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Dull Hillary stumbles and the memory of Bill lingers on
The Daily Telegraph ^ | May 24, 2006 | Francis Harris

Posted on 05/24/2006 12:24:18 AM PDT by MadIvan

Hillary Clinton may be the Democratic front-runner for the presidency but she seems to have a lot to learn about campaigning for the White House.

In a weighty speech to journalists at the National Press Club in Washington yesterday, the senator squandered an opportunity to shine before a critically important audience - the journalists who will present her to the public if, as expected, she declares her candidacy for the 2008 nomination.

It began well enough. Resplendent in a lemon yellow two-piece and expensively bejewelled, her star power was plain the moment she entered the room. Everywhere, necks craned for a sight of the immaculately coiffured New York senator.

But then she lost it. The half-hour speech was achingly dull, a meandering lecture on energy policy which left the audience stifling yawns.

It was hard not to recall the charisma of her husband, Bill, the former president, and Mrs Clinton seemed to sense things had not gone well.

As she droned towards the finish, she looked out at a silent, glassy-eyed audience and acknowledged that her speech was a little unusual. "I know this is probably more wonkish than many of you had anticipated," she said, moments after offering her plans for something called geologic carbon sequestration. "But I feel very strongly about it."

There was a murmur of laughter but only minutes earlier some of those at the breakfast meeting appeared to have slumped into unconsciousness.

Others stifled yawns, held their chins in their hands or stared at the carpet or ceiling. By the time two women peace protesters made their predictable intervention on Iraq (and were predictably carried out by Mrs Clinton's burly secret servicemen) the assembled journalists had largely stopped listening.

The melee did at least open the way for questions. Mrs Clinton was asked: "You're here to talk about energy, but most people are here because they think you will run for president." She affected surprise before offering a cautious and well-rehearsed answer, claiming that she didn't think about such things.

However preposterous her response (she has raised more than £10 million for a senate re-election battle which will cost far less), there was a respectful silence. But everyone laughed when she was asked what she would like to be remembered for if her career ended now. "I don't want it to end now," she said.

That sort of ambiguity feeds America's fascination with Mrs Clinton.

Yesterday a 2,000-word examination of the Clinton marriage in the New York Times, produced no firm conclusion other than Mr Clinton remained by far the better public performer while she was "starchy". Her performance yesterday did nothing to overturn that notion.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arkansas; US: New York
KEYWORDS: boredom; hillary; politics; us; weirdbill
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To: monocle
"I know this is probably more wonkish than many of you had anticipated," she said, moments after offering her plans for something called geologic carbon sequestration. "But I feel very strongly about it."

Isn't that what the left criticized the president for while he was trying to sell Medicare reform to the public?

61 posted on 05/24/2006 9:24:59 AM PDT by cake_crumb (Drugs? Illegals? Legalize and Tax 'Em All, Right? Right??)
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To: jebeier; r9etb
"IIRC, it was not described as something that could 'hang'...."

"Certainly, it would not hang well..."

Without a lead weight attached to the end....

62 posted on 05/24/2006 9:33:22 AM PDT by cake_crumb (Drugs? Illegals? Legalize and Tax 'Em All, Right? Right??)
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To: monocle
Hillary's certainly "wonkish" when it comes to foreign policy speeches, as she was a few months ago. During serious student protest against the mad mullahs and violence being used to put them down, she insisted that Iran was a great country, the first Islamic democracy and women were treated well.
63 posted on 05/24/2006 9:38:48 AM PDT by cake_crumb (Drugs? Illegals? Legalize and Tax 'Em All, Right? Right??)
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To: MadIvan

I'm still laughing at this.........
There was a murmur of laughter but only minutes earlier some of those at the breakfast meeting appeared to have slumped into unconsciousness.


64 posted on 05/24/2006 10:28:44 AM PDT by IrishMike (Democrats .... Stuck on Stupid, RINO's ...the most vicious judas goats)
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To: MadIvan
"She doesn't fool me, nor anyone else here. Her bewilderment and rage at people like us is also symptomatic of her idiocy" -----

****

"I think for me, the sickest and scariest kind of rage is the Hillary Clinton kind of rage. You know, the perpetual permafrost smile she wears that's hiding a well of fury deeper than Barry White's voice during a bout of pneumonia." -- Dennis Miller

"What can you say about Hillary Clinton that hasn't already been muttered under somebody else's breath?" -- Dennis Miller

****

I really think the roots of Hillary's paranoia and anger go back to her childhood when her father gave her a toaster and radio as bath toys.

