Obama vs. Clinton: What Tips the Scales

Watching some Democrats kick around Mrs. Clinton has grown into a sad spectacle.

Hillary Clinton would make a fine president and I think all reasonable people know that. She would make a better president, offering more constructive policies protecting more Americans, than McCain could ever hope to. Her problem is that Americans, in any given election cycle, can become inflamed with a true passion for change that can only exist in a country like ours. She does not represent that change as well as Mr. Obama does. In spite of her superior capabilities in many areas, Obama would still move into the White House with more foreign policy experience than George Bush had when Bush and his brother stole the election in 2000.

Americans can put up with a lot. After these past eight years, they have proven that they can put up with more than anyone ever imagined. However, that cannot hold forever.

What Mrs. Clinton has that Mr. Obama does not have, Mr. Obama can get. What Mr. Obama has that Mrs. Clinton does not have, she can never get.

Which one is the best hope at defeating McCain, who sounds more like a Bush brother with every passing day?

Comments

[Stormymalone]

Congratulations, Alec, on a fantastically well-turned phrase that says it all: "What Mrs. Clinton has that Mr. Obama does not have, Mr. Obama can get. What Mr. Obama has that Mrs. Clinton does not have, she can never get." Priceless.

I do feel as if the management failure of Hillary's campaign has looked a lot like the management failure of the Iraq war. Shock and Awe followed by "Awe Shucks, why didn't we see that coming!" Very scary incompetence in a potential head of state.

[NAMI]

Alec should indeed be congratulated.
this post is PRICELESS just like master card.
THE PROBLEM with Hillary is the type of people she pays to help her.
Just look at Mark PENN with his 3 million plus salary.
SHOW ME YOUR FRIENDS, AND I WILL TELL WHO YOU ARE.!!!

[knixphan]

I agree - that's the quote du jour!

[RedSt8r]

"What Mrs. Clinton has that Mr. Obama does not have, Mr. Obama can get."

Cankles?
A pathological meglomaniacal philanderer spouse?
a 50%+ negative perception rating?

"What Mr. Obama has that Mrs. Clinton does not have, she can never get."

Cocaine use in the 80's? No...
Sex w/ women? No...
OH!!! A black daddy.

[NAMI]

a black daddy who left obama to be raised by white mother and grandparen­ts.....
RedSt8r...­.are you a racist?

[RedSt8r]

I would never choose someone for a position based upon race alone. I would select them based upon the content of their character.

Apparently that, and about 40 lbs, separate me & the little pig's papa.

[knixphan]

hmm...I think that's a 'yes'

[HARMONIAMUNDI]

Thoghtful and well written.
If Obama chooses CHUCK HAGEL
(or Colin Powell) for a VP running mate, the Republicans haven't a prayer of winning in November..­.

[pdsimdars]

That's a bad idea. Why ruin the ticket? McCain has no chance of winning anyway. And by all I have seen so far, Obama has much better judgement than to make such a poor choice for running mate.

[knixphan]

Obama could win against McCain with Pauly Shore on the ticket!

And you just KNOW the debate gloves will finally be off. Barack won't have to exercise the restraint he's been showing against Bill Clinton's wife. He can use all of his wit against the plodding GOP.

We just have to get in the street and make noise every time they debate. It'll be a mini-revolution!

[GreatGoodKid]

Alec, are you saying that Hillary has the best chance of beating McCain? What the hell does your last line mean? The previous line was a much better closer.

[BritPatJax]

Watching how someone deals with a poor defenceless animal tells you a lot about a person. Either one of these two will be better at that than Bush. The world has seen how this great nation has sunk. Now it will rise again.

[eggman]

Alec, could you refer to these folks as Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama rather than Mr. and Mrs.? Otherwise, good post.

[in4success]

hillary doesn't intend to change shit:

Hillary Clinton and John McCain are two presidential candidates who have something in common. The Nation reports that they have not signed a statement supporting "the restoration of basic Constitutional principles after the battering they have taken during the Bush-Cheney era."

Every Democratic candidate except Hillary Clinton has supported this pledge during the campaign. Needless to say, the Republicans have not. The sole exception among the Republicans was Ron Paul who signed a similar statement from a conservative organization which also defended the Constitution.

