June 23, 2008

 

 

Terry McAuliffe, a Democratic Party moneyman and Clinton loyalist extraordinaire, visited Chappaqua, N.Y. today. Asked by your faithful (and tongue-in-cheek) correspondent what possible reason he could have doing so, McAuliffe quipped that there “22 million reasons.” He was referring to the campaign debt of Hillary Clinton, who happens to live here, and whom he was visiting. (Loose Cannon is here this week at Reader’s Digest’s home office). McAuliffe went on to say that Barack Obama could assist in retiring the Clinton debt—and that he should want to do so. 

 

If you are wondering why Obama should want to help his erstwhile rival, the answer came in another number cited by McAuliffe on Monday: 18 million—that's the number of people who voted for Mrs. Clinton in the recently concluded Democratic primary season. Sure, that includes Michigan’s farcical primary (Obama wasn’t on the ballot), and Puerto Rico (which cannot vote in the general election), but let’s not nitpick. The Democrats’ two heavyweight candidates have mutual reasons to help each other; and, apparently, will begin to do so this week.

 

On Thursday, Obama and Clinton are scheduled to share the stage at an event in Washington, D.C., designed to begin the healing—and paying off Mrs. Clinton's campaign debts. On Friday, the two will join again in Unity, N.H. for a rally. Yes, the name of town is too cute by half, but make no mistake: In some ways this event heralds the beginning of the general election campaign, and it takes place in a crucial swing state, where John McCain has been popular. True, New Hampshire has only four electoral votes, but if Al Gore had garnered them in 2000 (and he would have, except for the presence on the ballot of Ralph Nader), Gore might still be president.

 

Which leaves us with one last number: It’s the number one, which is how many times Bill Clinton mentioned Barack Obama in his speech this past weekend in Miami to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. And then, it was only to praise Obama for supporting a Clinton administration initiative. They aren't there quite yet...

 

 

 

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