Politics on Trial

What will really matter, come November?

By Eleanor Clift | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Feb 22, 2008 | Updated: 2:02 p.m. ET Feb 22, 2008

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Discuss

Posted By: eddiewhere @ 02/26/2008 6:53:18 AM

Comment: ONE OF THE STRONGEST STRATEGIES HILLARy CAN IMpLEMET IS ATTACKING THE UNITy factor which is the driving force behind the OBAMA WAVE. WHAT HAppENS IF THERE IS A REpUBLICAN BACK LASH AFTER A NASTy presdential BATTLE. THEN WHAT? WHO WOULD BE THE most effective pRESIDENT in that scenario.

CAN MINORITIES AFFORD TO TAKE THE OBAMA RISK. WE KNOW UNDER THE CLINTON'S MINORITIES WILL pROSpER as they did in the ninety 's. THOSE WERE THE BEST OF TIMES FOR ALL AMERICANS.

LATINO'S ARE Loyal VOTERS. THEy WILL SAVE HILLARy . THERE IS GOING TO BE AN uproar because of the power and influence of the LATINO VOTE. THERE IS NO DOUBT HILLARy WILL WIN TEXAS AND OHIO.

WHEN I THINK OF HILLARy I THINK OF My MOTHER. ROCK SOLID on my side no matter what. SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHAT IS "GOING ON" AND ALWAyS HAS My BEST INTEREST AT HEART. I IDOLIZE MICHAEL JORDON. HOWEVER I WOULD VOTE FOR My MOM OVER MICHAELJORDON. WHy I KNOW HER. MOST AMERICANS WOULD CHOOSE THEIR MOM OVER JORDON FOR president.

"IN HILLARY WE TRUST" eddiewhere 2008

WE MUST, WE CAN, WE WILL
Posted By: Chapalody @ 02/26/2008 6:39:36 AM

Comment: The verdict is in. It's been an interesting trial to see whose politics the voters seem to want more. The politics of doom and gloom. Or the politics of hope and change. The new rock star or the old rock star. The new school politics or the old school politics. The intense and upset or the happy smiling delivery of politics by Obama. Hillary loves to attack Obama on his rhetoric and no action. Obama's rhetoric is the strategy behind his campaign because it contains no actions like those of Hillary. Especially with Hillary's Universal Health Care front, which Hillary criticizes Obama for because he hasn't jumped on the bandwagon, and embraced it along with her. For this Hillary has accused Obama of abandoning his core Democrat principles.
Posted By: JohnGaltlaketahoe @ 02/24/2008 6:42:26 PM

Comment: ONE CAT, ONE VOTE, ONE BEER!!!

RON PAUL, DENNIS KUCINICH, and RALPH NADER have the American electorate on their side! A BI-Partisan Congress has given the American electorate a Congress with allegiance to obstruction of justice in the Executive Branch and in THREE Offces of the Attorney General. Bi Partisan Congressional corruption and private cable networks have staged this election process SO FAR!

ONE CAT, ONE VOTE, ONE BEER!

ONE CAT, ONE VOTE, ONE BEER!
Posted By: skywalkerjlp @ 02/24/2008 6:04:56 PM

Comment: In the United States, voter registration has never been higher (70 % of the eligible voters ) and yet there has been a steady DECLINE in voter turnout. We had a more than 10 % spike last election after Bin Laden released his video 2 days before the election, and I'm sure there will be another spike this year when Obama becomes the next President. This may placate the masses for a while, but nothing has actually changed. In this day and age of modern technology, a NATIONAL POLL - instituted so the masses can be actively involved in their REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY on a weekly basis, adding in their 2 cents on all the major issues of the week - is the best remedy for ailing voter discontentment. Of course there is probably not one elected official who would ever WANT such a thing, and that has more to do with the FACT that we are a FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC ( google United States, Wikipedia, first sentence ) and NOT a representative democracy. The PEOPLE want to be heard, my most distinguished and learned gentlemen and ladies, or so many of them would not be registering. If you truly want the people to feel positive about politics in general, why not give them an opportunity to become actively involved, say once a week, allowing them to voice their opinions on the major issues. When that day comes to pass, you will have solved voter discontentment in the United States.
Posted By: J Druid @ 02/24/2008 9:12:35 AM

Comment: Clinton and Obama make me want to puke. McCain is a Clinton wannabe who basically is more Pro-War. All three of these fools who keep talking about how much they care about the American people, voted YEA (Yes) to authorize the Patriot Act, which undermines all of our civil liberties (urban, rural, whatever). If the average American knew what these crack pot politicians were doing to our basic rights as American citizens, I think they would be outraged (well, may be I am wrong on that point, but they really should be in my opinion).
Please, please, please. I hope a Third Party is going to emerge that will call for the Repeal of the Patriot Act, as well as oppose the McClinObama train wreck policies of bigger government, more subsidies, less civil rights, and higher taxes.
Posted By: sjl106 @ 02/24/2008 8:36:55 AM