[NAMI]

WELL, THAT IS NEWS TO ME........­..REAL BAD NEWS.
WHO IS HILLARY ? A REPUBLICAN HAWK ?

[laughingcoyote]

well said ..He will learn on the job ...but really isn't that how we all learn ..i am a psychologist and after 6 years of graduate study i was only beginning to learn...i give him to Day ..oh...fiv­e to start gettin' the hang of it ...and he will be good !!! GOBAMA !!!

[vsign]

The WSJ says it will be white working class men who decide the Ohio and Texas races.

The time has come. I am really proud of every single individual white man who steps up to support Hillary.

We really need a grownup to have the red button.

This is the generational divide. This is what it feels like to have our young people turn against any of us over 50.

Vote against Obama. Vote against a person who is so inexperienced to be dangerous.

This year - The Best Man For The Job Is The Woman.

[ltfcrazy]

I am a working class white man and I voted for Obama. I voted for him for the exact reasons Alec gave. She cannot make the speeches that get the people to pick up the shovels to move the mountains that we need to move. She cannot do what Obama can do with his mere voice. I know all you Hillary supporters love her and so do I, but we have a LOT of mountains to move and she will serve us better as a senator who pulls the levers of power that President Obama is going to need pulled to get legislation passed. Alec said it quite well."What Mrs. Clinton has that Mr. Obama does not have, Mr. Obama can get. What Mr. Obama has that Mrs. Clinton does not have, she can never get. That is the only reason I will ever need. Without inspiration you get no perspiration. She may be inspiring to you, but clearly the majority disagrees at this point in time.

[decibelJONES]

You're nuts.
I had to cut 800 words out of this reply but you'll get the idea.
Below is a summary of Senator Obama's legislative record in the US Senate.
and this is only in the Senate mind you.

First I list the bills he sponsored that have become law.

Next I summarize the bills that he has sponsored or cosponsored since he became a US Senator in 2005.

I have only included major pieces of legislation and have not summarized continuing resolutions or naming post offices, for example.

His record suggests several priorities and the bills he supports address many of our most pressing problems.

Most of his legislative effort has been in the area of Energy Efficiency and Climate Change (25 bills), health care (21 bills) and public health (20 bills), consumer protection/labor (14 bills), the needs of Veterans and the Armed Forces (13 bills), Congressional Ethics and Accountability (12 bills), Foreign Policy (10 bills) Voting and Elections (9 bills), Education (7 bills), Hurricane Katrina Relief (6), the Environment (5 bills), Homeland Security (4 bills), and discrimination (4 bills).

Of the 15 bills Senator Obama sponsored or co-sponsored in 2005-7 that became law:

Two addressed foreign policy:
Promote relief, security and democracy in the Congo (2125)
Develop democratic institutions in areas under Palestinian control (2370).

Three addressed public health:
Improve mine safety (2803)
Increased breast cancer funding (597)
Reduce preterm delivery and complications, reduce infant mortality (707).

Two addressed openness and accountability in government:
Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (2488)
Full disclosure of all entities receiving federal funds (2590)

Two addressed national security
Extend Terrorist Risk Insurance (467)
Amend the Patriot Act (2167)

One addressed the needs of the Armed Forces
Wave passport fees to visit graves, attend memorials/funerals of veterans abroad (1184).

Of the 570 bills Senator Obama introduced into the Senate during the 109th and 110th Congress (Senate Bill numbers are in parentheses), they can be summarized as follows:

25 addressed Energy Efficiency and Climate Change
Suspend royalty relief for oil and gas (115)
Reduce dependence on oil; use of alternative energy sources (133)
Increase fuel economy standards for cars (767, 768)
Auto industry incentives for fuel efficient vehicles (1151)
Reduce green house gas emissions (1324)
Establish at NSF a climate change education program (1389)
Increase renewable content of gasoline (2202)
Energy emergency relief for small businesses and farms (269)
Strategic gasoline and fuel reserves (1794)
Alternative diesel standards (3554)
Coal to liquid fuel promotion (3623)
Renewable diesel standards (1920)
Reducing global warming pollution from vehicles (2555)
Fuel security and consumer choice (1994, 2025)
Alternative energy refueling system (2614)
Climate change education (1389)
Low income energy assistance (2405)
Oil savings targets (339)
Fuel economy reform (3694)
Plug-in electric drive vehicles (1617)
Nuclear release notice (2348)
Passenger rail investment (294)
Energy relief for low income families (2405)

