City Politics
Hillary Widens Lead
Secretary Hillary R. Clinton is doing what she must do to grab the brass ring in this Super Tuesday series of primaries.
This week, she won Ohio, Florida and North Carolina, demonstrating her strength across a diverse electorate including white blue-collar voters.
She blunted Senator Bernie Sanders’ incredible momentum while striking, as reported by CNN, a very Sanders-like theme in her victory speech this past Tuesday. “She unveiled a retooled message … that simultaneously rationalized her campaign against Sanders and foreshadowed a general election duel with Trump, as she stressed repeatedly she would create jobs as president and stand up for the middle class. ‘We are going to stand up for American workers and make sure no one takes advantage of us, not China, not Wall Street, not overpaid corporate executives,’ she said.”
On the Republican side, the party’s probable wild, impulsive, expletive spewing, huckster has gained ground, although he was trumped by the more gentlemanly John Kasich, Governor of Ohio, who retained his home state for a major win of delegates.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama’s appearance to condemn the tactics of the most vitriolic campaign in the history of American elections, reminded the nation of the grace, statesmanship and command that is generally associated with this office. Just about now – and with less than a year to go before a new President takes control, we already are missing him as we become increasingly aware of the challenges he faced behind the scenes.
This week, the point-gains by both Sanders, on one side, and Trump on the other should warn Hillary that she still has a way to go: what she must overcome ad what she must accomplish before and after husband Bill, the former President, assumes the mantle of First Gentleman.
An opposing view of Hillary Clinton by scholar Michelle Alexander appears on Page 10.