by Bob Schmidt

Created on: January 16, 2008   Last Updated: March 19, 2008

Barack Obama met the Clinton machine as democratic party career politicians toed the line in the latest spats in the primary elections. The establishment responded as expected to the "call to arms" defending Hillary's right to secure the party's nomination in 2008.

As was to be expected, the Clintons both called in a few political favors as the stiff challenge of Barack Obama strengthened. With the heat rising, Al Sharpton appeared to reassure the African American community that the Clintons both have always supported the interests of the black community.

In addition, Robert Johnson, the founder of BET television, spoke in defense of Hillary. Not only did he defend her, he implied that Obama was busy doing "something" as a youth when Hillary was already working within the Civil Rights Movement. This implication could only reasonably be read one way, that Obama was experimenting with drugs as a youth.

Although this information is part of Obama's admitted history, most potential voters consider this to be "dirty, negative politics". Within the arsenal of machine driven politics, all is fair in love and war. This is war, from the Clinton perspective. The Clinton political war machine is very much alive, greeting Obama at every corner as he campaigns.

When ex-president Bill Clinton went on the stump and declared that Obama's dream of change was only a fairy tale, the final line in the sand was drawn. Disparaging Obama's youth is a dangerous move for the Clinton campaign because the vote of America's youth may be the deciding factor in 2008. The problem with negative campaigning is that damage control can overshadow the validity at the root of the negative comments.

Mr. Obama needs to stick to his vision of a new type of Washington. The nature of the campaign being run against him is the very reason that he is correct when he says that the "old" Washington needs to be turned out of office. When entitlement, and blind faith decide issues so important as our next potential president, it is time to demand change in both political parties.

The voters in this year's election have a unique opportunity to select a president without having to support an incumbent, or heir-apparent vice president who has earned the next shot at being president. If we are lucky, maybe the voters will do the unexpected, and elect someone on their own merits. Should that happen, the United States of America would be the biggest winner of all. Imagine, a president elected because they deserved it!

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