McClatchy Asks: If Clinton Can't Run Campaign, Can She Run The White House?

stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust

McClatchy Newspapers   |  David Lightman   |   April 26, 2008 11:31 PM

Read More: Clinton, Obama, Breaking Politics News
Show your support.
Buzz this article up.

Despite Hillary Clinton's big win in Pennsylvania last week, the story of her campaign is often one of mismanagement and missed opportunities, and it raises questions about how she'd organize and run the White House.

"There's a certain style to the campaign, and it shows what we might expect in a Clinton presidency: a lot of viewpoints and a messiness," said James McCann, a political science professor at Purdue University in Indiana.

Whether that's a good or bad trait is in the eye of the analyst. McCann called it "policymaking through trial and error," similar to how Bill Clinton ran his administration, which to many was a big success.

But her campaign tumbled from riches to rags to rebounds -- and now to hanging on for dear life. It wasn't supposed to be that way.

Read the whole story here.

 
 

Comments
109
Pending Comments
0

Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to

View Comments:
Page: 1 2 Next › Last » (2 pages total)
- jake666 See Profile I'm a Fan of jake666

How about running her husband? Can't keep his pants up!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:50 PM on 04/27/2008
- PioneerKing See Profile I'm a Fan of PioneerKing

The Clintons are getting beaten by a neophyte.
The Clintons have been bested by a black senator from Illinois, who only has 13 years as elected office experience.
The Clintons have 80 years in politics and a neophyte does better than they have.
It must bite that Obama has energized scores of people to register and vote but the Clintons are not drawing as many new voters, independents and republicans
The Clintons are no longer seen a a power couple but rather as pathetic loosers.
Hillary and Bill have shown America what great liars they are and Americans don't trust the Clintons.
"At the end of the day, all she had to do was open her mouth for me not to believe her," Louis-Dreyfus said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/25/AR2008042503707_2.html?sid=ST2008042504037
Hillary can not win in November people don't trust Hillary, worse they despise her.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:06 PM on 04/27/2008
- AC500 See Profile I'm a Fan of AC500


An even more important question is ... if she can't get the nomination without Bill's greater involvement ... which of them will really be in charge of the White House should they win (which they legally and morally can't ... but for argument's sake). If this is how she's going to 'win' the nomination ... by turning to Bill to get it for her because I believe most Hillary voters are really voting for a return of Bill ... will it be a joint presidency? The problem with a joint presidency is that Bill hasn't been vetted since he left the White House. So before the Super Delegates think to hand the nomination to Hillary ... over and above the candidate who legally and morally won it within the rules of the race ... they had better be damn sure that Bill has been vetted. As it is, Bill poses a huge conflict of interest for Hillary as President. This can of worms hasn't even been opened yet but given Bill's increased involvement in the race, it's high time it was.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:49 PM on 04/27/2008
- factanonverba See Profile I'm a Fan of factanonverba

George W. Bush ran a masterful campaign and was a lousy President. Gore ran a lousy campaign and would have been a masterful President. This argument holds no water. Furthermore, the truth is that Clinton's campaign is now firing on all cylinders and while it may be too late, to ignore the fact that the Clinton campaign has turned it around is frankly stupid.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:52 PM on 04/27/2008
- luvthelaw See Profile I'm a Fan of luvthelaw

Exactly. She has run a terrible campaign. There is no way that she should be behind someone who was virtually unknown at the beginning of the campaign. She had every advantage possible but she was blinded by her own assumptions. If she can't be an effective leader of her own organization, how can she run the country?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:35 PM on 04/27/2008
- drzoon See Profile I'm a Fan of drzoon

The bottom line is:

Nobody is more hated in this race than Hilary.

and that is something she has done to herself.

if you ask her... its everyone else's fault. but.. she is responsible for her own negatives

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:14 PM on 04/27/2008
- MariaHopeful See Profile I'm a Fan of MariaHopeful

It is about freaking time that question was asked by SOMEONE in the MSM !

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:07 PM on 04/27/2008
- OrangeMocha See Profile I'm a Fan of OrangeMocha

Here here! How a candidate runs their campaign is the greatest indication of what their White House would be like -- and the MSM ignores that for flag pins.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:12 PM on 04/27/2008
- halyscomet See Profile I'm a Fan of halyscomet

Finally! The MSM has gotten around to reporting that one whose campaign has virtually gone bankrupt TWICE has NO chance of successfully running the Federal Budget.

Likewise, the fact that a Senator who had a 16-year Brand Name headstart, began her campaign with $100 Million and 250 Super delegates, initially controlled the Media Coverage, AND is married to a former President is LOSING to a Senator with NONE of those built-in adavantages is no less than a crrying shame. The clintons have had their chance. Time to Moveon...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:51 PM on 04/27/2008
- SaddieMcCall See Profile I'm a Fan of SaddieMcCall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1SovbQR0jE can she win with all this baggage that she has not explained yet?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:19 PM on 04/27/2008
- marc1antony See Profile I'm a Fan of marc1antony

Hillary made this statement when Bill was president which gives us a view of the Psycho that some would elect:

"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president." -HRClinton

OPERATIVE WORD: are - not Bill is the president, yes, this is one psycho.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:38 PM on 04/27/2008
- RanTheMan See Profile I'm a Fan of RanTheMan

If one didn't already known Hillary's political history, one might have thought that she was a relative neophyte thrust into the public eye very quickly, utilizing a hastily formed campaign force.
Just as if one didn't know Obama's political history, one might have thought him to be the seasoned national campaigner with a well-oiled machine behind him.

