Ken Berwitz
As we have discussed in previous blogs, one way that southern politicians won elections years ago (it probably still works in some places – south and non-south, today) was by “out-segging” their opponents: i.e. by demonstrating they were more hard-line segregationist.
But now, as Hillary Clinton sees her advantage over socialist Bernie Sanders evaporate we\’re finding the left wing complement of out-segging: out-progging. Ms. Clinton is on a mission to “prove” she is every bit as left wing as Bernie Sanders, and is better able to push through that left wing aganda than Mr. Sanders is. That\’s what out-progging is all about.
To his credit, McClatchy\’s David Lightman understands this, and has written an excellent column describing what is going on. Here is just part of it (but do yourself a favor: click here and read the entire piece):
Hillary Clinton wants you to know she\’s a more realistic,more savvy version of Bernie Sanders.
She, too, wants to close corporate loopholes, make collegeand health care more affordable and get tough on Wall Street. Just as Sandersdoes, except she\’d proceed more carefully and practically.
Same with Social Security, and income inequality. Me, too,she said. Just better.
Clinton still faces a big hurdle in trying to get waveringSanders loyalists into her camp: She\’s inexorably tied to a system thatAmericans increasingly disdain.
She didn\’t mention Thursday the $153 million that she andher husband, former President Bill Clinton, earned in speakers\’ fees from 2001through last year, an average of $210,795 per speech, a CNN analysis showed. HillaryClinton earned at least $1.8 million for at least eight speeches to big banks.
Come on, said Sanders. “People aren\’t dumb. Why in God\’sname does Wall Street make huge campaign contributions? I guess just for thefun of it; they want to throw money around,” he said.
She voted for the Iraq War in 2002, a vote Sanders wouldn\’tlet her forget. She later said that was a mistake, and Thursday she pointed toher four-year stint as secretary of state as evidence of her knowledge andjudgment.
Clinton\’s challenge is to keep these controversies in thebackground while continuing to show that she feels Sanders\’ eagerness forchange, but in a thoughtful way. That\’s a tough mission, because Sanders goesfrom the gut. Clinton goes from position papers.
There is an old joke about how three accountants in a large firm were being considered for a big promotion. The CFO brought each of them in and asked the same question: “How much is $5 million and $5 million?”. Two of them shrugged and said “$10 million”. One of them closed the door to his office, shut the window blinds, then whispered in his ear, “How much would you like it to be?”. Guess which one got the job.
This is how Hillary Clinton intends to get votes. “What do you want me to be? What do you want me to say? Forget about what I was or said yesterday. Tell me what you want and that is what I am today”.
To Bernie Sanders\’ credit, for better or worse (worse, if you\’re asking me) he has always been the doctrinaire socialist he is today. By contrast, no one knows what Hillary Clinton really is any day.
Can she pull this off? Can she fool enough people to win both the nomination and the presidency? Will out-progging Bernie Sanders – then, inevitably, moving away from those positions if she\’s the nominee, work? Does she have that kind of political talent? Does she have any political talent?
We\’ll see……….
