Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1787 that "The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them."
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Nomination
The battle is on for the Democratic nomination. Please read this article about Hillary Clinton and her race to win the White House. What were the two most surprising things you learned from this article? Why?
13 comments:
Anonymous
said...
One thing that struck me in particular about Hillary were claims made by her friends that she can be warm and personable. By refusing to show enough of this to the public, she seems to weakening her campaign. As far as her teary moment in a New Hampshire coffee shop just before the primary, to me, it seemed far too calculated. Perhaps it was a genuine display of emotion, but to me, Hillary's actions in general are overthought. Either way, it seemed to convince enough New Hampshire voters to stray away from Obama.
I was particularly impressed by the article's breakdown of the two Democratic front-runners. Hillary will be a much more polarizing figure in the White House than Obama. He seems poised to reach out across partisan lines to foster change. Hillary, on the other hand, seems to see Republicans as enemies, enemies willing to take cheap-shots to undermine her efforts.
I prefer Obama's approach. If we as the American people really want change, I'm not so sure that Hillary can deliver as well as Obama. The comparisons drawn between Barack Obama and Robert Kennedy say a lot. Obama leaves crowds at his rallies energized, excited to have been in his presence, and he in turn feeds off that energy. Hillary's abilities as an orator are not as well-polished, although between her attacks on Obama her passions for issues like universal health care are revealed.
I like that this article concentrate on these two candidates, because although there are others, I agree that these are the two major competitors. I thought that it was kind of bias towards Obama, because it seemed to point out more of Hillary's flaws than his, and I believe that they all have many flaws. I see the point that Hillary maybe is a little too sensitive and emotional, as many women are, but I honestly dont think that there is anything wrong with that, and if anything, maybe it will be beneficial.
This article makes it out be a bad thing that Hillary tried to be sensitive and personable, but thats is one of the things that I like the most about her. I think that we need that at this point in our country. She may not focus on every detail of her plans, but for me, knowing that she is a kind person is enough. At the same time, this article points out that Obama is more clear about his strategies and the detials of his plans for the country. I agree with that and I think that he is also going about it the right way. Basically I like the way that both candidates are campainging, and the information that they are giving. Both of their strategies are effective in connecting to the groups of people they need to connect to. This article kind of makes it seem like one is campainging better than the other, and I disagree.
The two most surprising things I learned from this article were the following:
1. The struggle that Hillary Clinton has in communicating her real self to the public; essentially just letting the public know who she is. This was surprising to me because of the media caricture of her as unemotional.
2. The comments of ex-Clinton supporters who now support Obama, or have not endorsed Hillary. This was surprising that (at least some of them) would publically acknowledge that inspiration was more important for a president than specific proposals.
After reading this article I would have to say the two things that really stuck out was the Obama comparisons to Robert Kennedy and Greg Craig's support for Obama in light of his working history with Hillary.
IBM obviously not old enough to know a lot about Robert Kennedy other then the fact he ran for president before his assassination. They use the comparison about the way he speaks and gets young voters excited. Now with both Caroline Kennedy and Ted Kennedy showing their support, this comparison speaks some volume.
The other interesting fact that I mentioned was Greg Craig support for Obama. Even though he has worked with Hillary for many year including the impeachment hearing, he is now supports and serves as an adviser to Barack's campaign. I would've just assumed that after having such a long working relationship with someone like the Clintons, Craig would have stood in their corner and support them through a presidential primary.
Greg CI thought they focused to much on Hilary's flaws and not enough on her positives. The article made Hilary look weak and emotional. I was surprised to see that Greg Craig supported Obama and not Hilary. I think this article was mainly in support of Obama but thought that it was good that it only focused on obama and Hiliary.
I thought the two most interesing things about this article were; 1) two of the people backing Obama are close to the Clintons, and 2) the big deal peple are making about the firsts (the firsts being a female and a black man.)
I thought it was interesting that two men backing Obama, Craig and Reich, had close connections to Hillary. Craig helped Hillary and Bill with a cheep place to live while in college (And might I add they were not married at the time they were living together and people have grown to the point where this does not matter to them anymore). And then he helped with President Clinton's impeachment trial as one of his lawers. And Reich was a friend of theirs in cllege. I thought it was interesting how these people were close to Hillary but do not think she really has what it takes to run the country. This, honestly, makes me think twice about voting for Hillary knowing that two close friends aren't even backing her up.
