The Democratic Presidential primary is reminiscent of the George H.W. Bush versus Bill Clinton race

[Samantha]

Running for his second term in 1992, George H.W. Bush was riding high in the foreign affairs arena. The salient issue I remember propelling him to that high was his decision to ride his horse into Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. With a coalition behind him, ride he did and win he did. The Kuwaiti people to this day regard him as a hero.

That invasion was labeled "The Gulf War" at that time, and some say set the precedent for George W. Bush's* later invasion of Iraq, subsequently called "The Second Gulf War."

But in 1992, Bill Clinton was popular with a certain sect of the voting public, most of whom I remember being much younger than George H.W. Bush. Those who argued against his election said he could never win, always pointing to his lack of experience on an international level.

At one point in time, Bush aides perceived Clinton might in fact overtake Bush and deny him his second term. One Clinton biographer wrote that Clinton had been privately approached by Bush aids to let Bush in fact serve a second term. After that second Bush term, Republicans would lie down and virtually give Clinton a free ride to the Oval Office in 1996. Clinton declined. He felt his chances were pretty good because the economy was not serving well many people in this Country, and those people favored Clinton.

"It's the economy, Stupid."

Many people were stunned to see George H.W. Bush lose to Bill Clinton who in their perception had zero political gravitas. What those people failed to grasp that given the choice of voting for a President who fought to save a foreign country at the expense of allowing this Country to vastly deteriorate was a no-brainer. They chose to vote for the candidate they thought would pay more attention to the condition of this land than the land over in the Persian Gulf. Clinton was the one who would improve their everyday life, and thus he prevailed.

(Side note: Ironically, in 1993 it was President Bill Clinton who defended George H.W. Bush against Saddam Hussein's plot to assassinate him.)* http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/iraq/timeline/062793.htm

I see a lot of similarity in that race and the contest between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. And for the same reason Bill Clinton prevailed over George H.W. Bush, voters will ironically choose Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton. He is the one who will put food on their table and keep a roof over their heads.

Politics is after all personal. JMHO

Sam


*not supported by later Pentagon report....