# Evil Twins? The Clinton/Obama Campaigns **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 7, 2008, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-the-clinton-obama-campaigns/440415 "2008-03-07T05:22:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crocodiles_And_Boulevards)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-the-clinton-obama-campaigns/440415/1 "2008-03-07T05:22:02Z")
It’s really been difficult to discuss this topic while away. I don’t get to see half the ads you guys back home see, for example. However, I do keep hearing from Obama supporters that they can’t support Hillary because of her sliminess and propensity for slanderous, lie-filled campaigning. Now, I’m a relative newcomer to researching politics on the internet, and just today I stumbled across a website called [FactCheck.org](http://FactCheck.org). They seem to do a pretty decent job of keeping tabs on all the campaigns involved. What I’m noticing, though, is not particularly down on Clinton’s campaign at all. From [FactCheck.org](http://FactCheck.org): **Misleading Ads in Texas** March 4, 2008New Independent pro-Clinton group misrepresents us in one ad and uses a misleading blurb in another. **More NAFTA Nonsense** March 3, 2008New An Obama mailer uses dubious, disputed statistics about how much the trade deal hurt Ohio workers. **Cleveland Clinkers** February 27, 2008New Clinton and Obama hit sour notes in the Cleveland debate. **Clinton Edits ‘The Truth’** February 25, 2008 A Clinton mailer quotes Obama’s praise for free trade, but it omits his criticisms. **Obama Mailings ‘False’?** February 24, 2008 Clinton says Democrats should be “outraged.” You be the judge. (\*\*Note: According to the article, yes, the mailings were false and misleading.) **Clinton-Obama Pillow Fight** February 22, 2008 The Democratic front-runners meet in a civil and mostly error-free debate. **They’ve Got You Covered?** February 14, 2008 Obama and Clinton ads both claim all Americans would be covered by their health plans. Clinton’s would come close. **Monday Night Quibbles** February 12, 2008 No statements made of whole cloth, but some factual embroidery by Clinton and Obama. ETC., ETC., Etc… After reading through these since my lunch break, it’s been really difficult to tell the candidates in question apart as far as tactics go. As you can see above, every Clinton mailer that seems to be negative and questionable is immediately matched or even preceded by one from the Obama camp. And even then, the content of these ads are bizarrely civil for a political campaign. By golly, I get the impression that both of these people actually like and respect each other. It’s too bad their respective followers can’t do the same 😛 Maybe [FactCheck.org](http://FactCheck.org) isn’t the best place to rustle up this kind of comparison. I’m not 100% familiar with the site, it’s true. But if it represents any kind of comprehensive list of points taken to task, then it doesn’t appear that Clinton is especially more “evil” than Obama as far as campaigning goes. Many people here seem to disagree. Can I get some hard examples as to why? ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-the-clinton-obama-campaigns/440415/2 "2008-03-07T12:29:43Z")
Clinton has a lot of :dubious: dealings in her long past in Washington, from her days as first lady to her choice to leave her home state to become a senator in NY, and the list goes on. Lot’s of republicans hate her, list is too long and I don’t have enough time this morning to type it. Obama is relatively new, but has had let’s say a brighter, life in legislature. I’ll point you to the smoke and mirrors thread right here in GD as to what Clinton has done specifically, and what Obama has done. If you read thet thread and the copious amount of cites in it, you’ll start to get the picture ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-the-clinton-obama-campaigns/440415/3 "2008-03-07T13:06:50Z")
[QUOTE=Crocodiles And Boulevards] But if it represents any kind of comprehensive list of points taken to task, then it doesn’t appear that Clinton is especially more “evil” than Obama as far as campaigning goes. Many people here seem to disagree. [/QUOTE] Politics as usual. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-the-clinton-obama-campaigns/440415/4 "2008-03-08T00:22:49Z")
[QUOTE=Crocodiles And Boulevards] It’s really been difficult to discuss this topic while away. I don’t get to see half the ads you guys back home see, for example. However, I do keep hearing from Obama supporters that they can’t support Hillary because of her sliminess and propensity for slanderous, lie-filled campaigning. Maybe [FactCheck.org](http://FactCheck.org) isn’t the best place to rustle up this kind of comparison. I’m not 100% familiar with the site, it’s true. But if it represents any kind of comprehensive list of points taken to task, then it doesn’t appear that Clinton is especially more “evil” than Obama as far as campaigning goes. Many people here seem to disagree. Can I get some hard examples as to why? [/QUOTE] [Factcheck.org](http://Factcheck.org) might be especially meaningful in a general election, but it leaves out issues that resonate more in a primary. For instance: Clinton has taken to criticizing Obama as not being ready to assume the role of Commander in Chief. Fair enough. But she does so by explicitly praising McCain: > [@](#): > > I think that since we now know Sen. (John) McCain will be the nominee for the Republican Party, national security will be front and center in this election. We all know that. And I think it’s imperative that each of us be able to demonstrate we can cross the commander-in-chief threshold,” the New York senator told reporters crowded into an infant’s bedroom-sized hotel conference room in Washington. > > “I believe that I’ve done that. Certainly, Sen. McCain has done that and you’ll have to ask Sen. Obama with respect to his candidacy,” she said. In other words, she’s giving the Republicans direct ammunition to use on Obama if she doesn’t win the Democratic nomination. She’s deliberately poisoning the election for Obama. That’s the kind of stuff that makes me and other Obama supporters think that she’s a horrible quisling that Democrats nominate at their own peril. That quote, BTW, was from here: [http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2008/03/clinton\_ive\_crossed\_commanderi.html#more](http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2008/03/clinton_ive_crossed_commanderi.html#more)