Richard H Collins's blog
Posted at 3:33pm on Jun. 4, 2008 The Road to Hell is Paved With Democrats
By Richard H Collins
So the general election has begun. Oh sure, Hillary hasn’t formally dropped out yet and neither party has had their convention yet. But last night John McCain and Barack Obama made it clear that they have switched their attention towards each other.
Obama claimed the mantle of the Democratic nomination, which he had secured not by primary votes alone but by the special party elders, known as superdelegates, and took time to accuse McCain of running for the third term of President Bush. McCain, speaking before Obama, pointed out that despite Obama’s constant mantra of change, and obvious rhetorical skills, he mostly offers standard liberal big government solutions not real change.
Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Hillary Clinton | John McCain — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 10:44am on Apr. 18, 2008 The Hillary Lie the Media Missed
By Richard H Collins
Wednesday’s Democratic debate forced Hillary Clinton into yet another lie. No, this wasn’t one of her serial exaggerations about her time in the White House. Nor was it a deceptive answer about the scandals that seemed to occupy so much of her time there. In fact, I doubt anyone in the media will challenge the veracity of this particular statement.
When George Stephanopoulos pressed Hillary on whether she thought Barack Obama could win in November she responded “Yes. Yes. Yes.” Now it may be that Hillary felt she had to give that answer or face even more backlash from Democrats who feel her continued attacks on Obama are a huge gift to the presumptive GOP nominee John McCain. It may be that she is being a good partisan by refusing to say that Obama can’t win out loud in such a prominent forum.
But does anyone really think Hillary believes this? Her answer undercut her arguments that night and, in fact, the very rationale for her continuing campaign.
Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Hillary Clinton — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 12:20pm on Feb. 7, 2008 Hillary may win her party but lose the country
By Richard H Collins
Instead of an exciting “national primary” that would bring clarity and momentum to a thus far muddy and unpredictable race for the Democratic nomination, Super Tuesday brought a rather anti-climatic draw.
Barack Obama failed to achieve the clear upset but he did fight Hillary Clinton to a draw on the night she had hoped would wrap up the nomination. In the ever-changing expectations game, Obama did very well based on where he was just a few weeks ago, but not as well as he may had hoped based on the over-heated expectations of the days leading up to Super Tuesday. It seems that just when the media decides he may be poised for the historic upset those very same unrealistic expectations doom him to an underwhelming showing.
But a couple of the factors behind Hillary’s success so far have to make Democrats nervous. The very nature of the Democratic Party, for example, prevents Obama from going after Hillary on the unsavory scandals that plagued her husband’s time in the White House or the myriad of conflicts of interest his post-presidency has created. Obviously, Republicans in the general election will have no such problem. Also, it has to be troubling that the Democratic primary contest has basically come down to a battle of identity politics.
Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | Barack Obama | Hillary Clinton — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 11:14am on Feb. 2, 2008 Hillary is “The Decider”
By Richard H Collins
Instead of the heavy-weight fight the media was hoping for, Thursday’s Democratic debate in California turned into a love fest; one with lots of pandering to the liberal Hollywood audience. But beneath the pleasantries it was once again clear that Hillary is seeking to have it both ways on a host of issues. She is the master of the non-answer and relentlessly offers her pat answers. One thing she never does, however, is admit a mistake.
Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | Hillary Clinton | Presidential Debates — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 9:31am on Nov. 30, 2007 Hillary's Albatross: the trouble with Bill
By Richard H Collins
Hillary Clinton owes a great deal of her popularity – her shrinking standing in recent polls notwithstanding – to an odd sort of nostalgia surrounding her husband. Rank and file Democrats generally hold him in high esteem and friends and critics alike admire his formidable political skills. Her eight years in the White House give her an aura of, if not actual, experience.
But his recent statement that he was against the war in Iraq “from the beginning” points to the risks involved. Thanks to these almost offhand remarks, Bill once again made the news cycle about him and the potential negative impact on his wife. He also raised the difficult and unhelpful issue of the slippery nature of both Clinton’s positions on the war in Iraq.
The question of whether Bill is good for Hillary’s campaign is still an open, and popular, debate amongst the media. He brings a great deal of experience; he is nearly unmatched when it comes to retail politics – something that clearly can’t be said of his wife; and he is still very popular with Democratic voters.
On the other hand, he has a tendency to overshadow his wife and frequently steps on her media message by creating a series of mini-scandals nearly every time he speaks. And, and as the discussion over his latest remarks made clear, he isn’t without his detractors within his own party.
Read On . . .
