It’s Gut-Check Time

Johnathan,

Let me tell you Hillary should drop out after OBAMA does she had more SUPER DELEGATES than he does.
Just because he is the dull tool that you would like to see as the president a man with no substance. WHO concerns me he talks a good game and maybe that is your issue you like him talk good games. NO WAY IN HELL should she bow out. SHE WILL OVER COME! SHE WILL WIN OR MCCAIN WE WILL SUPPORT MCCAIN long BEFORE WE SUPPORT OBAMA.

very nice article, i always look forward to reading your pieces here and in The Nation.

As usual Jonathan Alter puts things in perspective and gives readers much to think about. He is the main reason I have looked forward to reading Newsweek for the past ten years.

Yes, these three Democratic candidates would all struggle at the beginning of their Presidency, but I think all would get it right better and faster than Bill did. We've ALL learned the lessons that his first couple of years taught us. Don't assign a huge healthcare policy change and legislative effort to your unelected wife, then fill the "change team" with advocates of exclusion (excluding Congress and the medical industry) and confrontation (many of Hillary's chosen group). So you've got to be tenacious and conciliatory and be able to inspire the public to rally for support. Unfortunately, I don't think Hillary can inspire anyone. That's not her strength. And that's a huge problem if she gets elected. As President I think her ego is going to be massive, and get in the way of making the office of President actually work. Yet so much needs to be done now, to make up and correct the ridiculous failures of Bush and Cheney. One of these three will win, and they will need all their intelligence and skills and inspiration to get America moving again.

joshte -- It is simply galling that the Clinton's would attempt to play the experience card with this woman. How stupid do they think Democrats are? And the media swallows it whole as if she has any real experience.

Unintentionally, but accurately, the Demoines Register damns her with faint praise by observing that she has "relatively" more experience than the rest of the Ds, Then, incredibly, they act as if she's wirthy of being juxtaposed with John McCain. John McCain is not Thomas Jefferson,. but he has TONS more experience than Hillary. So much more that you have to ask why, if experience was the touchstone of the Register's endorsement, they endoresd a Democrat at all.

To his credit, Alter does report -- and he's about the first -- that Hillary has no major legislative initiatives bearing her name. Obama does.

Bottom line -- why should we stoop down so low only to accommodate Clinton nostalgia? Was it really all that great a time? Check your history -- investigation after investigation followed by the unthinkable -- a successful impeachment in the House. Only an exceptional candidate would deserve the benefit of the doubt -- this "girl" does not qualify.

Like Hillary Clinton, Jonathan Alter is a product of the Democratic establishment.

Rather than admit that the Democratic slate is at best marginal, he happily accepts that the big-3 D candidates should and will morph themselves to be someone they're not. As if this is all a big game!

If Mr. Alter is willing to accept this slate as good enough for Ameica, thankfully the rest of us don't have to.

"the real Hillary, who has been, as her husband accurately put it, a "change agent" at every step of her life"
Really? Where? In Arkansas her practice mostly consisted of defending companines in front state commissions appointed by her husband. Also, it later it's major partner went to jail for fraud.
At the White House she was the first lady which has precedent. But she broke precedent by taking on an official function, health care, and blew it. It was a major factor in the Democrats losing the congress for the first time in 40 years.
She then went back to being a regular First Lady, who took front stage when she covered for her husbands cheating by standing by him publicly and privately directing the smear campagins against Monica Lewinsky and Linda Tripp, something she is good at because she has had a lot of practice at it.
Is that the kind of "change agent" you want Adler?

...and I believe you get change by giving someone a ten-dollar bill and asking for two fives

...and I believe you get change by giving someone a ten dollar bill and asking for two fives.

The Russel Trust is a secret society. This subjects them to many Conspiracy Theories. Since our President and many others in government are assoiated with this organization it would be wrong for me to read into things that cannot be proven. I just want to show who owns the world's capital(VERY FEW) and how they influence every government in the world directly or indirectly. We are becoming a GLOBAL COMMUNITY; and eventually there will BE ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT. George Sorros manages the Queens investments. These powerful families FUND CLUBS LIKE THE PARIS CLUB; THIS ORGANIZATION ALONG WITH OTHERS FUND THE IMF AND WB. We need to support a policy of Peace and Prosperity For ALL. Many people from these families have made tremendous contributions to American Society. Bloodlines are very important in American Society because they determine what fraternity you belong too. I see nothing wrong with that. My purpose is to eduate the electorate. The more the "voter knows"; the more honest, and less scripted politicians will be. And then maybe we will realize that leaving people behing does not work; WE need a President who won't forget about us. A President that can convince these powers to use their wealth and ownership for the better good of ALL and not just for their own narrow interests.

