Barack Attack on Hillary Obama's Way of Showing He's Tough Enough to be President

NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

NewsBusters' mission is that of exposing and combating liberal bias, and that's what I spend the great majority of my time here doing. But I hope our readers -- and my editors -- will indulge me when I offer a bit of personal analysis here.

The outbreak of nastiness between the Obama and Hillary camps -- initiated by comments made by Obama supporter David Geffen and quoted by Maureen Dowd in her column today -- is stunning. For the Obama camp to come out this early -- and this hard -- against Hillary has taken the political world by storm.

For those who didn't catch it, David Geffen -- certified member of the liberal Hollywood elite, billionaire producer and co-founder of DreamWorks, and former avid and generous Clinton supporter and donor turned major Barack backer -- told Dowd:

• "I don’t think that another incredibly polarizing figure, no matter how smart she is and no matter how ambitious she is — and God knows, is there anybody more ambitious than Hillary Clinton? — can bring the country together."
• “I don’t think anybody believes that in the last six years, all of a sudden Bill Clinton has become a different person, [in terms of his personal proclivities] . . . I think [Republicans] believe she’s the easiest to defeat.”
• Most damning was this: "Everybody in politics lies, but they [Bill and Hillary] do it with such ease, it’s troubling.”

Hillary's campaign called on Obama to repudiate Geffen and return the money he's raised on Barack's behalf. But far from backing down, Obama's campaign unleashed this: ""We aren’t going to get in the middle of a disagreement between the Clintons and someone who was once one of their biggest supporters. It is ironic that the Clintons had no problem with David Geffen when was raising them $18 million and sleeping at their invitation in the Lincoln bedroom."

Ouch. For good measure, Obama himself took this shot at Hillary today: " "It is also ironic that Senator Clinton lavished praise on Monday and is fully willing to accept today the support of South Carolina State Sen. Robert Ford, who said if Barack Obama were to win the nomination, he would drag down the rest of the Democratic Party because ’he's black.’"

Double ouch.

So just what is going on here? Part of it is just the typical tactic of a challenger, Obama, trying to dent the aura of invincibility of front-runner Hillary. Nothing unusual there. But I would say there's something more interesting at work. Obama has staked out a strong anti-war position. He flaunts the fact that he opposed the war from the beginning in 2002 when Hillary and most other Dems were voting for it. And he wants us to get out now. Not bad politics for a guy running in Dem primaries. However, even though many Americans are disillusioned with the the situation in Iraq, they still recognize that the war against terror is the most important issue confronting our country. They are not going to vote for a president who they don't think has the toughness to take on America's most fearsome enemies.

That puts Obama in a tough spot. It's fine right now, politically speaking, to be a dove when it comes to Iraq. But if Americans become convinced that Obama is not merely against the war in Iraq, but is inherently soft, he will never be the next president. What's a Barack to do? He has to find some way of proving his toughness. So why not take on what is widely acknowledged to be the toughest political operation around -- the Clinton campaign machine?

I can already hear the cries on the left: "he's equating Hillary with Osama Bin Laden!" No, I'm not at all. I'm simply saying that Obama feels the need to pick a fight to establish his macho bona fides. Taking on Hillary and her establishment serves the dual purpose of taking the sheen off the front-runner, while demonstrating that Barack Obama has the gumption required of a Commander-in-Chief. And I think that explains, in important part, why Obama has gotten so tough, so early.

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net

[governsleastgovernsbest]

That's not entirely so. In his own words, as mentioned in the article, Obama said today: "It is also ironic that Senator Clinton lavished praise on Monday and is fully willing to accept today the support of South Carolina State Sen. Robert Ford, who said if Barack Obama were to win the nomination, he would drag down the rest of the Democratic Party because ’he's black.’"

That's a pretty tough shot.

[RVN Airplane Driver]

It seems interesting to see that the ignorant politicians on both sides of the isle can't understand that in their greed and quest for power...they destroy themselves. This Hillary the,original - charlie uniform november tango vs obama bin laden may be a model of that!!

[paulat]

Miss D...I love you to death. I don't know that there's a poster with whom I agree more....

However....

The only thing I disagree with you on:

I don't like the "Big Ears" comments. It the easy-out for people who can't debate ideas.

My favorite Prez had "Big Ears," and was mocked for his appearance:

Obama is sensitive about his physicality. What woman or man isn't?

I don't know why our side wants to focus on this, and not the issues.

This is just me, for what it's worth.

[Txsleuth]

Yes he did.