She threw out every lesson she had learned from Bill's campaign in the early 90s because she either thought, or was convinced by sycophants, that she was inevitable.

Sorry Hillary, I cannot trust anyone not fully in charge of, and watchful of their campaign, to run the Oval Office..

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:13 PM on 04/27/2008
- mspiglet See Profile I'm a Fan of mspiglet

"...."She's had more incarnations than the Dalai Lama, and she's not as well-liked," William Curry said... "

....good one!
She compulsively fabricates every aspect of herself, so there is no "there" there to vote for. I'd be casting a vote for an apparition.

My hero won't be a ghost.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:00 PM on 04/27/2008
- TNT2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of TNT2008

Wonderful question! It astounds most of us that she can claim to bring people together yet she is dividing her very own party. It took me a long time to realize just how polarizing this lady really is; it's a shame that she is in self destruct mode and refuses to allow any one to reason with her.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:03 AM on 04/27/2008
- personalpolitical See Profile I'm a Fan of personalpolitical

She can't, obviously.

Not to mention we have seen how much the Clinton's value loyalty and punish the unloyal and reward the loyal...Bush does the same thing. That is why he came into the White House surrounded by his incompetent cronies from Texas, because he was rewarding loyalty. The Clintons would reward their friends in the same way, and this is where all the money Bill gets from business interests all over the world comes in, suddenly these people get jobs in high places as rewards, or maybe just more deregulation, maybe some contracts, or maybe just some presidential pardons in advance.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:27 AM on 04/27/2008
- IntelligentDesign See Profile I'm a Fan of IntelligentDesign

No she can't!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:18 AM on 04/27/2008
- eurydice See Profile I'm a Fan of eurydice

She is certainly qualifiied to run around the White House, slamming all the doors.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:34 AM on 04/27/2008
- urbanscorpio88 See Profile I'm a Fan of urbanscorpio88

Finally, someone has had the guts to call her out on her campaign mismanagement. If she can't run her own house, how is she gonna run an entire continent.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:09 AM on 04/27/2008
- Lemeritus See Profile I'm a Fan of Lemeritus

"...how is she gonna run an entire continent"

Um, I think Canada might have something to say about that.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:29 PM on 04/27/2008
- McFlipFlop1 See Profile I'm a Fan of McFlipFlop1

Hillary's Ego

I'm such a movie star
Everybody knows me
Watch me smile, see my hair
Aren't I bright?

Aren't I something to see?
Don't you like me?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:00 AM on 04/27/2008
- ggmome See Profile I'm a Fan of ggmome

Plain and Simple... If Clinton can't reign in her husband, what could she do with the Terrorist?

Another thing, would her egocentric husband PERMIT her to be President, when he won't PERMIT her to run her camppaign? PERMIT being the operative word here. Mc Cain front stages his Wife for show and tell, haven't hear a peep out of her yet, Hilliary is permitting Bill to actively speak for her more than she speaks for herself

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:55 AM on 04/27/2008
- eurydice See Profile I'm a Fan of eurydice

Simple. she'll just wave a piece of paper, and yell "Shame on you, Terrorist!"

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:35 AM on 04/27/2008
- FortuneTeller See Profile I'm a Fan of FortuneTeller

LMAO...Hil(l)arious

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:17 PM on 04/27/2008
- marc1antony See Profile I'm a Fan of marc1antony

LOL!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:16 PM on 04/27/2008
- SaddieMcCall See Profile I'm a Fan of SaddieMcCall

Maybe she would challenge the terrorists to a debate?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:11 PM on 04/27/2008
- SuiginTou7 See Profile I'm a Fan of SuiginTou7

But she won't be sure if they were muslins as far as she knew

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:53 PM on 04/27/2008
- harriscrl3 See Profile I'm a Fan of harriscrl3

She can run the white house but I do think it will be ineffective there'll be a lot of anger and animosity amongh her and other members of goverment. Here's how I think she will run it. If people dont agree with her she will INSULT them like she does Obama's supporters. If she can't get something pass she will nihilate those who disagree like she did when she said Obama has not passed the commander and chief test. She will be a Tyrant and Imperialist who doesnt care about balancing the budget who won't pay her bills and then dont forget her true nature as a liar. She will be lying like crazy. Thats what I get from her campaign and what will happen in her White house. I also expect a lot of staff changes in her administration and a lot going to the press talking about her and how she runs things. Just bitterness in her staff.

