Analysis: Alice-In-Wonderland Politics

U.S. News Columnist Gloria Borger Says The Candidates Have Been Born Again As Populist Candidates

(US News)  This news analayis was written by U.S. News & World Report columnist Gloria Borger.

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In the Alice-In-Wonderland world that has become presidential politics lately, it has come to this: Hillary Clinton, who has resided in a chauffeur-driven bubble for the past 20 years, is portraying herself as a man of the people. Barack Obama, raised by a single mother and who paid off his college loans just a few years ago, is the elite snob. And John McCain, married to a beer heiress, charges that Obama is "insensitive to the hopes and dreams and ambitions" of millions of Americans.

Forget Iraq, at least for now. The campaign zeitgeist these days is all about oozing empathy for the little guy. It's enough to make Clinton down shots of Crown Royal or gas up a car while Obama goes bowling and fondly recalls the Jell-O molds of his youth. And why not display a little compassion? Voters are worried about losing their homes and their jobs while paying more for fuel and food. So the politicians, ever the lagging indicators, are full of proposals geared to soothe the weary and placate the anxious. They have been born again--as populists.

Not that there's anything wrong with helping Americans in troubled times. Kudos to President Bush and Congress, for instance, for quickly passing an economic stimulus plan. And Team McCain gets an A in creative populist pander for its summer-gas-tax-holiday proposal. But whatever happened to straight talk about its cost ($10 billion from the already strapped federal highway fund) and what it would really save ($40 per car)? Not to be outdone, Clinton pounced on the plan, one-upping McCain by saying she would pay for it all with a tax on the bad guys--the oil companies. Such perfect populist symmetry. Only Obama and the president resisted the gimmick, Bush by refusing to comment (and thereby not kick McCain) and Obama by stating the obvious: While it all sounds good, it will save little and do nothing about the bigger problems of oil consumption and imports. "This isn't an idea designed to get you through the summer," Obama argued. "It's designed to get them through an election." Shocking.

It may be that when we look back at the arc of this campaign, we will see these past few weeks as the tipping point, the time when this very different election became very ordinary, replete with the usual posturing. After all, as Democratic pollster Mark Mellman points out, one of the better predictors of how people will vote is how they answer this question: Who cares the most about people like me? "Everybody is struggling to win that vote," he says. In that fight, we end up with what former Bill Clinton policy adviser William Galston calls "our lowest-common-denominator democracy," which foments phony populism--especially when about 80 percent of the voters think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Bush told the nation last week that "if there was a magic wand to wave, I'd be waving it." You bet he would--if he were running again.

The way things were. In this world of economic anxiety, there is one thing a politician cannot be, and that's out of touch. It is why Bush the Elder was skewered in 1988 for not knowing the price of a gallon of milk. And it is why Obama's remarks about small-town bitterness came as a gift to his opponents. They provided fodder for an easy and damaging story line about his elite tastes and appeal, which helped fuel his loss to Clinton among important lower-income white voters in Pennsylvania. As economic fears mount, Obama's simple message of change suddenly seems more complex, even threatening. Yes, voters want to change Washington. But at the same time, some folks (especially older ones) want to go back to the way things were. Most of all, says one Democratic strategist, "change may now seem too vague and irrelevant to people suffering economically. They want action."

Enter Hillary Clinton, working gal. Forget the message about experience, about those years close to power in the White House. Now the graduate of Wellesley and Yale aw is a 9-to-5-er who feels your pain at the pump and at work. She's mad as hell and not going to take it anymore, and she's fighting for you. "She only found her message when it became clear she needed it," says an unaffiliated Democratic strategist. Hey, answering the red phone at 3 a.m. is also working the night shift, right?

So as Obama wrestles with his narcissistic pastor and the larger demons of race, Clinton poses at the pump and McCain tries to give you a tax break. Just another day at work.

[lordmi]

This the best article of the month.
And really, that is enough Fairy Tales about clinton''s experience:using restroom in WH does not qualified one even to clean it. Her role there did not satisfied even Bill, looking for WHOMEVER in stead of this witch, at least for a while. ( You can imagine what a hell to stay next to this phony fury%u2026poor Bill).
All what she was doing for 20 years was Healthcare Plan, that all professionals consider as ir-real (cause it has been done inside the office without any basic knowledge about a thing).And other stuff %u2013 under the sniper fire %u2013 non-stop misspoke.
How cares, what is she barking, when it is never true.
Keep barking somewhere aside.
Angry dog barks, but caravan keeps going.
To future with no Clintons on board.

[libh8er]

And yet "Opera" is smart enough to know that Obama is not Wright.
Posted by realpatriot1 at 10:25 AM : May 06, 2008

Do you always defer to Oprah for geo-political advice? I guess you''re a card carrying menber of her book of the month club, too.

''Well, Oprah said Ubama''s not right....I mean, Wright.''

