Still Obama's Woman

Bernie Sanders is up against it.

In the debate in Brooklyn, the Vermont senator told Mrs. Clinton "I know you keep referring to Barack Obama all night here, but you in Syria, you in Syria talked about a no-fly zone, which the president certainly does not support, nor do I support....

Advocating a sort of 'donut' reform to Social Security, Sanders argued in a smilar vein, noting Obama "called for lifting the cap, which is now higher- it's at 118- and starting at 250 and going on up."

Throughout the campaign, the guy Brooklyn, NY by way of Burlington, Vermont is facing a steep uphill battle to convince voters that he is the one to build on the successes of the Obama presidency and extend the Obama legacy.

Clinton, arguably, embraced the President even more in this debate than she had previously in the campaing.   "Starting in 2009," she maintained,

as your Secretary of State, I worked with President Obama to bring China and India to the table for the very first time, to get a commitment out of them that they would begin to address their own greenhouse gas emissions.

I continued to work on that throughout the four years as Secretary of State,and I was very proud that President Obama and America led the way to the agreement that was finally reached in Paris with 195 nations committing to take steps to actually make a difference in climate change.

Continuing the theme, she later contended

Well, let's talk about the global environmental crisis. Starting in 2009 as your Secretary of State, I worked with President Obama to bring China and India to the table for the very first time, to get a commitment out of them that they would begin to address their own greenhouse gas emissions.

I continued to work on that throughout the four years as Secretary of State, and I was very proud that President Obama and America led the way to the agreement that was finally reached in Paris with 195 nations committing to take steps to actually make a difference in climate change.

A few days later, Barack rose a man from death.

Of course, her admiration for the President wouldn't stop Clinton from throwing Obama overboard when convenient.  Suddenly, she was merely a bit player. Confronted about the apparently failed Libyan policy, the former Secretary of State charged "And what we did was to try to provide support for our European and Arab allies and partners. The decision was the president’s."

Still, the predominant impression conveyed to Democratic voters of the four years of the Obama-Clinton presidency was that of a loyal servant to a very successful leader on the world stage.   It's a powerful message, given that the incumbent's approval rating among members of his own Party is approximately 81.3 (graph below from the Huffington Post; final figures from current month).   Clinton is clearly distrusted by Americans, but in the matter of devotion to the President, Sanders simply cannot compete.

Clinton's support for Obama and service in his Administration are daunting obstacles in Sanders' way. Considering the pivotal nature of the African-American vote in the Democratic race and the President's popularity among blacks, they may ultimately prove the primary reason(s) for the failure of the Senator to overcome the (former) Secretary of State.

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