Hillary Clinton was asked a question during a town meeting, and she did a major smooth-talking waltz around the real issue.
Woman: “I just have to know the answer to this question. You said that if you were president in 2002, you would have not gone into war.”
Hillary Clinton: “Right.”
Woman: “However, how can you then explain the seeming contradiction from your voting to support the invasion in Iraq and that statement.” (Many people in the crowd begin to clap).
Hillary Clinton: “Knowing what we know now, we would have never voted to give this president authority at all because he should not have been trusted with the authority that we gave him.” (Many people in the crowd begin to clap). “But I can tell you this. If I had been president in 2003, I never would have started this war, and if it is still going on when I am president in 2009, I will end it.”
Should I Ask the Question Again?
- Does this also mean that she can not be trusted? If she believes that she gave the okay to someone that shouldn’t be trusted?
- Did she not “start the war” by voting for it as one of our representatives with power to do so?
- She says “knowing what we know now,” which still doesn’t address how she could say “If I were president in 2002 . . .”
- Notice how she says “we” instead of I. The question was about her.
- Notice how she talks about not trusting the president when the question was about her contradictions.
- Either she’s that good, or the people in the crowd are morons. Maybe it’s a combination. (She is a lawyer).
A Final Thought on Hillary Clinton’s Rhetoric
The sad part to me is how confident she is in her answer and how quickly the people are to clap at her complete avoidance of the real question. This will happen a lot during the next 20 months, and it will happen on both sides and with a lot of candidates. Her PR team obviously sees this as a fairly substantial issue, so they want to show her candidly addressing the question and receiving support for her response.
9 comments ↓
I don’t support Bush, Clinton or the war but let me say this - I think its funny that the democrats think they can smooth it over by saying “if we knew then what we know now”. They use this statement all the time to give themselves a pass but they don’t give the President one. They looked at the same intel he did. They were practically egging Bush to go to war but now “if they would have known then what they know now” they get a pass and they get to put all the blame on Bush.
Get bent, Hillary.
[...] I wrote a post yesterday called: Hillary Clinton followers being morons. A Digger said the following in response: “The only morons are the people like yourself who voted for Bush, twice.” (I didn’t say who I voted for). [...]
I agree with you Russ, we have another 20 months of this kind of political spinning. I am always amused at the way the anti-war crowd or liberals who are so quick to point the finger at President Bush for hoodwinking the American people! It’s their way of playing Pilate to the crowd.
I have to also add that what we see the anti-war crowd doing is the same thing that Presidential candidates get nailed for, flip-flopping. I think it is the flip-flop fallacy of politics. The fallacy is that in politics, once you’ve chosen a side of an issue you can’t ever change–even if the evidence to do so is overwhelming! Case-in-point, Hilary can claim she would have done differently in 2002 given what she knows now, but Mitt can’t change his stance on Abortion.
Our job as voters is that much harder because our vision is blurred by all the mud slinging that can easily get in the way of our informed decision.
Thanks for your ongoing commentary.
[...] Tactics: They Work When Used Correctly While I still think some of her followers were not using their brains (actually, I called them morons), I still think that her communications team is one of the best. That email I mentioned used almost the exact wording of a video she recently posted. They get it. Tell it again and again, and tell it the same way. (See video here) See email below. Hillary. Take a lesson from the Obama team and allow bloggers to post your videos directly on their blog. You know that crazy thing YouTube does. [...]
To Whom it may concern,Any woman that votes for Hillary has to be a out and out moron,Her friends are criminals,she is so full of bull,she is not for woman and thier childern,she is full of bull don’t be fooled,she will destroy this country……….
For all you Hillary fans if your a friend of hers you can sleep in the Lincoln bedroom and not have to pay child support and just about get away with any criminal act your heart desires,steal money from the chicago public schools and walk with a small slap on the wrist.Beware the Clintons are not what they claim to be…
To whom it may concern:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbz-zwUOI5w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq8aopATYyw&feature=related
GOD HELP US ALL
http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/11/02/memo-to-voters-in-states-producing-and-relying-on-coal-obama-intends-to-bankrupt-your-businesses-and-your-industries/
GOD HELP US ALL
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