[obamaslady]

"Enter Hillary Clinton, working gal. Forget the message about experience, about those years close to power in the White House. Now the graduate of Wellesley and Yale aw is a 9-to-5-er who feels your pain at the pump and at work. She''s mad as hell and not going to take it anymore, and she''s fighting for you. "She only found her message when it became clear she needed it," says an unaffiliated Democratic strategist." I''m a retired disabled 65 year old Latino female and if HRC is a "working gal" it is NOT for the middle class; it is more like "prostituting" with Dollar Bill as her PIMP. She no more cares about us than the man in the moon! The clintons have to be the BEST PANDERING LIARS I have ever heard about! They seem to always know the Rovian ways of "lynching" another Democrat and always have the right PANDERING LIES that work with the IGNORANT or DUMB of our country. It should be a requirement for anyone who votes to be "tested" on the issues and on the federal government prior to being allowed to vote. Voting because of a "monarchy" will NOT work in today''s world IN THIS COUNTRY. DO YOU WANT YOUR NEXT POTUS TO BE THE "LIAR IN CHIEF"? If not, then do NOT vote clinton because that is who you will get! How will you ever know when to believe the clintons again after the pointed LIE ABOUT BOSNIA? BEWARE, if you vote for her, you DESERVE everything you ''will not get'' from them as they will FORGET you as soon as they ''secure your vote''!

[homespunlady]

taddles
Does that make attack ad trolls comparable to TERMITES - undermining and eating our foundation or TICKS - bloodsucking to increase their population while spreading disease and destruction?

[taddles-2009]

"Theis is another good reason why NOT to vote for Osama and his "never been proud" wife!!!

Posted by metroduck75 at 08:35 AM : May 06, 2008"


Too bad about Hillary huh, she probably would have made a good president. LOL

[taddles-2009]

"Are the people who make a living thinking up nasty campaign ads, slogans that are full of hot air, and promises that are full of lies about as good for America as ambulance-chasing lawyers, or what?

Posted by ibsteve2u at 09:46 AM : May 06, 2008"


Worse, at least ambulance chasing lawyers you can see running down the street trying to make the deal. These behind the scene attack ad trolls never see the light of day and never have to answer for their lies.

[homespunlady]

I agree with ccfsdca.

I too am voting for PRESIDENT not PAL.

Let''s get an intelligent one this time that might actually be qualified for the job rather than one that blows smoke up people''s backsides and then makes a mess of every decision coming out of the Whitehouse.

[realpatriot1]

realtime9,

And yet "Opera" is smart enough to know that Obama is not Wright.

[missingamerica]

What do you think, America?

Are the people who make a living thinking up nasty campaign ads, slogans that are full of hot air, and promises that are full of lies about as good for America as ambulance-chasing lawyers, or what?

[metroduck75]

johnny_chaos,

did Obama "inpire" you to INSULT down-to-earth hardworking Middle Class families and latinos families???

Theis is another good reason why NOT to vote for Osama and his "never been proud" wife!!!

[jack3213]

We all know what happened to "ALICE" She fell down the rabbit hole.

[metroduck75]

NObama and his loud and annoying wife''08!

[johnpatrick9]

The Right Wing scumballs keep talking about Wright but don''t want to talk about Rev.(?)John Haghen who is a prejudicial nut job of a so called Minister who preaches war and has give McCain his support and that fascist has taken it...embraced it. Who gives a *** who your minister is they dont control you but for McCain it appears he endorses the nuttiness of this typical fascist so calle Christian minister...real KKK TYPE so embraced by the neo-con Republicans.

[briannorwood]

Here''''s the thing. How come nobody asked Hillary if she was even remotely interested in this gas tax thing, when was she going to introduce the legislation into congress.

It is already May 6th. Congress recesses for the Memorial Day holiday on May 24th (which is the start of summer). She claims to be the (only)one who knows how to get things done in Washington.

Tell me, how is she going to get the gas tax holiday completed in 17 days?

Oh that''''s right, she doesn''''t plan to. It should be obvious to everyone that this is just a pandering stunt!

[johnpatrick9]

McCain is just a continuation of the bush fascism. Hillary is the same old same old. At least Obama would send a message of a change in the American attitude...sorely needed.
I will vote for him, in a pinch for Hillary and never for McCain--too absurd to be considered.

[bgwinnett]

Populism -- call it "political brainstorming" instead. After all only a tiny percentage of such promises/ideas -- the realistic ones and there aren''t many -- are ever implemented.

[brianbwb-2009]

"But Barak kept his wife and kids seated in front of wright for 20 years." Posted by realtime09

Again, totally irrelevant and inconsequential.

[realtime09]

It came out on tv today that Opera took off from Wrights congregation in the ''''90s because she realized he was way over the top and a racist zealot.

SO, Opera easily figured this out 15 or more years ago.

But Barak kept his wife and kids seated in front of wright for 20 years.

[johnny_chaos]

wow, america is screwed. hillary is a liar. the only use she has for blacks and poor people is as a base. her compassion ends at the door. honestly, the woman is a walmart attorney. how much more anti-american values and working wage can you get? I smell phantom mothballs and bullsh*t everytime i hear her voice. cant help it, smell association and disgust. wow you people are stupid if you really think she gives a rats testicle about your problems. you only matter as a vote.

[trishab4]

Obama is to weak to be President. Period. End of story.
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Posted by myshiba at 07:11 PM : May 05, 2008

-And you are too ignorant to write things the way they should.