On The Matter Of Dynasties

A question came up at tonight's debate on the subject of dynasties. What's a voter to do who's never known a Presidential election without a Bush or a Clinton on the ballot? Can't deny it, though: Clinton took a tough question and turned it into what could well stand up as the line of the night.

CLINTON: I'm very proud of husband's administration. I think that there were a lot of good things that happened, and those good things really changed people's lives. The trajectory of change during those eight years went from deficits and debt to a balanced budget and a surplus. All those 22 million new jobs, and the hopefulness that people brought with them. And, you know, it did take a Clinton to clean after the first Bush and it might take another one to clean up after the second Bush.

[Watch.]

Comments

[OhgReaTone]

Hillary is not the fulfillment of a Dynasty. Hillary Clinton is the legacy of Bill Clinton's presidency.
Ohg
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/02/02/the-legacy-of-bill-clinton-is-hillary-clinton/

[YEShavesome]

I don't mind Hillary as much as her bitch wife Billy Bob!

Repeat after me "9/11 was not an inside job!"

"HOW DARE YOU!"

[ALMAL]

Some blame BUSHES and CLINTONS ,as dinasties.
I say,it is democracy,
everybody has right to be democratically elected,process is fair,
nobody can say,that senator Clinton got easy ride,
likelly opposite.
President BUSH competed with your guy Kerry
fair too.
isn't all this about equal chances

[frustratedhonestyfreak]

Perhaps a little less one-dimensional thinking could help you understand the point of view of others that this "Dynasty" thing is truly a non-issue in any sense. Frankly, I'm a little tired of the boring "dynasty" you have created by seemingly unending repetitive dynasty comments on this blog...could you please listen for awhile instead of demanding that people listen to you say the same thing? Perhaps the real dynasty is the rich and that there are issues far more relevant to choosing a candidate than their names.

[ALMAL]

Some blame BUSHES and CLINTONS ,as dinasties.
I say,it is democracy,
everybody has right to be democratically elected,process is fair,
nobody can say,that senator Clinton got easy ride,
likelly opposite.
President BUSH competed with your guy Kerry
fair too.
isn't all this about equal chances

[EyeWantOneNation]

Even using the word "Dynasty" would turn most people off !!! But Americans, in general, seem to be willing to give Hillary the benefit of the doubt.

Sorry; I can't do that !!!

The Clinton's and the Bush's have been "tied at the hip" for decades. If you believe putting Hillary in the WH at this point in our history is going to be much different than having GWB in the WH...guess again!!!

Connect the dots: With the Executive Orders put into effect by GWB, the next POTUS will also have those powers - until (and IF) Congress pulls its' head out of its' ass !!!

The thought of Hillary and this Executive power should give EVERYONE nightmares, for sure !!!!

[joel19801]

I just can't believe the Democratic party has embraced this sort of nepotism. I don't think she is the worst person to ever walk the earth, but it makes one nauseous considering this troubling trajectory America could go down. Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton, ugh!

That is why, simply, that Obama is the true agent of change...

[AguynamedWayne]

It was the best part of the whole debate. CLASSIC! (and plus the talk of dynasty is stupid - Americans elect presidents, they are not inherited like a kingship. No one becomes president by birth, you have to get the American people to vote for you).

[oxonhoya]

Why does this discussion almost always devolve into quibbling about what "dynasty" means? Isn't the real issue, the issue that Clinton does not deal with with when she glibly delivers her one-liner, that of what we tell _our_ children. It is increasingly not true that anyone can be President, just like it's increasingly not true that anyone can do a lot of things because of what seems to me to be a more general acceptance that nepotism is OK and that already being in the elite is the easiest way to succeed. To degree this has always been true but I would argue that it is now CELEBRATED in our culture. Study after study shows not only growing income inequality but increasing difficulty of people to achieve any kind of social mobility. Decreased inheritance taxes mean greater wealth transfer at the top.

I don't know or care whether or not the Bush/Clinton power transfer is any kind of dynasty is any technical way, but it is bad for us and bad for America. And I've actually said that about the creep of all shades and variations of Kennedy's into electoral politics over the years as well as the assumption that politicans can somehow 'bequeath' their offices to their children. There's more of it than you think and it's pernicious.

[fnygy]

It's the glib answer she always give to distract from the seriousness of the question. If it weren't serious - she'd simply answer it. Dynasties aren't just undemocratic - they're dangerous. Dynasties breed personal axes to grind - anybody remember - 'he tried to kill my daddy?' The Clintons would bring all that old baggage back to the White House. I'll be casting my vote for Obama on Super Tuesday.

[milo9]

It takes a Clinton to clean up after a Bush? Kinda like "Ground Hog Day".

[InDaZone]

Yeah... the line of the night.

That she's used multiple times before.

[lifelongvoter]

oh please, does anyone really think that Hillary is the best person to be President out of a country of over 300 million? She is a smart lady who works hard. Period. For the life of me I do not see anything "extra" about her. She is where she is because of who she married. To me that is indisputable. I will not vote for her for many reasons, but this one is important. The Bush/Clinton dynasty must end. NOW.

[ScottyRad]

How is this question of "Dynasties" every fair? Bush Sr. was VP for 8 years, President for 4, Clinton President for 8, and W President for 8 more. That's 20 for Bush, 8 for Clinton. Trying to hold Hillary accountable for this is ridiculous and dishonest.

[gevan]

Why hold the Democratic half of the country for the Bush Dynasty? Some mythological creatures, known in some circles as the "Reagan Democrats", were more to blame for the eleven out of the last nineteen years of Oval Offishness.