I still have not gotten a clear idea of the criteria by which I am supposed to judge Sen. Clinton’s pre-Senate experience. She was First Lady. In that role, it’s very difficult to tell if and when she was an active participant in policy matters and when she was more or less a bystander. Oliver Willis has a post up suggesting that Clinton is attempting to take credit for stuff in which she had no significant role; peace negotiations in Northern Ireland in particular.
Apparently the Clinton campaign has stressed Northern Ireland as an example of her supposedly superior foreign policy experience. The former first minister of the province called her claims “a wee bit silly.”
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Some wag observed that Laura Bush is not exactly a good examplar of foreign policy experienced leadership either…
We need a FFL ticket – all Former First Ladies. Hillary for prez, Laura for vice, and Nancy for secretary of state. Maybe Rosalynn Carter for sec of defense.
By Hillary’s standard, Monica Lewinski may have some foreign policy experience, depending on which phone calls she was present for.
T,
Quite true! You might say that, during her time in the Oval Office, Miss Lewinsky gnawed on some pretty inflexible issues.
And as matters reached a climax, she wore her handling of them like a badge.
Hillary’s campaign slogan is the one from “Uncle Duke’s” 2000 campaign – Whatever It Takes. Again, she’s willing to destroy the party in her efforts. This should tell people everything they need to know about her.
If she heads the ticket in IN in the General Election, Dems in Indiana will lose all the way down the ticket. I’ll be working extra hard on a local state rep race just to make up for the drag she’ll be, no pun intended.
I agree that Hillary is not very liked in Indiana, even by some Democrats. When I campaigned for David Sanders in IN-04 VS Buyer, I heard nothing but negative comments about Clinton from the poeple around me.
I think the re-examination of her “experience” is warranted, she certainly hasn’t sold me (but I already drank the Obama kool-aid).
So does this mean that Obama is projected to win the Democratic primary in Indiana? (i.e, because Hillary is not liked in the state)
Matt,
You forgot Betty Ford for Secretary of Health and Human Services.
I just think that Obama would have a better chance of carrying Indiana than Hillary in the General. And I so desparately want to vote for someone who can actually win Indiana…
Rev: Oops, yes, you’re right.
Indiana’s primary was discussed briefly as having interesting possibilities during general primary election TV chat last night. . The reasoning was that Wisconsin gave Obama an extra boost because of the influence of the Chicago media and it was speculated that Indiana might be a state of special note that could break from the Ohio pattern and be more pro- Obama, at least in those parts of Indiana considered Chicago-oriented.
I agree, Lou. NW Indiana will go extremely pro-Obama. I don’t know how the rest of the state will go.