Battle Control and Alpha Leaders

The Republican primary election circus in which the rest of the menagerie jumps through hoops commanded by ringmaster Donald Trump is running like a well-oiled machine, as far as the Democrats are concerned. Whoever is left standing on Nov. 8, 2016 will have a tough time moving back from the extreme right. National elections can’t be won solely by the resentment of all those true Americans who had their America “stolen” from them. But the energy drinks being consumed by the Democrats are beginning to taste a little flat. Somehow, it all doesn’t quite work with Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic pack. But what are they supposed to do? For years, Clinton has ridden out front as the presumptive presidential heiress capable of bridging the gap between Wall Street and Main Street, between social and business-friendly policies. That has sucked all the political oxygen out of the room full of rivals arrayed against the former first lady, senator and secretary of state.

The parties’ primary elections don’t take place until February 2016 and a lot can happen between now and then. If you drive the back roads outside Washington, you see mowed meadows and fields surprisingly dotted with political signs: Not “Hillary for President” but “Hillary for Prison,” in reference to her email affair during which she used a private email address for some of her official business correspondence. Actually of relatively limited significance, it is nonetheless a tasty tidbit for her political opponents. If she ignores security regulations, how can anyone trust the woman? Some media reports say the FBI is investigating the issue.

Little Enthusiasm

Actually, right-wing attacks are a badge of honor for a candidate like Hillary Clinton. The Democratic wagons are still safely circled, yet a certain unease is manifesting itself. It has nothing to do with the private address Clinton used for her emails, but her dithering justifications for it raise questions about her savoir-faire. And beyond that, despite the historic opportunity to send a woman to the White House, there seems to be little enthusiasm in the air. The highly personalized American campaign style is a big show in which personal loyalties are important, along with self-dramatization and feelings. It’s about America’s top model and not least about her ability to raise campaign funds. The email affair strengthens the characterization held by the opposition that Clinton feels she is above the crowd and need not adhere to rules meant for mere mortals. Recent surveys indicate the advantage seems to be shifting to Hillary’s rivals. Should that worry her? Is Bernie Sanders a realistic alternative? Or does Joe Biden, the vice president, need to step in?

Sanders, the 73-year-old senator from Vermont, earlier called himself a socialist and still pounds the podium effectively whenever he talks about the oligarchy of billionaires and demands more infrastructure projects, taxation of financial transactions and the breakup of large banks. He speaks to those more liberal Americans who have been disappointed with Barack Obama. Sanders doesn’t give any $200,000 speeches for Goldman Sachs, but thousands upon thousands flock to hear him when he speaks about the “revolution of 2015.” His supporters donate an average of $31.50 each to his campaign. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Hillary Clinton took in $71 million in the first six months of 2015.

In the U.S., you have to be circumspect when attacking the super-wealthy because this country still clings to the eternal dream that anyone could someday join that exclusive club. So Trump is also venerated.

Sanders’ popularity runs deep but not particularly wide. Many of his fans are young, often highly educated and live in the metropolitan Northeast or on the West Coast – people whose hearts beat left of center. Such activists, along with the support of a massive number of African-Americans during the 2008 primaries, enabled Obama to eventually overtake Hillary Clinton. Sanders’ campaign thus far lacks African-American supporters. But a Democrat can only win if African-Americans turn out in large numbers at the polls. Obama got only 39 percent of white votes in 2012.

Up to now, the president has largely stayed out of the election picture. Readers of tea leaves analyze the pronouncements of White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest. Obama considers his choice of Biden as his second-in-command to be one of the best selections of his career. Observers say that shows how highly Obama considers Biden’s presidential potential. Individually, there is little difference between Clinton and Biden. From 1973 to 2009 he was senator from Delaware, the leading tax haven in the United States with hundreds of thousands of shell companies and the location of numerous bank and credit card corporate headquarters. And he took care of them accordingly. His balancing act rivals that of Hillary’s. Plus, he’s an affable guy, something Hillary most likely won’t ever be accused of. But Biden will be a late starter — if he starts at all. Leading Democrats have already endorsed Hillary, among them half of the Democratic members of the House and 31 of the 44 Democratic senators.

Martin O’Malley, mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007 and currently governor of the state of Maryland, accused the Democratic Party leadership in late August of colluding in “fixing” the primary election by limiting the number of debates to just four. O’Malley, a free trade skeptic who also favors more environmental protection, a position he took long before the issue became popular, would also like to be president. He also has his own baggage. In 2005, his Baltimore police force arrested some 100,000 people out of a total population of 640,000. O’Malley’s supporters justify that with the argument that the crime rate also decreased because of it. Jim Webb is also running, the ex-combat Marine infantryman and former senator from Virginia. As a muscular Democrat, however, he appears almost to be the last model in a discontinued line. Finally, there’s Lincoln Chafee, senator from Rhode Island and a former Republican. Unfortunately, he also happens to lack oratorical skills. All three are sensible politicians especially when compared to many of the Republicans who have already thrown their hats into the ring.

But that’s not good enough.