Comment: I have watched Eleanor on newsweeks parent company on msnbc and believe she no longer has the ability to be objective in her analysis, for instance this morning claiming Hillary's outrage over obamas lying mailings are "tactical" instead of the pure anger of obama using the SAME AD THAT THE RIGHTWING AND INSURANCE COMPANIES USED IN THE 90's to defeat Universal Healthcare. SHAME ON YOU ELEANOR FOR NOT ANALYIZING THE FACTS AND TRUTH OF WHAT IS GOING ON!
Posted By: ronpaulatics @ 02/23/2008 2:38:09 PM

Comment: Everywhere i go all I find, be it TV media, Newspaper/ print, and here at the online media sources, is constant talk of the candidates, Clinton and Obama, and McCain and Huckabee...How is it that there is another candidate still in the running for the GOP whom has no mention?....(his campaign coverage has been rejected by the media **WHY?** and therefore he is proceived to be non existant) But he does exsist and he sould have coverage (if not, at least , be mentioned and reconized of his candidacy) He is a true conservative.A real Republican, He is CONGRESSMAN DR. RON PAUL and he's got the right medicine to help America be well again! Shame on all media for not reporting on his existance in this race! I urge all Americans to go to WWW.RONPAUL2008.COM to at least find out what he plans to bring to the table and if he may be the candidate that would best represent you. He deserves to be considered!
- Posted By: J Druid @ 02/24/2008 9:22:14 AM
  
  Comment: I agree. The Socialist Democratic and Socialist Republican Parties have the strong support of many journalists, who push this agenda forward. We have to remember that the media was responsible for the War mongering that led us into the Iraq war. The media acts as though no one opposed the undeclared war in Iraq from the beginning. Many Americans voiced their concerns, and were skeptical of the Bush assertion that this war would be swift and the insinuation that we wouldn't have any American casualties because we would topple Saddam right away. Here we are many years later, and as many of us from the beginning suspected, many thousands of innocent Iraqi people are dead, thousands of our own (the bravest) Americans are dead or maimed.
  Ron Paul is the only candidate that talks about going after Osama Bin Forgotten. Ron Paul is the only candidate that authorized targeted military action to take out the Osama Bin Laden network. Ron Paul is the only candidate that had the vision and leadership to vote against the Iraq war (when those in the media and Federal government were hell bent on invading this bystander country). Ron Paul is the only candidate that talks about securing our ports and border and is serious about it. This country is going to be a train wreck if McClinObama takes over the White House. I hope the American people wake up and give Ron Paul a shot. If Ron Paul can't do it this time, I will guarantee you in four years, when the country is in worse shape and Osama Bin Forgotten hasn't been captured by McClinObama, Ron Paul will emerge as a strong candidate for President.
Posted By: gracen @ 02/23/2008 11:16:22 AM

Comment: I'm not even a McCain fan," she said angrily. "But they may drive me to him. It's such a nonstory."

Anyone think this might be the point... hasn't McCain been accused in some of his past races of manufacturing conflict against him in order to garnish support... One of his own gives just enough inuendo to make it too much to ignore, but so little that McCain can come out from under it easily... by being 'disapointed' not angry... and hire a high powered attorney... and release a prepared statement... almost immediatelly... but with no indication to sue or draw it into a legal battle... seems like a set up to me...
Posted By: J Druid @ 02/22/2008 10:25:19 PM

Comment: The leaders of both the Republican and Democratic Parties are moving us closer and closer to Socialism, away from our Constitution (the true Test of American Patriotism). Both major parties pushed through the Patriot Act (a direct violation of our civil liberties) allowing the Federal government (and the lawmakers) greater access in to our personal lives. We have welfare, medicare, and medicaid, all basically federal government subsidies for Americans as a socialist distribution of wealth and commodities. Then, we have the continuation of undeclared War (a direct violation of our Constitution), allowing the President (or socialist leader) the ability to unilaterally decide whether our country (our Americans) go fight in another country using military resources and costing volunteer military lives.
The very core values of America that the founding fathers of our country laid out for us are being destroyed, and our nation is moving in a perilous direction. The American people need to Wake up from their Slumber, and start helping educate their fellow Americans that we are not Socialists, but in fact we are a Nation of Patriots (people who live by and die for civil liberty as well as individual rights).
Our country sorely needs a third party that will rejuvinate and unify the 40% of Americans that usually don't vote, to overcome the two party system of the Socialist Democrats and Socialist Republicans. Individuals always care for other individuals through charity and good deeds, the Federal government steals from individuals to line the pockets of the Corporations and maintain power for itself, leaving whatever remains recycled back to the American people.
Stop sleep walking into Socialism --- Wake up and fight for our Founding Fathers core values of freedom and equality for all! Freedom from the Federal government intervention! Freedom from excessive taxation!
Posted By: J Druid @ 02/22/2008 10:25:01 PM

