As folks probably know, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) reportedly asked his finance team to help bail out about half of former rival Hillary Clinton's (D-N.Y.) $22.5 million campaign debt. Apparently his campaign has promised to help pay about $10 million of her campaign debt, and the two politicians will be making a joint appearance today in Unity, N.H.
PRO (or at least not con): On May 12, a couple weeks before Sen. Hillary Clinton exited the race, Farai Chideya asked me this debate question on "News & Notes" on National Public Radio. Citing an associate of hers, Ms. Chideya pondered whether Obama supporters should be unhappy if their money went to pay off Sen. Clinton's debts. I said, "I don't think so. I think they would understand that in terms of, I would assume, their long term goal - which is to get Obama and, if not Obama, a Democrat into the White House - they would understand that strategic maneuver. I think people would be a little upset in the beginning, but would understand that's what Obama has to do - if he has to do that - in order to get Hillary Clinton out of the race."
More than a month later, my position remains the same. Especially since Sen. Barack Obama is only the presumptive Democratic nominee because party elites (i.e., superdelegates) and not votes of rank-and-file Democrats put him over the top. Then again, I'm a moderate-conservative independent, and not a Democrat. Perhaps I'd feel differently if I was a party member or had given to Sen. Obama's presidential campaign.
CON: Politik Ditto, a black conservative Democratic blogger, argues that Sen. Obama's donors should say no to bailing out Sen. Clinton: "But they won't because they know that it'd be too risky for their candidate's presidential hopes. Hillary supporters remain an angry lot and regardless of the fact that their candidate wouldn't be in so much debt if she was able to put her huge ego aside and step out the race when all was said and done back when Barack won North Carolina back in May, the Geraldine Ferraro wing of the Billary camp would use any excuse to continue claiming 'dis-unity' and vote for John McCain..."
Bookerista Debate: Should Obama Help Retire Clinton's Debt?
Posted by Shay Riley at 6/27/2008
Labels: U.S. Presidential Elections
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1 comments:
One of Obama's key strengths is that he's a prolific fundraiser. I don't see an issue with him using it to assist his arch enemy (and in the process, draw some more clinton votes).
I hope for his sake that the bailout is the extent to which he supports the Clintons, as any other pledges (ie: putting her in the cabinet, etc.) would be severely detrimental to him
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