Posted on 01/23/2008 9:05:32 PM PST by Roscoe Karns
The Clintons play dirty when they feel threatened. But we knew that, didn't we?
The recent roughing-up of Barack Obama was in the trademark style of the Clinton years in the White House. High-minded and self-important on the surface, smarmily duplicitous underneath, meanwhile jabbing hard to the groin area. They are a slippery pair and come as a package. The nation is at fair risk of getting them back in the White House for four more years. The thought makes me queasy.
The problem is not Hillary Clinton per se or the sharp exchanges and personal accusations that squeamish political reporters deplore. That's what politics is always about. Tough, even nasty conflict is educational, also entertaining. Politics ain't beanbag, as Mark Shields likes to say.
The one-two style of Clintons, however, is as informative as low-life street fighters. Mr. Bill punches Obama in the kidney and from the rear. When Obama whirls around to strike back, there stands Mrs. Clinton, looking like a prim Sunday School teacher and citing goody-goody lessons she learned from her 135 years in government.
I thought Obama did quite well in response, looked strong and stayed in character. But we shall see. He was compelled to play defense and to hope the audience recognized foul play. It's possible the Clintons won on points, simply by making Obama look like a confused young man who had to keep repeating what he had actually said.
The style is very familiar to official Washington, not just among the Clintons' partisan adversaries, but among their supporters. The man lied to his friends. All the time. They got used to it. They came expect it. I observe a good many old hands among the Senate Democrats are getting behind Obama. It would be good to know more about why they declined to make the more obvious choice of endorsing the power couple.
We are sure to see more of Mr. Bill's intrusions because the former president is pathological about preserving his own place in the spotlight. He can't stand it when he is not the story and, one way or another, he will make himself the story. I used to be sympathetic toward Mrs. Clinton on this point. No longer.
She is using her egocentric husband to do the low-road hits for her campaign. He is good at it--a real charmer if you've never seen his act before. Or is Mrs. Clinton's husband using her? People can ask that question without disturbing the principles of feminism.
Evidently, many of the mainstream party faithful want the Clinton team as their presidential nominee. It's their choice, of course. But does the rest of the country really deserve this?
Strange days, when I find myself in agreement with William Greider...
You know people by their enemies. Nation readers are basically communists. The fact that they hate Hillary so virulently tells me that she is the most right-wing presidential candidate in the Democratic Party. Their vigorous defense of Obama tells me that he is the most left-wing person in the race.
I guess in the end “Clinton Fatigue” strikes their erstwhile defenders the hardest when it finally comes.
Looking at the headline , i thought someone posted photos. Oh well .
You’ve got a point there. I notice that there’s no mention whatsoever of any policies in that piece.
A surprising article from The Nation. I loved the “her 135 years in government” crack.
Let’s start saying instead of “Bill Clinton” use/replace with “the disgraced ex-president Bill Clinton.
None of them can be trusted. It seems the Dems have, at last, reaped what they have sown and gotten precisely what they deserve.
You summed it up pretty good, except that Hillary is not very right wing. She's just not as leftist-wacko as Obama. But she's still far more leftist than her hubby. Slick Willy was never the leftist tool his spouse was/is. He did whatever it took to stay in the Office. He's a lib by nature, but he knows that liberalism/leftism doesn't work. His true politics is that of opportunism. His wife doesn't know that liberalism is a disaster. That's why Hillary would actually try to engage leftist policies if elected.
Here's a good one.
Its funny how the comments have devolved into how Bush lied, when the story is all about the Clintons and how everyone knows how much they lie. Keep your beady eyes on the ball folks! Well, if The Nation believes Bill is a big liar, how come they defended the slob for eight years? Its no use fighting this, Hillary is going to be the Dem nominee and poor Barack will join poor old John Kerry in permanent obscurity as a has-been politician who was crushed by the Clinton/Soros/Move-On/Center for Whatever/Podesta/Ickes/CNN/MSNBC machine. Barack is history, and is only getting a small taste of what Billary and pals have in store. When are we going to WAKE UP and move past the Clintons? Huh? Also, Billary is preparing something BIG for the week before Super Tuesday that it will drop on Barack and that will be the story until the votes are cast - its in the works, friends. Count on it.ML/NJPosted by VOLKMEISTER 01/23/2008 @ 5:19pm
The Left is not about policies. It is about Power and only about Power. Policy choices, once an initial hold on Power is attained can be inferred from knowledge of the One Principal- Power, its acquisition, retention, and enhancement.
WE all may well get precisely what the Democrats deserve.
They don’t get anymore left wing than Grinder. Wonder if the left will ever say better Mitt or Mac than Hill and Bill? Nah.....
“I Love reading things like this” BUMP!
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