A Political Deficiency

Governor Eliot Spitzer (D, NY) abandoned the effort to allow illegal immigrants in his state to receive driver's licenses. His decision was a foregone conclusion after a poll revealed that 70% of New Yorkers gave the proposal a resounding thumbs down.

He would have kissed his political career goodbye if he had stuck to his “principles.” Ditto for Senator Clinton. Both learned that Americans are pro-security and are tired of having the leftwing’s agenda shoved down their throats.

Naturally the leftwing scorned the Governor’s decision to withdraw from battle. Their rebukes vilified the public as anti-immigrant and racist. This is malicious hyperbole—standard leftwing race baiting—spouted by the real racists.

In hindsight, this episode was not a political benchmark, but it should be bookmarked. Senator Clinton’s back peddling on the issue can’t be construed as a sudden conversion to a sane immigration policy. But her waffling was beneficial.

It signaled the Democratic radicals that if elected, she will bless blanket amnesty and grant illegal aliens all the rights of American citizens. Yet, she is on record, stating that providing government documents to illegal aliens is inappropriate. She walked away from this incident with a checkmark in each column.

That Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s positions du jour are guided by poll results came as no surprise. It’s obvious that her goal of winning the Oval Office overshadows every other consideration. She is an opportunist, one who is ready to say anything that brings her closer to the White House.

Don’t be fooled. Senator Clinton has core beliefs. But she is aware that the majority of Americans would reject her if she exposed them. That’s why she has adopted her husband’s strategy. It’s called triangulation, which is voicing positions on hot issues that 50+% of the voters find acceptable.

The leftwing is adept at reading between the lines. And they know where her heart is. As long as they understand that there is no correlation between her assertions and her agenda she can depend on their vote. They will forgive lies and hypocrisy, if doing so furthers the leftwing agenda.

But there is a flaw in Senator Clinton’s campaign strategy. The use of triangulation requires an attribute that Senator Clinton doesn’t have—likeability. Her husband had a gift for ingratiating himself with the public. They know he is a rogue. Their response: So what if he is a liar and a womanizer, he’s a charming rogue.

Senator Clinton is charm free. This distinction changes the political calculus. Besides not being personable, she is carrying the baggage of the Clinton legacy. And her smile and cackle can’t overcome this deficiency. In politics there is no substitute for charm.

Senator Clinton is not going to be given a pass in the general election. The majority of Americans want someone they can trust, someone with ingrained values and someone capable of uniting the nation. She has no checkmarks in these columns.