Absolute Samantha Power Corrupts Absolutely

Thank God Samantha Power has resigned from the Obama campaign. Her style of honest, brash, off-the-cuff statement-making has no place in presidential politics. Political operatives should not say anything other than the talking points handed down from the campaigns' higher-ups. That is what we the viewers and voters want--not unscripted asides of honesty and humanness, certainly not what one of Obama's chief advisors thinks about Ohio. Voters seek canned statements and platitudes like Hillary's "fool-me-once-shame-on-me" line, not outside-of-the-box thinking from Harvard folks like Power. Why? Because these statements have been vetted, battle-tested, and shoved through a focus-group blender and thus must convey to voters like me what the candidates really think.

In an ideal world, advisers and flacks would just read press releases on the air but unfortunately television networks feel they need to mask their operations as news-gathering. Whatever. Thankfully, America is nearing a state of moral bliss when every pundit, politician, and political operative is so straight-jacketed, so guarded against gotcha-journalists with Scottish accents, that nobody would dare use offensive, incendiary terms like "pimping" or "monster" ever again. Phew! American voters are not stupid--naïve, easily offended, yes--but they realize when they are being sold something that is honest and unscripted (Wait, did I just call Americans naïve? Is that offensive?? Should I resign??? Shit!! Wait, was that offensive, too????)

Note to presidential advisors: Please tell it from the memo, not from the heart. We Americans are too frail and easily offended to handle unscripted, candid comments.

Comments

[GLaB]

Mr. Beehner,

What about Samantha Power's videotaped interview where she completely repudiates her own "monster" statement?

Was she being truthful?

[AdamWykle]

Unfortunately for you Mr. Beehner, your opinions are in the minority. She's an incredible woman and it is unfortunate that she resigned when she could've had a chance to restore America's former stature in this world. She didn't win that Pulitzer Prize for nothing. We really don't need more spineless monsters in this world like Clinton.

[tt88]

The firing of S Power says more about Obama than about Power.

[wayoutleft]

just like edwards dumped his bloggers under pressure from catholic thought police. this is why liberals are losers: never, EVER have a liberal watching your back. he will dump you in a heartbeat.

[RogerHWerner]

Powers is pretty incredible and Obama made a mistake in not rejecting her resignation. This country needs more thinkers like Powers involved with politics and fewer the likes of Karl Rove.

[klondiker]

Right....b­ecause the "monster" comment was real, "outside-o­f-the-box" thinking.

And, if anything Samantha Power would have become liability for Obama, so it's good for his campaign that she resigned.

[Grommitt]

If Samantha is such a brilliant analyst and strategist, don't let her go. So she made an indiscrete, albeit true, remark. So what? Politicians make them all the time. A simple, perfunctory apology would suffice.

[agentoris625]

Probably shouldve just called her a cookie monster, then again, i dont want to offend the cookie monster.

[tomcj]

bauersox and YellerDawg are typical of supporters of The Clinton's, Believe me: I used to be a Clinton Supporter. Excuse and attack and wallow in an undeserved self-pity. Poor Bill! All he did was use an intern and then denounce her as "THAT WOMAN!" All he did was make himself wealthy! All he did was what everyone else is doing!

And so Hillary is never accountable for her statements or her promises (200, 000 jobs DOES = a 40,000 job loss; and even if it didn't it isn't her fault' and even if it is her fault, people are just saying so because they are antifeminist. And we know how Hillary feels about an executive taking advantage of an intern his daughter's age and denouncing the girl and telling lies under oath: the truth is a "vast right wing conspiracy!"

Hillary should have denounced the question of Obama's religion. You cannot be expected to know that because the Clinton's treat all of us like Monica's Blue Dress.

And, the fact is that advisers to Hillary, McCain, and Obama are ALL uncomfortable with any set Iraq policy.

If Hillary is elected, the only time the red phone will ring is when Bill makes a deal praising a dictator for a multi-millionaire contribution and The Clinton's need pardons.

And her Health Care will be stupid, unworkable, unpopular with the 54 per cent of the country that is sick of the two of them, good for The Clinton backers financially, and daed-on-arrival.