21 addressed Health Care
Drug re-importation (334)
Health information technology (1262, 1418)
Discount drug prices (2347)
Health care associated infections (2278)
Hospital quality report cards (692, 1824)
Medical error disclosure and compensation (1784)
Emergency medical care and response (1873)
Stem cell research (5)
Medical Malpractice insurance (1525)
Health centers renewal (901, 3771)
Children’s health insurance (401)
Home health care (2061)
Medicare independent living (2103)
Microbicides for HIV/AIDS (823)
Ovarian cancer biomarker research (2569)
Gynological cancers (1172)
Access to personalized medicine through use of human genome (976)
Paralysis research and care (1183)

20 addressed Public Health:
Violence against women (1197)
Biodefense and pandemic preparedness and response (1821, 1880)
Viral influenza control (969)
End homelessness (1518)
Reduce STDs/unintended pregnancy (1790)
Smoking prevention and tobacco control (625)
Minority health improvement and disparity elimination (4024)
Nutrition and physical education in schools (2066)
Health impact assessments (1067, 2506)
Healthy communities (1068)
Combat methamphetamines (2071)
Paid sick leave (910)
Prohibit mercury sales (833, 1818)
Prohibit sale of lead products (1306, 2132)
Lead exposure in children (1811, 2132)

14 address Consumer Protection/Labor
Stop unfair labor practices (842)
Fair minimum wage (2, 1062, 2725, 3829)
Internet freedom (2917)
Credit card safety (2411)
Media ownership (2332)
Protecting taxpayer privacy (2484)
Working family child assistance (218)
Habeus Corpus Restoration (185)
Bankruptcy protection for employees and retirees (2092)
FAA fair labor management dispute resolution (2201)
Working families flexibility (2419).

13 addressed the Needs of Veterans and the Armed Forces:
Improve Benefits (117)
Suicide prevention (479)
Needs of homeless veterans (1180)
Homes for veterans (1084)
GI Bill enhancement (43)
Military job protection
Dignity in care for wounded vets (713)
Housing assistance for low income veterans (1084)
Military children in public schools (2151)
Military eye injury research and care (1999)
Research physical/mental health needs from Iraq War (1271)
Proper administration of discharge for personality disorder (1817, 1885)
Security of personal data of veterans (3592)

12 addressed Congressional Ethics and Accountability
Lobbying and ethics reform (230)
Stop fraud (2280)
Legislative transparency and accountability (525)
Open government (2180, 2488)
Restoring fiscal discipline (10)
Transparency and integrity in earmarks (2261)
Accountability of conference committee deliberations and reports (2179)
Federal funding accountability and transparency (2590)
Accountability and oversight for private security functions under Federal
contract (674)
Accountability for contractors and personnel under federal contracts
(2147) Resctrictions awarding government contracts (2519)

10 addressed Foreign Policy:
Iraq war de-escalation (313)
US policy for Iraq (433),
Divestiture from Iran (1430)
Sudan divestment authorization (831)
Millennium Development Goals (2433)
Multilateral debt relief (1320)
Development bank reform (1129)
Nuclear nonproliferation (3131,977,2224).

9 address Voting/Elections
Prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections (453)
Voter access to polls and services in Federal elections (737)
Voter intimidation and deceptive practices (1975)
Senate campaign disclosure parity (185)
Require reporting for bundled campaign contributions (2030)
Election jamming prevention (4102)
Campaign disclosure parity (223)
Presidential funding (2412)
Integrity of electronic voting systems (1487)

11 addressed Education
Increase access of low income African Americans to higher education (1513)
Establish teaching residency programs (1574)
Increase early intervention services (2111)
Middle school curriculum improvements (2227)
Public database of scholarships, fellowships and financial aid (2428)
Summer learning programs (116)
TANF financial education promotion (924)
Higher education (1642)
Build capacity at community colleges (379)
Campus law enforcement in emergencies (1228)
Support for teachers (2060).

