The Perils of Passion

Here's what Hillary can do to regain momentum:
1)Have Bill compare Obama to Jesse Jackson to diminish and marginalize him. Oops, that didn't work
2)Argue that she is the real change candidate. Oops,that didn't work
3)Argue that Obama is peddling "false hopes". Oops, that didn't work either.
4)Argue that only she is ready from day one. Oops, that didn't work.
5)Smear Obama as an evil Reaganophile. Oops, that didn't work.
6)Return to her original message of go with me because I am the inevitable candidate. Oops, that didn't work.
What's left?
7) Release her tax returns. Oops, can???t do that, because of that little issue with Big Bill???s business interests with the Dubai royal family.
Remaining option: Go negative - you'll see it this week folks!

Annabella;

I agree Hillary has this time at least proved a poor candidate - emotional, self-pitying, easily dominated by the opposition. No hard-hitting, just petty whining. Her good grasp of economic issues was overshadowed by all these failings.

Still, I think people - inckuding you - will think respectfully of her when the USA is in the hands of the boastful, vague Obama.

You ain't seen anything yet.

I can tell you one reason Hillary incites so many passions and most of the them seem to be negative. The positive ones seem predicated more on identification with her of a bizarre type.."Well I'm not all that likeable either, so she's fine by me. No one appreciates me for my full worth either, so I'll stick by her."
As for the negatives... she is a polarizing figure because she sees the world as Us vs Them. Remember when she teared up NH (no, there was nothing wrong with that or contrived) but then she said: "some of us are right and some of us are wrong." And of course she is never wrong about anything...why it would be like Bush and based on the same types of insecurities. All Hillary has been tested in is being attacked and surviving. There is no legislative initiative that is hers. There is nothing that she has managed well, including her own campaign. Remember the health care initiative that was totally her project. What a shambles. How can one hesitate for a moment when tyou compare her styke and record to that of a candidate of the intelligence, skill, decency and intekkectual honesty of a Barak Obama?

I'll tell you why some people think Hillary would be an awful President. After she teared up in NH (and I do not think it was fake and I do think it was a humanizing moment because she let herself react to someone's sympathy for her) but then she turned it: "some of us are right and some of us are wrong." It is exactly that kind of mentality that has gotten us into some of the trouble we are in as a body politic and also that kind of mentality that will preclude effective leadership. There is only one thing Hillary has demonstrated she is really good at: taking all sorts of hits and surviving. Lord, lord, is that what you want when you have a leader as skilled as Obama is proving himself to be? Yes she sure has been tested in that way. But where else has she demonstrated good judgment or for that matter any of the managerial skills she prides herself on? Look at her campaign... she has blown through $175 million in the last 7 years... and apparently didn';t even know she was blowing it. The suggestion that she stay in the Senate and model herself after Teddy Kennedy is an excellent one.

Can someone tell me why Hiliary incites so many passions in people(either love or hate) and why the media has not completely scrutinized Obama's record and given him a free pass??? Hiliary is well read, well-versed on policy, smart, quick on her feet...does anyone think that she dosen't have the ability to reach across the aisle? My vote is still undecided, but though she is "the establishment," she appears to be ready for the difficulties which lay ahead for the next President.

In the past seven days Barack Obama has won primaries or caucuses in eighteen states, and with projected wins this week in Virginia and Maryland he will have won twenty states in eight days. He was won all over the country and in states with less than 10 percent African-American population such as Nebraska, Maine, and North Dakota, and states such as Washington and Minnesota with very few African-Americans. His appeal to all Americans of all colors and religions and all parts of the country is vast--and is growing. The Clintons' win-at-all costs, mean-spirited campaign of the politics of personal destruction and tearing down your opponent with rumors, lies, innunendos and race-baiting is wearing on the public. Clinton may be holding her base, but the more the voters get to know Barack Obama the more he expands his. The Clintons will stop at nothing to destroy this man, even if it means destroying the Democratic Party's chances of regaining the White House. Obama is running a campaign of hope, change, inspiration and working together to solve our nation's problems, while the Clintons' are running a campaign of tearing their opponents apart. The American people are smarter than the Clintons think, and all their mud-slinging and dirty campaigning is not going to stop Obama. The American voters see through what the Clintons are doing and are responding with their most powerful weapon: their votes!

