Nice Guy Descending

To the winner will eventually go the spoils. Or, in the case of political candidates facing off against one another, the successful electoral vote. Not that in the case of the primaries, this will be the end of the long journey of accession. But one will emerge the winner, then go on to contest the ultimate prize, the presidency of the United States.

It is the penultimate goal though, that has everyone transfixed. And so, interestingly, a nation that has expressed such a deep disappointment in its trajectory, in its current administration, has spliced itself into fairly distinct camps. Despite which, those camps remain in harried flux, not yet set in the concrete of determined choice.

It's so alluring to ally oneself with the new, the fresh, the promising, the authentic voice of one who holds out hope for an event like Hercules clearing out the Aegean Stables. There are just so many directions that politics can take itself in before turning back in on itself, to settle for the tried and the true.

Senator Clinton has proved herself a warrior of great merit in the war of the ballot. She has proven herself as an energetic, optimistic and determined campaigner. The story of her life recounts her dedication to the politics of her country, to the needs of her countrymen; most decidedly those whose voice is never sufficiently heard.

Is there, then, so much difference in promise between her, as a fairly seasoned politician with the quality of experiences that few others can boast, and that of her rival, Senator Obama, whose own background and desire to represent a demographic similar to that which Senator Clinton has long championed, after all?

They have both managed to remain calm and steady in the face of the political chaos around them. Both their promises are resonant with reason and concern where it should be placed, for the most part.

This is a contest between a mature woman whose personal background and devotion to her people places her as a successful front-runner, and that of a black man whose sangfroid and equally determined need to politically represent a significant proportion of the population has placed them at odds with one another.

Mrs. Clinton, the more mature and experienced individual, is open to sharing a ticket with her opponent. She as the prime legislator, he as her assistant. He has, after all, ample time in the future to continue his search for success, to complete his journey. There are a great many in their party who would welcome this political coupling. Mr. Obama is not one, unfortunately.

She appears the conciliator, he appears somewhat else, claiming that the only thing he is prepared to share with Senator Clinton are the "negative" attacks he sayss have characterized her candidacy of late. Now he is prepared to embark upon similar "negativity", abandoning his Mr. Nice Guy persona, in the trauma of her latest wins.

Senator Obama remains confident, albeit not serenely so, that he will, in the final analysis emerge triumphant. "It's going to be hard for her to close the delegate gap", he claims. And only time will prove whether that will be so, for the future always holds surprises and upsets and no one can truly predict what will transpire.

While he's in the process of losing his cool, she is in the process of re-assembling hers calmly back around her considerable persona.