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Thursday, April 17, 2008
Hillary and Obama: Slicing and dicing.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, so Hillary wasn’t under sniper fire in Bosnia in 1996. But at least she had the integrity to stand up Wednesday night and admit that she lied. How often do you hear that from a politician — an honest answer that she lied.
“On a couple of occasions in the last weeks, I just said some things that were not in keeping with what I knew to be the case,” she said. “I’m embarrassed by it. I apologized for it. I said it was a mistake.”
“You can go back for the past 15 months. We both have said things that, you know, turned out not to be accurate,” said Clinton. “That happens when you’re talking as much as we have talked. But, you know, I’m very sorry that I said it.”
Barack Obama returned once again to his testimony about why working-class people in small towns cling to God, guns and bigotry as well as his notions about how patriotism should be expressed by the President.
“The point I was making was that when people feel like Washington is not listening to them that politically they end up focusing on those things that are constant, like religion, which is a place they can find some refuge.” (Ever notice that anytime any politician says something dumb and offensive the clarification is always smooth and reasonable? Unless, of course, you’re Trent Lott or a Republican.)
Wednesday night’s debate, which was well worth watching, may be the last before next Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary. Hillary once had a substantial lead there, but the two are now tied. In recent days, she’s launched television advertising there that refers to Obama’s God, guns and bigotry remark as “a fundamental misunderstanding of religion and faith.”
When asked whether Obama could win in November, she replied: “Yes, yes, yes. Now I think I can do a better job. Obviously that’s why I’m here.”
I’m not yet ready to say “no, no, no” in the case of either Hillary or Obama. But I do hope Republicans who might be inclined to drift to a third party or to stay home have been watching these debates. They can be beat, either of them. They speak a language — Obama, especially — that is not out of Middle America. Elitist? Out-of-touch? Something. Whatever the quality is, John Kerry had it, as did George McGovern. And Hillary, poor Hillary, has been pushed so far to the left that she’s losing her prospects, however limited they were, to appeal to Middle America, especially those who aren’t ready to embrace defeat in Iraq.
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