NY Book Review: Complete Analysis of the Dem Primaries to date-Elizabeth Drew

[FrenchieCat]

This writer is known for providing serious commentary on the political scene as it happens, and I have the upmost respect for her. She's been at it for as long has Hellen Thomas as been a reporter. Here's are her observations. The article is really long, and I suggest anyone wanting to understand exactly what has happened, Obama and Clinton supporters alike, to read it. The Superdelegates will certainly be reading this piece. I guarantee it!

Here are some excerpts.

Volume 55, Number 6 · April 17, 2008

Molehill Politics

By Elizabeth Drew
<>
In this fight, the Clinton camp is the more aggressive of the two, and it's adept at what might be called molehill politics: making a very big deal in the press about something that's a very small deal—such as a single word in a mailing or a slip-up by an aide. Clinton's strategists pounce on whatever opportunity presents itself to attack Obama, and try to knock him off his own message, and his stride. Clinton's approach resembles her tactics in the White House, in which her inclination was to attack (which caused a number of problems, and was one of the reasons her health care bill was defeated). The Obama camp has sometimes been slow, and even reluctant, to respond, because if he attacks her personally (which the Clinton campaign would like him to do), he's not Barack Obama anymore. Moreover, Obama takes care not to come across as the "angry black"—a stereotype he does not fit, but that could be imposed upon him by others.


It's been long said among politicians that "the Clintons will do anything to win." Unfortunately, they are increasingly proving the point. As the primaries in Texas and Ohio approached, the Clinton campaign, which has a tendency to announce its next steps, said that it would use a "kitchen sink" strategy against Obama—and so it did: with the famous and apparently effective "red phone" ad questioning his fitness to be commander in chief; and in frequent and heavy-handed conference calls to reporters (an innovation), in which Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson makes charges against Obama, raises questions about him, or moves "goal posts" designating what Obama has to do to win. (Obama "has to win Pennsylvania," which few think is likely.) This propaganda makes its way onto cable and other news outlets. But where does, or should, a "kitchen sink" strategy belong in a presidency?
<>
Hillary Clinton is employing conventional politics, while Obama is trying to create a new kind of politics. Similarly, as they respond to the country's desire for change, they have very different concepts of what "change" means: briefly, for Obama it means changing the very zeitgeist of Washington, creating a new way to get things done by building coalitions that transcend longstanding political divisions. For Clinton it means passing bills—though sometimes she has suggested that it means electing a woman president. ("I embody change," she said in a debate in New Hampshire.)

Way more......
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21231

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

1. Interesting

lot's of good stuff to digest

[FrenchieCat]

3. Elizabeth Drew is nothing but Precise.

She calls them as they happened.

[skids]

2. never was so much mud made with so little dirt...

Molehill politics. I like that. Wonder how widespread that term is.

(EDIT: nice job on your DU journal.)

[FrenchieCat]

4. It isn't that I know of. This campaign should formalize it in the

Lexicon of American politics though. :)

[NJSecularist]

5. Thanks for this - I have heard rave reviews about Elizabeth Drew

I currently have her book about Richard Nixon requested at my local library (it's not in stock right now). This article was a good preview of what I should expect when I finally get that book.

Thanks. Hopefully when this process is all said and done and November comes and goes that she writes a book about the election this year. This has been an election for the ages.

[FrenchieCat]

6. She is solid. No doubting that. Her observations on the 2004 primaries

were equally insightful.

Elizabeth Drew (born November 16, 1935, Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American political journalist and author. A graduate of Wellesley College, she was Washington correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly (1967-73) and The New Yorker (1973-92). She made several appearances on "Agronsky and Company," and hosted her own interview program for PBS between 1971 and 1973.

Drew was a panelist for the first debate in the 1976 U.S. Presidential election, and moderated the debate between the Democratic candidates for the nomination in the 1984 race.

Drew has written 13 books, including Washington Journal: The Events of 1973-74 (1975), an account of the Watergate scandal; Portrait of an Election: The 1980 Presidential Campaign (1981); On the Edge: The Clinton Presidency (1994); and Citizen McCain (2002); and George W. Bush's Washington (2004). Her most recent book is Richard M. Nixon (2007).

She has taught at the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College, and was chosen to give the Knight Lecture at Stanford University in 1997. Her awards include the University of Missouri's Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism, the Award For Excellence of the Society of Magazine Writers, and the DuPont-Columbia Award. She has also received honorary degrees from Yale University, Hood College, Trinity College in Washington, Reed College, the Georgetown University Law Center and Williams College.

On May 30, 2007, she was interviewed by NPR about a new short biography of Richard M. Nixon which she wrote.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Drew

[FrenchieCat]

7. Kicking for the literate!

[NJSecularist]

8. K&R

:kick:

[FrenchieCat]

9. Kicking

:kick:

[NJSecularist]

10. K&R again

People need to read this.... it's good stuff.