I am so sick and tired of those who say Hillary, Obama and McCain are uniters. In reality none of them are.
How would Hillary win moderate Republicans, moderate Democrats, Libertarians and Conservatives? With all her negative baggage.
How could Obama win Conservative Republicans, Moderate Republicans, and Libertarians especially after his putz of a pastor's comments out there and being named the most liberal senator of 2007?
How could McCain win Conservative Republicans with having a secular liberal Jew supporting him? How can he win Libertarians and Conservative Republicans with his votes for Amnesty and Campaign Finance? How can he win Liberal Democrats with his continued support for the Iraq war?
I would love to hear some answers from their supporters.
No President has ever or will ever unite
everyone. But that's not the point. When Barack Obama talks about uniting the country, he talks about toning down the partisanship in Washington and working together to tackle the big questions and get things done. He also talks about inspiring people. He'll never inspire everyone, but he might inspire a lot.
I don't know if either of the two other candidates particularly put themselves out there as uniters, but there's cases for them too.
McCain has worked with Democrats of all stripes numerous times in the past to get (or try to get) things done, and I believe he'd probably succeed in doing so as President. He'll face problems though on the war. People will refuse to compromise on other issues because he refuses to compromise on the war. Then he's talked tough on spending, so if he keeps his promise to "make famous" those who engage in pork spending, then he'll likely make a lot of people who might otherwise work with him pretty angry.
Hillary... well... the first Clinton administration wasn't exactly the greatest example of how to work together and get things done. There was certainly no uniting to speak of. But, if you listen to Republicans talk about her work in the Senate, you get a sense that they believe she would be willing to work together with them and compromise on some issues. Maybe they'd just rather face her than Obama in the fall, but you certainly get the sense that she's become more of a centrist on a number of issues.
In terms of personality and rhetoric, I'd say Obama is most likely to be able to unite partisans and get things done, and most likely to inspire everyday people to do things that our last few Presidents couldn't.
McCain has proven that he will work together with Democrats, but he has a lot of problems. One, sure... he's work with Democrats, but will he work with Republicans? Two, he's got a temper problem. Three, he's not particularly a likeable guy. Maybe others disagree, but he does nothing for me, so he's not likely to inspire me to do anything. Maybe he'll inspire miltary types and give us confidence on security issues though. Four, his issues (spending and the war) are issues on which he seems very unlikely to compromise.
Clinton has probably the weakest case of the three, I'd say. You hear some rumblings that she'll work with people but she's about as likeable (or less in some circles) than McCain. Then she's got that reputation, that she herself puts out there, as a fighter (not good if you want to unite). Then the major issue, that you have seen the opposite from her husband.