The other thing I think is interesting is that people are making such a big deal about the fact that the Democratic canadaite will more than likely be a black man or a woman. I mean come on!! It's 2008 for heaven sakes!!! I think it's crazy that it is the 21st centuary and this is the first time we have had a black man or a female be one of the, if not the, front runner for president. I think it's about time people grew up and realized that a white male is not the only person who can run the country. Personally I think the white males have not done a good enough job and it is time for a change.
1.One thing I found to be interesting. Is the reasoning for Craig and Roberts in suporting Obama.How robert like the fact that Obama gets young people excited in politics,and how Craig things Obama can do it all.
2. When the clinton camp was talking about attacking Obama.Then puting in to place when Hillary decited to attack Obama's records when in Iowa
One thing that surprised me was the lousy attitude Hillary appears to have. There was a quote of Hillary, "It’s also important to say, ‘Look, there are certain things we have to do as a country. You may not agree, but let me explain why, and let me try to persuade you. But if I can’t persuade you, we have to go forward anyway." I get the feeling once again that she is focused on what she wants, as opposed to thinking about others and trying to meet the needs of the majority. She says that if she can't persuade somebody, than she will continue forward with her goals. It doesn't sound so bad when it seems like it's affecting only one person, but there are a lot of people who don't agree with Hillary on many issues. If she was elected, would she end up favoring her supporters and ignoring all her opposers? As President, that mindset won't cut it.
I also found interesting some of the comparisons between what people feel Clinton and Obama are trying to achieve. It appears that Clinton is trying to "impress" people and show all the things she is capable of and plans to do. Obama on the other hand is more interested in hearing about what the people want to do and some of their opinions on issues. Certainly two very different approaches, and it will be interesting to see what continues to develop.
MH has too say Clinton's personality in this article was a lot different then i had originally thought her personality to be. She seems to have an attitude. Its all about what she wants. Obama seems to be genuinely interested in what the people have to say and think.
I found it odd that Craig is so open to supporting Obama after the long and what seem to be a very close relationship with the Clinton's. But good for him for standing up to what he believes in.
A few things that I found to be very interesting in this article and recent current events is the amount of support and endorsements that Obama is receiving from previous Clinton supporters. The example in the article is of Greg Craig, who is now an advisor for the Obama campaign but previously supported and worked with both Clinton's. Another huge endorsement is that of Ted and Caroline Kennedy who recently endorsed Obama after a long history of supporting the Clinton's.
Another thing that I found to be very interesting are all of the personality differences between the two and the way that both of them would run the White House. Obama is gaining momentum with the people by talking about change and using the people as a catalyst for that. Hillary feels more strongly on issues and that is shown in a quote from the article "...words are critically important, but they’re not enough. You have to act. In my own experience, sometimes it’s putting one foot in front of the other day after day.”
It is very true that friendship and politics is in two categories. This article shows that people can set their feelings aside for whats right. I don't think that Craig betrayed the Clinton's. I think he did the right thing in endorsing obama.
it is very surprising to me that Obama is doing so well in the democratic nomination now that he got Ted and Caroline Kennedy endorsement. Some people truly feel Kennedy in Obamas speeches. Hopefully this young contender will do great coming november.
As for hillary, she is starting to show more emotion these days. But, I dont think being married to a former president is gonna cut it. Yes she is a bright women; but I cant really picture her as the next president of the united states.
When I read this article I was struck by a couple things. First, was how small the United States political community seemed to be, at the national level anyway. When the author detailed the close connection the attorney had with both the Clinton Family and the Barack Obama campaign that seemed to demonstrate the close knit nature of this profession, and the subtle loyalties and the shifting of those loyalties that the job necessitates. This must certainly be a tough thing to balance. The second thing that struck me about the article was the statement by the author that the candidates platforms are almost indistinguishable from one another. This is in contrast to what the media portrays as being an incredibly hard voter decision, where the nations policies and future will be drastically affected by their choice in the voter booth. While certainly this may be true, the most likely outcome of the election will be a candidate that will differ from their competing party-mate in a very small way.
One thing I found surprising about Hillary is how people who have known her personally through out the years are portrying her. In the media she is portrayed as a strong driven woman. But in the article friends who once trusted her have lost trust in her. They are now strongly supporting her opposer. This gives me the impression that there is more to Hillary then what she says she will do and how she portryed in the media. Could there be another an unknown side of her that would not be in the best interest of Americas?
