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Friday, April 18, 2008 12:00 AM

Debating the debate, complaining about complaining

In the fall, Clinton complained about the media and Obama was on the attack. Now, they've switched.

The letters thread is now closed.

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Friday, April 18, 2008 02:05 PM

Credibility gap

It certainly doesn't help Hillary's growing untrustworthiness problem when her campaign tries to miscategorize Obama's legitimate beef with the style of ABC's debate. Complaints with the debate certainly haven't been limited to Obama supporters, and I thought that Obama's pick-yourself-up-and-dust-yourself-off response was entirely appropriate and not at all whiny. Of course, as an Obama supporter, I'm biased, but when the outrage over the debate was so significant that even ABC had to address it in their nightly newscast, it seems to me that this is yet another issue that Hillary's on the wrong side of.

Friday, April 18, 2008 02:08 PM

She doesn't have to go, but I just wish she would

How is this enhancing the democratic process? How? This isn't "good" politics and it's not, as Maureen Dowd said a few weeks ago, toughening Obama up. Its just b.s. and spin. Enough already. I wish she’d slip and drop the damn kitchen sink on her toe and call it a day.

Friday, April 18, 2008 02:11 PM

Truth

This is a fine opportunity for supporters of each candidate to step back and recognize what a circus this primary has been. In all honesty, there is absolutely nothing left but the voting and the counting. I'm just happy that for the first time, MY state (NC) will have some impact. It's about time!

Friday, April 18, 2008 02:23 PM

False equivalency alert!

The problem with this, as you yourself point out, is that when Obama called Clinton on her complaining about unfair debate treatment, she was actually, you know ... complaining.

Friday, April 18, 2008 02:26 PM

Obama is responding to these phony issues in the best way

He isn't saying "it's not fair!" like Clinton did when she was being treated "unfairly."

He certainly can handle the criticism. In fact, he is currently leading in the race for the Dem nomination, over a candidate who had a huge advantage and lead early in the process.

It seems Clinton thinks she is better suited for the job because she is good at playing the gotcha game. She wants to be the leader of a broken system. This shows a cynicism that I no longer can stomach.

I think Obama is better suited for the job because he wants to fix the broken system, and this starts by what we focus on and deem important.

Let's all strive for a higher ground.

Friday, April 18, 2008 02:33 PM

Hillary Clinton

How anyone can take this woman seriously is beyond me. I watched the clip of her on the Fox News affiliate with jaw agape. Just disgusting. This is why so many people are sick and damn tired of politicians.

Clinton was told by the news anchor about Obama's voiced frustration with the debate not focusing on key issues until halfway through, and the asked what she thought about the debate. She then went into spin mode (John Stewart would call that lying) and answered the question as if it were about Obama being upset at being asked "tough" questions, as opposed to being upset at being asked irrelevant questions. Instead of answering the actual question, she "answered" a question that wasn't asked (that she made up) in hopes of taking petty, cheap, disingenuous shots at the person she's running against. This is the same thing that George Bush or Dick Cheney does in every press conference. They give non-answers and spin the question they were asked into something completely different

Clinton routinely does this. Just like every other run of the mill, disingenuous, lying, sycophantic politician. She is part of the problem. She is the problem.

This is a person that "misspoke" and claimed she was shot at in Bosnia. I don't know about the rest of you here, but had I EVER been shot at and had to run with my head down to safety, I'd remember that for the rest of my life. Only a liar or someone with severe memory loss or Alzheimer's disease would "misspeak" about being frickin' shot at! She was trying to seem tough and experienced. She was catering to the type of voter that thinks being in battle makes one uniquely qualified to be the leader of the free world. "Misspoke" my ass. Enough of this woman. How can anyone take her seriously? Anybody?

Clinton is to the left what George Bush is to the right. She has merely adopted the language of the democratic base and panders away in hopes of winning a majority of voters. If only we could bring Bill Hicks back from the dead....

Friday, April 18, 2008 02:37 PM

I'll do you one better...

He certainly can handle the criticism. In fact, he is currently leading in the race for the Dem nomination, over a candidate who had a huge advantage and lead early in the process.

Not only is Obama winning the primary against Hillary, he's also holding his own in polls against the Republican nominee, who's using many of the same lines of attack against him that the Clinton campaign is. I don't know how anyone could see Obama as being "unelectable" when he's successfully withstanding the assault of two very experienced, very well-known candidates from opposite ends of the mainstream political spectrum.

Friday, April 18, 2008 02:40 PM

Instead of ganging up with the media

Hillary at her best and in her element. She blames the media for her failures but when the media (or rather her surrogate puffoffolous) start to gang bang obama,, what does she so? She joins them in the gang banging. This is the trouble with Hillary. She is a quick learner, but a learner of all things base in our society of gossip and innuendo. If she, like Obama would call the media on their bluff, she would indeed come out smelling like a rose. She hates the right wing conspiracy, but joins it with Scaife Mellon. She hates the media but copies their tactics. This is her MO. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

So I know, that when Obama wins 2008, she will join him. She is a joiner and does suck up to power to hide her own insecurities.

Friday, April 18, 2008 02:50 PM

It wasn't her it was us

Senator Clinton didn't start the complaining about being attacked by at least 5 debate opponents, we did. It was an awful debate and she continues to treated very badly by the press, the party and Obama supporters. Senator Clinton wanted us to keep quiet, keep focused, and stick to the issues. We did until we just couldn't stand it any more. Barack Obama has hit her with everything he can sometimes spending 4 times as much as she does. His supporters are loud, rude and crude. Obama supporters have silenced any real debate both in person and on the blogs. Heck somehow Obamaites have some believing that taking away the vote from two states is a good thing. Huh??? Any unity we thought we had has been destroyed by their screaming. And so now we just aren't going to shut up. Don't blame Hillary Clinton because her supporters are suddenly talking about the hardships they have faced.

Hillary Clinton is so obviously the best qualified to be president not only in terms of knowledge and policies but presence. She is cool under fire (he isn't). When challenged her arguements get better (his don't). I can picture her negotiating with foreign powers. I can picture him giving in to foreign powers or boring them to death while he talks until he finds something that sounds good. Senator Obama is falling apart while Hillary Clinton just gets better, more focused, more human. He gets more snide, more laughable and more unelectable every day.

I am from Illinois. I have had time to know Senator Obama and his friends and his good old boy Chicago Pol network. I urge you to take another look at Senator Clinton, her qualifications and her plans. She will be a fantastic president.

Thank you for listening.

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