I think he will be like this until the primaries are over...THEN he will be a cheerleader all of the time for Hillary.

[Bahbah]

I applaud any damage he can do to that woman. They want to be co-presidents again and I do not want that.

[paulat]

Hi, sleuth! it's me...thought you might want to see my thougths in #23....

...just me...no biggie....

[Two Thirds Vote Aye]

LOTS and LOTS of gays are married with children. I don't give a @#%#@$% rip if obama husein bin laden is gay or a transvestite. The sonovabitch is a CLINTON socialist and, if elected, is going to bring horrors to this country.

[Txsleuth]

All I said is that he and Hillary have thin skin....I have thin skin also...but, I am not a politician.

I think politicians with thin skin are like beacons to the other candidates.

I think the reason Pres. Bush has done as well as he has is because he isn't thin skinned.

John McCain has VERY thin skin...and it gets him in trouble...Rudy doesn't.

I really don't think what I am saying is an insult...just reality.

[paulat]

Sleuth...I'm not sure you're responding to my post. All I was talking about was the "Big Ears" stuff.

[advertising guy]

nope, lol......BUT Hillary has lost this election. This is Obama's to lose. The $$$$$$$$ is and will severly dry up for Hillary. Secretly Washington and the drive by's are yellin' internally for Obama and are scred FOR LIFE of Hillary. Especially of Hillary as a president. They know the power she would yield and especially at people accessible to her.

With Obama the socialist liberal elite think like American Idol these days.Find a voted winner (clean,articulate,ethnic) , crown him and MOLD HIM via movies, yv and drive by media............

[NobleEagle2004]

What Species is That!

[Vinnie]

..South Carolina State Sen. Robert Ford, who said if Barack Obama were to win the nomination, he would drag down the rest of the Democratic Party because ’he's black.’"

State Sen. Ford made the statement.

Barack merely pointed out Hillary's collusion with him.

[frankjr]

Gov. James McGreevey was married with kids too. What's up with that?

What evidence would you like? Photos? If so, what size? 4x6 or 8x10?

[Celebratelife008]

watching the demorats canibalize one another is going to be great sport...here we go!!!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

You're saying you have such proof? I doubt it. If you did, you wouldn't be offering them to me. You could sell them to the highest bidder and become a millionaire.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

For Barack to say "It is also ironic that Senator Clinton lavished praise on Monday and is fully willing to accept today the support of South Carolina State Sen. Robert Ford" is a pretty tough attack to come out of Obama's own mouth.

[John Semmens]

Democratic Presidential Candidates Trade Barbs

The two current frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination took some shots at each other as the race for the 2008 election heats up.

Barack Obama landed the first blow portraying himself as a fresh face capable of leading a new generation. “America needs a leader with vision and vigor, not a shrill harpy of limited perspicacity,” Obama told a crowd of supporters.

“What are we to make of a senator who voted for the war, but is now against the war,” Obama said. “Didn’t we have enough of this flip-flopping from our party’s candidate in the 2004 race?”

Obama mocked Senator Hillary Clinton’s (D-NY) assertion that she wouldn’t have voted for the war had she known then what she knows now. “One has to wonder how the so-called ‘smartest woman in the world’ could be duped by a clod like George Bush,” Obama mused. “Then I remember, this is a woman who says she was completely ignorant of her husband’s habit of dropping his pants for any woman he could get alone in a room. Is she a liar or a moron? You be the judge.”

Apprised of Obama’s remarks, Senator Clinton belittled his inexperience. “This is pretty brash talk for someone who’s still sucking his thumb,” Clinton retorted. “Do the voters want a person who has already gotten eight years of experience in the White House or some runny-nosed kid? Who do they trust to redistribute America’s wealth for the common good?”

Clinton predicted that she will easily best Obama in next year’s primaries. “I’m already way ahead in the polls,” she reminded. “I will kill him in the primaries. You know, many of those who will vote in the Democratic primaries will probably think that Obama is the leader of the al-Qaeda terrorists that attacked America on 9-11. Between that and the fact that most women will be voting their gonads, his campaign is doomed. He ought to quit before he gets hurt.”

read more...

http://www.azconservative.org/Semmens1.htm

[frankjr]

Money means nothing to me. I defeated the Raam, I am all powerful!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

But you don't have the photos, do you, so what's your point?

[Txsleuth]

If your screen name is descriptive of what you DO..then I surely won't argue with you.

I have already realized that the MSM wants to be the entity that ANOINTS the next POTUS...and come hell or high water it is going to be a DEM, as far as they are concerned.