We Can Always Hope Obama is Electable
15 December 2007 10:07 am by Taylor Marsh
We Can Always Hope Obama is Electable
Bill Clinton was on “Charlie Rose” last night. That he’s championing
his wife is obvious, but the points he made are nevertheless important. What he said about Clinton and Iowa is priceless. Transcript
is here:
Bill Clinton: … .. Then the question is, what are your policies. So who’s
got the best healthcare policy, the best energy policy and all of that. Then
the third, and I think by far the most important question in this day and
age for the next American president is, who is the best agent of change. Not
the best symbol but the best agent. … .. …Charlie Rose: Are you suggesting by that, that Senator Obama is more symbol
than substance, as an agent of change?Bill Clinton: Well, that’s not — he can’t help that.
Charlie Rose: But is that the reality, that he’s more symbol than –
Bill Clinton: No. Other people — what I’m suggesting is that if I were not
president — if I had never married to Hillary, but I had known her all these
36 years, and she asked me to be doing this for her, campaigning, I would
do it in a heart beat, because I don’t think it’s close of all the choices.
And I like all these people. I don’t think — I think the others are entitled
to a serious look. I think John Edwards made a serious study of poverty the
last four years. You know, he started running for president two years after
he was in the senate full-time. But when he left the senate, he made a serious
study of poverty. The others — Biden, Dodd, Richardson have done great things.
I think that counts for something. You know, I’m old fashioned. I think it
really — I think a president ought to have done something for other people
and for his country when you pick a president. But — but Obama is a person
of enormous talent. You know, staggering political skills.Charlie Rose: Ready to be president?
Bill Clinton: Well the voters have to make up their mind. … ..
Symbol versus a person who actually has the ability to make something happen.
The next quote is quite illuminating. It’s by Romney and is just an hors d’oeuvre of what we’ll be treated to in the general election if Obama is our nominee.
Via readers lily15 and Stephen Gibson in Hot
Topics, where the video is posted:
“… I thought Hillary Clinton had it locked solid, but it looks
like it’s opening up a bit. I must admit I find it a little surprising that
a guy who has virtually no experience of an executive nature, leadership nature,
never run anything, no experience of any significance in the private economy.
As a state legislator he was not doing a lot of heavy lifting. In the United
States Senate he hasn’t been the champion of a major piece of legislation,
and some how because he can talk well why we think he can be president. I
have to shake my head, because I think it takes more to be president than
just being able to talk well. I think you have to show that you have a record
of demonstrated success in leadership in a number of ways. And uh, I gotta
tell, if we’re going to select our nominee on the Democratic side based on
the number of celebrities they know, like Oprah, it’s a pretty frightening
course.” – Mitt Romney
Now imagine the above quote put on steroids via wingnut radio, their shadow
groups and everything else the GOP can concoct. Can Obama survive it? Maybe, but the onslaught will
be unending. It will be his first national vetting, which will be done
as the nominee, not as vice president or as a leading senator.
Clinton has been vetted for over 15 years in the public. To use her line, there
will be no surprises. Edwards has been vetted as well, as has Biden, among others.
There are choices in the primary. Clinton is certainly worthy of consideration.
If you don’t like her you can choose Obama, but the risks are great. The real “anti Hillary”
choice would be Edwards. No surprises with him either, plus he’s got the best
polling besides Clinton to get the job done and beat the Republicans.
In the end, you can admire a candidate, but still understand that he’s not ready for the national meat grinder of a general election. After all, there’s only one thing that matters. We must win
next year. To do that we must nominate a candidate who can withstand the test. Peggy Noonan said yesterday that she didn’t think Ronald Reagan would survive the GOP fundies of today. Does anybody believe Barack Obama can withstand the political hit machine of the Republican party? Clinton already has, with Edwards being a target for his haircuts and haciendas, which will quickly get old. Biden is as tested as they come. But Barack? It will be open season and we haven’t a clue of what will come at him, because he’s never been vetted in the spotlight with everyone criticizing him at once. All Obama has had for months is a traditional media love fest. It won’t be that way in the general election. It makes me incredibly nervous.
Charlie Rose: Rolling the dice about America if they don’t choose the person who’s had the kind of experience you’re talking about.
Bill Clinton: It’s less predictable, isn’t it? I mean when is the last time we elected a president based on one year of service in the Senate before he started running? … ..
