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11/05/00
12:20 p.m. Robert
A. George is an editorial page writer |
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The Bronx. Manhattan. Brooklyn. Bubba seemed to be everywhere, hitting union halls and minority gatherings while stopping traffic like a force of nature. Which, in truth, politically he was. One major advantage that Hillary has over Al Gore is that she is campaigning in a heavily Democratic state. Forget about any fear that Bill Clinton would turn off swing voters. The crowds here adore him. In truth, even Democrats who don't plan on voting for Hillary likely want to reach out and touch a hem of Bill's garment. Of course, the strange mojo that he has with black audiences is maximized in his appearance in Harlem. However, the president's exuberance for his wife led to a rather curious exclamation, "She's been studying these issues for so long that she's more prepared than anyone running for president." Anyone? Including Al Gore? After Clinton's "next best thing" comment last week, the psychological implications of Bill Clinton's statements with regard to the current state of the presidential campaign are worthy of serious examination. A report earlier this week said Bill Clinton complimented Oakland mayor Jerry Brown on "downsizing" his political life decades after he had been governor of California. The joke was that Clinton might run for mayor of New York. Anyone watching the Jedi master work the crowds today would realize that that shouldn't be considered a joke. Hillary wasn't the only one with the big guns out today as Rick Lazio campaigned with Gov. George Pataki upstate. Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani appeared in an ad, fully endorsing Lazio. Another last-minute Lazio ad attacks Hillary for initially taking money from a Muslim group that expressed solidarity with the "armed struggle" of Palestinians. Hillary later returned the money, but said that she didn't exactly know who the fundraiser she was attending was for. The Lazio campaign produced a letter (on White House stationery) signed by Hillary thanking the leader of the group for the event. She had previously denied knowing the organization — the American Muslim Alliance — was involved in the event. Hillary claimed it was a perfunctory thank-you letter sent out for whatever event she was attending, and that she never saw it. Regardless, the ad is a tough one and it may have an impact on Hillary's share of the Jewish vote — which has been her soft spot in the Democratic coalition all along. If Lazio splits the Jewish vote with Mrs. Clinton (as opposed to her getting the usual 70 percent or more that Democratic candidates running statewide can expect), he will be the next senator. Hillary has produced her own ad featuring former mayor Ed Koch dismissing the Lazio ad. The Koch spot is a pretty smart one, in its fashion. He dismisses the stories of Hillary's being too close to radical Muslims by showing a photo of Lazio shaking Yasser Arafat's hand while on a Mideast congressional trip. Koch says that it would be absurd to think that Lazio couldn't be trusted on issues close to Israel. He urges Lazio to stop "the sleaze." The race is still very tight though all polls give Hillary a small advantage in the final weekend. Even the Zogby poll, which had shown either a tie or a Lazio lead for several weeks, has now shifted in Hillary's direction. However, most surveys are within the margin of error, and the ripples of "Muslim-gate" could have a definite impact in the last 48 hours. The questions remain: Will Jews turn out to vote for Hillary (with Lieberman on the ballot) in huge numbers and will Bubba's appearance this weekend be enough to fire up the black vote (which favors Hillary by more than 90 percent)? |
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hat's the opening line
to an early Run-DMC rap hit, but the lyric could just as well be the theme
song for Bill Clinton as he barnstormed through New York City boroughs
Saturday in a get-out-the-vote tour on behalf of his wife.
