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OP-ED: Having overcome adversity, Hillary is ready to bring change
by Rivka Maizlish
Op-Ed | 2/5/08
Posted online at 1:44 AM EST on 2/5/08
On Jan. 6, 2008, I watched Hillary Clinton stay two hours overtime at a rally in New Hampshire to answer 34 questions from voters. Two days later, she defied the conventional wisdom that had declared her candidacy dead and won the New Hampshire primary. This was not the first time Hillary defied the odds through her ability to persuade voters. When she ran for Senate in 2000, few believed that New Yorkers would elect the "polarizing" first lady, but Hillary went upstate to the "reddest" areas and won over citizens who had never voted for a Democrat before.
It is not just Hillary's skills of persuasion that helped her win a New York Senate seat and the New Hampshire primary, but her command of the issues as well. It's clear in each debate: Hillary knows the specifics better than anyone; she sees the big picture and brings in the important details like she is working on a puzzle-not just giving a political speech or a theoretical lecture.
Her presentation of solutions in such clear detail makes her the candidate of the middle class, which, perhaps more than any other group, desires relief from the policies of George W. Bush. Barack Obama can claim support of high-income Americans, but Hillary's support is stronger among middle and low-income Americans. Recently, Democrats have been losing the middle class' support to Republicans. While Obama would only continue that trend, Hillary can help Democrats win back the middle class, "the heart and soul of our party," as former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo said.
Hillary also has the ability to force people in power to compromise on their interests. This will be most important for the issue of health care. Hillary's health care plan is more ambitious than Obama's. Unlike Obama-whose plan would leave 15 million Americans uninsured and who has adopted right-wing scare tactics about "government forcing people to buy health insurance" to defend this weakness-Hillary's plan is universal. She will have to counter vicious right-wing attacks, like those Obama has echoed, about "socialized" medicine. In addition, Hillary will have to force agreement among Republicans, Democrats and HMOs.
It is not just Hillary's skills of persuasion that helped her win a New York Senate seat and the New Hampshire primary, but her command of the issues as well. It's clear in each debate: Hillary knows the specifics better than anyone; she sees the big picture and brings in the important details like she is working on a puzzle-not just giving a political speech or a theoretical lecture.
Her presentation of solutions in such clear detail makes her the candidate of the middle class, which, perhaps more than any other group, desires relief from the policies of George W. Bush. Barack Obama can claim support of high-income Americans, but Hillary's support is stronger among middle and low-income Americans. Recently, Democrats have been losing the middle class' support to Republicans. While Obama would only continue that trend, Hillary can help Democrats win back the middle class, "the heart and soul of our party," as former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo said.
Hillary also has the ability to force people in power to compromise on their interests. This will be most important for the issue of health care. Hillary's health care plan is more ambitious than Obama's. Unlike Obama-whose plan would leave 15 million Americans uninsured and who has adopted right-wing scare tactics about "government forcing people to buy health insurance" to defend this weakness-Hillary's plan is universal. She will have to counter vicious right-wing attacks, like those Obama has echoed, about "socialized" medicine. In addition, Hillary will have to force agreement among Republicans, Democrats and HMOs.
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