nbrhi60624:You will see after visiting the links below and a little research that these families dominate both political parties.Remember, that George Bush is a Russel Trust member. Research the
Astor, Bundy, Collins, DuPont , Freeman, Kennedy Li Onassis Reynolds Rockefeller Rothschild
Russell, Van Duyn families.
Bush's fraternity now dominates his administration. You will find no matter who is in power, these fraternities are represented by a family member in any administration CAN ANY of these Candidates Bring these fraternal orders together in order to improve the LIVES OF ALL AMERICANS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_G._Collins
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jacob_Astor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bundy
TYPE IN ALL THE FAMILY NAMES AND YOU WILL SEE THE CONNECTION. A FEW FRATERNITIES CONTROL BOTH PARTIES CAPITAL.
William Putnam "Bill" Bundy
Raised in Boston, Massachusetts he came from a family long involved in politics. His father, Harvey Hollister Bundy, was a diplomat who helped implement the Marshall Plan. Bill was raised in a highly accomplished, highly intellectual family. After attending the Groton School and Yale University (where he was one of the first presidents of the Yale Political Union), he entered Harvard Law School but left to join the Army Signal Corps during World War II. During this time he worked at Bletchley Park in Britain as part of the top secret ULTRA operation to break Nazi codes.
During the 1950s he worked as an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency. During the Kennedy years he worked for the Secretary of the Navy and during much of the LBJ era was an Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs. After resigning from the executive branch in 1969 he taught at MIT and then edited the influential journal of the Council on Foreign Relations (of which he was a member), Foreign Affairs, from 1972 to 1984, after declining the offer of the Council's chairman, David Rockefeller, to be the Council's president.
His brother, McGeorge Bundy, was also an integral part of the both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Bill was married to Mary Acheson, the daughter of Truman's Secretary of State Dean Acheson. Bill and Mary had three children, Michael, Christopher, and Carol.
Bill was somewhat to the left of his brother politically, and was a spirited opponent of Joseph McCarthy. He was also considered one of the administration's more dovish members on Vietnam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_G._Collins
Please note that Henry Taft Benson(Mormon president) and members of the Russel family started the Russel Trust(Skull and Bones Society. Benson was a fan of the John Birch Society.

Check the Mormon doctrines. They actually believe that Jesus and the devil once were brothers. Mitt Romney seems to distance himself from that part of the Mormon doctrine, but it still stands with them. They are a cult and, I believe, not Christians, although they conveniently pawn themselves off as being Christians, in order to deceive more people into their cultist practices.

Just do THIS, dear reader: vote for John Edwards in the primary. If he is denied the nomination, WRITE IN John Edwards in the general election.

If it were true, as the always-tiresome Jonathan Alter -- never more tiresome than when he writes about John Edwards -- writes, that "phonies fade fast in politics", its hard to see how Junior Bush became President, twice. If it were true that "phonies fade fast", Alter surely would be invisible.

Twice in ONE issue?? (Alter's also credited at the bottom of the "Sleeper" cover story on Edwards -- was it he who wrote the stupid sentence "Tall and good-looking???and he knew it???John Edwards was a popular student and a star football player, skinny but fast."? Can we just STIPULATE that people who are good-looking probably KNOW it?)

The unbearable Hillary Clinton "never fully inhabited the real Hillary"?? Yeah, she DID -- and people don't like her: that VOICE! that failure to talk straight on one single issue.

Look, folks: overpaid corporate know-it-alls managed to deny the LAST Democratic nomination to Dr. Dean, the people's choice. Don't let 'em do it again.

I assume Hillary is sliding in the polls due to the fact she is not genuine and transparent, and people discern those negative traits with her. As it was said: Phonies fade fast. Good riddance, I say! The entitlement to the presidency that Hillary and Bill seem to assume, will certainly bring about a rude awakening for them. Why have these two loonies not faded sooner?

Hillary Clinton quote from her Nevada debate: "You know, President Kennedy said in his inauguration that he wanted to have a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Well, I want to have universal health care coverage by the end of my second term." She might be working hard but she procrastinates because she follows rather than leads, and people can't wait that long when they need health care.


A: We already spend more money than anybody else in the world, by about $800 billion, and we have 47 million uninsured. We're also at a competitive disadvantage because other countries either provide health care or don't, and our companies are trying to be competing in a global economy. So I want to figure out how we provide universal health care without putting billions more into the system. Let's get prescription drug prices down by negotiating with the drug companies, for example. I am going around the country, and I'm asking people's advice, then I'm going to be proposing a specific plan. You know, President Kennedy said in his inauguration that he wanted to have a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Well, I want to have universal health care coverage by the end of my second term.

Do you know that 80% of the world's capital is owned by 12 families. They already run the world through organizations like the Paris Club; who inturn fund the IMF and World Bank. Look at the power oil companies have on the world. You are confusing conspiracy with reality. But thank you for your commentary EUB. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft_family-If you go to this website or url, you will notice the development of the Taft family one of the most poweful families in America. Along with a few other families, they were able to establish a number of fraternities which contorl both parties political machinery.

Remember, that George Bush is a Russel Trust member. Research the
Astor Bundy, Collins, DuPont , Freeman, Kennedy Li Onassis Reynolds Rockefeller Rothschild
Russell Van Duyn families.
Bush's fraternity now dominates his administration. You will find no matter who is in power, these fraternities are represented by a family member in any administration CAN ANY of these Candidates Bring these fraternal orders together in order to improve the LIVES OF ALL AMERICANS.

. Remember, that George Bush is a Russel Trust member. Research the
Astor Bundy, Collins, DuPont , Freeman, Kennedy Li Onassis Reynolds Rockefeller Rothschild
Russell Van Duyn families.
Bush's fraternity now dominates his administration. You will find no matter who is in power, these fraternities are represented by a family member in any administration

The Mormon president Ezra Taft Benson (considered a prophet by Mormons) was a fan of the John Birch Society.The Taft is Heusen???s name is because Ezra Taft Benson is a descendent of Alphonso Taft, who along with one of the Russell family started the Order of the Skull and Bones (legally it has been known as Russell Trust). Remember, that . Research the
Astor Bundy, Collins, DuPont , Freeman, Kennedy Li Onassis Reynolds Rockefeller Rothschild
Russell Van Duyn families.
"There are many reasons Mormons will not come forth even though they know of the corruption in the Mormon church. One is due to their belief in Mormon scripture which they associate with the Mormon church. The leadership has usurped power and authority over this scripture. Thus, the members of the Mormon church think that God expects them to support their misguided leaders. This is much the - rationalization that many Americans make about our government. They all know of the corruption, but rationalize that it is unpatriotic to talk against the government or ungrateful to complain when they enjoy superficial prosperity."