Who Could Beat John McCain? Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama?

Mark Whittington
Mark Whittington, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Apr 28, 2008 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
As the trench warfare that is the Democratic nomination battle wears on, Democrats must ask the question: Which of the candidates, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, would be better able to beat John McCain in the fall?

There is not a lot of daylight between the two insofar as the issues are concerned. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama want to raise taxes. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama want to pull troops out of Iraq. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama want a national health care system. There are differences in nuance and emphasis here and there, but both candidates will pretty much try to advance the same agenda as President.

There are great differences in style, constituencies, and, most important, baggage between Clinton and Obama.

Barack Obama is trying to come across as the nation's messiah, a post racial candidate who can bring all sides together, who can pick the best solutions from each side of the political divide without regard to partisanship, who brings change, hope, alleluia. He is all things to all people, a golden voice who causes his followers to swoon.

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, is painting herself as a tough, decisive, and unrelenting. She wants to be considered, in effect, a kind of American Maggie Thatcher, except on the left and, except, when it suits her to shed a tear or two. She'll take on the "special interests" and she'll obliterate Iran if it so much offers a peep.

Barack Obama counts among his followers African Americans and rich, highly educated liberals. Hillary Clinton is supported by women, blue collar union workers, and Hispanics.

Barack Obama has a number of unfortunate friendships he has developed over the years, including the fiery, hate mongering preacher Jeremiah Wright, to the former terrorist William Ayers, to the Mafioso Tony Rezko. Obama has been caught in public heaping scorn and contempt on the very voters he seeks to woo.

Hillary Clinton has been married to Bill Clinton for over thirty years which means that all of his unfortunate relationships and scandals are hers as well. She tried to nationalize health care in broad day light.

Barack Obama can raise prodigious amounts of money over the Internet. Hillary Clinton has a political machine, with access to ground troops and local politicians, without peer.

So who would be better able to go up against McCain? After careful consideration, the edge has to go to Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton is well-known and well-hated by many, so it could be said that she has nowhere to go but up. People are just beginning to find out about Barack Obama, who has burst on the scene only recently, so he has a ways to go down.

Hillary Clinton is a far better political street fighter than Obama, with a tenacity that is sometimes awe inspiring to witness. Long after many have advised her to bow out of the race for the nomination, she is still in there, fighting with her back to the wall, not winning, but also preventing Obama from winning.

Of course, the odds are long whomever gets the nod, for he or she will assume the leadership of a shattered party, with adherents of the loser bitter and ill prepared to be good party members and support the winner. But whom gets picked may prove the difference of just a five- or six-point defeat or a 40-state wipeout.

Published by Mark Whittington

Mark R. Whittington is a writer residing in Houston, Texas. He is the author of The Last Moonwalker, Children of Apollo, Dark Sanction, and Nocturne. He has written numerous articles, some for the Washington...   View profile

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  • Veritas 4/29/2008

    I se the Obama Kool-Ade quaffing relality denial squad is fully represented in this thread.

    "Charles Manson could beat John McCain." LOL!

    And Manson could beat Obama! Ever hear of transitive properties?

  • hammerdown 4/29/2008

    Gosh I must be missing something with this Reverend Wright thingy. I find the old windbag very entertaining and would probably attend church on a regular basis if he were my Pastor. People need to lighten up a bit, this man is a wonderful person with a lot of character and a lifetime of service and good intentions and deeds. God bless him.

  • hammerdown 4/29/2008

    Charles Manson could beat John McCain. The only way Johnny Mac could win is if the Democrat party self destructs, not out of the realm of possibility, or we have another rigged election, also not out of the realm of possibility, or the election is suspended and Bush is permanently appointed by Judge Scalia--a real scary possibility.

  • Deward Bowles 4/28/2008

    defending the other day said that the "Catholic church was the great prostitute of religion" and was a "cult". And who can forget is view on natural disasters when he said Katrina was God's punishment on America for the "sin of homosexuality". Judging from McCain's comments recently I would suggest he should call the new plank on his political platform "Americans for religious intolerance, Xenophobia and homophobia". This should match his economic plan of bankruptcy. Rather like his campaign that goes broke periodically and has to borrow money to stay afloat.

  • Deward Bowles 4/28/2008

    Gee, McCain's proposals have been analyzed and they would cost far more (double or triple) than either of the other candidates proposals. One example is the the inane gas tax holiday. suspending the federal 18.4-cent-per-gallon tax would save the average motorist about $28. But the plan would cost the government $9 billion in lost highway funds and put at risk an estimated 300,000 jobs tied to the funding, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. This at a time when the Highway Trust Fund, which bankrolls local and state road and bridge projects, is already facing a $3.4 billion deficit. A McCain spokesman said he would borrow from the general fund to make up the shortfall, but doing that would just add to the federal deficit.

    Associations? Well lets start with Parsley, McCain's "spiritual adviser". He has suggested that "Islam" is a false religion and those who practice is should be "exterminated". Or Hagee who Senator McCain was defendin

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