Memo Re: Hillary in New Hampshire

"I was ahead in the slalom. But in the second run, everybody fell in a dangerous spot. I was beaten by a woman who got up faster than I did. I learned that people fall down, winners get up, and gold medal winners get up faster." --Bonnie St. John, who became an Olympic championship skier despite having lost a leg as a child

Hillary Clinton's win in New Hampshire shows she can get up fast. The gold medal of presidential politics is still 48 slaloms, a convention, and a general election away with lots of dangerous spots along the way.

Our primary system is bizarre and not the epitome of a democratic process. Nevertheless, the competition strengthens all its contestants. True to form, Clinton has shown herself to be one of the fastest learners around.

Whether she will be the contestant who gets up fastest over the long haul remains to be seen. But that's the way I'm betting.

Comments

[bronceye]

Fiddle dee. Miss Scarlett (Sen. Clinton) will do whatever it takes to keep Tara (White House) in the family. Sympathy, sending her husband to defend her and choreographed human (almost tears) moments. Fiddle Dee.

[converse]

But is it fair competition? Obama is the first presidential candidate to run against a two-term president since Wendell Willkie vs. FDR in 1940.

Part of the reason for the 22nd amendment, limiting the president to two terms, is to control the awesome power that is developed after eight years in office, power that can control elections, power that can turn around 10-14 point leads in one day.

[DrSpecter]

Did anyone else notice Obama NOT blaming the voters? Not blaming the state (as the Clintons had even done in New Hampshire??) Not playing the racism card as Hill had done with sexism? Not attacking Hillary for voting to pass bills that he and most of the Dems in the Senate had voted to pass? Not going ballistic on his own campaign team?

Despite what the pie charts might indicate in the Clinton campaign offices, it wasn't any of those things that got Hillary her three point victory. Stoic New Hampshire voted for experience instead of vision. Congratulations, Hillary. You seemed to need it pretty badly.

[Micaanab]

She talks of "35 years of making change" yet we still are waiting for it. She says her healthcare plan is the answer when she was given the chance to fix it in the 90"s and she didn"t. She says only she can break down the bitter party lines yet as soon as she feels she"s losing in the primaries she lashes out at her own party.

Everyone knows we need change. We need to send a message to congress to shape up. They can"t go on feeling the voters can"t do anything about the political party lines that can"t be broken. We need to send a message to the world we are not happy about what our government has done over the last eight years. Can we actually do this by electing someone that has 35 years of bickering with the opposing party?

If we elect someone that has a chance of breaking the party lines, we will have the experience of the whole congress working for us instead of half of them working for their own party.

[OhgReaTone]

Well written. Hillary's victory in New Hampshire is the best thing that could have happened for the Democratic Party and for America. A little healthy sparring before the big fight is always useful.
Ohg.
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/01/09/hey-hillary-you-go-girl/

[givemycountryback]

Get back up from what? She isn't down just because an opponent won one primary. The media is controlling this whole process as usual. I personally could care less what happened in Iowa and Hew Hampshire, why are these so important? They are small states. We are having a Michigan primary which I am more interested in right now. It is time that the process stopped looking to these 2 primaries as the rosetta stones. While I love New Hampshire, I can't believe anybody could vote for John McCain, he is insane.

[KenoshaMarge]

After a week of unrelenting attacks voters in New Hampshire decided that more of them wanted Hillary than want Obama or Edwards. As an Edwards supporter that doesn't look good to me. Rational voters refuse to be swayed by either the Obamarama dog and pony show or by the Nothing Hillary ever does is right or authentic screed.
If there is one thing Hillary Clinton has shown over the course of the years it's that she can take a punch. Obama and his supporters whine every time it even looks like someone is going to say something negative about them.
I think John Edwards destroyed his chances when he suggested that the Democratic race was down to two people and that was Obama and Edwards. Now he can't complain because Senator Clinton suggested in her victory speech in New Hampshire that is was now a two person race with those people being Clinton and Obama.
As for the tears? Get over it! This is a human being, much as Hillary haters would like to pretend it isn't so. And liberals that are so obsessed with the tears should go sit in the corner with Bill Kristol who is also sure that all the women in New Hampshire that voted for Clinton did so out of pity. That's pretty insulting to women in general, don't you think?

[nuana]

this just in-
"The real reason for the reversal has been reported - it was a last-minute smear mailer by the Clinton campaign. The story: The Illinois Planned Parenthood asked its supporters (including Obama) to vote "present" instead of "no" on a number of anti-choice bills, in order to give cover to moderates so they could also vote "present", thus blocking the bills. The Clintons sent out a last minute mailer (which Obama had no chance to respond to), saying that he had repeatedly refused to stand up against anti-choice bills. The President of the Illinois Planned Parenthood is livid."
A woman manipulating women's issue to get women's votes...Sleaze by any name begets Hillary 'Lyndon B Johnson reborn' Clinton.

[Rocku]

None of this means anything until super Tuesday. It has been overanalysed and parsed... a "much ado about nothing" scenario. If we were choosing candidates on substance Richardson would be in the lead, but alas, we seem to be choosing by celebrity - again!

If you thought your rights got trashed under Bush, just wait 'til Hilary gets in!

[SCharb]

Get back up? I doubt crying again will have quite the same effect... that was a one-time trick.

[mommadona]

Herding Cats 108:

Once the hissing and growling is done - watch out.
A silent cat is a very dangerous cat.
Focused, and claws bared.
Expect the worse, hope for the best.

(Anyone else just wish they'd discuss the PARTICULARS of their plans like ADULTS?)