Link Banana

At Slate, Jeff Greenfield takes an interesting look at why politician don’t speak frankly about politics in advertising, and what it would be like if they did. His ad for John Edwards would have been interesting:

I’m John Edwards. Maybe you’ve noticed there’s something different about me. Of course, I’m talking about geography.

Here’s an unavoidable political fact: Since the death of Franklin Roosevelt, the only Democratic presidential candidates who have won a clear plurality of popular votes have come from the South or the border states—the Red States. Our only victors have come from Georgia and Arkansas (and Tennessee, if you count the victory they stole).

All of us—Sen. Obama, Sen. Clinton, and myself—will fight for health care, a fairer tax system, a chance for those who haven’t gotten a chance to live out the American promise. But if we don’t choose a candidate who can compete everywhere, we will never get the chance to do any of these things. Choose me … or lose.

There’s little doubt that the Democratic fight has gotten ugly over the last few weeks. Slate’s John Dickerson has some advice that could probably help Mr. Obama a great deal.

Obama could change the tone by talking about policy ideas, but his biggest, boldest idea is that he’s going to change the tone of the debate. So, whatever alchemy he was going to employ when he became president to solve Washington’s most intractable problems, he should probably employ now to help himself. I’m not setting the bar too high for him. This is the bar he has set for himself.

So, how does Obama do this? As the paradigm-shifter, only he knows. But the answer doesn’t lie in a sharp comment to a reporter or some perfect rejoinder at the next debate, on Jan. 31. He needs a media moment to wrap his response to all of the Clinton claims about him (particularly the fair and reasonable ones) into his bigger campaign themes.

For a similar piece that’s more angry — or honest if you prefer — about the Clintons, try Bob Herbert’s editorial from this morning.