And you Clinton supporters will rewrite the words to "We love you Hillary. oh yes we do, we don't love anyone as much as you" from Bye Bye Birdie and stand in the rain holding signs with kitties doing push ups that say "Hang in there Hillary!" and feel sorry for her and The Clinton's and Chelsea and Marc Rich and every other millionaire and dictator whose simple dreams of greatness were ruined by Hillary-haters.

Poor Hillary! She is smarter than us and DESERVES to be President!

[wndrwrthg]

One small thing. bill did not "use" Monica, she went into the thing with gusto and glee. There was nothing naive about her. bill sacrifices all to save himself, just look at those in his administration he left hanging in the wind.

[YellerDawg]

Yadda Yadda Yadda. You damn right I am an unapologetic Clinton supporter. Deal with it. You are a hater. I can deal with that.

[Dave01]

I say the Clinton campaign's "demand" for Powers to resign was over the top especially when they accused Obama of acting like the Democrats Monster from the 90's, Ken Starr. Where is the call for Wolfson's resignation? There isn't one, because we all know this is a campaign.

You would think that Powers had called Clinton a Bitch or a "C"-word or something. No! She called her a monster. Lets look at the definition of monster:

1. a person who excites horror by wickedness, cruelty, etc.
2. any creature so ugly or monstrous as to frighten people
3. One who inspires horror or disgust

It looks to me like Powers was just calling a spade a spade! LOL

[danceswithyids]

Or her brash statements to the BBC that Senator Obama would not follow his out of Iraq in six months policy.
Instead she can't say what will happen because Obama wouldn't be in office until 2009.
words matter?

[KimberlyKay]

This statement wasn't brash. Go back and read what Samantha Power actually said about Iraq. The facts on the ground should always dictate the decision making. Is this a ridiculous statement, of course not. If Osama Bin Laden moved to Iraq, should Senator Obama (or anybody else) be required to let him stay? Don't be goofy. This post is correct and I wish Senator Obama could have found a way to keep Samantha Power. I have found Ms Power's statements on Darfur enlightening long before she had a connection to this campaign. I hate to think Senator Obama is deprived of her insight because of this absurdity. Nevertheless, it is the silly season and apparently Senator Clinton, her campaign surrogates and her supporters can level absolutely any insult at Senator Obama or his supporters, but nobody can say anything negative about Senator Clinton.

Well, as somebody who started commenting on these things for the first time this week because I am sick and tired of being called a "cult-following, kool-aid drinking, birkenstock wearing, anti-woman, delusional freak of an Obamabot" I have decided that nobody, not even Senator Clinton, gets to set this double standard. Senator Clinton has no intention of fulfilling any of her campaign promises, unless it is convenient. What do you suppose she meant by a "time out from trade?" Now, that was a truly meaningless phrase if I ever heard one. Does anyone call her on this meaningless, empty promise on something as crucial as trade? No, of course not -- they are all too busy knocking the millions of people who voted for Senator Obama. Senator Obama, on the other hand, has specifically asked the American people to hold him accountable while he is in office. It is one of his campaign requests. Now, between a candidate like Senator Obama who asks us to stay involved and keep watching and a candidate like Senator Clinton who tells us we can go back to sleep because she is in charge, who do you think is most likely to keep their campaign promises??? Hmmm, seems like an easy answer to me.

By the way before you say it, I am a feminist who is also a woman over 40. I have done extensive research into both of these candidates, I hate both kool-aid (always have) and lattes. I don't wear birkenstocks, though I did when I was a teenager more than 20 years ago. I don't have a trust fund. And I am not a robot.

[danceswithyids]

I agree with you and Power, what I don't like to see, as someone who likes Senator Obama, is that he doesn't put this forth in his speeches and in his debate.
I would appreciate cold blunt honesty more than pandering. Clinton does the same. But Obama is running a new kind of politics campaign.
It is wrong on both sides, because there will be a lot of irate people in 2010 when we have almost the same number of troops there and possibly more contractors.

[PKSSK]

Bravo KimberlyKay. As a fellow feminist over 40, I agree with you totally.

Samantha Power is my hero, because she had the audacity to speak the truth that many of us, with an education, can understand. Unfortunately, Senator Clinton will pick and choose the words from the interview that will serve her purpose to fool the poor and uneducated and taint the image of Senator Obama.

She is a sad example of how low one will stoop for power!!!