The second fact about Hillary that I found surprising is how she delibratly critizes Obama. It was int4eresting to know that she also wants to dictate and Obama wants to work with the people. I am not sure if the author of the article is against Hillary, but some of the facts he has shown represents her more republican qualities then democratic. RCW
13 comments:
One thing that struck me in particular about Hillary were claims made by her friends that she can be warm and personable. By refusing to show enough of this to the public, she seems to weakening her campaign. As far as her teary moment in a New Hampshire coffee shop just before the primary, to me, it seemed far too calculated. Perhaps it was a genuine display of emotion, but to me, Hillary's actions in general are overthought. Either way, it seemed to convince enough New Hampshire voters to stray away from Obama.
I was particularly impressed by the article's breakdown of the two Democratic front-runners. Hillary will be a much more polarizing figure in the White House than Obama. He seems poised to reach out across partisan lines to foster change. Hillary, on the other hand, seems to see Republicans as enemies, enemies willing to take cheap-shots to undermine her efforts.
I prefer Obama's approach. If we as the American people really want change, I'm not so sure that Hillary can deliver as well as Obama. The comparisons drawn between Barack Obama and Robert Kennedy say a lot. Obama leaves crowds at his rallies energized, excited to have been in his presence, and he in turn feeds off that energy. Hillary's abilities as an orator are not as well-polished, although between her attacks on Obama her passions for issues like universal health care are revealed.
I like that this article concentrate on these two candidates, because although there are others, I agree that these are the two major competitors. I thought that it was kind of bias towards Obama, because it seemed to point out more of Hillary's flaws than his, and I believe that they all have many flaws. I see the point that Hillary maybe is a little too sensitive and emotional, as many women are, but I honestly dont think that there is anything wrong with that, and if anything, maybe it will be beneficial.
This article makes it out be a bad thing that Hillary tried to be sensitive and personable, but thats is one of the things that I like the most about her. I think that we need that at this point in our country. She may not focus on every detail of her plans, but for me, knowing that she is a kind person is enough. At the same time, this article points out that Obama is more clear about his strategies and the detials of his plans for the country. I agree with that and I think that he is also going about it the right way. Basically I like the way that both candidates are campainging, and the information that they are giving. Both of their strategies are effective in connecting to the groups of people they need to connect to. This article kind of makes it seem like one is campainging better than the other, and I disagree.
The two most surprising things I learned from this article were the following:
1. The struggle that Hillary Clinton has in communicating her real self to the public; essentially just letting the public know who she is. This was surprising to me because of the media caricture of her as unemotional.
2. The comments of ex-Clinton supporters who now support Obama, or have not endorsed Hillary. This was surprising that (at least some of them) would publically acknowledge that inspiration was more important for a president than specific proposals.
After reading this article I would have to say the two things that really stuck out was the Obama comparisons to Robert Kennedy and Greg Craig's support for Obama in light of his working history with Hillary.
IBM obviously not old enough to know a lot about Robert Kennedy other then the fact he ran for president before his assassination. They use the comparison about the way he speaks and gets young voters excited. Now with both Caroline Kennedy and Ted Kennedy showing their support, this comparison speaks some volume.
The other interesting fact that I mentioned was Greg Craig support for Obama. Even though he has worked with Hillary for many year including the impeachment hearing, he is now supports and serves as an adviser to Barack's campaign. I would've just assumed that after having such a long working relationship with someone like the Clintons, Craig would have stood in their corner and support them through a presidential primary.
Greg CI thought they focused to much on Hilary's flaws and not enough on her positives. The article made Hilary look weak and emotional. I was surprised to see that Greg Craig supported Obama and not Hilary. I think this article was mainly in support of Obama but thought that it was good that it only focused on obama and Hiliary.
I thought the two most interesing things about this article were; 1) two of the people backing Obama are close to the Clintons, and 2) the big deal peple are making about the firsts (the firsts being a female and a black man.)
I thought it was interesting that two men backing Obama, Craig and Reich, had close connections to Hillary. Craig helped Hillary and Bill with a cheep place to live while in college (And might I add they were not married at the time they were living together and people have grown to the point where this does not matter to them anymore). And then he helped with President Clinton's impeachment trial as one of his lawers. And Reich was a friend of theirs in cllege. I thought it was interesting how these people were close to Hillary but do not think she really has what it takes to run the country. This, honestly, makes me think twice about voting for Hillary knowing that two close friends aren't even backing her up.
The other thing I think is interesting is that people are making such a big deal about the fact that the Democratic canadaite will more than likely be a black man or a woman. I mean come on!! It's 2008 for heaven sakes!!! I think it's crazy that it is the
21st centuary and this is the first time we have had a black man or a female be one of the, if not the, front runner for president. I think it's about time people grew up and realized that a white male is not the only person who can run the country. Personally I think the white males have not done a good enough job and it is time for a change.
