Posted on 06/01/2006 4:01:02 PM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
June 1, 2006
For the second day running, Chris Matthews has run a Hardball segment entitled "Does Hill Fit the Bill?" It's his way of asking whether Hillary Clinton would make a good presidential candidate, and, presumably, by play-on-words, whether she's up to the political standard set by Bill.
While Matthews hasn't squarely answered his own question, he clearly seems skeptical about Hillary's personal and political qualities.
His first guest on the topic this evening was the urbane Roger Altman, Hillary adviser and a Deputy Treasury Secretary in the Clinton administration. Matthews grilled Altman on Hillary's hawkishness.
Matthews: "A lot of people in her party, maybe four out of five Democrats, especially New York Democrats, are against this war. Think we never should have gone into Iraq. Hillary on the other hand OK'd the president's authority to go to Iraq and has subsequently stuck to that position, that that was a decision that she still honors, believes in, is by most standards a hawK. How can she lead a doveish party as a hawk?"
And later: "A lot of people, especially Democratic activists, who care about big issues like war and peace, are going to remember that when it got to the critical point of decision, she went with the Joe Liebermans and the Jane Harmans, she was one of the hawks, where most of the party stood with opposing the war. You don't think that's going to be a problem for her in the primaries?"
Things then took a more personal turn.
Matthews: "Does Hillary have a sense of humor?"
Altman, the good soldier: "Yes, she does. She has a good sense of humor." End of response!
And then, Matthews: "What are Hillary's hobbies?. I'm sorry, do you have any idea what her hobbies are? What does she do besides think about the public, public policy and issues and politics and all that, does she have some other Hillary world out there that we should know about to understand her fully?"
The guests in a subsequent segment were Dem strategist Hillary Rosen and GOP consultant Ed Rollins, who's working for KT McFarland - who is vying for the Republican nomination to oppose Hillary for her Senate seat.
Matthews panned Hillary's speech at the just-concluded NY state Dem convention: "I thought her speech wasn't too good yesterday. She was unsure how to use whatever notes she had. It just seemed to be be an odd day not to be prepared if it was such a big hype."
He had unkind words for her stagecraft as well. "What's all the dancing and clapping about? Why does she come to the platform clapping and dancing? What's the celebration about?" It does seem that Hillary has all the stage spontaneity of a member of the North Korean parliament.
All in all, it's not too hard to read between the lines: Matthews believes Hillary is out of touch with her party on Iraq, the biggest issue of the day. On a personal level, he apparently sees her as a humorless cold fish whose idea of a fun day off is reviewing Ira Magaziner's old plans for national health care.
But if Matthews is turning thumbs down on Hillary, who's his man to replace her at the top of the 2008 ticket?
"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
Hillary's hobby seems to be that of a practicing pitcher; hurling objects. Gotta keep the arm limber, ;-).
For the love of God. Don't Watch Matthews. Period. End of story.
Just don't watch. He'll soon go away.
"But if Matthews is turning thumbs down on Hillary, who's his man to replace her at the top of the 2008 ticket?"
Russ Feingold.
Hey, I love HPL! Don't go dragging him into Hillary's whacky world. In comparison, Cthulhu is far more down-to-earth and, in all likelihood, would make a better president than Hillary.
I totally agree that this is all staged to get her out of the early "front runner" position that has doomed so many.
Aha!
my haiku
Chunky chicken thighs.
A lack of all that is good.
Hillary blows goats.
This whole topic is a waste of time. We have no ability, zero, to influence what happens in the Rat party. It will nominate whoever it nominates. We need to concentrate on winning the 2006 election, then on supporting the most electable conservative for '08. Speculation about Hillary is a diversion from our real tasks, fun though it may be.
Personally, I find her candidacy a very boring subject.
By spreading pigeon poop?
"What are Hillary's hobbies?
Baking cookies, and standing by her man.
No, I don't. Not the way it appears she got them. Too many destroyed, blackmailed, deceased in her wake....
at great tax-payers expense - who wouldn't want to travel if the bill was picked up by others
It's the Kennedy's against the Klinton's and Matthews is on Kennedy's side.
Golleee
That's a mouthful - and every word TRUE.
anyone got one of the photos of the college hippy skuz? (To look at those photos and think "THIS thing clawed, burned, blackmailed, shoved,...her comrade hide to the position she is in now???"
She's 'connected', if you know what I mean.
Right!
I had forgotten that. The two camps loath each other
Which explains why Dodd is out there. Kerry is out there. Kennedy too. They're determined to end the legacy of Klinton before she ever gets to the White House.
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.