Hillary Clinton has spent much of this year being defined by the Republican opposition. ADVERTISING Hillary Clinton has spent much of this year being defined by the Republican opposition. Whether she can better define herself on her own terms and
Hillary Clinton has spent much of this year being defined by the Republican opposition.
Whether she can better define herself on her own terms and convince Democratic voters she is, in fact, trustworthy, genuine and on the side of the people remains the big question looming over her campaign. Joe Biden appears to be waiting in the wings on the chance she will fail to get dominant traction very soon.
The first Democratic presidential debate today, featuring five candidates, might be a ho-hum affair for the great majority of people. But it could provide a defining moment of Clinton’s campaign. And Biden’s, though he probably will not be on the stage. And let’s not forget the churning upswell of Bernie Sanders, who’ll be making, essentially, his national debut.
Democratic voters certainly have been entertained by the debate circus in the other party. They deserve to be encouraged by the utter shallowness of the Donald Trump phenomenon, by the GOP’s outsider festival and by the astounding failure of the onetime heir apparent, Jeb Bush, to catch any spark at all.
But Democrats know the 2016 election cycle will be hard work, regardless of who lands the Republican nomination. So, they’ll be watching for Clinton, especially, to show she has what it takes and can stoke their enthusiasm.
Clinton remains the favorite to secure the nomination. The big money, the ground game, the power people — it all adds up, despite the polls that show lingering strength for Sanders. If, somehow, she cannot finally shake the email-server bulldog snapping at her feet, then the Democratic reset option might involve Biden.
Clinton just made another one of her transparently calculated stands on a controversial issue, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Although she championed the trade agreement as President Barack Obama’s secretary of state, Clinton now is playing to the party’s labor-union base — and Bernie Sanders’ core — by voicing opposition to the pact. Yet, as usual, she finessed the maneuver and left the door open for reversing her reversal by suggesting she hadn’t actually read the whole thing.
But what will debate watchers hope to see tonight?
For starters: solid, convincing analysis and program proposals on boosting jobs and the economy. There’ll be lots of talk about income inequality, social safety nets, the influence of Wall Street and big banks — and there likely won’t be much space between positions of the candidates.
But voters also want to hear how the candidates would handle the morass in the Middle East and the rising audacity of Vladimir Putin and the Russian power play for Syria.
I spoke long distance the other day to a media class at Fontbonne College in St. Louis and fielded one young woman’s plea the candidates solve her crushing student-loan situation.
Debate watchers also will get their first real glimpse of three candidates who hardly register in the polls — former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and former Senator and Navy Secretary James Webb of Virginia. Will any of them present a swashbuckling, Carly Fiorina moment? …
If you end up tuning in, see you around the water cooler thereafter.
Steve Paul is the editorial page editor for The Kansas City Star. Readers may send him email at paul@kctstar.com
