After Last Night
-- Part One of
Two
Don't hold me to
the details; it was getting awfully late and the room was beginning to
swim. It was l:45 this morning--not very long after MSNBC's Chris
Matthews said that they would know the results from Texas in a couple of
hours (or 15 minutes)--when the cable networks announced that
pro-abortion Senator Hillary Clinton had won in the Lone Star state as
well as in Ohio.
Almost lost in
what promises to be a bloody battle between Clinton and equally
pro-abortion Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential
nomination was what transpired on the Republican side.
First, there
was the concession speech of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee,
acknowledging that Sen. John McCain had won enough delegates to be the
Republican presidential nominee. Gov. Huckabee was very gracious in
defeat.
McCain was
equally gracious in victory. The Arizona senator went on to offer a
powerful and eloquent preview of the kind of campaign themes he will run
against either Clinton or Obama. (See
Part Two.)
Political
pundits may differ on which Democratic presidential candidate would be
easier for Sen. McCain to defeat. For now what is significant is that
Senator Clinton has survived (politically speaking) three "near-death"
experiences.
After huge
setbacks, Clinton needed to win in New Hampshire, later do well on Super
Tuesday, and win either Ohio or Texas last night. Each time she met the
challenge. All this, we were told, when her campaign was close to chaos.
What does that
tell us?
First, that
the Clintons possess in spades arguably the most important quality for a
presidential campaign: the ability to adjust on the run, to shift gears
(up or down), depending on the changing situation. The importance of the
capacity to improvise cannot be over-stated.
This has been
dismissed as the "kitchen sink" approach--"try everything, throw
everything." But given the facts on the ground (Obamamania and a
supplicant press corps), Clinton's only hope was to persevere, to refuse
to give up. In other words, to keep the political waters roiled until
Obama finally began to come back to earth.
This is
exactly what has happened in the last week as the press began to peek
behind the curtain, shamed and embarrassed into acting like reporters
rather than rock fans. To her credit, because she had not faltered,
Clinton was able to take advantage of it.
Second,
whatever you read or hear from pundits over the next seven weeks until
the next major face off (Pennsylvania), remember that they have got
nothing right this entire presidential campaign. Why? Out of the same
weakness they've attributed to several candidates, particularly Clinton:
not recognizing how dramatically different the political terrain is this
election cycle.
Sen. McCain is
pro-life on abortion. He is an honorable man whose history of personally
bravery and courage is the stuff of legends.
Whomever he
faces in November, this presidential contest will be one for the history
books.
Part
Two
