Clinton: Debate nothing compared to White House
While Hillary Clinton left most of the post-debate commentary Thursday to Barack Obama, she weighed in this morning, suggesting that Obama's complaints about the questions and criticisms lobbed his way shows that he might not be tough enough to be president.
"We were both asked some pretty tough questions and that’s part of what happens in a debate and in a campaign," she said on the Fox affiliate in Philadelphia. "And I know he spent all day yesterday complaining about the hard questions he was asked. Being asked tough questions in a debate is nothing like the pressures you face inside the White House. In fact, when the going gets tough, you just can’t walk away because we’re going to have some very tough decisions that we have to make. I think we need a president who can take whatever comes your way. You have to stand strong; you have to fight for the American people – because it will not be easy to stand up against the special interests."
At a rally in North Carolina on Thursday, Obama declared that Clinton "looked in her element" during the contentious debate and twisted the knife. He argued that voters want discussion of key issues -- not the questions that dominated the first half of the debate in Philadelphia over campaign controversies involving his former pastor and his comments about bitter small-town voters.
Clinton today said she was asked "some pretty tough questions" on Thursday and in prior debates.
"That goes with the territory, having been inside the White House, I know the pressures inside the White House, I know how hard it is every single day," she continued. "When the going gets tough you can’t run away. And it’s going to be tough going to deal with these hard problems; getting out of Iraq in the right way, turning the economy around, getting universal health care, ending our dependence on foreign oil. The special interests are going to be a lot tougher than 90 minutes of questions from two journalists and we need a president who is going to be up there fighting everyday for the American people and not complain about how much pressure there is, and how hard the questions are."
UPDATE: The Obama campaign responded today with a compendium of news stories and video clips of Clinton and former president Bill Clinton complaining about getting tough questions during debates.
During the previous debate last month in Cleveland, the campaign reminded, Clinton said pointedly that she was fielding the first question again and referred to a "Saturday Night Live" skit by saying the moderator should ask Obama whether he needed another pillow.
"The Clintons and the Clinton campaign have been complaining about the media and tough questions and the like for months. It's one of their talking points, for the love of Pete," the Obama campaign statement said.
This woman has no shame.
He is not running away - those questions are not tough and are irrelevant to actually governing and managing the country. He has done a remarkable job running his campaign, unlike her what with Mark Penn and spending oodles of money. Maybe she is qualified...qualified to continuing squandering our money.
The more negative and petty Hillary becomes, the less I want to see her her in the race, let alone in the White House. I don't see anything resembling a true platform from any of the three candidates, which is what this election should be about., not petty snipes at each other. Hillary's personal ambition and lust for power seems to outweigh everything else, including what's good for this country. I honestly do not feel we have true leadership potential in any of the present candidates, which is very depressing, since it seems we will just get "more of the same" no matter who is elected, and that is clearly not working for any of us or our country. People have a right to be bitter when our representatives care more about their own position and privileges than the people they are supposed to serve.
It is the truth; it is actually pathetic that Obama is complaining. They were both given some tough questions to answer. I can understand the point that it took at least 45 min to get into policy issues. BUT, guess what being asked those types of questions shows how a person handles themselves under pressure. Do you really think in a general election that the Republicans are going to go easy on whoever the Dem nominee is? No, they are going to take whatever they can dig up or has already been dug and run with it. Obama handled himself horribly, he was obviously shaken up, he could not answer questions directly, and even when the topics changed to policy he was totally unable to regain his footing. He failed that test. Did he not prepare at all to answer those questions? Did he think that not one of those subjects would be brought up? Hillary is a stronger candidate all around. Her policy is far more devoleped than Obama's. He needs several more years with training wheels before he is ready to be the President.
Who is the bigger "whiner"? No contest -- the American public! STOP ALL THE WHINING! Everything that has happened thus far in this election is exactly what is supposed to happen in the "primary" portion of an election -- it is called vetting. Find "skeletons in closets", weed out undesirable positions, and look for "elect-ability".
There are no "candidates" yet. Stop trying to circumvent the political process. We haven't had any conventions yet. There are no nominated candidates. (Did any of you take American Government in high school?) The Republicans have a "presumptive" candidate. The Democrats have two main potential candidates - no Democrat has the required # of firmly pledged delegates yet.
Yes, there are real issues to be discussed - an unjustified war and cleaning up the mess in its wake; an economy that is "crashing and burning" before our eyes; severely damaged international relations; serious scientific and policy questions concerning climate change. However, nothing will really be addressed until after the general election and inauguration. Serious policy suggestions concerning the real issues will be most important during campaigning and debating of the general election.
Read and listen to everything. Ask every question. Think about every answer (or evasion) rationally, logically, and as knowledgeably and intellectually as possible. Let the political progress proceed. THIS IS HOW WE DO IT IN AMERICAN!
I have not heard Sen. Obama complain once about partisanship or unfair bias against him by the two dimwits posing as moderators; only about the silly focus on trivialities. ...it is the public that are outraged. He seemed to handle the aftermath with humor and an insouciance that I can only envy. Maybe Sen. Clinton was watching some other coverage. I have long ago realised that things are different in Hillaryland!
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