Hilary Clinton: I’m the JFK of 2008:
“He was smart, he was dynamic, he was inspiring and he was Catholic. A lot of people back then [1960] said, ‘America will never elect a Catholic as president,’ ” the White House hopeful told the New Hampshire Democrats’ 100 Club fund-raiser here.
“But those who gathered here almost a half century ago knew better,” she said. “They believed America was bigger than that and Americans would give Sen. John F. Kennedy a fair shake, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Noting women are “the majority” of voters and are in the workforce in “record numbers,” she added, “So when people tell me ‘a woman can never be president,’ I say, we’ll never know unless we try.”
No current candidate comes close to JFK. Not that I’m all that enamored of Kennedy; his personal life was as scandalous as any president’s before and after him. But it just sets my teeth on edge to hear any candidate compare themselves to any past president. It’s as though they’re attempting to gain favor by riding on the coattails of another.
I make no bones about my intense dislike of Hilary Clinton. I’ve voted Republican in the past because I believed in who I voted for. I’ve also voted Democrat because I believed in that candidate.
I refuse to vote for Hilary just because she’s a woman. I don’t have a prejudice against women as president, but such a candidate is going to have to offer a lot more than comparisons to JFK and her husband’s past political career. H. Clinton is abrasive to those she tends to deal with and I cannot imagine a woman, much less her, dealing with some of the misogynistic politicians of other countries.
If Hilary wants to be president, then she’s going to have to wait a few more years. She’s going to need to stop referring to her husband’s career, and stop flip-flopping on such things as agreeing to the war in Iraq, and now saying she was wrong.
I’m not entirely reasonable when it comes to politics and I’m certainly not very good at stating my position. I’m NOT a politician. It’s one reason I rarely invite debate of a political nature on my blog. However, here’s your chance. Give me your opinion of Hilary Clinton, or any of the other candidates. Blast her, praise her, same with the others. Just keep things civil, at least toward me. :)
Go for it…
Tags: politics
I’m on the fence. A jfk she is not, I agree.
Well articulated, Cindy. Especially this:
“But unfourtunately no matter How good she is there is something in her personality, her public prescense that is grating and ungenuine and her place in the history of the republic over the last 20 years is so polarising that she cannot effectivley run for president. She could be singing Happy Birthday to her daughter and youd have to wonder if she Really meant it.”
YES! As much as I’d like to give her (and any of the candidates a fair shake) there is that nagging oddity about her personality. It truly grates on the nerves.
I dont know if Im for her or against her on her own merits. Tho in a few years I think she will certainly have a resume (barring any blunders bigger than the average elected offical makes that dont land you in jail)that will leave the arugument that she isnt qualified off the table. At the moment technically shes more qualified then Bill or Bush 2 or when they took the oath. (Im sorry govenorships dont prepare you for international politics)
But the suprising thing is the good portion of New York/Washington power brokers shes actually managed to cozy up to (talk about guyspotentially as mysogynistic as third world dictators). Except in public speaking fiascos like the one above and in the public grandstanding of her opponents (on and off her own party) she hasnt actually managed to piss off (at least publically and to the impediment of getting something done) anyone of genuine signifigance policy wise.(Course I could be wrong as Im no news junky) Its the public at large that hates her more and nobody really seems to be able to articulate why.
And while I am pissed that she and other people who voted for the war in Iraq who are now trying to end it or curb Bush’s mishandling of it arent adding in the fact that they made a mistake in the first place in allowing that vote to encomapss Iraq and stray form the original target Afghanistan (especially when so many of their own constituents urged them not to vote for it)…I dont consider it an actual flip flop to say “I made the wrong choice.” If only shed just say that instead of being a lawyer about it. Expecting us to forget she voted for it or being incapable of admitting error (like Bush and Rumsfeld) is more offensive to me. And hell I was torn about it at the time because I was gving credence to what my President and his Cabinet were telling me…Im saying a lot of Dems and Repubs voted based on bad intel and shouldnt nessesarily get roasted for it if they express some kind of regret.
But unfourtunately no matter How good she is there is something in her personality, her public prescense that is grating and ungenuine and her place in the history of the republic over the last 20 years is so polarising that she cannot effectivley run for president. She could be singing Happy Birthday to her daughter and youd have to wonder if she Really meant it.
Vice pres definitely, shed be great at helping a Pres find theyre way around and makeing the kindve dirty back room deals Presidents dont want to be seen doing (a Cheney with less personality), secretary of state mmmm maybe in 10 years if she stays in Senate/Congress working on a lot of international policy commitees.
A BIG part of a potential Democrat win in ’08 is gonna be about getting disgruntled Republicans to vote Democrat one time and to passiontely move the usual Democrat non voters to make up numbers repubs might lose thru unhappy moderates or unhappy Hardcore Christian Fundalmentalists who wre promised the world in the last 2 elections.
There are lots of canidates and politicians I dont like and some times when it comes down to the wire and you arent a CSpan or Congressional report junky you just have to go with youre gut. But Im trying to get as informed as I can about what theyve voted on and how and why. Still dont like Edwards though as he just oozes “local lawyer with funny late night TV ads done good” mock southern charm and hes Drastically underqualified even compared to OBama and even tho pundits from both sides were calling it a win I think Cheney mopped the floor with him in the debates.
My only comfort in this morass is that the Repubs havent got anybody much better since theyve broken McCain…opening the way for some moderate less foaming at the mouth types. I dont hate Mitch Romney and have hopes that based on the few tenets of his faith that I know of he may have to break from the party on certain plank social issues if he wins.
I know how incompetent and chaotic the Democrats can be but I’ll take their ocassional incapability to take action over people so sure their right that they shove aside all debate and all evidence to the contrary.