Posted on 09/08/2010 11:18:31 AM PDT by blam
Hillary's Homerun Of A Speech
September 9, 2010
by Tunku Varadarajan
Hillary Clinton speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations September 8, 2010 in Washington, DC.
The secretary of State delivered the best speech of the Obama administration this morning. Tunku Varadarajan on her “new American moment”—and why she’s better than her boss.
Behold the Hillary Doctrine. And heap abundant gratitude—and rose petals if you have them on hand—on the firm, unfussy, deeply reassuring woman who has just offered it up to the world.
In the 20 months since this administration began administering (a verb I use only in the loosest sense), the speech Wednesday morning by Hillary Clinton, delivered at the Council on Foreign Relations, was the first time we have been given an unreserved lift of the heart by any of its members. It was, by far, the best speech of this administration. Whereas her president has frequently wrung his elegant hands, doing the rounds of the world to reassure foreign leaders that America is a cuddly bunny at heart, the secretary of State declared Wednesday that we are all living “a new American moment—a moment when our global leadership is essential.” There was no bowing from her to potentates in robes; there was, instead, a promise that “we will do everything we can to exercise the traditions of American leadership at home and abroad.”
What is so piquant here is not the fact that Hillary understands that Obama is president. It is the growing sense that Hillary would have made a much, much better president than Obama.
Try this for size: “The United States can, must and will lead in the new century.” In order to do that, Clinton promised “a new global architecture,” “built to last and withstand stress.” And in a muscular departure from the way in which this administration—for fear of seeming Bush-like—has been shrinking from the unembarrassed propagation of American values, she uttered these plainspoken, unadorned words: “Democracy needs defending.”
Human rights, too, came in for a robust airing: China was scolded, and exhorted to follow “the rules of the road” in its aspiration to be a great power; as was Russia, for its invasion of Georgia. The message: We may live in a multipolar world, but we have higher standards by far than those who would style themselves as our equals.
Clinton used phrases like “American might,” words that we are more accustomed to hearing from Republicans—words that we’ve come to believe that many Democrats can’t bear to voice. How refreshing, therefore, that she should reach into a vocabulary of pride that most American citizens would applaud.
Hillary Clinton invoked the name of Dean Acheson in her reference to the need for “good, old-fashioned diplomacy,” and there certainly was an air of the Achesonian, of the statesman, about her speech. Good, old-fashioned diplomacy, it should be noted, is in contrast to Obama’s apparent preference for seeing America as a nation like any other, only a bit bigger, richer, and better-armed. Clinton’s “old-fashioned” diplomacy is based, by contrast, on the unquestionable premise that America is the world’s leader. Not primus inter pares; just primus.
In her speech, Clinton referred to the sources of “American might.” The first, of course, is “economic power.” But it is her hailing of the second—America’s “moral authority”—that was so invigorating.
It was Acheson who said: “The most important aspect of the relationship between the president and the secretary of state is that they both understand who is president.” What is so piquant here, in this administration, is not the fact, plain to behold, that Hillary understands that Obama is president. It is the growing sense that Hillary would have made a much, much better president than Obama.
Tunku Varadarajan is a national affairs correspondent and writer at large for The Daily Beast. He is also the Virginia Hobbs Carpenter Fellow in Journalism at Stanford's Hoover Institution and a professor at NYU's Stern Business School. He is a former assistant managing editor at The Wall Street Journal.
This is the second “pro-Hillary” story I’ve seen posted just here today.
The media is definitely trying to prop her up as a replacement for the ever-shrinking Barry O.
Hillary is nothing more than another pathologically-lying Marxist. She is meaner and smarter than Imam Obama, but she supports hard left policies which would continue America’s dissolution. Bob
Hillary is evil, she would be no better than Obama.
That photo of her in “prison orange”... if only...
heh....heheheh....lol.......lolololololololol!
Something is up...this is actually the third story I have read about Hillary’s supposed home-run speech.
Looks like we know what the talking point is.
Man, oh man, how great if she runs against Meathead in the 2012 primary.
***Tunku Varadarajan is a national affairs correspondent and writer at large for The Daily Beast.***
Is he a repentant Journ0lister too???
Obama has lost the “Mandate of Heaven” from the liberals.
A female socialist!....NO DIFFERENCE!
Home run? Swing and a hiss, foul ball, dinker, struck by the ball... perhaps.
From what I understand, haven’t read it, she also veers off to trash some things that don’t concern her.
Hillary is every bit as unqualified to be president as Barack Obama is. Hell, they travel in the same circles, and respect the very same Leftists.
Don’t let this bitch kid you either, she hates our founding principles and wants it taken down too. We aren’t qualified to be the world’s hegemon.
Hillary will say anything to get elected.
The media is definitely trying to prop her up as a replacement for the ever-shrinking Barry O.
There is a definate shift in support by the MSM in recent months. I might go so far as to predict the lame stream media picking up the Birth Certificate story next year.
They are waiting for the moment to knife Obama in the back.
Guaranteed.
How sad is it that we live in a country where the sheeple elected a President that makes Hillary Rodham “FJB” “ashtray thrower” Clinton look like an elder statesman.
}:-)4
She is nefariously married to the first grifter which makes her the second grifter who spawned a child who would be the third grifter. These people are the lowest form of life, far below pond scum.
Gee, the 3rd pro-Hillary article this week, and it’s only Tuesday.
Poor Journ0listers must not be liking their FallenOne’s plummeting popularity ratings to be pushing Hillary over Bho thusly...
Better than her boss? That’s setting the bar exceedingly low.
You got that right.
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