Clinton vs Obama: Battle for the Soul of Liberalism

As things stand, the show will go on. But as it goes on, it unfolds a deep division in the heart and soul of the Democratic Party. Unless something magical or insane happens, Obama will win the Nomination. However, the undercurrents it has produced asks us to relook at what we liberals are and what is (or rather becoming) the soul of liberalism.

The idea I am going to propose in this article can be summarized as such: Despite the apparent similarity in immediate policy initiatives between Mr. Obama & Mrs Clinton may be, their long term outlook and socio-economic philosophies are radically different! And that underscores the different clientele these candidates attract. The former supporters believe that tomorrow will be better off than today and Obama (to quote the cliche the umpteenth time) "the great white hope" will take them there; while the latter supporters believe that yesterday was better than today and Clinton will restore status-quo ante.

So let us study the supporters of Mr Obama (in the order of vigorousness of support):

The Twenty Somethings: This gang is gung-ho on him. Talking to some of my twenty-something friends, their support can be summerized in two simple sentences - The current politics and how the country is run is (un-bloggable expletive). We need to change now. They have a nice laundry list of the issues - Education, Iraq war, falling infrastructure, no future on "job-scene", (interestingly) climate-change etc. Whether or not Obama has articulated such positions the abstract concept of "change" seems to have caught on.

On other words, these people are otherwise happy today (with albeit philosophical differences of how the world is run). They care about tomorrow and maybe have an abstract picture of tomorrow should be and they entrust this young person their hope. And they have they right especially for the reasons that they have!

The Educated and the Affluent or Condorcet-Gladstone-liberals: Around September '07 a native-born American male working in the IT industry here told me that "though smart-money is behind Clinton", he thinks that Obama would win and have his support as he "raises the right questions". I listened but (very unlike me) did not comment! I do now realize the truth. A big support for Obama comes from this group - and I call then Condorcet-Gladstone-Liberals.

To understand their support for Obama, one as to understand them (or rather us) is to understand who we are. We are educated with a BS or MS or PhD degrees, most probably, fundamentally, in the Physical Sciences or Technology/Medicine and we come from a primarily middle-class background. They are upwardly mobile but do not forget thier past. They come from small backgrounds and received good public education, scholarships and college. They are the children of Equal Opportunity and therefore feels that the other less-advantaged can join them if there is a little help from the State's helping hand.

And today, they are upwardly mobile and draws inspiration from the global world order - either from the internet or from anything else - the derive their strength from the global exchange - whatever it may be!

They hate the War and the welfare-warfare state the US have become. They feel that the US government must be driven in a Scientific manner and that the US needs to take a lead in the New Tomorrow.

It is herein their support of Barak Obama! Both groups are not really worried about Today. They are worried about tomorrow and want that to be better.

African-Amricans: One end of the day, they are voting for one of their own - even though he is not "black enough" (whatever that means)! But a deeper observation would be that they too are looking for a brighter tomorrow - a role model and feeling that they live in a country where they are not second class citizens but possible presidential candidates. Are they worried about Today? Yes. Would they think that that tomorrow could be better? Yes. And is continuously becoming better!

Now let us study the prime groups supporting Hillary Clinton!

Blue Collor Workers: This is the group the bore the brunt of the neo-liberal world order! Globalization has its winners and loosers, and in the US the traditional manufacturing sector has its loosers. Are they asking the clock be turned back? Maybe not! What the need is some answers for today and their needs as of now. They are not worried about tomorrow but today and their declining real purchasing power. They are looking for an immediate government mandate for Today! They are not looking for philosophy, change or unity but a set of immediate directives for today's existence.

Hispanics: A nice Latina friend of mine was shocked when she found that I'm an Obama supporter. Her immediate comment was: "What will happen to us Hispanics (if Obama is the Prez)? This was early this year! Her feeling was that if Obama comes to power, all hell will break loose on the Hispanic community.

But the deeper sentiment goes on these lines. Elder Latin population remember how much Bill Clinton stood by their community and they are gratefull. Also, Obama did not go door-to-door asking for their votes.

Hispanic votes does break the model, as I proposed. I've been told, but I hope that is not true, the Black-Brown devide is worse than the Black-White divide. Hispanics are the most upwardly mobile community and they would be the natural Obama supporter.

Conclusion: Here is my "final world"? What is liberalism? It is as the name suggests open & free. But as an implementation? Was it during the Clinton years or duing a time that would come? Will liberalism be "saved" and reverted back to its pristine past? Or it is goal to which we are still on a voyage...