If she loves our country as much as she says she does and is not just obsessed with being President, Hillary should return to the Senate, where she would essentially be able to maintain her seat for the rest of her life, and she should take a page from the life of Ted Kennedy. Senator Kennedy deeply wanted to be President, but he realized that was not in the cards. Love him or hate him, the fact remains that in the last forty-five years no other senator has had more legislation passed for children, minorities, healthcare, women, the environment, the disabled, the poor or for education than Ted Kennedy. Being President is not everything, Hillary, not if you truly do care for those you say you care about.

Anna, as usual I completely agree with you. However, and I don't know why, I am going to have a hard time voting for Obama if he emerges at the candidate. I understand that he is a new face and telling us things that we want to hear, I just don't have confidence in him. Guess I have too much of the Hillary addiction.

As an democrat/independent, if it's Hillary, many of the fervor will be gone along with the votes.

Anna Quindlen has it right. Hillary Clinton is the grownup in the room. Barack Obama is impressive -- I've read his first book, listened to his 2004 convention speech -- but his resume is thin for the presidency. His speeches all sound the same. I just don't think he has the depth which comes from experience. We've gone this route before and it has produced some very unsatisfying results for both parties.

When Michigan moved its primary up to January 15 in violation of rules established by the Democratic National Committee, Barack Obama and John Edwards withdrew from the race. Hillary Clinton left her name of the ballot and still trumpets this empty win running against "Uncommitted" (who made a pretty strong showing, by the way). It's pretty clear who had the best interests of the party in mind, and who had personal ambition.

Now I understand why the Clintons bought big house for a family of 3 after leaving WH. It is all intended to be a place for intimate party/fund raising/political planning for laying out the road map to Hill's coronation. Unfortunately for the super experience Clintons, they did not include a plan to knee cap an upstart rival and could not foresee such a rival could ever arise to challenge them. They never foresee that a brave young man would ever dare to challenge them, like how they cowered Nita Lowey into stepping out for Hill in New York. With events now out of their control, they still project a herculean power to resist the demand for releasing their tax returns now. Unfortunately for them, this will blow in their face and perhaps might forced her to abandon her coronation as this will continue to hound her wherever she goes later. It is the voters who will demand for it and not Barack and the voters are entitled to know who they are voting for. She can't link it to Barack's contributors as a rising demand from voters will consumed her time on the campaign trail.

Shout out to Lincoln President Lincoln biatches and Booth B####### when the South lost and was guilty of HORRIBLE crimes against the Union it's people, it's army and cities Lincoln let it go. He let it go. He is the one and only original G in front of conventional wise men and all the fluff and junk s###. He broke the cycle and when you open your door this morning and breath freely maybe (if it's your thing but don't have to) say thank you to God for him and think of him when you hold that 5 spot proud and may it stand strong and not dissolve in some inflationary attack.

"Raise taxes" so us hogs can support some of those struggling to live - ok.
"Lower taxes" so the little people like me can fend for ourselves while 100 million dollar yachts and more $ than you can spend in 10 lifetimes stuck in the dashboard floats by. -not ok.

"Win" in Iraq. Back to basics what does "win" mean? once we know we will know when we get there. my guess is the next generation would be lucky to see it.

Wrong is wrong. Death for death? put you in a box and insult you because you victimized and insulted me? Terrorize you because you terrorize me? When does it ever get better if that is the cycle? Since when does your child mess up and you straight kick em out on the street, naked and hungry saying THAT WILL TEACH YA AND LET IT BE A LESSON TO EVERYONE ELSE!!!! G's ain't afraid and real G's laugh at ya. Only problem is now a real G is on ya back and not covering it.

