Clinton
Takes the Bait on Cuba
Tom Bevan. Real
Clear Politics, August 22, 2007.
Yesterday we wondered how Hillary Clinton
would respond to Barack Obama's op-ed in
the Miami Herald calling for easing restrictions
on the US embargo of Cuba. Today Beth Reinhard
and Lesley Clark provide the answer:
Rival Sen. Hillary Clinton said she would
continue the Bush administration's hard-line
stance, for the most part. Clinton's campaign
said she agrees that exiles should be able
to freely send money to their relatives
but said she does not favor ''any wholesale,
broad changes'' to the travel restrictions
until Fidel Castro falls. Clinton did vote
with Obama in 2005 -- unsuccessfully --
to ease restrictions on family travel in
"humanitarian cases.''
''She supports the embargo and our current
policy toward Cuba, and until it is clear
what type of political winds may come with
a new government -- if there is a new government
-- we cannot talk about changes to U.S.
policy,'' Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee
said.
Obama was more or less daring Clinton endorse
the current US policy toward Cuba, knowing
that it might cost him votes in Florida
but would also serve to reinforce the broader
theme of his campaign as a "change
of direction."
Clinton took the bait, giving Obama exactly
the line he wanted: "she would continue
the Bush administration's hard-line stance."
Yet at the same time, Clinton got what
she wanted, which was to take the opportunity
to get an even firmer grip on Florida and
to reinforce her image as an experienced,
hard-nosed realist unwilling to engage in
speculation or hypotheticals.
(Incidentally, a backdrop to the entire
discussion is whether Florida will be stripped
of its convention delegates for moving its
primary up into January in violation of
DNC rules.)
The line between the Obama and Clinton
candidacies has always been "experience"
versus "change" - a cliche that
Tony Blankley challenges very effectively
this morning, by the way - but while the
distinction had been a bit fuzzy for the
first six months of the campaign, it has
really come into focus during the last few
weeks.
Obama and his advisors thoroughly believe
this is a "change" election, and
they will continue to push that message
out in all directions at every possible
opportunity. The Clinton campaign also recognizes
the change dynamic present in this year's
electorate, but is betting that voters in
the primary and the general election value
the idea of experience a great deal as well,
in addition to wanting to satisfy a basic
urge for change.
If the national and state polls mean anything,
as of right now Hillary Clinton appears
to be winning the battle - but there's obviously
still a long way to go.
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