Comeback Kids
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Senator McCain’s win last night in New Hampshire’s primary, and Senator Clinton’s better than expected showing against Senator Obama, are signs that much of the conventional wisdom about the 2008 race was wrong and, more noteworthy still, examples of that most American of qualities — true grit. In neither party is the campaign over, not by a long shot. But in both cases, the candidates took positions on policy unpopular with their net-roots, only to come out smiling.
On the Republican side, the claim was that the grassroots were angry about immigrants. Mayor Giuliani, Governor Romney, and Senator Thompson pandered, attacking Mr. McCain for supporting a plan to legalize illegal immigrants that they said amounted to “amnesty.” But when it came time to go to the polls, the voters of the Granite State backed Mr. McCain, the most pro-immigrant candidate. To which one can but quote the Granite State motto, “Live Free or Die.”
On the Democratic side, the claim was that the grassroots were angry about the war in Iraq. But Mrs. Clinton, who voted for the war and opposed a precipitous withdrawal, climbed back in the polls against the anti-war candidate, Mr. Obama. She was the more hawkish candidate, opposing Mr. Obama’s plan to negotiate directly with Fidel Castro and President Ahmadinejad. She was also the lower-tax candidate, criticizing Mr. Obama for his promise to raise the payroll tax. In any event, we’re facing a situation where the New York primary, on the February 5 Super Tuesday, could prove decisive.