..had to cut it down waaay down i guess short and sweet is the goal here. at the end of the day are we going to be united and sober? When the delusion of easy 1-2-3 checkmate you suck i rule and everyone can just shut it wears off are we going to be even more isolated and alone?? When it all boils down we have WAAYYY more in common than different. imho we all get hung up on the little gramatical ommissions while the heart and soul fly by. i see it as a choice to continue down a widening divide of hate and ignorance or a here is my hand whether you like it or not i am here for you and isn't that how it is in reality not Real TV but reality / daily grind kind? i can admit that i would rather just die than live without my friends/Americans all around me. Go Hillary! i look around and everyone is doing their thing in concert and color and honoring Lincoln who was a UNITY at any cost - yes even a bullet in you and yours now for the sake of the future of this Union. Our country is rocking because of the sacrifices of generations before us and their resolve to ..... preaching at the choir. We all know we rock but the world better know. When they visit or listen in do they hear a i got ya back and you got mine and love/pursuit of hapiness to ALL. not love that runs and gets high or can't keep its hands off of the next generation pimping out our girls like they did not hold the future in their hands. a love that says to terrorism What is going on that you hate me so much???? a love that listens and seeks to understand first and to be understood only if lucky. a love that tells anyone brown, black, yellow, fat, thin, rich, poor, whatever you are into within reason and safety of others is ok and you are safe. a love that is not hypocritical that doesn't torture and mame animals at the hand of big business pharmaceuticals charging $1 to a foreign land and $100 to Uncle Sam and goes after #7 Quarterback homegrown heartland. Rocking the leader of the Eagles and a rockstar with their tighty pants and high $ lawyers i would NEVER expect. i would expect that bad behavior is handled discretely with punishment of course but not a brutal all out attack by media blood thirsty and maniacal taking down a rocking stud who was just behaving as the warrior he is and does not just penalize but rapes pillages and victimizes in the name of JUSTICE? What happens when all the real G's and quarterbacks are in the Pen?? Are we going to count on miss fancy pants and mr $ stamps to stand up to the punks on United flight whatever it be next - we'll see. my $is on homegrown power even if you don't like the sight of blood G. Free Michael Vick. Victory.

Thank you. Your column as well as others has reenergized me. I went to a Caucus for the first time and was startled by the verbal vitriol and nasty looks from Democrats at the Republicans as they made there way to their respective rooms. I'm an Independant who was embarrassed by the display from a party that calls itself inclusive, so I changed my mind and went to the Republican caucus and voted. Obama supporters were the worst and soured me on him right then and there and I will now vote for McCain. The outright hatred of your columns and the disrespect given to other Americans you do not agrre with makes you as bad as Limbaugh. Same cloth, different ends.

Thank you. Your column as well as others has reenergized me. I went to a Caucus for the first time and was startled by the verbal vitriol and nasty looks from Democrats at the Republicans as they made there way to their respective rooms. I'm an Independant who was embarrassed by the display from a party that calls itself inclusive, so I changed my mind and went to the Republican caucus and voted. Obama supporters were the worst and soured me on him right then and there and I will now vote for McCain. The outright hatred of your columns and the disrespect given to other Americans you do not agrre with makes you as bad as Limbaugh. Same cloth, different ends.

"The problem for Clinton is that she attracts mainly Democrats. Obama, on the other hand, attracts new voters"

a problem maybe but true definitely not because i am one of those new voters i am one of the ones who has not had alot of political input and i am not attracted by Obama at all. As a matter of fact HE SCARES ME. He does not scare me because he is black (my first true relationship was with a most amazing black woman and i would rather hang with black people, listen to black artists and roll with black soilders) or Muslim (one of the best employees at my job is Muslim, he is conscientious, courteous, resourcefull and most over he is the harderst worker here) nor is it that he is a Democrat ( i am registered as a Republican love George Bush, voted him in and now cannot see my future without Hillary and her lovely famaily as my first family Democrat or not). The reason he scares me is i cannot see what i am getting, i cannot predict the future because i have no facts or substance to base it on, i have not heard how he will do this CHANGE thing. i have not heard if it is even going to be a good Change? or a bad Change? - no we all as silly little sheep assume the man running for office will mean good for us and by Change he means good change BUT i have not seen that in him and sorry i have been around a while and when a salesman says this is what you need it will be great i usually start to find my exit strategy and continue shopping as i feel demeaned and degraded. i ask humbly for the heart of the man who is going to take office BEFORE he takes it because then it is yes sir and that is it. No return policy like my favorite store Costco. No they say you are stuck - better luck next time and we all hang our head and hope for what may have been and what we had the power to see and be - for me i see Hillary and i am going strong into the next 4 years with resolve knowing i have a time tested product, a no hype hustler, a no nonsence trooper who will get it done just as her character has done in the past. Sorry for nothing - only sorry for sorry suckers.