6 addressed Hurrican Katrina
Hurricane Katrina recovery (2319)
Emergency relief (1637)
Bankruptcy relief and community protection (1647)
Working family tax relief (2257)
Fair wages for recovery workers (1749)
Gulf coast infrastructure redevelopment (1836)

5 addressed the Environment
Drinking water security (218, 1426)
Water resources development (728)
Waste water treatment (1995)
Combat illegal logging (1930)
Spent nuclear fuel tracking and Acountability (1194)
Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.­726.IS ]

4 addressed Discrimination
Claims for civil class action based on discrimination (1989)
Domestic partnership benefits (2521)
Unresolved civil rights crimes (535)
Equality or two parent families (2286)

4 addressed Homeland Security
Judicial review of FISA orders (2369)
National emergency family locator (1630)
Amend US Patriot Act (2167)
Chemical security and safety (2486)

[YellowPanties]

You have successfully slayed the beast and driven a stake through the heart of the "Obama is dangerous" crap.

Thanks for posting that information.

[thomas37]

Doesn't anyone remember what the Clinton Whitehouse was like? It made George and Martha screechings look like a tea party ( and I don't mean Washington). Forgetting Bill's escapades, do we really want four more years of episodes like cattlegate, or travelgate, or filegate, or the Vince Foster flap, or Whitewater and the MacDougal's, or the Lincoln bedroom rentals, or records under the bed, or the pardon's for contributions and the sketchy influence peddling. When she brags that she has been vetted, perhaps, what she really means is that she has never been indicted.

[YellowPanties]

Ignorance.

After an off-the-leash witch hunt and $60 million spent, Starr came up with practically nothing (one indictment). That is after turning the Clintons' lives inside out, examining everything in the biggest fishing expedition in history.

None of those "gates" merited the name. No scandals aside from an extra-marital affair existed. It's all Republican jive you are spouting.

I am voting for Obama because he will make a better President than Clinton, but I don't need Clinton to be denigrated or dragged through the mud, or lied about.

We, as Democrats, should be proud of Obama, Clinton and of course Edwards.

[kaplan88]

I totally agree!

[AnninCA]

That's Hillary Hating rhetoric of the Republicans which Obama has unleashed in torrents.

That's the Rovian tactics you claim you loathe.

That's Obama-speak now.

[xwex]

Thank you Alec. I have been torn between Hillary and Barack. I agree I think this frenzy for Barack is because everyone is hungry for change and Barack best represents that.

[mmerose]

Comments seem to show a lot of underestimation of Obama's capacity. I guess it's been a long time since "The Paper Chase" was on the air, and there's no widespread zeitgeist to assess just how high is the level of comittment and industriousness, in addition to intellectual gifts, behind Obama's status at Harvard.

Obama has earned his right to be confident the old fashioned way. (to plagiarize a phrase) This comes out in how he has so easily blocked some of Clinton's gambits in the debates.("­And I'm looking forward to having you as an advisor too, Mrs. Clinton.") And off the cuff, notice how quickly he beat her to the punch when the question came up about them as running mates. That's not just words, that's quickness of mind going along with finding the words, and clearly well within his comfort zone of overall strength and confidence.

No matter who Obama faces across a negotiation table,
he will be a formidable presence for the United States.

Obviously, I think Mrs Clinton's strategy to find a way to shake him up in the upcoming debates is a forlorn hope. Because of her long process of psyching herself up as being herself the best and brightest, it may be she really doesn't get that she has more than met her match.

Well, we'll see more tonight.

[mgsorens]

Obama: An empty suit lip syncing a Milli Vanilli tune.

[samuelpablo]

boo-hoo

[puddytat]

What tipped the scales for me was Hillary Clinton NOT returning to the Senate for the Telecom Immunity vote. McCain showed up like a good, goose-stepping Republican to vote yes and Obama showed up to vote no. If she won't stand up for my constitutional rights, how dare she ask for my vote?

[baylaw73]

Seriously. She'll never have a satisfactory answer for that. She's a disgrace.

[timran]

exactly. She showed poor judgement twice on the same type of issue. I don't know what experience led her to that. Add to that her gross mismanagement of her campaign, and I don't know how anyone can view her as an executive.

The primary roles of chief executives are to lead, organize, and make judgements on important issues, usually with a limited amount of information. Obama has excelled at each of these, and she has shown weakness in each of these areas. I can not understand how people still come out and tout her experience. It's not a record that would get her hired in the real world.