65 posted on 05/24/2006 10:44:07 AM PDT by beyond the sea ("If you see strange men lurking about in groups of three - especially in North Carolina, RUN!)
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To: reagan_fanatic
...and she will declare her candidacy. I bet a friend of mine $100 that she will if you can believe it. Yes, I will probably lose but I just have a feeling she cannot resist doing something on that date. Anyway, all I know is I feel sorry for the kids who will be born on that date. You just know somewhere in this world their is going to be some nutbag parents who are going to name their kid Damien.

"Yes it`s true I tell you. My parents named me Damien, but then I was adopted by the Kennedys and re-named William Kennedy Smith."


66 posted on 05/24/2006 1:07:02 PM PDT by Screamname (By God, pray for me, someone help me please! Hillary is my Senator! HELP MEEE!)
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To: Screamname
...and she will declare her candidacy. I bet a friend of mine $100 that she will if you can believe it.

Oh, I believe you'll collect on your bet. She'll declare, but she won't win the election. There is no way someone who polarizes the electorate as much as she does will ever be elected to the nation's highest office. No way.
67 posted on 05/24/2006 1:20:39 PM PDT by reagan_fanatic (Support American sovereignty - boycott employers of illegal aliens)
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To: jebeier

I think you're exactly right, and that a good way to combat her strategy is to get out there predicting her moves based on knowledge of her playbook.

However, I don't think she's as nimble as John Riggins or Earnest Byner (though she DOES show a propensity for changing course!).... But then again, I bet she has the thighs!


68 posted on 05/24/2006 5:14:09 PM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: Gondring
Look for the Sistah Souljah around about July 1, 2006.
69 posted on 05/24/2006 6:24:38 PM PDT by jebeier
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To: MadIvan

shillery's voice grates, cracks and cackles. The beast's vocal chords must be three sized too big to warble like that.


70 posted on 05/24/2006 6:26:47 PM PDT by bannie (The government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend upon the support of Paul.)
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To: EQAndyBuzz

She can "win." clintons cheat.


71 posted on 05/24/2006 6:36:12 PM PDT by bannie (The government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend upon the support of Paul.)
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To: Dilbert56
When she Runs, Just For Fun Mind You, we need to have Big Signs "HILLARY !! COME OUT OF THE CLOSET !! at every major appearance, cause she like carpet........
72 posted on 05/24/2006 6:41:41 PM PDT by cmsgop ( Please ! For The Love of God Verizon !!! NO MORE MICHAEL McDONALD !!!)
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To: bannie

She can't Win...


73 posted on 05/24/2006 6:42:37 PM PDT by cmsgop ( Please ! For The Love of God Verizon !!! NO MORE MICHAEL McDONALD !!!)
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To: cmsgop

I don't worry about her popularity...I just worry about the cheating part.

I truly believe that billyblytheclinton did NOT win the second election.


74 posted on 05/24/2006 6:45:15 PM PDT by bannie (The government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend upon the support of Paul.)
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To: MadIvan

Run Hillary Run!


75 posted on 05/24/2006 6:52:44 PM PDT by PGalt
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To: YaYa123

On the floor of the Senate, today, she was wearing a bright pink 3/4 length coat over her crusty black pants.


76 posted on 05/24/2006 8:29:01 PM PDT by lakey
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To: DejaJude; MinuteGal; Mia T
What I would really like is a picture of Hillary holding up that headline, "Bush Knew" on the floor of the Senate while calling for an investigation of 9/11. I saw it on TV, but haven't seen a photo anywhere.

You and me both! I have searched for hours and not seen it on the 'net. LOL, one of my searches today brought up a whole bunch of Mia T's posts about this very subject.

The pic seems to have been erased as if she were some Russian empress. I have taken consolation by posting as a keyword here on FR, "HILLARYKNEW."

Mia, have you ever found the pic?

77 posted on 05/25/2006 3:26:39 AM PDT by Watery Tart (I'm FINALLY opening up that bottle of champagne! freudenschade baby! -- overeducated DU poster)
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To: MadIvan
If anyone wants to see Hillary give her speech it's on C-Span's recent program list.

I watched for about a minute. It's so boring that's all I could stand.

78 posted on 05/25/2006 3:59:21 AM PDT by Atlantian
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To: Watery Tart

Not sure. Will look....


79 posted on 05/25/2006 5:03:57 AM PDT by Mia T (Stop Clintons' Undermining Machinations (The acronym is the message.))
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To: George W. Bush
I think most any personable Republican can beat her.

Dang! I sure wish we had one of those.....

80 posted on 05/25/2006 7:50:29 AM PDT by Onelifetogive (Freerepublic - The website where "Freepers" is not in the spell checker dictionary...)
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