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EJ Dionne has an interesting piece today on the battle between Obama and Clinton. An excerpt:

Clinton, more than any other Democrat, has been both scarred and toughened by the partisan warfare of the past 15 years, while Obama is unscathed and untested.

This contrast was reflected in their announcement speeches. Obama attacked a politics that "has become so bitter and partisan" and pledged himself to "our common interests and concerns as Americans." Clinton spoke proudly of her ability to take on partisan foes. "I have never been afraid to stand up for what I believe in or to face down the Republican machine," she said. "I know how Washington Republicans think, how they operate and how to beat them."

I suspect this will be the defining difference between their campaigns. Clinton will argue that only she knows how to survive and thrive in our current political climate. Obama will argue that it is time for our entire climate to change.

Although my personal preference is for the second option, I suspect both will prove quite powerful. Which will win? In the end, that may depend on what the other candidates in the race do. On the one hand, Hillary's position could be used to paint her into a corner, positioning her as part of a broken system in need of fundamental reform. On the other, Obama's position could open play right into those "lack of experience" critiques. Ultimately, however, I suspect that it is going to be difficult to find a third way between these two approaches, and as a result, most candidates will have to line up at least nominally on one side or the other. And it will be that dynamic that I suspect will drive the coverage in the early months of the race.

But go back and study your history. Although the 1990's were undoubtedly a moment where the "I know how to survive in this climate" approach worked perfectly, this time around we are at a very different political moment. The cycle is nearing completion, and one way or another we're going to have another transformation. And it will be sooner rather than later.