San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is one of the prettiest but alas not one of the sharpest in the Democratic pencil box. Chatting with local pundit Phil Matier, in less than two minutes on the early morning news Mayor Newsom confirms the Clinton game plan for winning the Democratic presidential nomination. "It's a very subjective thing--intelligence analysis. You can go either way," Newsom informs Matier. Since when does a city mayor know anything about national intelligence analysis? For that matter, how much do mere senators know?
The only person currently engaged in Election 2008 who can speak authoritatively on this subject is Bill Clinton. Just returned from junketing with the former President around Texas, Gavin is parroting Bill, who clearly had a good time holding forth in the back of that black Texas SUV.
"She [Hillary] is the best to go one-on-one against John McCain on the only issue that could stop us in November," Newsom says, "and that's the issue of national security."
"Do you think that's what will win the cup?" Matier asks.
Apparently, personal scandals are not an issue in Newsom's mind. It's all about leadership. "Do you think for a second the Bush Administration will take all that objective data and hesitate to manipulate it in the context of this campaign?" Newsom rejoins. Trust me--this reasoning is way too Machiavellian for the Mayor. But the Clintons? They anticipate a trumped-up terrorist scare? Or a manufactured overseas crisis that calls to John McCain's specific expertise?
"It's a very subjective thing--intelligence analysis. You can go either way. And McCain will do everything to focus attention on every little thing that's happening in Israel, North Korea or Pakistan or wherever else in the world. . . . They will play on fear. We know that fear works."
Indeed. The Clintons know. And what a national election they are crafting! McCain the fearmaster versus Clinton the fearmonger. Wait a minute. Isn't this allowing McCain and the Republicans to set the agenda for the election? Or is national security the issue--not the economy, not health care, not education--that Hillary Clinton is most looking forward to delving?
Before she plants that commander-in-chief standard, however, Clinton, like Obama, needs to hone her skill set. It was clear in the last debate, for example, that neither senator knew anything about Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev--not even the basic facts at Tim Russert's command. Clinton couldn't quite get his name, much less pronounce it. While she's mastering all things Russian, she'd better add Kazakhstan. Linking Bill Clinton to the venal Nursultan Nazarbayev could help McCain enough, without any Machiavellianism. Fear may not be needed if Bill Clinton has been engaging abroad in the kind of questionable deal-making that once got him in so much trouble at home.
It's interesting (or something less benign) to note how many prominent men who have history of not being able to keep their zippers up are supporters of Hillary. Sptizer, the Mayor of LA, Newsome and of course her hubby. The list is of course much longer and 'interesting'. Especially if one subscribes to the theory that 'a person's ethical/moral compass is the same whether in their private or professional life'. Seldom, if ever, does one limit their lies and deceptions to one arena.
"I'm a real person with feelings" worked in New Hampshire, "I'm a victim but I'll fight back like Ann Richards" in Texas, "Obama is lying about NAFTA" worked in Ohio. Along the trail they tried, "Jesse won a state also," "The big states are the only ones that matter," "The people's votes in Michgan should count," "You can't just hope," "This is what you'll be up against if you run against the Republicans" and "Obama gave one speech," another in a line of desperatel attempts.
The deal between the Clintons and the Bushes, a sort of shared leadership, won't fly. The assumption that people will again vote against their own self-interest is a mistaken one for 2008, the year of our Lord.
Putin: "To be a head of state, at minimum, requires that one must possess a head."
(Sorry it might not be verbatim, but that was the gist of it.)
This needs a comma in there somewhere.
The reality is that no one knows much about him and that's what's so alarming about the situation.
The fact that a G8 country could handpick a successor so obscure that even the political leaders and new agencies of the U.S. know nothing about him is peculiar.
Obama was very lucky that Clinton took the question first, and you'll not that he added nothing else to the conversation after she answered.
I wish the author of this column would prove how smart she is and write another column about Medvedev herself (and no Xeroxing from Wikipedia).
First, Clinton shows the Republicans that "fear" works against Obama.
But the Republicans want Obama, not Clinton, to run against.
So they raise the fear card by threatening Iran, hoping to knock out Obama now, and Clinton later.
Clinton has played right into the WORST kind of politics --win at any cost, or take everyone down trying.
At this point in time, IF the new guy is the nominee, after all the insults I've read here, and after witnessing the arrogance of someone so new to politics get away with sexist remarks, yet constantly decries racism via his surrogates at every turn, in addition to the anti-Hillary slant the media displays, I am considering staying home come November.
And ironically, it's due to a campaign that touts 'unity.' The country’s unity will end up going to the Republican Party.
Is it not arrogant for the second place contender to offer the VP spot to the leader? Was it not arrogance that caused Hillary to be ill prepared for what turned out to be the post 3/5 massacre? Don't be mad at Obama's supporters for calling it as they see it... if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck.... it's probably a duck.
Despite my virulent tone, I don't completely blame the Hillary backers. There are lots of naive people in this country and I think the media and the way the system is set up have a big part in this problem. If all the B.S. was cut out, we would never be in this mess, Bush would have never been elected president and Hillary wouldn't still be in this race.