[QUOTE=jayjay]
Hehe…competence? From the Clinton campaign? From Mark “I win whether Clinton or McCain becomes President because my company is representing both of them” Penn? From the campaign that didn’t even plan past Super Tuesday because she was supposed to be inevitable? From the campaign that decided that it could afford to use the old-Democrat “only big blue states” strategy? That competence?
If she can’t run a goddamn campaign, how’s she going to run the country?
[/QUOTE]
But okay, if you want to switch questions and ask me about the competence of the Clinton campaign in this election, I’d say this: Obama’s campaign is run by lots of the Clinton folks from Bill’s elections, HRC’s campaign via Doyle tried hard to distance themselves from Bill’s advise until very recently and that was stupid, and I do agree with Harold Ickes that HRC is better than her campaign and has been ill-served by them. In fairness, I think it’s a tough call as to what to do with a rising star – if you attack them early (when he was at 17%) you risk drawing attention to them, but if you wait then it can be too late. Bill apparently advised going after Obama way back when he was at 17% and it looks like he was right. But seeing as how Doyle and others had already decided to ignore Bill, they went with a ‘queen’ shock and awe campaign of presumptive nominee and it wasn’t the right play. In fact, one Clinton vet suggested she skip Iowa altogether cuz that never seems to go their way like it didn’t last time.
So yes, I’d agree they made lots and lots of mistakes. And I think it’s fair to take that into consideration as to how she would run the country, but it’s offset in my mind by all the other considerations at play and Obama’s campaign being run well (by Clinton folks) doesn’t make me feel Obama is qualified to be president although I will give him credit for his leadership of a tight ship although I think trying to run as ‘above it all’ has come back to bite him in the ass and hamstrung him in Wisconsin and Ohio where he only got a 2 delegate advantage and lost, respectively.
I’m also someone that does believe that a lot of Obama’s support has come from a hysteria over shallow, pop culture elements of his being a novelty act with a funny name, sizzling smile, and other such bullshit as repeatedly pointed out and made fun of in editorials and comics (I recall one that captured it perfectly of Obama as Elvis with girls swooning – and there have literally been reports of folks passing out – while Obama Elvis is on stage and Hillary is there in the corner by the stage with a sour look on her face saying “But he doesn’t know anything!” and this ponytailed girl next to Hillary hears her say that and responds, “Oh, so you’re an Obama supporter toooo?” LOL That captured it).
I recall someone saying on a post on CNN, if Hillary can’t manage her husband and keep him from having affairs, how the hell can she manage the country? But I think some comparisons, like that one, are just silly. Managing a campaign is a bit more relevant, but still not a major deciding factor in who I think would make the best POTUS at a time like this. I find Obama to be riding to a great degree on the shoulders of others and just trying not to do or say anything stupid and sort of coast into the White House. In that specific regard – and in that regard only for the most part – he reminds me of Bush.
I can’t take another 8 years of an empty suit whose gravitas is owned by others.
