February 29, 2008
Hotline After Dark -- Three Times The Fun
Here's the top political talk from last night:
ABC's McFadden spent the day with Hillary Clinton in OH for a piece on "Nightline":
Asked about her saying she hates being the frontrunner: "Because you're the big target. I'm still being treated like that, in terms of coming after me when this is a close contest."
Asked about looking back: "Not yet. I have to keep looking forward. ... I have just learned that it's really important to keep your concentration where it needs to be. I get up every day and think I think what do I have to try to do to advance my campaign?"
Asked about women who say they feel sorry for her: "I think a lot of women project their own feelings and their lives on to me, and they to see how hard this is. It's hard. It's hard being a woman out there. It is obviously challenging with some of things that are said, that are not even personal to me so much as they are about women. And I think women just sort of shake their heads. My friends do. They say, oh, my gosh, this is so hard. Well, it's supposed to be hard. I'm running for the hardest job in the world. No one has ever done this. No woman has ever won a presidential primary before I won New Hampshire. This is hard. Now every so often, I wish it were more of an even playing field, but I'll play on whatever field is out there."
On Obama: "I think the best description actually is in Barack's own book, the last book he wrote 'Audacity of Hope' where he said that he's a blank screen and people of widening differing views project what they want onto believe on to him. Then he went on to say, I am bound to disappoint some if not all of them. He just hasn't been around long enough. I'm a full-fledged canvas. You know, some people love me, some people a little less, but you know where I stand. You know the fights I've taken on. You know that you can count on me to do what I say I will do."
Asked if she'll know when she should drop out: "I don't think about that. I think about Tuesday" ("Nightline," ABC, 2/28).
Talk about the battle between Barck Obama, Pres. Bush, and John McCain after the jump. [EMILY GOODIN]
THREE TIMES THE FUN
CBS' Axelrod: "Positioning himself as the Democratic frontrunner, Barack Obama is not targeting Hillary Clinton, he is taking on President Bush and John McCain" ("Evening News," 2/28).
CNN's Yellin: "Obama is taking fire on all sides, but so far he is not letting any of his opponents see him sweat" ("Lou Dobbs Tonight," 2/28).
FNC's Garrett: "Obama took after John McCain and President Bush today on the sluggish economy" ("Special Report," 2/28).
Ex-WH adviser David Gergen: "I would imagine the Barack Obama people would love to have George W. Bush weigh in on the middle of this and go one on one. First of all, it elevates Obama. Secondly, the president is sufficiently unpopular that I think it makes Obama's case look stronger. And thirdly, it reminds a lot of Democrats with -- with President Bush and John McCain now taking swings on a daily basis at Barack, as McCain is, the Democrats need to get this settled" ("AC 360," CNN, 2/28).
Newsweek's Fineman: "It's interesting that their argument is strictly about Obama's qualifications and not about Hillary's. That's why in the sense, he has all of them right where he wants them" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 2/28).
CBS' Reynolds examined Obama's record for a piece on the "Evening News" last night: "Obama is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but he has been absent a lot and has yet to meet the leaders of Britain, Germany, Russia or even Canada, according to his staff. Because he is so new to the national scene, questions persist about Barack Obama's identity, who he really is. Questions his political opponents will be only to too happy to answer this Fall" (2/28).
TAKING THE TOUR
ABC's Gibson broadcast the "World News" from Chicago last night and paid a visit to Obama's campaign headquarters:
Gibson to Obama strategist David Axelrod: "You're watching what Hillary does in real-time?"
Axelrod: "Oh, yeah. When she's making a speech, we're generally watching that speech."
Gibson: "So, if she does something and you haven't answered within an hour, you think you're running behind?"
Axelrod: "I think so. Yeah."
Obama manager David Plouffe, asked why he last had a day off: "Just Christmas Day. It was really surreal because the e-mails were quiet. I probably only got two or three phone calls. It was just quiet" ("World News," ABC, 2/28).
WOULD IT BE WORTH IT?