[bish66]

Senator Obama once promised his voters in Illinois a thing or two. Like working for them for 6 years. Then he got bored after a short time and decided to move on. For an evaluation of his time in the Senate: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/us/politics/09obama.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

That piece makes it quite clear that he is a sheming politician who will stop at nothing to win the nomination. he stays away from controversy, refuses to make a stand and might still look for the men's rooms in the Senate building. If you hold him accountable for his performance in the US senate (and his achivements in the Illinois Senate were not impressive either), he does have star power, but plays a minor role.

2008 is his one chance for the Presidency. Not because his wife claimed that he would not run a second time, if he fails, but because if he goes back to the senate, his lackluster performance will destroy his future prospects.

[loper2008]

I agree. Samantha Power was one of the reasons I really liked about foreign policy. I am an Obama supporter, but I believe she had to go. It is not appropriate to refer to Sen. Clinton as a "monster." We may not agree with her and we may even think her to be deceptive, but we shouldn't resort to name calling. It just makes us look bad. I

[DemandTruth]

Note to aides, staffers, wives, et al: You are ONLY allowed to attack, demean, degrade, bash, lie about, spin about, misrepresent, or even tell the truth about your competitor from a pre-approved talking point script! Ask the Republicans - they can show you. (latest example: terrorists dancing in the streets if Obama wins - this one was recycled from the Kerry campaign). And NO saying how you REALLY feel! Obfuscate and triangulate is the order of the day!

[burntbeans]

i've heard a few commentators (olbermann floated the theory on his show last night) that this was a deliberate move by powers, throwing herself on the sword, to get the "hillary is a monster" meme out there: say what everyone is already thinking. you have to admit, we're all still talking about it...

[nellie]

Hmmm. Wouldn't surprise me. She is a smart cookie. And those Obama people don't make a lot of mistakes.

[OSUMercutio]

Great article. And thanks for keeping David Shuster's memory alive.

[batguano]

Samantha Power has more integrity and REAL humanity in her little finger than Clinton has in her entire corrupt political being! She is also the one with a real understanding of international affairs from a humanitarian perspective, not the Clinton notions and "experience" of militarist­/corporate dominance war and greed.

Samantha Power is a woman of the sort who should now be standing in Clintons place for our quest/hope for a return of our national honour! If our entire political system was not as corrupt as the Clintons politics, it would perhaps be possible. Power did with her resignation what was necessary for the Obama campaign and maybe when he wins the nomination and presidency, she will be "rehabilitated" and have a place in his administra­tion......­.....even with Hillary's hoofprints all over her back.

[ESerafina42]

You know them both well, do you? Is calling people (of your own party) monsters part of the "happy happy joy joy" hope, change, uplift the country, blah blah blah strategy?

[ergoth]

what you know about samantha power is what you've read in the last 3 days. talk about a naive, gullible sap.

[Mollye]

batguano, your comments are reminiscent of many, many hysterical replies by Obama supporters regarding any given subject featuring Hillary. However, Hillary had NOTHING to do with Samatha Powers embarrassing herself and placing herself in a position of slander and libel, and then appropriately apologizing and resigning.

[YellerDawg]

So Americans are just not good enough for Obama, huh? That's why he threw Power under the bus? We can't handle the truth. It's our fault that Obama did what any other politician would do. So this is what the New Politics hath wrought.

[altohone]

Samantha is smart enough to have insisted.

Defending her is not what the campaign is about.

I'd bet he tried to talk her out of resigning, but that's just a guess.

Nice try in sowing division though.

[YellerDawg]

not a very good guess. I have no interest in sowing division. I will vote for the Democratic nominee. Period. Unlike you, I recognize that Obama is no saint, just a politician.

[transendentilist]

You, like so many of your peers, talk about hope and unity and yes WE can....etc­! But you fail miserably in living up to the hype. Calling someone a monster is an act of unity????
HYPOCRITE!

[Jonni Rae]

I hope he did try to talk her out of resigning. I guess we will never know. But actually, I think this backfires against Clinton. It makes her look thin-skinned and mean. Samantha volunteered to work for Obama, so she is not a paid staffer. Her apology on videotape is so sincere and heartfelt, and she herself is so decent and low key. She has become the sacrificial lamb to the she-wolf, Clinton.

[WharfRat77ch]

You're right Mr. Fair and Unbalanced, Obama should not have thrown Power under the bus. He should have said, Samantha is right, Hillary is a monster. End of story.

