Playing by the Rules

Let's face it, Obama doesn’t have an impressive record of experience or a unique policy profile.

New politics is all he’s got.

If he loses that? Then he loses everything.

According to today's Op-Ed in the NYTimes - "Playing by Clinton Rules," David Brooks thinks that if Obama loses his magic and gets into the mud with Hillary, she'll kick his ass.

The theory was that if Obama could inspire a grass-roots movement with a new kind of leadership, he could ride it to the White House and end gridlock in Washington. Obama has built his entire campaign on this theory. He’s run against negativity and cheap-shot campaigning. He’s claimed that there’s an “awakening” in this country — people “hungry for a different kind of politics.”

This message has made him the front-runner. It has brought millions of new voters into politics. It has given him grounds to fend off attacks. In debate after debate, he has accused Hillary Clinton and others of practicing the old kind of politics. When he was under assault in South Carolina, he rose above the barrage and made the Clintons look sleazy.

But supporters have been yelling for him to get off his high horse and take a ball peen hammer to Hillary's kankles. [I'm paraphrasing a tad] And especially now that her attack ads (appear) to have worked, and he's chalked up two losses* (nevermind that he WON the Texas Caucus... but we don't want facts to get into the way of discussing politics).

The problem, the article contends, is that eventually you have to get off the horse and get dirty. You can't win, especially against Clinton Inc., without dirt. Brooks contends that while Obama's campaign thinks they can win a mud slinging contest, Hillary will pull a knife out.