Posted in 2008 | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Bill Clinton | Hillary | Hillary Clinton | Iraq — Comments (11) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 10:32am on Nov. 20, 2007 Are the Democrats tough enough to take on Hillary?
By Richard H Collins
Following last week's Democratic debate in Las Vegas the media buzz was: Hillary Clinton is back. In contrast to the previous debate, Hilary largely avoided sounding evasive and getting tripped up by the attacks of her rivals.
Instead, she seemed to go on the offensive and challenge them. This, and the raucous crowd’s seeming disapproval of any direct attacks on Hillary, kept Barrack Obama and John Edwards on their heels most of the night.
But lost in all of this was Hillary’s continuing slippery answers and empty rhetoric. CNN’s bumbling reporters, and the crowd’s reactions, may have blurred her flip-flops and non-answers but they were there.
Read On.
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Posted at 11:08am on Nov. 9, 2007 Hillary’s Not Invincible
By Richard H Collins
The chinks in Hillary Clinton’s once impenetrable armor have been found. Hillary’s opponents have been able to link her stand – or lack thereof – on issues to reinforce voter’s doubts about her honesty and electability. Doubts about her positions on Iraq and Iran and her inability to provide straightforward answers on issues such as social security, access to her White House records, and driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants have led to what seems like her first losing media cycle of the campaign. Even her husband – usually a media darling – seemed to stumble as he attempted to defend his wife from ramped up criticism.
While there are questions about the impact of Hillary’s performance on voters, what is clear is that the media has abandoned the invincibility story line and her opponents are trying to take advantage.
Some polls do show her lead over Barack Obama shrinking. A CNN poll had her lead down from 30% to 17% while a Washington Post/ABC poll shrank from 33% to 23%. And in the crucial state of Iowa a recent Zogby poll has her clinging to a 28 to 25 lead (down from 30 – 19) while Rasmussen saw her New Hampshire lead shrink to its lowest level this year
Whatever her national numbers, a loss in Iowa or even a narrow victory in New Hampshire would be a huge setback for the candidate perceived as the presumed nominee. Losing the expectations game can have enormous consequences.
Read on . . .
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Posted at 10:49am on Nov. 1, 2007 Hillary Ignores Baby Boom Time Bomb
By Richard H Collins
This past Friday was Hillary Clinton’s sixtieth birthday. On Thursday she celebrated the event, in typical Clinton fashion, with a fundraising bash attended by celebrities from Hollywood and the music industry. Leave it to the Clintons to raise $1.5 million in campaign cash while celebrating a birthday.
One might be tempted to write this off as just another example of Baby boomer extravagance and self-regard combined with the Clinton’s unique blending of the personal and the political.
But there are some serious issues involved in Hillary’s candidacy and the irony is that she refuses to squarely face the very challenge, some might say crises, her generation is causing.
Read on . . .
Posted in 2008 | Hillary Clinton — Comments (7) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 1:30pm on Oct. 19, 2007 Hillary's Never Ending Hypocrisy
By Richard H Collins
What is more surprising, the brazen hypocrisy of Hillary Clinton or the fact that she continues to get away with it? This week brought yet another shining example: the issue of government surveillance.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that in 1992 Hillary personally “listened to a secretly recorded audiotape of a phone conversation of Clinton critics plotting their next attack.” The details are found in the recent Hillary biography, Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton, by investigative journalists Don Van Natta Jr. and Jeff Gerth.
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Posted at 2:55pm on Oct. 15, 2007 Hillary’s Tightly Scripted Campaign
By Richard H Collins
At a recent Congressional Black Caucus presidential candidate forum Hillary Clinton upped the stakes for pandering to potential voters. She proposed a $5,000 “baby bond” for every child born in America. This account would grow over time and serve as a nest egg for college or as a down payment on a first home.
I am sure Senator Clinton thought this would be just another example of her innovative thinking; further proof of just home much she cares about children and families. Who wouldn’t want a $5,000 bond to give their children a financial foundation for the future?
But the reaction was less than positive. Republicans jumped on it as just another example of Hillary’s liberal big spending habits noting that she has proposed on the order of $724 billion in new spending in her various proposals.
But it wasn’t just her political opponents who ridiculed the idea. $5,000 multiplied by the 4 million children born each year means outrageous costs. And that doesn’t even take into account the cost of the government management of the program. Not surprisingly, voters and reporters alike were skeptical. The Chicago Tribune labeled it “Clinton’s Baby Boondoggle.”
Read On.
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Posted at 1:33pm on Oct. 10, 2007 Is Hillary Inevitable?
By Richard H Collins
Promoted as some nice, unifying optimism.
Only to the elite media . . .