1.One thing I found to be interesting. Is the reasoning for Craig and Roberts in suporting Obama.How robert like the fact that Obama gets young people excited in politics,and how Craig things Obama can do it all.
2. When the clinton camp was talking about attacking Obama.Then puting in to place when Hillary decited to attack Obama's records when in Iowa
One thing that surprised me was the lousy attitude Hillary appears to have. There was a quote of Hillary, "It’s also important to say, ‘Look, there are certain things we have to do as a country. You may not agree, but let me explain why, and let me try to persuade you. But if I can’t persuade you, we have to go forward anyway." I get the feeling once again that she is focused on what she wants, as opposed to thinking about others and trying to meet the needs of the majority. She says that if she can't persuade somebody, than she will continue forward with her goals. It doesn't sound so bad when it seems like it's affecting only one person, but there are a lot of people who don't agree with Hillary on many issues. If she was elected, would she end up favoring her supporters and ignoring all her opposers? As President, that mindset won't cut it.
I also found interesting some of the comparisons between what people feel Clinton and Obama are trying to achieve. It appears that Clinton is trying to "impress" people and show all the things she is capable of and plans to do. Obama on the other hand is more interested in hearing about what the people want to do and some of their opinions on issues. Certainly two very different approaches, and it will be interesting to see what continues to develop.
MH has too say Clinton's personality in this article was a lot different then i had originally thought her personality to be. She seems to have an attitude. Its all about what she wants. Obama seems to be genuinely interested in what the people have to say and think.
I found it odd that Craig is so open to supporting Obama after the long and what seem to be a very close relationship with the Clinton's. But good for him for standing up to what he believes in.
A few things that I found to be very interesting in this article and recent current events is the amount of support and endorsements that Obama is receiving from previous Clinton supporters. The example in the article is of Greg Craig, who is now an advisor for the Obama campaign but previously supported and worked with both Clinton's. Another huge endorsement is that of Ted and Caroline Kennedy who recently endorsed Obama after a long history of supporting the Clinton's.
Another thing that I found to be very interesting are all of the personality differences between the two and the way that both of them would run the White House. Obama is gaining momentum with the people by talking about change and using the people as a catalyst for that. Hillary feels more strongly on issues and that is shown in a quote from the article "...words are critically important, but they’re not enough. You have to act. In my own experience, sometimes it’s putting one foot in front of the other day after day.”
It is very true that friendship and politics is in two categories. This article shows that people can set their feelings aside for whats right. I don't think that Craig betrayed the Clinton's. I think he did the right thing in endorsing obama.
it is very surprising to me that Obama is doing so well in the democratic nomination now that he got Ted and Caroline Kennedy endorsement. Some people truly feel Kennedy in Obamas speeches. Hopefully this young contender will do great coming november.
As for hillary, she is starting to show more emotion these days. But, I dont think being married to a former president is gonna cut it. Yes she is a bright women; but I cant really picture her as the next president of the united states.
When I read this article I was struck by a couple things. First, was how small the United States political community seemed to be, at the national level anyway. When the author detailed the close connection the attorney had with both the Clinton Family and the Barack Obama campaign that seemed to demonstrate the close knit nature of this profession, and the subtle loyalties and the shifting of those loyalties that the job necessitates. This must certainly be a tough thing to balance.
The second thing that struck me about the article was the statement by the author that the candidates platforms are almost indistinguishable from one another. This is in contrast to what the media portrays as being an incredibly hard voter decision, where the nations policies and future will be drastically affected by their choice in the voter booth. While certainly this may be true, the most likely outcome of the election will be a candidate that will differ from their competing party-mate in a very small way.
One thing I found surprising about Hillary is how people who have known her personally through out the years are portrying her. In the media she is portrayed as a strong driven woman. But in the article friends who once trusted her have lost trust in her. They are now strongly supporting her opposer. This gives me the impression that there is more to Hillary then what she says she will do and how she portryed in the media. Could there be another an unknown side of her that would not be in the best interest of Americas?
The second fact about Hillary that I found surprising is how she delibratly critizes Obama. It was int4eresting to know that she also wants to dictate and Obama wants to work with the people. I am not sure if the author of the article is against Hillary, but some of the facts he has shown represents her more republican qualities then democratic.
RCW
Post a Comment