Sunday, February 18, 2007
HIllary Reads the Script Badly
by Ken HoughtonSome few obsessives We all remember the scene: candidate Jed Bartlet answering a question in NH about why he voted—multiple times—against a bill to support dairy farmers.
He says, roughly, "Yep, I really Rogered you on that one. Wouldn't blame you if you don't vote for me, but ONE in FIVE children in the United States can't afford to eat, and I won't do anything to make it more difficult for them." (I can't find the video on YouTube/Google Video; it's from this two-part episode.)
It's that moment that convinces Josh to join the campaign. A Presidential candidate who stands up and says, "Don't vote for me if you want; here's why I did what I did."
Hillary Clinton understood half of that, with a comment that earned her a Shakespeare's Sister Quote of the Day post.
She just didn't bother to say why she did what she did; there is no statement of principle, no indication of a conscious decision-making process.
"I weighed the choices, and couldn't do what you wanted because this is more important" is a decision, an answer. "I was fooled; if you don't like it, don't vote for me" is an invitation to your own political beheading.
He says, roughly, "Yep, I really Rogered you on that one. Wouldn't blame you if you don't vote for me, but ONE in FIVE children in the United States can't afford to eat, and I won't do anything to make it more difficult for them." (I can't find the video on YouTube/Google Video; it's from this two-part episode.)
It's that moment that convinces Josh to join the campaign. A Presidential candidate who stands up and says, "Don't vote for me if you want; here's why I did what I did."
Hillary Clinton understood half of that, with a comment that earned her a Shakespeare's Sister Quote of the Day post.
She just didn't bother to say why she did what she did; there is no statement of principle, no indication of a conscious decision-making process.
"I weighed the choices, and couldn't do what you wanted because this is more important" is a decision, an answer. "I was fooled; if you don't like it, don't vote for me" is an invitation to your own political beheading.
Labels: 2008, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, Politics
