January 22, 2008
Campaign Distraction (Bob Franken)
For entertainment value it was hard to beat the Monday-night hissing match. It may end up being one of the few times in history that the sympathy figure was the white guy. John Edwards struggled for attention, while Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama dumped on one another. For good measure, Obama went after that other guy , the ex-president-turned-political hit man, Bill Clinton.
While Bill is doing his Spiro Agnew imitation, while Hillary and Barack duke it out and while John Edwards heckles damn near everyone, all we really see is sparks, very little illumination.
But look no further than Monday morning's New York Times if you want some light shone on one of the campaign's most important issues, our gone-to-hell-in-a-handbasket economy.
In an interview with the Times, Hillary Clinton was displaying some of the policy substance and experience that she's always bragging about. In the process she engaged in the kind of "big picture" discussion that usually gets drowned out by the pettiness of the day-to-day election screeching.
She was describing the fundamental changes she would try and impose on the the relationshp between the public and private sectors, and the haves and have-nots. Actually what she was espousing was a return to a strong role in the nation's commerce for government, labor unions and other institutions.
She would utilize public works projects to provide employment and would rejigger taxes to take more from the rich and provide for the poor and middle class.
In the last decade or two, our country's corporate and financial terrain has resembled an economic Wardistan, a nearly lawless state where the strong routinely take away from everyone else.
Hillary Clinton has laid out in simple terms her vision for reordering priorities, and the emphasis she'd place on closing the gap between haves and have-nots in this country.
My purpose here is not to take sides in the issues she raised. I seriously doubt if anyone paid much attention, even though she was getting to the core of our system.
That IS my point. None of us focuses on that kind of discussion. All we seem to notice is the "he-said-she-said," who-snapped-at-who crap.
Even when our economy is in the toilet, a reasoned debate, about how we got to this point and how we get out, seems to be a waste of effort. No one wants to hear about that kind of thing.
It's exactly what we all do need to hear. Maybe it's time that we in media find imaginative ways to seriously present these matters in ways that grab people's interest, and maybe it's time for us voters to seriously consider them.
Granted, it's much less work to just go for the simple-minded campaign Roller Derby play-by-play, but we are in trouble. We need to decide who has the best plan to get us out of our mess. Otherwise we'll just sink even deeper into history's quicksand.
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We're not in a recession but the commies in waiting can't wait for the opportunity to take as much private wealth as they can and enlarge the parasite class.
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — January 22, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
Mr. Rosencrans is right. By the technical definition, we are not in recession. That is not to say that the economy isn't showing weakness, which is why the Fed acted as it did this morning. Even so, to cherry pick a significant idea from Mr. Franken's post: "…utilize public works projects to provide employment and would rejigger taxes to take more from the rich and provide for the poor and middle class.", where does the money for public works projects come from? Answer: the govt's money comes from the public, via taxes. Proposing to rejigger taxes, provide for the poor and middle class and also fund public works projects leaves a deficit somewhere. The poor have no money. Tax the rich (especially corporations)too much and you risk exactly that which is being discussed…a recession. That leaves the deficit to be made up by.. guess who? Us middle class 'uns….again.
We need a more robust explanation of proposals such as this to explain why they are not worse than the malady to which they will be applied.
Comment by joelias — January 22, 2008 @ 2:14 pm
What a show the entire world is seeing. A Hillary Clinton lying and hoping that the YouTube video´s and the Internet sites on Obama statements and records are not found. It is interesting to see the former President with a pimp mentality lie to himself. The world sees him red in the face with a rage that in uncivilized countries is a daily happening. What is most interesting is the white and black leadership, plus the Democratic National Committee is not to be heard on seem. Is Howard Dean in the country or is he a paid agent of change for Bill Clinton. The dignified Black Representative in SC has nothing to say? The world sees an American with a vision and he has to stand alone in this uncivilized contest to improve America. I am being to think that if this is the case then the American deserve Hillary and Bill and all the sex scandals that are on the way.
Comment by coatesmoe — January 22, 2008 @ 5:08 pm
Does anyone else think that Hillary has demonstrated rude and low class behavior lately? Did you see how she constantly interrupted Barack Obama? Just plain rude. Certainly not presidential.
Comment by DFAL — January 23, 2008 @ 8:20 am
Wouldn't it be a shocker if Edwards were to beat Hillary in 2nd place of S. Carolina? His polls are getting closer to hers.
Comment by Connie Manes — January 23, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
Great talk on Hardball today about the Clintons dirty politics!
Please Help End the Hill-Billy Show. I saw recently CNN played a clip after the 2002 elections where BILL CLINTON SAID DEMOCRATS HAVE TO FIND NEW IDEAS….PLEASE PLEEZE PLEEEZE!!! And please call and send it to Obama! It would make a GREAT COMMERCIAL FOR OBAMA to counter Hillary’s latest! Also I would love to see the quotes in the new book Obama mentioned during the SC debate where both Clintons supported the Reagan transformation!
Dirty politics The Hill-Billy Show of the Clintons
The voters and the Hill Bill Show of the Clintons (plural) should be ashamed of the insidious and disgraceful republican smear tactics the Clintons are using. Mark Penn is the Clintons replacement for Carl Rove – Does anyone need more convincing of how big a mistake the Hill Bill Show will be? The Republican Party will be re-energized big-time by the Hill Bill Show. Republicans are chomping at the bit to fight Hill and Bill. Do you want another 4 or 8 years of partisan bickering between republicans and democrats?
The NY Times and Meet The Press before the Nevada vote caught Hillary and Bill again lying about her Iraq war voting but it has not been discussed. These lies are just another example of what to expect with the Hill Bill Show!
NY Times 1/14/08 pg 18 Defending Iraq War Vote
How can Hillary say on Meet the Press that "Chuck Hagel, who helped draft the resolution, said it was not a vote for war" when in fact the Hagel resolution never passed and it was a Gephart agreement sponsored by Lieberman that ultimately passed?
How could both Hillary and Bill (on Larry King Live) both misrepresent or intentionally spin or make up new facts that sound good but are not true?
“Electabilty”
Is character and honesty more important than experience?
How much of Hillary’s career has been spent “in the trenches” helping the people?
Senator Obama is more qualified and has better experience than Hillary.
Campaign Promises
How do you expect Hillary to pass any of her main programs when republicans hate her, e.g., universal health care and withdrawing troops from Iraq, and keep them from being blocked by Republicans in the House and Senate?
THANKS
Steve Kirslis
Atlanta GA
Comment by Obama supporter — January 23, 2008 @ 6:22 pm
While I respect Hillary's grasp of the economy, I wonder if a policy wonk is what we need, or whether we instead need a leader - and I'm not so sure the two traits tend to coexist. I want a leader because this sure seems like 1980 all over again. We've been devastated both nationally and internationally and we're rudderless. But unlike 1980, the answers this around time don't appear to reside in nationalism, but in nuance. We need a president who can listen to all sides and form coalitions that are willing to give a little and take a little in the pursuit of honest to God solutions. Is that a Clinton trait? Or asked another way, would that be the mindset of congressional Republicans if the Clintons were elected to the White House?
I started out a Biden guy, but Obama has grown on me. He doesn't have resolute answers or Washington experience. But, is that a pre-requisite to becoming a great president? The few great presidents had the ability to lead the country and forge compromise with Congress. From what I can gather from way out here in Texas, Obama has those skills. Hillary does not.
While I would prefer a policy wonk, I don't want an ideologue. I don't want a fighter. I do want a smart, reasonable and wise leader who puts the country above a specific policy agenda.
Comment by Rowland — January 24, 2008 @ 12:13 am