Mountain Climber (not Sir Edmond) Hillary Meets the Obama-ble Showman

For the first time in many years the Democratic Party is suffering from an embarrassment of riches. Two, count 'em, two competent candidates for becoming the party's standard bearer for the 2008 presidential election. Now, all the Democrats have to do is to figure out how to keep from shooting themselves in the proverbial foot and handing the country over to four more years of failed economic theories (supply-side economics, trickle-down etc.) and a, quite frankly, scary foreign policy that envisions American soldiers in Iraq for the next century with the opening of yet another war against Iran.

Hillary, in her struggle up the mountain of American male political dominance should not lose sight of the fact that she and Barak Obama are, after all, on the same side. They both have connections in the U.S. Senate (and House of Representatives) and experience with the ins and outs of the legislative process. Their positions on the issues are not that far apart, differing mainly in the details. When her opponent's supporters try to imply that a woman might not be strong enough for the position in a time of war she can readily point to strong female heads of state that were successful during crises ( Indira Gandhi, Maggie Thatcher, Golda Mier).

Obama brings a somewhat more youthful outlook and an exciting articulation of the basic ideals on which the United States of America was founded. He has the words and the delivery to move and excite people down to their cores. Consequently, he draws huge crowds (Hillary draws big crowds, but his are bigger) and has been accused of being a showman without substance. But, oratorical gifts are significant when it comes to leading a large diverse nation like the U.S.A. He has also shown a knack for surrounding himself with highly qualified people to advise him on policy issues in the course of his campaign.

Finally, both camps should avoid convention "dirty" tricks. For example, seating delegates from Michigan and Florida at the convention. The respective state parties knew the rules beforehand and flouted them, thinking, no doubt, that the national party wouldn't enforce the rules. The voters in those states have a right to be angry, but they should direct the force of their ire, not at the candidates, but at the state party officials that sold them that bill of goods in the first place.

Hillary the mountain climber and the Obama-ble showman. Either would be a welcome relief to the agony of the last eight years. With either the American People can't lose. Unless...