One of the on again off again debates that has been filtering through the political press the last few weeks is the perceived inevitability of Hillary Clinton winning the Democratic nomination. Instant celebrity status, strong national poll numbers, and a veteran and disciplined campaign gave her an air of a hard to beat frontrunner almost from the start.
When the Norman Hsu scandal seemed unable to dent her momentum people began to wonder if her winning wasn’t a foregone conclusion. The media wants a race, however, and so soon began another round of critical stories and semi-probing questions. But when Hillary announced that she had out raised Barack Obama in garnering $27 million dollars for the third quarter we seemed back in inevitability territory again.
The important thing to remember, however, is that the elite media coverage doesn’t choose the winner, voters do. Hillary’s opponents have millions of dollars to spend and you have to believe at some point the gloves will come off.
Read On.
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Posted at 10:43am on Sep. 28, 2007 No Answers Are Good Answers
By Richard H Collins
Say what you will about Meet the Press host Tim Russert, but he proved to be an effective moderator for Wednesday’s Democratic debate in New Hampshire. He wasn’t afraid to challenge the candidates on the issues and force them to defend their policies and statements.
And by using a creative hypothetical he caught Hillary Clinton in a bind. Not surprisingly she said what she thought the audience wanted to hear. She even managed a nice comeback line. The only problem was her answer didn’t mesh with her previous statements. This will not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with her history. The truth is that Hillary has a long record of instinctive responses that sound good but turn out to be untrue or contradictory after further investigation.
Shocking, I know. But read on . . .
Posted in Archived — Comments (21) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 12:46pm on Sep. 22, 2007 Hillary's Health Care Do Over
By Richard H Collins
Hillary Clinton is asking for a giant do over when it comes to health care reform. After nearly single handedly bringing about the failure of her husband’s health care package, the former first lady careful crafted her latest proposal to appear different in style and substance from her earlier attempt. Don’t be fooled, however, this is simply a smaller step toward the same goal.
She would like you to believe that her plan is reasonable and cost effective reform. But no matter how many times she uses the word choice or insists that her plan doesn’t involve a new government bureaucracy, the fact is that this plan is another step toward government-controlled health care.
Read more below.
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Posted at 4:18pm on Sep. 17, 2007 The Corruption of Clinton's Campaign
By Richard H Collins
If there is one thing the media agrees upon it is that Hillary Clinton runs a shrewd and disciplined campaign. This mantra runs through practically every media mention as they report the tried and true horse race story lines.
But the ongoing Norman Hsu fundraising scandal has to call into question this basic premise. The New York Times noted this week that Hillary was afraid that a fundraising scandal could harm her campaign. And yet faced with an unknown figure coming out of nowhere to become one of her, and her party’s, biggest fundraisers didn’t raise any red flags.
Read On.
Posted in 2008 | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 6:13pm on Sep. 7, 2007 Clinton Campaign: Waiting for the Next Hsu to Drop
By Richard H Collins
Those familiar with the Clinton response to scandal know the process by heart. It inevitably goes something like this: first, deny any wrongdoing; then explain it as a misunderstanding or bureaucratic mistake; when it is clear there is actual wrongdoing begin to stonewall and obfuscate; then move on to simultaneously attacking anyone who brings up the scandal and dismissing the issue as old news.
If that rings a bell it is because we are well on our way down this path with the Norman Hsu fundraising scandal. When the Wall Street Journal first raised the issue of whether there was anything fishy about Hsu – a top Hillary fundraiser or “HillRaiser” - bundling millions of dollars of campaign contributions from donors of seemingly modest means the Clinton campaign initially insisted nothing was wrong.
When it was revealed that Hsu was in fact a fugitive from justice having defrauded millions of dollars from investors and then failed to show up for his court appearance Hillary expressed shock and described it as a breakdown in the donor vetting process.
Following Hsu’s lawyer’s lead, Hillary and other beneficiaries of his money insisted that this was simply a misunderstanding from the past that would soon be cleared up. This despite the fact that Hsu’s past was extremely vague and it wasn’t clear exactly where he acquired the millions of dollars he had been funneling to Democrats like Hillary since 2004. His campaign finance reports were full of old addresses and mysterious and now defunct companies.
They initially refused to return Hsu’s donations, but soon relented and announced they would donate his contributions to charity but keep the bundled funds. Hsu turned himself in, posted bail, and agreed to give up his passport. The Clinton campaign was ready to put the story behind them.
But as with so many other Clinton scandals, things got more complicated. Hsu once again decided to skip his court date and run for it. He never returned his passport as promised, forfeited his $2 million cash bail, and is now in police custody.
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