Posted on 12/01/2007 7:08:28 AM PST by jdm
Everyone expressed gratitude and relief at the end of the hostage crisis yesterday in Rochester, New Hampshire, when police arrested the disturbed man who created it. No one got hurt and a sick man will get the care he needs, and the community will receive protection from him as well. It demonstrated the competence and patience of the Rochester police department in resolving a standoff that only gained national attention because it took place in the campaign headquarters of Hillary Clinton.
Somehow, later that evening, the Clinton campaign decided this makes Hillary look presidential, at least to Larry Sabato and the AP:
And as soon as it ended, Clinton took full advantage of the opportunity she had unexpectedly been handed.
In her New Hampshire press conference, she stood before a column of police in green and tan uniforms. She talked of meeting with hostages. She mentioned that she spoke to the state’s governor about eight minutes after the incident began.
The scene was one of a woman in charge.
“It looked and sounded presidential,” said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. “This was an instance of the White House experience of this campaign. They knew how to handle this.”
That the crisis was outside Clinton's control gave it a rare quality in this era of hyper-controlled politicking, Sabato added.
“What’s most important about it is that it’s not contrived. It’s a real event and that distinguishes it from 99 percent of what happens in the campaign season.”
Er, what? Sabato, who usually gives intelligent political analysis, must have inhaled a little deeply. Clinton was nowhere near New Hampshire during the entirety of the crisis. What was presidential about having the Rochester PD talk a hostage-taker out of a building? What "leadership" did Hillary show in Virginia during this crisis? She canceled a speech!
The AP's Glen Johnson is even worse. He breathlessly describes Hillary's efforts as "continu[ing] to call up and down the law enforcement food chain, from local to county to state to federal officials." The hostages were released within a couple of hours, and presumably their families had closer contacts with the PD, as they live closer to the offices than Virginia. "I knew I was bugging these people," Clinton told the AP, but she wanted to know minute-by-minute what was happening, so she could tell her staff and be prepared for whatever assistance she could lend. Which would be exactly .... what? If the PD wanted to have her call the ersatz bomber, they would know where to find her.
Hillary certainly didn't do anything wrong, but she didn't "take charge" as the AP implies, or look presidential, as Sabato declares. She certainly looks considerably less presidential today in trying to take credit for the professional work done by the Rochester PD yesterday. That looks a lot more like a politician than a President, and we already know her credentials for the former. This incident doesn't provide Hillary any credentials for the latter.
Jim Lynch has more thoughts, and wonders whether the FEC should consider the AP report an in-kind contribution.
Did the AP forget that Hillary was in northern Virginia when all this happened?
Looking Presidential = Taking advantage of a photo-op.
Have you ever heard the saying “timing is everything”?
Oh fer Heavens sake.
Glen Johnson’s AP piece is so much of a suck up that even Mr. Oreck would be impressed. I’d post it but I would have to pluck out my eyes afterward.
So this will be played as Hillary’s 911? After all, what other crisis has she had a chance to display leadership in?
“Did the AP forget that Hillary was in northern Virginia when all this happened?”
Thank GOD she wasn’t reading “My Pet Goat” to elementary school children when this happened!
Can you just imagine the hue and cry from the left?
(I can’t, either)
These people are utterly pathetic. Did they listen to a WORD she said? Her whole speech was about how she listen to them. They are the professionals, she followed their lead.
That could NOT of been any less Presidential if she had tried. The impression people got from this was that she was by stander sitting in the wings while the police did their jobs.
Amen.
But Bush was a coward on 9-11 because he was reading to children when it happened and did not want to alarm them.
Liberals see politics in everything.
The people demand 2 things. What did Hillary know? and when did she know it? Let’s appoint an 11/30 Commission.
Then that almost makes them look complicit.
Exactly....She's now just like Guliani.
But she raced right over to New Hampshire as building were burning and falling and as people were jumping to their death. /s
lol. AP is bending so far backwards for Hillary that I heard a snap.
Yep, the public relations baloney has just begun for Hillary. Rudy dubbed himself a hero for "being there" on 911 and Hillary will dub herself a heroine for "being there" yesterday.
Those two deserve eachother.
As someone said last night:
“REICHSTAG”
And then, we have the sycophants at Daily KOS utterly gushing over her “Leadership” of the situation...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/11/30/2267/4179
Utter, and complete idiots.
Last-Stage Bush Derangement Syndrome is a real Biatch...
Like the Venezueleans have found out, they should be careful, lest they get EXACTLY what they have been hoping for...
I heard the report on the radio .. first with Rush .. later with Hannity ... and I was curious about the event ... it was surreal.
Then, later in the night ... the whole thing came to an end and I saw ..
a guy in a white shirt and tie (and it looked like it was still slid up to the buttoned collar ... ) hmmmm
When the bwitch was being 'interviewed', all I could think of was President Bush delivering his first notice to the country about 9/11.
(Not a quote, but as I understood the words ..)
The people who know these things and know what to do are in charge (I have trusted intel)
I stopped listening at that point ...
I think the CWM (Clinton war machine) got a useful idiot and orchestrated this entire 'event'.
I predict it will all disappear in a week, but the thought of HILLARY ! being (once again) a victim, and overcoming .. will have been planted in just a few more wavering minds.
Remember ... INCREMENTALISM is the mantra and modus operandi of all enemies to America.
Can you just imagine the hue and cry from the left?
That's what I was thinking too.
I wonder if they will investigate EXACTLY what she did for 2 minutes after finding out about he hostage taking and declare she was negligent for not IMMEDIATELY making some strong sounding blabbering statement. ...... I won't hold my breath.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.