While far from over, the Democratic primary is shaping up to be a battle between two Junior Senators in the United States Senate. Barack Obama from Illinois and Hillary Clinton from New York. Clinton carries the longtime name recognition and the experience, while Obama benefits from disassociation from controversy and does not seem to suffer from the same polarizing effects as Clinton. Both of them are in the unenviable position of being minorities aiming for the highest office in the land. If elected, either of them would be the first of their representation in the Presidency: the first woman for Clinton, or the first African American in the case of Obama.
Recently, the battle between the two has heated up, with Obama coming under sharp criticism from Clinton for his proposed views on foreign policy. When asked whether he, as President, would personally meet with such estranged foreign leaders as Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, Obama said that he would invite the opportunity. He believes that communication is what has been missing from the Bush administration’s policies. Clinton forcefully disagreed, saying that such a meeting would be a disgrace to the office, and would be used by America’s enemies as propaganda. She called Obama out for his inexperience and called his proposed policies “naive”. Obama, in turn, criticized Clinton as being more of the same, willing to carry on the business of George Bush. He also used the opportunity to again question Clinton’s vote for the war in Iraq, without having a plan in place for withdrawal.
For her part, Clinton is consistently hounded by questions of her electability in a general election for President. With at least a portion of American voters seemingly harboring an intense dislike for Hillary, and indeed anything associated with the name Clinton, it could lead to a choice of Obama, if only for the plausibility of electing a Democrat President in the 2008 general election. Still, Clinton’s poll numbers are steadily growing, and, barring a late entry into the race from Al Gore, seems primed to take the nomination in the primary.
For more information on the 2008 presidential race and to view the latest polls, visit http://www.usaelectionpolls.com.
