Garling Gauge

3 AM For Clinton & Obama

Who is best to lead in a crisis?

Keying up to the ‘Junior Super Tuesday’ election, the Clinton campaign has launched a powerful ad focusing on leadership in a crisis, and almost immediately the Obama campaign released a response.

Children

Ringing

During the 2007 congressional elections, with the successful swiftboating of John Kerry still fresh in their minds, the DNC made it very clear that any Republican attack needed to be responded to within 24 hours. While the Obama campaign’s quick response gives merit its political reflexes, the rapidity of the response also indicates that the ‘Children’ ad could have accurately targeted a weak spot for Obama.

Clinton elaborates

Change is certainly in the air, but Clinton still holds a strong hand with her experience card. We also know her, and trust she would fight tooth and nail for what she believes in. Obama’s appeal notwithstanding, his vulnerability is arguably his inexperience, his novelty. We don’t know how he’ll response to a full Republican onslaught. We don’t know how the Obama will react in a crisis. Democrats might not all approve of the scrappiness of Clintonian politics, but we know they are fighters.

And that’s what has riven the Democratic party: We want to break from the partisan politics of the current administration and also want the experience to make real change happen. We want to galvanize our base while also bringing new voters into the party. We want to celebrate our past principles and accomplishments while setting a new trajectory for the future. We want change and experience.

But even with momentum siding with change over experience, Clinton’s ad raises doubts on Obama’s lightweight abilities to handle the awesome responsibility of president. McCain is also attacking this chink in Obama’s armor, suggesting that Obama doesn’t understand national security issues and the threat and whereabouts of al-Qaeda.

McCain & Obama on al-Qaeda in Iraq

These ads and attacks have drawn criticism as some say they play on the so called ‘politics of fear’. This is a weak and tiresome argument, as a debate on national security issues is essential and certainly fair play in presidential elections.

And compared to Johnson’s Daisy Girl and Tancredo’s xenophobic masterpiece, ‘Children’ and ‘Ringing’ are small potatoes.

But now that the question is out, many Democrats in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont will be voting on Tuesday for who they believe will best protect their families at 3 AM.

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