Comment: "There's only "a dime's worth of difference" between the Republican and Democratic parties, and they're fighting over that dime! "
Obama, Clinton, McCain, Huckabee --
1. All voted to continue funding the Iraq War.
2. All support "comprehensive immigration reform" -- Washington speak for Amnesty for illegal aliens. They want their big corporation buddies to be happy now don't they with their cheap labor. Meanwhile we pay higher taxes to offset the burden that would put on Social security, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare. If you subsidize something you get more of it, the more we subsidize illegal immigration the more we will get of it, and the more illegal alien families will be affected and hurt.
3. All wish to enact some socialist program or another for the "greater good" -- Translation, we want you to pay higher taxes so we (the federal government) can spend it in the way that benefits our special interest group. Obama (Health care insurance companies), Clinton ( Pharmaceuticals), McCain (Military industrial complex including all military corporations), Huckabee (Military industrial complex).
4. All are for reforming Washington and ridding it of government and lobbyist control (well so they say).
5. All support the Patriot Act (a direct violation of our civil liberties)
Posted By: bigbrewhaha @ 02/22/2008 9:49:54 PM

Comment: This election season has nothing to do with platforms and politics it's merely a case study in generational ideologies. It seems to me a lot people can't seem to wrap their head around the fact that younger generations do not put up with ignorant obsolete sanctimonious old people because we don't have to. You guys (i.e. ignorant, prejudiced, scared of everyone that isn't white and speaks english fogeys)...(republicans) do nothing but get in the way of progress, oh and by the way in case you didn't realize it yet it isn't your country anymore, it's ours now. You guys (you know who you are, see above if you are confused) have, since day one made decisions based on fears and prejudices that your parents believed in or maybe a preacher taught you or perhaps were generally accepted in the time period when you grew up, I'm sorry but we just don't do that anymore you guys are done and if you don't think so you will have your pompous high and mighty name run through the mud until you understand that you are nothing more than a regular flawed person just like the rest of us. Most people in their 20's and 30's and 40's are not going to vote for McCain for one simple reason, fear tactics don't work on us, sorry Mac. You guys will never get it and you need to, you see pious right wing evangelical fear mongering is over with now. It was like communism, sure it had its heyday, and it worked when people were poor and ignorant, but had no staying power because its success was dependent on keeping people stupid and afraid. Consider swallowing that big bitter pill of reality and recognize (as soon as possible) that hating, killing, prejudice, and bigotry was a defining characteristics of YOUR generation not ours. Your time has passed.
Posted By: jayjaydubu @ 02/22/2008 7:27:57 PM

Comment: No matter who the Democratic candidate is Republicans will argue John McCain:
· is experienced
· a war hero
· an accomplished politician

DON???T LET THEM SLIDE BY WHEN THEY SAY THIS. None of this mattered when they nominated George W. Bush over John McCain in 2000. They fell for the moron governor who failed in business, accomplished nothing as governor, had no foreign policy experience, and only got to where he was in his life because of his last name. And now they want us to nominate this same guy that they previously rejected despite his experience, war heroism, and his political accomplishments. Did John McCain really need 8 more years of seasoning? No, they just don???t like the guy and are now settling for him. DON???T LET THE REPULICAN TALKING HEADS SLIDE BY WITH THESE ARGUMENTS SUPPORTING JOHN MCCAIN. IT SAYS MORE ABOUT THESE CUT THROAT REPUBLICANS THAN IT DOES ABOUT JOHN MCCAIN WHO I ACTUALLY RESPECT ON SOME LEVEL.

Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have:
· more experience
· accomplished more politically
· more foreign policy experience
than George Bush had when they rejected John McCain in 2000.

DON???T LET THE REPUBLICANS SLIDE ON THESE ARGUMENTS.
Posted By: puiha @ 02/22/2008 7:15:02 PM

Comment: Hillary's closing statement is partially copied from her husband's old speech and partially from Edward's recent speech. Why she accused others copy words. I don't think she had a great ending statement at the end. Because she copied other's word.
- Posted By: shasta2001 @ 02/23/2008 11:58:31 PM
  
  Comment: Yes and they both copied my mother!!
- Posted By: toyota @ 02/23/2008 11:01:27 AM
  
  Comment: i dont see how you can say copied others ,,we all use the same language all the time ,,I in fact tell my loved ones ,,i love you ,,,so am i a copycat ,,,?? get a life,,,better yet ,,get a braincell
Posted By: kate3636 @ 02/22/2008 4:29:51 PM

Comment: Rovesque? McCain certainly benefits from Newsweek coverage. Recent cover story (There will be Blood) gives much-needed impression he isn't connected to those wing-nuts who gave us George Bush, and this flimsy scandal will do him more good than harm. Is Carl Rove still pulling the strings, and do you have to make it so easy?
Posted By: kate3636 @ 02/22/2008 4:22:02 PM

Comment: Rove-esque? McCain certainly benefits from Newsweeks coverage! Last week helping him appeal to independents with cover story that puts space between Mac and 'the folks that gave us Dubya." This week rallying the base with flimsy story that is apt to do him more good than harm. The change voters hope for could start with smarter coverage - don't you guys ever question these things?