It wasn't until late in the fourth quarter that [Clinton] found the seam in Obama's defense. In fact, Obama handed her the playbook with Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, Michelle Obama's comments about never having been proud of America and Obama's own guns-and-God condescension toward small-town whites.
Book this - we will not hear the end of Jeremiah Wright (angry black hater of America and white people, mocker of JFK), William Ayers (the Weathermen, 60's radicals), Michelle Obama's comments (she's not a real American), and Senator Obama - the elitist who condescends towards small-town caucasians. Even IF Obama is elected President, these narratives will follow him on Fox News, MSNBC, and right-wing hate talk radio throughout his campaign, and beyond.
The line of attack is clear:
not that Obama is himself radical or unpatriotic, just that, as a man of the academic left, he is so out of touch with everyday America that he could move so easily and untroubled in such extreme company and among such alien and elitist sentiments.
Of course, this is standard republican / right-wing / conservative cant: Democrats are limp-wristed aliens (not human) feminine egg-headed elitists.
The gas tax holiday was never an economic or policy issue. It was meant to position her culturally. It heightened her identification with her white working-class constituency. Obama played his part by citing economists in opposing it. That completed her narrative: He had the pointy-headed professors on his side; she had the single moms seeking relief at the pump.
Obama - supported by the pointy-headed egg heads, intellectuals, elitists. Clinton - with the single moms seeking "relief at the pump." Interesting, that married moms apparently are NOT seeking such relief at the pump. Only the unmarried. Perhaps the sluts who had children out of wedlock? Typical of the Democratic constituency.
It was an overreach. It not only deflected attention away from the amazing Rev. Wright at the height of his spectacular return. It also never played as the elitist-vs.-working-folk issue she had wanted, because it isn't just economists who know the gas tax holiday is nothing but a cheap gimmick. Ordinary folks do, too. And the gas tax idea had the unfortunate side effect of reinforcing Hillary's main character liability vis-a-vis Obama: cynical Washington pol willing to do or say anything to win votes vs. the idealistic straight shooter refusing to pander even if it costs him.
CK suggests that Clinton's strategy "deflected attention away" from the "amazing" Rev. Wright. In other words, sounds like Senator Clinton, at this point, in Krauthammer's view, opted out of playing "the race card."
Interesting too that both economists AND ordinary folks understand the gas tax holiday to be a cheap gimmick. St. John McCain, apparently does not understand it, OR, if he does, then we must conclude that, OMG, McCain TOO then, must be the cynical pol willing to do or say anything to win votes - while Senator Obama becomes ... the straight shooter.
I'm beginning to understand. There are only so many roles to play in these political narratives, and in comparing one candidate to another, there can only be one straight shooter.
Should the 2008 Election come down between Obama and McCain, I wonder to which will be assigned the role of straight shooter, and which will be assigned the role of cynical pol?
Probably a dumb question. Obama is the latte-sipping egg-headed, out-of-touch guy whose wife hates America, whose (former) pastor hates American, whose friends bombed America. Oy, and I forgot to mention the unmentionable: he's black.
On the other hand, this column can most certainly be used to frame CK's support of Obama over McCain:
KRAUTHAMMER: Gas tax holiday cheap gimmick by cynical Washington pol willing to do or say anything to win votes ... straight shooter (Obama) refuses to pander even if it costs votes.
But, oh wait. Krauthammer concludes this article:
There's only one remaining chapter in this fascinating spectacle. Negotiating the terms of Hillary's surrender. After which we will have six months of watching her enthusiastically stumping the country for Obama, denying with utter conviction Republican charges that he is the out of touch, latte-sipping elitist she warned Democrats against so urgently in the last, late leg of her doomed campaign.
And, there we have it. CLINTON warned us against the latte-sipping elitist Obama. SEE. It says so, right here in CK's opinion piece. Incredible.
