Hillary, You Are No Bill Clinton

Captain's Quarters | 2/13/2006 | Ed Morrissey

[Neville72]

The London Times reviews the performance of the presumed front-runner for the Democratic ticket in 2008 and finds her performance wanting. Gerard Baker, the editor for its American desk, notes that Hillary Clinton not only cannot connect well in her appearances but cannot even escape the long shadow cast by her husband and most potent political asset:

Few deny that Mrs Clinton is razor-sharp and politically savvy. But even supporters worry about her personal skills, at least before a large audience. She is a somewhat wooden speaker with a hectoring style at times more reminiscent of Al Gore than her husband. And unlike Bill, she projects a lofty, distant air that has been likened to the Queen of Sheba in a power suit. Last weekend Ken Mehlman, the Republican National Committee chairman, homed in on Mrs Clinton’s personality, saying that she was too angry. His aim was both to pinpoint her weaknesses and to needle her, and it seems to have worked. ...

The hope in her camp is that people will believe that Mrs Clinton has her husband’s political strengths and none of his weaknesses. The growing fear is that she incites the same level of loathing and suspicion as her husband always did, but has none of the charm and personality to deflect it.

Hillary has always come across as a scold and a cold fish on the stump, where Bill may only truly find himself in that setting. He has always had a grace and flow to his appearances that served him well on most occasions. His charm finds its best and most productive outlet there, while Hillary usually sounds rather tight and forced. The comparisons will not make her look any better, and if she has Bill at the same events with her, he will continue to upstage her every time. That only plays into the suspicion that Hillary will run as an end-around to the 25th Amendment to garner Bill his third term in office.

Democrats need to find a national candidate with less baggage than Hillary. Almost half of the electorate doesn't want anything to with the Clintons ever again, and about half of what's left doesn't think Bill is worth casting a vote for Hillary. Rasmussen's last poll demonstrates that Hillary might win in the primaries, but she will get shellacked in a national election and probably would be the biggest get-out-the-vote incentive for the GOP in years. When the London Times plays Lloyd Bentsen to Hillary's Dan Quayle, her negatives no longer can be portrayed as Republican wishful thinking.

[GianniV]

What is appealing about this woman? She's just another angry feminist from the 60s who scowls all the time. I can get that at the local used bookstore and any college campus.

Would be hilarious to see Laura Bush run against her and crush her in the election. Hilarious.

[ClearCase_guy]

Few deny that Mrs Clinton is razor-sharp and politically savvy.

I've never seen evidence of her intelligence. The fact that she won't take unscripted questions from an audience tells me that she is not quick on her feet. Likewise, I think she has a tin ear and is not politically savvy at all.

The empress has no clothes. Someone has to say it, no matter how utterly distasteful it is.

[z3n]

I can't wait for 2008 presidential elections.
I'm going to have the tape rolling at every debate.
After the polls start to look desperate, her handlers are going to tell her that she needs to "seem passionate" about some issue, and she's going to let out one of those torrents of spine-twisting screem rants, and it will be over.

[thehumanlynx]

there is NO WAY she will win a national election.

[D.P.Roberts]

What a silly little girl! Most kids outgrow their fantasies. Aw, don't cry, honey. Maybe you can be a princess.

[COUNTrecount]

.......Mrs Clinton has her husband’s political strengths

Two words....Ross Perot.

[Mulch]

Yep. And there is a very real possibility that that might just happen again since there are many disgruntled conservatives. A solid 3rd-party candidate might be able to scoop allot of them up.

[section9]

While we were at CPAC, one of the things that we at Americans For Rice found was a general consensus that Hillary cratered among blacks during her chance at the Coretta Scott King funeral. It occurred to me that this might have been deliberate on Bill's part. At a Washington party during CPAC, I was speaking to a gentleman who agreed with me in part, who also noted that Bill has to know his wife's weaknesses. Bill knew that Hillary couldn't carry the ball once it was handed off from him, so he got the crowd going as best he could, but knew that she would find a way to screw it up.

It was his way of saying to her, "Honey, you will always need me."

The guy we were speaking with seemed very wired in and told us to concentrate on Warner much more as a long term threat. I indicated to him that Hillary has the money cornered, but that he could be right once minds start changing, especially if Condi does get in the race (as we suspect she will by next January) and the presentation contrast becomes all too stark.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Savage Beast]

"Hillary Clinton not only cannot connect well in her appearances but cannot even escape the long shadow cast by her husband and most potent political asset"

Worst of all (from her perspective) she's transparent as glass.

So is her husband, but, unlike Hillary, he can seduce large populations into disregard.

"The hope in her camp is that people will believe that Mrs Clinton has her husband’s political strengths and none of his weaknesses."

Those "political strengths", of course, are a talent for seducing and bamboozling (also known, to the incognoscenti, as "charm and personality").

"Democrats need to find a national candidate with less baggage than Hillary."

No. Democrats need to get out of the way, drop into the oubliette of history, and let the Republicans and Libertarians govern the U.S.A.

Those who want to "make a difference" or "make a contribution" (as they love to crow) can best do so by leaving the process of governing to others.

[Sam the Sham]

Bill Clinton has the rare gift of being able to fit in anywhere among any kind of people, be it a Black Baptist church or Oxford. Hillary doesn't have that.

[Piquaboy]

She is about as sharp as a brick and almost as pretty.

[cowboyway]

The Hilderbeast has all the charm of 5 day old pizza.

[shelterguy]

While watching Fox on election eve '04 they had Susan Estrich on. As some of you may recall she was a bit "relaxed" that night. When asked if the Hildabeast would win in '08 Susan said that she was "unelectable".

[kromike]

I've never seen evidence of her intelligence.

Agreed. The woman couldn't debate her way out of a wet paper bag. She's the Dark-side version of the Wizard of Oz.

[Savage Beast]

"She's just another angry feminist from the 60s"

The Democrat Party is nothing but angry "activists" from the 60s. All those confused, drug dazed, iconoclastic hippies are now middle aged and run the Democrat Party.

They were--and still are--angry rebels searching for a cause. The noble Civil Rights Revolution conincided with their tantrum and many, naively, gave them undeserved credit for it, at least in part.

However the Hippie Tantrum of the 60s had little or nothing to do with the Civil Rights Revolution or anything else worthwhile.

Meanwhile, these 60s hippies continue to rage and bluster, as they had some purpose or something to offer.

Only a complete moron would allow them to govern the U.S.A. (Unfortunately, there are many complete morons among the electorate.)

[Neville72]

oubliette>>>>>>>>great word


The Oubliette

Oubliette - a little place of forgetting. A small, windowless room where someone is locked away, forgotten, left to go mad.

This is my personal place to rant and rave like the lunatic I am, my oubliette. It's dark, quiet, and I come here to forget about things. Or maybe to remember them.

After all, where does insanity end, and insight begin?

***Great question for Democrats to ponder.

[Rummyfan]

Few deny that Mrs Clinton is razor-sharp and politically savvy.

I do!

[Savage Beast]

"Bill Clinton has the rare gift of being able to fit in anywhere among any kind of people..."

Yes, he's kinda like a combination of Zelig and Don Juan.

[DeaconRed]

"Hillary doesn't have that."

And you know what I am talking about! ! !