She may be a great advocate and friend on issues particular to one group or another, but she's no leader. There's a difference between the two.

[AxelDC]

I had a similar moment when Clinton voted FOR Kyl-Lierberman, authorizing Bush to attack Iran.

She had claimed that Bush duped her into voting for War on Iraq. She then turns around 5 years later and makes the same mistake.

I'd prefer someone to learn on the job than someone who makes the same major errors over and over again.

[Susan1968]

Let's talk about Obama's Flip Flops on Funding the Iraq War.

When he ran for Senate in 2003 and 2004, he continued to oppose the war and said he would "unequivocally" vote AGAINST an additional $87 billion of war funding, which Congress was considering at the time.

But after taking office in January 2005, Obama voted numerous times FOR support Iraq funding, to the tune of more than $300 billion.

The first time Obama voted AGAINST funding for the war was in May 2007 when he had declared his candidacy for president.

Let's do a tally so far:

AGAINST Funding for Iraq War when an Illinois State Senator.
FOR Funding Iraq War when he becomes a US State Senator.
AGAINST funding for Iraq War only last year after announcing running for president.

More Obama flip flopping:

In June of 2006, Obama voted AGAINST a proposal by Senator John F. Kerry to remove most troops from Iraq within a year, calling it an "arbitrary deadline."

Only when he started his run for president did he claim he was FOR a rapid removal of troops from Iraq.

It's not roc ket science -- Obama switched his positions on funding the Iraq War whenever he ran for office.

Against. For, Against. For. Against. For.

Wake up! He's like any other cynical politian.

The amazing part is how early in his political career did he start playing the game.

[K-Dog76]

Susan1968

Wake up! He has more elected experience, more grass roots experience and a lot less scandal that Clinton. Cynical is unlikely, I don't see him as the half empty type. That's Hillary's job, by claiming wanting change is just rhetoric.

Her experience? Walmart, Whitewater, a husband who supported the WTO and NAFTA sending 100,000s of jobs out of the U.S>

Next time you call constomer service and wonder why you are speaking to someone in India, think about Clinton

[baylaw73]

And the next time you can't find a MSM outlet to give you anything but crap, think Bill C. as well. I think people "misunderestimate" what a horrible, horrible thing deregulating the telecom industry is.

[Didi47]

K-Dog:

And next time you want to be thrown out of the hospital and your home after being charged 3 times the going rate (if you're weak and poor that is) thank Obama!

obamatruth.org

[Didi47]

Hey Alec:

What Obama has that Hillary doesn't is: Main Stream Media's non stop "Slur Hillary campaign".

I'm surprized you even asked the question. Haven't you been tuning in?

[AxelDC]

The media bought Hillary's attempt to slander Obama until they discovered that her campaign planted the YouTube videos about the alleged plagiarism. She was caught in a massive lie trying to pull a dirty campaign trick.

I've yet to see the media call her on her intellectual theft, aping Obama's theme of "Change" and her narcissistic perversion of his theme: "Yes She Can".

[eggman]

Yes, it's shameful the way the media has been continually mixing up her photo and name with Osama bin Laden's and referring to her as Hillary HUSSEIN Clinton and suggesting she is a Muslim and saying that many women feel she is "not female enough" to get their vote.

Remember a year ago when the media was saying Obama wore the "cloak of inevitability" and all the other candidates had an uphill battle because he had such a huge fund-raising advantage from big corporate interests? It was only when Clinton started matching his funding totals by getting small donations from real people that she was taken seriously at all. Still, everyone in the media knew Iowans wouldn't vote for her--but in a huge upset victory she managed to get within 10 percentage points of Obama and virtually tie Edwards!! Despite having no name recognition or Democratic Machine support at the start--most people didn't even know her name!--she has inspired hundreds, even thousands of Americans to continually place second in state after state. You'd think the media would notice how she has inspired hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people across the country.

[snesich]

You're so right: Much better to have a record like Hillary Clinton: 100% backing for Bush's war, right from the start, with no twists, turns or deviations.

[YellowPanties]

Point!

[eggman]

Or better yet, like McCain: No end to war in our lifetimes, even though an American could walk safely though a Baghdad market more than six months ago. And get ready to bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran (ha ha).