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Only 525,600 minutes later ... Wednesday, Mar 12, 2008 By David Sanders Time can be dubious. A year ago, political players, both national and local varieties, faced a different set of circumstances. Oh, what a difference a year can make. Let's take a look at them, then, and now. -New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer: Last year, the crusading and more often than not heavy-handed former attorney general of the Empire State was getting comfortable in the chief executive's office. It was assumed that he would bring his particular brand of moral certitude to bear on his state's government corruption. I always found him to be a little more than slightly tyrannical. Now, Gov. Spitzer, who may soon be former Gov. Spitzer, appears to be as corrupt as some of those he helped take down with new revelations that he participated in a high-dollar prostitution ring. This story can only get bigger. -Hillary Clinton: This time last year she was riding high as the inevitable Democratic presidential nominee. She was busy running a general-election style campaign - she didn't want to put herself at a disadvantage when she began running against Republican Mitt Romney. The tables have turned. Now, it is highly doubtful that Hillary will be her party's nominee - unless something drastic happens. She and her husband are left to carve out whatever political advantage they can find. The most recent example is their very undemocratic - small "d" - argument to seat the delegates from Florida and Michigan, even though Hillary only won those states because the other candidates followed the rules and did not campaign there. But, hey, when have rules ever mattered to the Clintons? -John McCain: Last year, he had begun the slow decent into irrelevance. It seemed at the time that the other Republican candidates, with their upward trajectories, were running roughshod over the senator from Arizona. Now, this modern political equivalent to Lazarus is riding high as his party's nominee. By riding high, I mean that the Republican nominee should be tanking due to President Bush's historically low job-approval numbers, but McCain is defying convention. In fact, in some head-to-head polls he is beating his potential Democratic opponents. What else can this guy do? -Barack Obama: Last year, he was a well-spoken novelty. Do you remember people referring to him as "articulate?" He was still learning the restroom locations in the U.S. Senate and in no one's mind was he a real contender for the Democratic nomination. Now, math makes it all the more likely that he will be the nominee of his party, which has led some to speculate that he will win in November. Beware the Ides of March, especially when the Clintons are involved. Closer to home ... -Gov. Mike Beebe: Last year he could do no wrong. The state's first Democratic governor in more than 10 years was basking in his first legislative session as chief executive. The state's billion-dollar surplus made his hopes and dreams possible. He cut the state's grocery tax in half and promised to cut more in the future. Now, Beebe is stumbling all over himself in his attempt to raise taxes. In the process, he has managed to tick off the most of the legislative branch by cutting them out of his negotiations on his plan to increase taxes on the state's budding natural gas industry. The governor looks a little illogical in his approach to economic policy. He has given away millions of dollars in state incentives to attract jobs paying below average wages, but wants to use the taxing power of the state to increase costs on the natural gas industry, which has been the biggest job creator in recent history. If he isn't careful, this time next year he may find himself facing the prospect of a well-funded Republican opponent ready to give him the electoral challenge of his life. What a difference a year can make. ------- David Sanders writes twice weekly for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock and is a host of the Arkansas Education Television Network's "Unconventional Wisdom." His e-mail address is DavidJSanders@aol.com. |
