Obama vs Hillary: the fight is on
- Hillary Clinton’s victory over Barack Obama (Photo Daniella Zalcman) and John Edwards’ distant third place on Jan. 8 in New Hampshire, has tightened the race for the Democratic nomination to a fight between Clinton and Obama.
- On Jan. 10, Sen. John Kerry endorsed Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy in South Carolina because he said Mr. Obama could inspire “millions of Americans to join together and come together in a movement” to demand change in Washington.
- With less than three weeks to go until Super Tuesday, tpinews.com takes a look at the two candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.
Nashua, New Hampshire. After Hillary Clinton’s surprising victory in the New Hampshire primary, millions of Democratic and independent voters now have a decision to make: should they choose the charismatic Barack Obama (Photo Daniella Zalcman) or the experienced Hillary Clinton to try to beat the Republicans in November and reclaim the White House? The Democratic hopefuls are trying to build momentum before 22 states nominate their candidate on February 5, dubbed Super Tuesday, to run in November’s presidential election. As this D-Day nears, tpinews.com has decided to take a look at both candidates’ strength and weaknesses.
Barack Obama
Strengths:
American voters want change from the current Bush administration, and dozens of interviews across Iowa and New Hampshire reveal that Barack Obama is considered as a better candidate for change. Or as Derek Bonia, a 23-year Obama volunteer from Massachusetts, puts it: “Hillary Clinton would probably bring about some change but not the radical change we need right now”. Obama’s strengths lie in his image as a man, who can unify the U.S. In the Senate, he has worked with Republican opponents such as John McCain to reform campaign ethics.
The war in Iraq is definitely helps him against Hillary Clinton. Whereas the former first lady keep trying to explain and justify her 2002 vote to authorize the now very unpopular war in Iraq, Obama has consistently been against it.
Obama also leads his major rival Hillary Clinton among independents voters, who are set to play an important role in the general election in November. An exit poll on Tuesday in New Hampshire found that Democrats see Obama as the candidate to beat the Republican candidate in November.
Obama’s skin color has so far not been much of an issue among voters in Iowa or New Hampshire. But his African American roots could help him win the next big primary in New Hampshire on Jan. 26, in a State where nearly half of the democratic voters are black.
Weaknesses: Hillary Clinton put the Illinois Sen. on the defensive when she spoke about his lack of experience in Washington. Obama’s support mostly comes from the liberal and educated wing of the Democratic party. The Illinois Sen. has found it difficult to draw much support from low-income voters. At his rallies, the 46-year old presidential candidate speaks about hope but do not talk much about the specifics of his program. Some voters worry that Obama’s idealistic goals – like quickly ending the war in Iraq or finding a solution to help the people of Darfur – might turn into empty promises, once he is elected president. Obama also made a few big mistakes. He says he will fight against lobbyists in Washington but the co-chair of his campaign co-chair in New Hampshire is a registered lobbyist for the pharmaceutical industry.
Hillary Clinton
Strengths: Hillary Clinton often touts her experience. Interviews with voters in New Hampshire show they value her experience in Washington. “She knows how Washington works and she will be able to make a difference from day one”, said Clinton supporter Debra Gridley in Salem, echoing the former first lady’s message. Amid ongoing recession fears in the U.S., Hillary Clinton carried New Hampshire by winning low-income and traditional Democratic voters as well as those who worry about the state of the economy.
In the Granite State, women like Debra Jensen were crucial to Clinton’s big win. They flooded back to her after deserting her in Iowa. As a seasoned politician, the former first lady set up in New Hampshire a very good organization that delivered.
Weaknesses
Both Clinton’s and Obama’s programs are pretty similar on key issues and image plays a very important role in this tight race. Barack Obama has undoubtedly a better image than Hillary Clinton. She embodies for many Americans the partisan battles and divisions in Washington. Democrats have fond souvenirs of the Clinton years but a lot of them want a new face and new ideas. Many conservative voters have not forgotten Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky when he was president. The war in Iraq remains a major problem for Hillary Clinton. The former first lady has not been able to explain convincingly her 2002 vote in the Senate to authorize the war in Iraq. Barack Obama also wants to pull out U.S. troops from Iraq much faster than Hillary Clinton and the Illinois Sen. carries a majority of voters, whose main concern is the war in Iraq.
Nashua / Jean-Cosme Delaloye
A French version of this story was published on Jan. 10 in Tribune de Genève and 24heures in Switzerland.
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