KRASKE: Obama-Clinton battle was a good thing for Democrats

[bemildred]

Turns out that Democrats who were sweating the endless Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton battle apparently had nothing to worry about.

Yep, it got testy at times. Remember that Clinton spot that challenged Obama’s experience?

“It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone in the White House, and it’s ringing.”

But some of the biggest names in the political business who gathered last week at KU’s Dole Institute of Politics concluded that the Obama-Clinton battle was almost all good, at least for the Democrats.

http://www.kansascity.com/124/story/925588.html

[onehandle]

1. That's what we were saying. We were right.

Many DUers were going nuts for Hillary to quit.

A minority of us we saying that we had two amazing candidates making headlines for months, 24 hours a day, and Democrats benefit.

Told you so.

[Captain Hilts]

4. Exactly. Loved 'em both. Wish Biden and Richardson had stayed in longer...

even if Richardson was lousy.

It was ALL good and folks here got so offended all the other candidates didn't roll over and play dead for Obama.

[elleng]

2. Was that Officer Krupke?

I got a SOCIAL DISEASE!!!

[Captain Hilts]

3. I thought it was GREAT. Ali-Frazier every damned week. Loved it.

The two best candidates we've had since LBJ - 'cept for Bubba.

[GarbagemanLB]

5. It was a very good thing, and Hillary honestly ended it at just the right time.

She toughened up Barack's campaign in many ways and helped prepare them for the McCain campaign.

[Ino]

8. Oh yeah, that was her plan (nt)

[GarbagemanLB]

15. I never implied such.

[mkultra]

6. it was good for some of it but it turned bad in the end

:)

[DeepModem Mom]

7. K&R

[PBS Poll-435]

9. K&R Because...

It was pretty freaking obvious that keeping the Primary battle going was going to help with Dem registrations in some of the later states...

North Carolina and Indiana might have been helped by both candidates still being in the race at the time of their primaries...

Maybe ;-)

[Radical Activist]

10. Bull.

There's nothing in the link to support that claim except the idea that Obama wasn't ready to handle the general election. Well, he handled the primary and general just fine. He responded to negative attacks from Hillary and McCain the same way both times. Hillary bringing up William Ayers months sooner so it had time to fester in the public mind didn't help anything.

[FrenchieCat]

11. I think it divided a lot of people.

I know that on the Wes Clark's site, many of those folks still don't like Obama. I think some of them turned into real to goodness PUMAS! I was reading one poster's rant (he wrote an open letter to Obama about the cardboard groping) in where he admits not voting for Obama. Hell, some over there were waiting for the "Whitey" tape till like November 4th! (Ok, I'm exaggerating just a smidge....more like till the convention. LOL!) I used to post over there. Have since 2003 till mid-primaries. I Can't anymore, cause it is like fighting the primaries all over again. It's practically like being on a Freeper site with half of the posters who don't have anything good to say about Obama, and can only find flaws about him not to like. Sad really, and disappointing for the General, I'm sure.

So no, I don't think that the long primaries were of any use...and find it insulting that folks really believe that Hillary made Obama a better candidate. Obama was always a good candidate, and the attacks didn't make him any better...just wore us out. The campaigning all over did help I guess, although Obama did well in Michigan and Florida without primary campaigning, so I don't even know if that is so true.....to where it was worth it to June.

[Radical Activist]

12. I also find it insulting.

Obama didn't need Hillary to make him a good candidate. People who believe that still don't get it.

[DeepModem Mom]

13. This is coming from Obama deputy campaign manager. From the artcle --

"The intense media focus on the historic Democratic scrum left McCain forgotten and adrift, the experts said. It gave Obama time to develop his sea legs. Case in point: the hot debate over a proposed suspension of the 18-cent-a-gallon federal gasoline tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Clinton and McCain favored the idea. Obama opposed it and, following a fierce exchange with his rivals, gained points for doing so.

'It gave him confidence,' said Steve Hildebrand, Obama’s deputy campaign manager."

*

I don't think anyone means to say that Obama wasn't always an exceptional candidate. He hadn't had that much experience in campaigns, however, and practice helps anyone in most any endeavor. Also, the excitement around the race in every state (it was amazing even in my red state), and the increased Dem registration in every state, I think were of immeasurable value going in the general election.

And as for bringing up the thorniest issues -- having been dealt with in the primaries, they were behind Obama by the G.E. McCain, in effect, could make little use of them.

[Radical Activist]

14. The same episode would have happened

if the race were only between McCain and Obama at the time of the gas price increase. The article is poorly structured but it looks like only the last sentence you quote came from Hildebrand, not the conclusion the article makes.

Obama had experience in campaigns and so did his team. People don't realize what a cutthroat training ground Illinois politics is. He had more experience than having a US Senate seat handed to him because of his last name.

[DeepModem Mom]

16. I've worked in campaigns and don't see this as an HRC issue. I see it...

as a campaign dynamic involving three candidates, and how the campaign played out. I think we just see the whole thing from a different perspective, and I respect yours.

[BlooInBloo]

20. Of course it is. It's just Clinton supporters trying to retrospectively justify themselves.

[DeepModem Mom]

17. I regret that I K&Red this back to the top, folks. Now it looks like we're in for a Clinton battle.

I saw the posted piece as campaign commentary having not that much to do with the individual candidates, but with a campaign dynamic and how that campaign played out, IMO, to the advantage of the victor. I witnessed the excitement of the Dem primary in my red state, and it was transformational among Democrats, and gathered attention and respect for both our candidates among many Independents and even some GOP.

[FrenchieCat]

18. Well I can agree that there was some good that came out of it

in terms of the organizing and the education of the electorate....and I guess that getting Rev. Wright out of the way early was better than if it would have came out later.......But in all honesty, it was quite divisive, and there certainly are folks that didn't get over it, although it may not be that many. So in the end, I'll say that it was as it was, and as long as Obama is President and not John McCain, I'm cool....at this point.

[DeepModem Mom]

19. Oh, I agree that there was awful divisiveness! I think it was strongest among...

the activist base, and so the effect of it was magnified to us here and to others who followed the race closely and had really strong feelings and strong commitment to one candidate or the other. And you're right -- some are still not over it.

The vast majority of Dems came together at the end, though, and were joined by Independents and even disgusted GOPers -- and, as you say, Obama will soon be Pres of these United States!

[BeyondGeography]

21. Mostly, it was good for Obama, as every possible line of attack was fully explored

by a first-rate opponent, and he was still standing strong at the end. The only original idea that McCain could come up with was Sarah Palin, and we saw how that worked out.