hillary: her motives. She explained why she is dedicated to government and expressed what came across as true concern for her fellow Americans. Again, this is something she really needed to stress earlier, as she is constantly portrayed as power-hungry and manipulative.
One last thing: In her answer she perhaps unwittingly demonstrated a measure of both populism and optimism, two of her opponent’s themes. In letting her guard down, she showed traits that could probably only help her image. And it did: She not only won New Hampshire but also won the votes of women overwhelmingly.
The last two weeks have also made the Democratic race tighter and changed the dynamics of the campaign. If Iowa provided Obama some momentum, the New Hampshire primary evened the odds and prevented him from merely replacing Clinton as the sure candidate. What we saw in those early contests was an electorate with a healthy dose of skepticism and caution. Just as Iowans did not want to coronate Clinton, their New Hampshire counterparts denied Obama the fast track to the nomination.
Now, both candidates are on roughly even footing in the big picture and Americans have the privilege of a tight race—a real race, in fact. Obama can give as many speeches as he wants and God knows he’s a brilliant orator, but now that Clinton is here to stay he has to bulk up his campaign. He must show he’s ready and able to lead.
Clinton’s presence should serve as a reminder to Obama that Americans value experience. As a result, he should strive to gain our trust as a capable leader. Ideally, this effect would also work in reverse, with Obama’s growing support demonstrating for Clinton how important passion and optimism is when leading the people of America.
The 2008 Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary have leveled the Democratic field and provided Americans with a tighter, longer, and quite simply better race. Iowa and New Hampshire alone did not get to decide the Democratic candidate for president; more states than ever will have a meaningful impact on the process. Obama’s newfound edge makes him more competitive, which means more intense vetting and that we will get to know him better as a candidate and potential commander-in-chief.
Hillary can’t play the role of either underdog or juggernaut; she is neither undefeated nor down and out. What is she, then? The real question is, what can she be? Simple—she can be a candidate. A real candidate who should rely not on personality and celebrity, but on her qualifications and her stance on the issues.
With her humbling defeat and genuine show of heart, Clinton now faces a different landscape. The Democratic race is no longer predicated on fait accompli and is now tighter than ever. Obama must now step up to the plate and Clinton must earn every vote. Game on.
Whitten Maher is a sophomore political science and SMAD major.
