Transcript: David Wilhelm On Why He Endorsed Barack Obama
© National Journal Group Inc.
Friday, Feb. 15, 2008
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National Journal's Linda Douglass sat down with David Wilhelm for the Feb. 15 edition of "National Journal On Air." This is a transcript of their conversation.
Audio of the full show is also available.
Q: I want to welcome David Wilhelm. He was the former campaign manager for Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, also the former head of the Democratic National Committee. Welcome, David.
Wilhelm: Thanks for having me on your show.Q: So you've decided to endorse Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. That must have been a very tough decision for you given that you helped elect Bill Clinton, and given the fact that, well, I guess the Clintons elevated you to the head of the DNC.
Wilhelm: Well, it was a tough decision. Regardless of the decision I ultimately made, somebody was going to be disappointed. Through the years, I've worked a lot in Illinois, lived in Illinois. I've come to know Barack Obama quite well. But you know, ultimately, I think it's important to make a choice, and as hard as it was, I've just come to believe that Barack Obama is the strongest general election candidate that our party has to offer. When you see the doubling of turnout, when you see the energy and enthusiasm and idealism of his supporters -- you know, we can't out-experience John McCain, but I think we can win on themes like change and the future and idealism and appeals to the common good. But anyway, a tough decision. But I'm at peace with it, and I think it's the right thing.Q: You know the Clintons awfully well, having been with them for so many years. Do you agree with what many in the Obama campaign say, that Hillary Clinton is polarizing?
Wilhelm: Well, I don't know about all that. She has proven in New York to be a unifying figure and somebody who has been able to generate support in places like upstate New York where plenty of people thought she would not. So I don't want to really say that. But I guess I would accentuate the positive. Barack Obama has proven in the context of this primary season that he can generate significant support from independent voters and even surprising support from Republicans. The Virginia exit polls showed that 8 percent of Republican voters would vote for Barack Obama in the general election. That is an extraordinary thing.Q: Hillary Clinton has been campaigning very aggressively in your home state of Ohio, and she is making the argument that, essentially, Obama is running on empty rhetoric. What about that?
Wilhelm: Well, I don't think that's the case at all. I think you could go to their Web sites and find not a whole lot of difference in terms of the number of position papers, the level of detail of the position papers.Q: Does he need to be more specific on the stump, do you think?
Wilhelm: I think it's easy sometimes to belittle rhetoric of any kind, but rhetoric moves people. Rhetoric can have great meaning. For example, when people talk about the change that they want, what do they mean? I think they want change in Iraq that is very specific. But I also think they want change in our politics. What do people mean when they say they want change in our politics? I think they mean, they want to break out of the boxes of regionalism and ethnicity and race that we're so often forced to be in. Is that a specific thing or a broad general theme? Well, it's a broad general theme with tremendous meaning for people. When people say they want change, I think they mean, well, I sure would like to be appealed to on the basis of the common good, rather than the constant appeals to selfishness that have been at the core of our political rhetoric in this country for all too long. Barack Obama was out in Wisconsin yesterday. He had a very specific, detail-oriented speech on economic policy and job-creating strategies. But at the same time, I think it's important in a leader that you possess the ability to communicate and the ability to move people to a common goal, and Barack Obama has that.Q: Well, very interesting insights and thank you so much, David Wilhelm, for joining us and giving us your thoughts about Barack Obama.
Wilhelm: Thank you so much.