Hillary and Obama…and Don’t Forget John

Ana, I think Hillary has renounced her support for the war as often as Joe Biden has announced that he’s running for President…She’s also renounced the surgescalation. The question is, what now? Is she for John Edwards’ immediate 50,000 troop reduction? Is she for an Iraq Study Groupish gradual drawdown? The latter, I’d guess. But I really want to hear the details of what she has to say–she has joined Senators Jack Reed and Carl Levin (and now Jim Webb) as one of the smartest Democratic experts on military policy. I think Webb’s formulation is key: that we have to leave Iraq more responsibly than the way we entered it. And so I’m suspicious of flat out assertions like Edwards’ crowd-pleasing 50,000. Which 50,000? From where? What’s the mission for the remaining troops? I sure hope Edwards has the details worked out.
As for Obama, I’m thrilled he’s in–as I’ve written a number of times in my column, it’s time for a new generation of leadership. We Baby Boomers have been dreadful in the public arena. Obama’s the most talented standup politician I’ve seen since Bill Clinton. Big question is lack of experience–but not governing experience, not immediately, although that’s certainly going to be a question down the road. The immediate question is his lack of political experience. He;s never been in a tough race, certainly nothing resembling the length and intensity of a Presidential campaign. How does he take a punch? How does he react when he screws up? Does he get overconfident when things are going well? But his potential to bring freshness, excitement and, I hope, courage to the race is cause for optimism and cheer.