Look! Mud!
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | The Clintons | The Politics Of Personal Destruction — Comments (10) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
I think it is impossible to deny anymore that the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination has gotten vicious:
Ex-President Bill Clinton, stumping in South Carolina Tuesday in his wife's stead while she campaigned in the West, suggested Democrats wringing their hands over the rancor should lighten up.
"I know you think it's crazy, but I kind of like to see Barack and Hillary fight," he said lightheartedly. "They're flesh-and- blood people and they have their differences - let 'em at it."
Obama told the Christian Broadcasting Network that Bill Clinton is "making stuff up" about his Iraq record.
Justifying his retaliation, Obama told a Palmetto State crowd: "I think its very clear that Sen. Clinton and President Clinton have been spending the last month attacking me in ways that are not accurate. At some point, it was important for us to address them."
Obama backer Tom Daschle, the former Democratic Senate boss, whacked the ex-President yesterday for his "overt distortions," which he branded unpresidential and warned could "destroy the party."
Read on . . .
It really is notable how many associates of the former President have come out to denounce his campaign style. Of course, none of these tut-tuts of disapproval were in evidence when the same tactics were used against Republicans but at the very least, perhaps people like Tom Daschle now understand what Republicans were complaining about during the 1990s. That is a point made here:
One of our favorite Bill Clinton anecdotes involves a confrontation he had with Bob Dole in the Oval Office after the 1996 election. Mr. Dole protested Mr. Clinton's attack ads claiming the Republican wanted to harm Medicare, but the President merely smiled that Bubba grin and said, "You gotta do what you gotta do."
We're reminded of that story listening to Barack Obama protest his treatment by the now ex-President Clinton on behalf of his wanna-be-President wife. "You know the former President, who I think all of us have a lot of regard for, has taken his advocacy on behalf of his wife to a level that I think is pretty troubling," Mr. Obama told a TV interviewer. "He continues to make statements that are not supported by the facts -- whether it's about my record of opposition to the war in Iraq or our approach to organizing in Las Vegas."
[The Clintons]Now he knows how the rest of us feel.
He does, doesn't he?
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Look! Mud! 10 Comments (0 topical, 10 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
But by the same token, we want Obama's record thuroughly examined. Part of the challenge of beating a candidate with only two to four years of national experience is that they can sell themselves as a black box solution to all of our problems.
"If this ain't a mess, it'll do until one shows up." -Sheriff Bell, No Country For Old Men
There's plenty of time to call attention to Obama after HIllary goes down in flames. Like him or not, I really believe he's a man of integrity and will run a clean campaign against whoever the Republican nominee is. I can't say the same about Clinton.
I'd also prefer a shot to beat Candidate Clinton over Candidate Obama. One starts with a ceiling the other does not, due to over a decade of getting under people's skin.
Clinton can help unify the party like Obama never would.
Could backfire. She could win and have a friendly Congress at her command. Now if you want to go on the Carter theory that things will get so bad another Reagan will pop up, that's pretty risky as well. A lot of damage can be done in four years.
BTW, I'm not fond of horror movies either!
If we (the right in general) look too much like we want Obama, it could backfire against us.
But I really would like to see Hill go down now.
get any more vicious" ??? I would like to think that people have noticed the equalization, the comparison, ongoing between Obama and the Clintons made in the media. "Not accurate" is hardly vicious, given who he is talking about it borders on saintly.
Obama is hamstrung in a way. When Hillary brought up the sex shop vote in the Illinois Senate it would have been fitting for Obama to mention she was hardly the one to cast stones given the sex shop status of the Oval Office for eight years. Of course allowing for the audience he couldn't, they having overlooked if not forgiven Bill's adventures.
What the Clintons are doing could only play this well within the Democratic base, muck is their natural environment. So if Obama doesn't take the gloves off he will get eaten up alive. Plus, it would be nice if they destroyed each other.
"a man's admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him". Tocqueville
case either wins next November!
I've got a feeling it's going to quiet down soon. Probably after Feb Tuesday. ( a day I refuse to dignify with a certain epihet.) Both sides know that such tactics are only hurting their GE chances and besides I think that Tuesday will be the decider.
"Time and the bell have buried the day, the black cloud carries the sun away."
T.S Eliot, Four Quartets.
The Clintons scare me. That sounds a bit immature but it's true. We have two chances to stop the Hillary Express, as Hannity likes to call it -- the nomination and the general election. I prefer to not piss away the first chance. Therefore I think it's very important to give Obama a free ride for now and not criticize him until AFTER he gets the nomination. I'm not saying support the guy but let's not help Hillary out here either. There's always later this year after she loses the nomination -- hopefully.