[altohone]

That would have gone over well. (yes, sarcasm)

It would have been fun to see, until Hillary and her corporate media used it to Dean Obama that is.

[tomcj]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!! Lionel!

McCain is hardly the "straight talker" he says he is, but the way our Politics work, he SEEMS to be. Powers told the truth and spoke with passion, conviction, and intelligence. Those are three things we cannot have:

1. The truth is that Iraq is a mess and Bush and Hillary and McCain led us into a quagmire with no easy way out. How dare Powers talk about that!

2. Hillary has denounced "passion" and hope as being somehow the work of people who, "as far as [she] knows are not Muslims." So the fact that Hillary IS a monster should never be mentioned. Like any transaction in The Godfather, "It was never personal, Michael, it was business. Hillary always liked you."

3. And to think Powers wanted to frame the issue of Iraw in Real Time Terms that our Foreign Policy has to react to changes that we cannot forsee! Treasonous! What is the Death Penalty for if not for use on people who don't acknowledge Hillary's bigger brain and non-existent accomplishments.

Hillary: thanks for the 40,000 job loss in Western New York after your pledge to bring 200,000 new jobs! Like your trips with Sinbad and Northern Ireland Peace, it is a great Resume Filler. False and a lie, but poor Hillary! did you know she is a woman and her husband cheats on her? I want her for my president. it is the least we can do for Hillary.

[bauersox]

Why don't you tell us what you think Hillary *should* have said when asked if Obama is a Muslim?

"As far as I know" is an excellent qualifier, and closer to the truth than "absolutely not." After all, Obama hasn't exactly waved his baptismal cert in front of Clinton's eyes, has he?

What she said was quite sensible, in my opinion.

[altohone]

Some think Hillary's vote for a pre-emptive war of choice that allows the real enemy to escape and re-group was "sensible" too.

Most don't, but some still do.

[ESerafina42]

I agree, bauersox, and for those who've asked, it would have been a sensible reply, after listing all the reasons he had for believing it, as she did, for Obama to have answered when asked if Hillary was a lesbian. All we can say about another person, unless we know them really well and sometimes not even then, is "as far as I know," "to the best of my knowledge," or "I've never seen any evidence to the contrary."

[YellerDawg]

Obama was probably angrier at Power for spilling the beans on the phoniness of his get out Iraq stategy. Doesn't that worry any of you Obamaniacs? He may not be as anti-war as you would like him to be.

[KimberlyKay]

Stop calling us "Obamaniac­s." I am neither now, nor have I ever been a maniac of any kind. It is truly incredible how insulting Senator Clinton's folks feel entitled to be. Perhaps that is why Samantha Power called your candidate a "monster," you all certainly set a certain horrific tone. Senator Clinton isn't above it either, she likes to ridicule our involvement in the process and call us "delusiona­l." Great try, hope should be destroyed. Nobody should be involved in politics. We should all take our toys and go home and let Senator Clinton get on with the business of ruling us. I, for one, disagree-- this is not the Country our forefathers and foremothers fought and died to create.

[altohone]

Samantha did what was necessary.­.. the alternative would have been a week of Hillary calling for the resignation.

What I don't get, now that the whole Canada scandal thing has been exposed as a fraud, how can Hillary keep using the line of attack without a single media outlet calling her on it?
Is she working on the assumption that more people heard the original story than will hear the truth?
Does she have assurances from the corporate media they will let it go?

It's like the f-ing twighlight zone in this country.

I couldn't even laugh at this great post.

[bauersox]

I don't think anybody really cares if Samantha Power called Clinton a "monster." That reflects more on Power's lack of judgment than it does on Clinton.

The real reason Power needed to resign was her interview with the BBC a few days ago in which she pretty much said that Obama will "revisit" his promise to get our troops out of Iraq. And that he shouldn't be held to a plan he made when he was only a senator.

That -- and the Goolsbee caper last week -- make it crystal clear that Obama regards his campaign promises as "jaw music" that has as its object to get him elected -- and nothing more.

[patriotscholar]

Oh, pray tell, tell us again about the "Goolsbee" thing? For crying out loud, how many times does one have to learn that it was wrong? It was ploy to sway Ohio voters and it worked, even if not true.