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Talk About Spin (AP says Hillary's handling of hostage situation made her look Presidential)
Captain's Quarters ^ | Dec. 01, 2007 | Ed Morrissey

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.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; News/Current Events; US: New Hampshire
KEYWORDS: ap; bias; glenjohnson; hillary; kneepadpress; larrysabato; nh2008; rochester; yeahright
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To: jdm
"It looked and sounded presidential"

I'll bet she stayed in the Holiday Inn, too.

81 posted on 12/01/2007 8:27:57 AM PST by norwaypinesavage (Planting trees to offset carbon emissions is like drinking water to offset rising ocean levels)
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To: Long Island Pete

And just where was Chelsea Clinton yesterday? Was she jogging somewhere in New Hampshire?


82 posted on 12/01/2007 8:28:23 AM PST by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: Bernard
>>>So this will be played as Hillary’s 911? After all, what other crisis has she had a chance to display leadership in?

Well, having the 'W's removed from the White House Keyboards created a bit of a crisis.

And, I guess, finding a means to destroy the evidence of the silverware was problem solving of a crisis.


83 posted on 12/01/2007 8:29:35 AM PST by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: jdm
The idiot media said the exact same thing everytime John eFfin Kerry didn't stick his foot in his mouth.

Then, like now, I don't see anything that resembles a "presidential" look.

Just another idiot media circle jerk. They'll all say the same thing now for another news cycle.

84 posted on 12/01/2007 8:29:36 AM PST by libs_kma (www.imwithfred.com)
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To: Always Right

Looking Presidential = her security was beefed up.


85 posted on 12/01/2007 8:32:22 AM PST by Let's Roll (As usual, following a shooting spree, libs want to take guns away from those who DIDN'T do it.)
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To: tear gas

You are speaking to an old woman who doesn’t have a crush on Rudy.

I want our forces to salute the President no matter who he is. THe Forces are under the command of the CNC and it doesn’t behoove them to forget that or to show disrespect.

Quit bugging me.


86 posted on 12/01/2007 8:32:27 AM PST by cajungirl (no)
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To: jdm

Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me to find that the perp was a Clinton operative and the whole thing was orchestrated.


87 posted on 12/01/2007 8:33:16 AM PST by RightWingConspirator (Redefeat Communism by defeating Hitlary in 2008)
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To: jdm

What a load of crap she really is.


88 posted on 12/01/2007 8:35:06 AM PST by Radix (If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.)
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To: knarf
I think the CWM (Clinton war machine) got a useful idiot and orchestrated this entire 'event'.

Especially when it was said that people KNEW this individual was MENTALLY UNSTABLE.

How long would it take the Clinton War Machine to find a Mentally Unstable person in a town with a person who was known to be Mentally Unstable? In a town where they might have had a reason to find someone who was KNOWN TO BE MENTALLY UNSTABLE?

Man, I hate to think of this, but the Clintons sh*t in their own nest as far as I'm concerned a long time ago. I can't see, after all they, and their cohorts, have been involved in, how they can ever be possibly redeemed. It troubles me to think of anyone that cannot be redeemed.

Now, I don't only have to continually pray for THEM, I have to pray for MYSELF.
89 posted on 12/01/2007 8:35:12 AM PST by hummingbird (Why CAN'T we end a sentence with a preposition? Who made up that rule? Who?)
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To: hummingbird
chee ... t'anks!

But as you've notated ... it really isn't much of a stretch, is it?

This is the beauty of FreeRepublic ... I feel I can say (almost) anything, and someone will agree with or correct what I've said ... sort of like screaming at the talk show hosts/guests .. and really getting a reply.

90 posted on 12/01/2007 8:35:31 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true.)
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To: EternalVigilance
Crass political opportunism of the ickiest sort. Yuck.

Maybe of the Harold Ickes-est sort?
91 posted on 12/01/2007 8:42:12 AM PST by hummingbird (Why CAN'T we end a sentence with a preposition? Who made up that rule? Who?)
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To: alicewonders
(Church Lady Voice-over) “How conveeeenient!”

Indeed!
92 posted on 12/01/2007 8:44:11 AM PST by hummingbird (Why CAN'T we end a sentence with a preposition? Who made up that rule? Who?)
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To: Calpernia
I said somewhere in the recent past ... that the x42's must get back into the White House.

The Sandy burgler's have done a good job to stay prying eyes ... but there's more work to.

93 posted on 12/01/2007 8:44:56 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true.)
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To: oldbill

I thought Fox’s behavior was stupid.


94 posted on 12/01/2007 8:44:58 AM PST by freekitty ((May the eagles long fly our beautiful and free American sky.))
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To: Porterville
I bet this nut is a plant ;)

Did he ask about pearls?


Absolutely! If you can plant here, why can't you plant there?!
95 posted on 12/01/2007 8:46:22 AM PST by hummingbird (Why CAN'T we end a sentence with a preposition? Who made up that rule? Who?)
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To: jdm
Hillary will never look presidential. And, the fact she hid out hundreds of miles away from a mentally ill man with road flairs taped to him doesn’t help.
96 posted on 12/01/2007 8:47:41 AM PST by jennyjenny
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To: ballplayer
I guess the Sucker Mr sabato drank the Kool Aid because that is exactly what the calculating Bitch wants him to think ,all I see is a Conniving witch exploiting a mentall deranged individual for her own political advancement ala Cindy Sheehan who was also ceremoniously dumped when she srved no further purpose . Nothing would make me happier than to have this backfire in the witches face as she is so Phony when she tries to display this concern and how she was so involved ,what a crock of crap

Your post proves you are smarter and more discerning than above noted sucker, Mr. Sabato.

And the rest of the MSM, too. Kudos and congratulations...I'd take your word before any word by the MSM!
97 posted on 12/01/2007 8:50:32 AM PST by hummingbird (Why CAN'T we end a sentence with a preposition? Who made up that rule? Who?)
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To: hummingbird

A “Reichstag fire” is not beyond the capabilities of Clintonistas, if they thought they could get away with it.


98 posted on 12/01/2007 8:51:01 AM PST by EternalVigilance (With "conservatives" like these, who needs liberals??)
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To: hummingbird

Hitlary Klintoon: America’s female version of Hugo Chavez.


99 posted on 12/01/2007 8:51:02 AM PST by RightWingConspirator (Redefeat Communism by defeating Hitlary in 2008)
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To: jennyjenny

The Hill scurries to NH after the danger is contained!
Larry Sabato will be the chosen ghost writer for the Hill’s memoirs!


100 posted on 12/01/2007 8:52:38 AM PST by iopscusa (El Vaquero. (SC Lowcountry Cowboy))
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