There was also a lot of talk about whether NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg could be VP:
CNN's Blitzer: "Bloomberg may be downplaying the possibility of being tapped as a running mate, but, if he were a vice presidential candidate, could he donate some of his fortune to the person at the top of the ticket? And he's worth billions and billions of dollars. One election law attorney tells us, the Federal Election Commission has never been asked to officially rule on that question, but he says precedent would indicate that, if Bloomberg were a vice presidential candidate, he could donate an unlimited amount of personal cash to the ticket if the campaign were not accepting public funding" ("Situation Room," 2/28).
MSNBC's Matthews, after hearing there's a lot of Bloomberg VP talk: "Where? Where? Stop right there. You're not going to do that on this show. He's not being talked about it here on this 'Hardball' show. Even though you said that, he's not being talked about for VP on this show" ("Hardball," 2/28).
CNN's Crowley: "Let's face it, he's the mayor of New York. I'm not sure that helps Hillary Clinton. It certainly doesn't help John McCain. I don't know what it does for Barack Obama. You know, these things aren't done like oh, look, he has the same ideas as I do. They're done on a whole host of issues, as to what a candidate, you know, what blanks a candidate has to fill in. I'm not sure what blanks Mayor Bloomberg fills in" ("Situation Room," 2/28).
MSNBC's Barnicle: "I don't think there's a chance in the world that Mike Bloomberg wants or would take the vice presidency. It's not in his nature to be number two. ... The guy has made an enormous fortune by being the guy, making the decisions. He's not going to be vice president and go to someone's funeral over in Africa or Asia" ("Hardball," 2/28).
Posted at 09:12 AM
Comments
Poor Hillary. Always the victim.
just another dem | 02.29.08 09:16 AM
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Fineman has a point, why isn't anyone questioning Hillary's qualifications? What makes her more qualified than Obama?
Experience is a false narrative. A President needs sound judgment skills versus political connections. Just because an individual has been entrenched in the Washingtonian political establishment does not necessarily translate into being qualified and it sure as hell does not mean change.
Leadership means a lot of things, for instance the ability to move people to action; it also means making responsible decisions that will impact people's lives. We know reactionary decisions have dire consequences after 7 years under Bush & Cheney. Neither truly comprehend situations, or maybe they do and take irresponsible action anyhow -- letting the chips fall where they may.
Preparation means having back-up plans should things go awry. Foresight means putting precautionary measures in place after looking at different scenario outcomes, before a situation manifests. Flexibility means being willing to alter the course if the current plan is not working; if or when circumstances change and/or different information becomes available. None of which was done despite the warnings. Bush and Cheney's judgment or rather lack thereof got us where we are today with Cheney's and Rumsfeld's and a host of others decades of "experience."
The similarity between the aforementioned and Hillary's campaign is uncanny. Her mistake was believing she did not need to campaign in the red states or after Super Tuesday. With the belief the nomination would be all but wrapped-up on Super Tuesday had no Plan B muchless a ground-organization in place in Texas. Thus her team have been scurrying to catch-up. The staff said they did not know Texas had a quirky voting system until last week. This system has been in place since 1972. Now Clinton wants to change it. However Bill Clinton campaigned here twice -- shouldn't the campaign have known?
What about Hillary's votes for the war including voting against amendments to slow Bush down. She had 3 different chances and still voted no. Her vote for the Kyle-Lieberman bill ought to give one pause, too. Making the same decision, but expecting a different outcome is an exercise in futility. And it shows poor judgment. Yet Hillary has the audacity to tell us she is ready "day 1" ?
In life and death situations and at crucial moments more than ever we someone who will rise to a situation using reasoned logic and sound judgment.
People want change; change in the way Washington is run; change in the way politicians do business; change in governing from the top down; change in the direction the country is headed; and change that is conducive for all.
Obama has the qualifications, the judgment and the willingness. His record proves it.
After 7.5 years under Bush more of the same is not an option.
serena1313 | 03.01.08 02:12 AM
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