Carol

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:53 AM on 04/27/2008
- EBK See Profile I'm a Fan of EBK

If she would become the Democratic Nominee, how does she intend to campaign against John McCain while seated at the defendant's table at the Peter Paul v. William J. Clinton, et al. trial in California?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:32 AM on 04/27/2008
- Lemeritus See Profile I'm a Fan of Lemeritus

I realize Flip Wilson used to say that "A lie is as good as truth if you can get someone to believe it", but, EBK, you're becoming positively Bush-esque regarding the Peter Paul case, Hillary Clinton is not a defendant.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:38 PM on 04/27/2008
- MaineMike See Profile I'm a Fan of MaineMike

She is listed as a defendant here:

http://www.paulvclinton.com/060817_second_amended_complaint.swf

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:24 PM on 04/27/2008
- Lemeritus See Profile I'm a Fan of Lemeritus

Thanks, MaineMike. My understanding, however, is that Hillary Clinton was removed as a defendent and that a California appeals court refused to reinstate her as such as late as October 2007. (see: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3738672). I believe Peter Paul intended to appeal again, but I haven't heard that he was successful. If he has prevailed, I will be most happy to apologize.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:23 PM on 04/27/2008
- OrangeMocha See Profile I'm a Fan of OrangeMocha

The case is about fraud in fundraising for HILLARY's Senate campaign.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:15 PM on 04/27/2008
- truthyguy See Profile I'm a Fan of truthyguy

If Clinton can't run campaign, can she run White House? NO

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:15 AM on 04/27/2008
- dutchess2 See Profile I'm a Fan of dutchess2

A good question.

There's transparency... and there's the constant constant leaks from the Clinton White House..

There was absolutely NOTHING that went on in the White HOuse while the Clintons lived there that we didn't not find out...more than we wanted to know...

Then we got the Bush White HOuse... Cheney's energy policy, dictated to us from on high, secret meetings we still don't know who attended... All those time the gay prostitute checked in when there was no press conference he was attending... secret service has no record of who he was there to see... dozens and dozens of things decided behind closed doors and never leaked, until someone runs into a newly bricked up hallway, or some new moat they did not know was being dug...

so if its controllling the news out that marks a good white house, no, the Clintons cannot run it and they have demonstrated that time and time again.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:12 AM on 04/27/2008
- NeoAmerican See Profile I'm a Fan of NeoAmerican

While it is true that Senator Clinton has no visible leadership qualities, why should it matter? I have always thought she was simply a front for Bill Clinton's 3rd term to subvert the 22th Amendment. This is the main reason I regard the sexism accusation as so spurious. He is the one who would be president in all but name.

What we should be concerned about is Bill seems to be losing it. From his statements, he appears only slightly behind McCain in his dotage.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:46 AM on 04/27/2008
- 2CoolCats See Profile I'm a Fan of 2CoolCats

She's so punch-drunk on the thought of having more power that she's willing to do anything to win the nomination. But people are really listening to her now and are coming to realize just how big of a lunatic she really is.

If she can't keep herself out of debt, just think about how much more a whole we're going to be in if she gets elected president. It's really frightening.

But she won't win.

OBAMA '08

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:07 AM on 04/27/2008
- viking50 See Profile I'm a Fan of viking50

AMERICA do you really want to have a first posible female president to have treathen to obliterate a third world country.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:49 AM on 04/27/2008
- Liam See Profile I'm a Fan of Liam

What does Clinton being female have anything to do with your argument?

Liam.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:36 AM on 04/27/2008
- Flagal See Profile I'm a Fan of Flagal

This is the most telling question, is it not? Senator Clinton with her feared political war machine a husband who was President (and hugely popular before South Carolina)has not only been unable to close the deal, she is losing the nomination with no real way to legitimately win it. Her nagatives go up daily. Hillary had everything going into this race....name recognition, a foundation in the big states, the ultimate war machine, big money backers, etc...yet Senator Obama continually closes the gaps or outright wins. He has won twice as many states. A man who was unknown to most of the electorate, a man who is African American, a man who has a Muslim sounding name. This is the real story of this election cycle.
I am not sure Barack Obama can beat Senator Mccain in the general election. I am sure John Mccain would trounce Senator Clinton.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:02 AM on 04/27/2008
- missjabez See Profile I'm a Fan of missjabez

Several months ago, despite my doubts about Hillary Clinton, I figured I could vote for her. Although I thought she was as likable as a slab of granite, I thought her policies were solid and I took it for granted she would run a decent campaign.Needless to say, I have been very surprised. I think her campaign has been even nastier than George W. Bush's. Her only agenda seems to be destroying Obama. The chaotic state of her campaign shows her lack of judgment and executive ability. I also agree that her her Plan B is to "obliterate" Obama so he will not stand a chance defeating McCain in November. Then Hillary will reaappear on the scene in 2012, ready to save the day. I don't think Democrats are going to fall for that scheme.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:55 AM on 04/27/2008
Page: 1 2 Next › Last » (2 pages total)
Comments are closed for this entry

You must be logged in to reply to this comment. Log in