The implicit promise of Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy was that she had learned from Clinton I. In her, Americans would have a candidate who had been in the very center of White House decision-making. And the very fact that so much had gone wrong was added value. She is nothing if not a good learner, and — the story went — she had discovered at great price where all the landmines lay, both in the presidency and her own character. And she had forged a separate political identity in seven years in the Senate. During an era when the challenges to a new president could be sudden and overwhelming — and here Hillary isn't ashamed to play the terror card — she was uniquely prepared to hit the ground running and achieve the greatest do-over in American history.
Now, Bill's role as Chief Attack Dog undermines all that. If he's all over her campaign, he's going to be all over her administration. Instead of the original promise of the thoroughly educated Hillary, we're being offered the worst-case scenario — that the pair of them are going to return to Pennsylvania Avenue and recreate the old Clinton chaos.
A lot of people are O.K. with that. (After all, we've lived for seven years with a disciplined Oval Office that runs like clockwork while it spreads chaos everywhere else.) Only it's not change, it's not a breakthrough moment in American history. It's just a nervous decision that we'd rather go back than risk going forward.
It's a story, all right, with Bill at the center. If Hillary expects anybody to get misty-eyed about the first woman president at the inauguration, she's got to send him home and go back to the original plotline.
UPDATE: more here!
2 comments:
Bill Clinton's arrogance and attacks will cost the Party plenty. His attacks on Obama are a damn embarrassment. For 8 years he stayed "above the fray" while our country went to hell in a handbasket. He never knocked the Bushes while millions of us took to the streets protesting the war in Iraq, Katrina, the GOP's dictatorship and disastrous policies. Oh no Bill was quiet. And Hill even voted along with the disastrous Bush policies. Meanwhile, Bill was complicit and partying with GWHB in Kenebunkport.
Now that Hillary's running, Bill wants his power and limelight back. He isn't sticking up for her because she is his wife. He is doing it for his own ego. If he loved and respected her so much, well... remember Monica?
He is alienating the African Americans and the Unions from the Democratic Party in his own vain pursuit of power. What a jerk he is. The repugnant Blue Dogs believe anyone will vote for them over a Repub, well that may be true with respect to us Yellow Dogs, but we have seen under the Clintons the loss of the South and the Heartland. We can easily lose more of the base because these two ambitious, power hungry, greedy DLC leaders.
Blechh. P.S. I will still vote for her but not in the primary. You know, I am a true yellow dog Dem :)
I hope the Clintons keep on with their current strategy. It's not working in South Carolina (so far), and it's only calling attention to the Clinton's power envy.
The current news cycle is all about "Bill Clinton," and that may have some serious ramifications going into February 5. Especially when you have Dems like Kennedy and Daschle getting peeved.
At this point, a Hillary nomination is good news for the GOP.
BTW, a new photograph of Rezko has surfaced. Guess who has their arms around him? Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Post a Comment