I just saw Bill Clinton interviewed on NBC news, and now I feel more positive about Hillary.

[calteacherguy]

I'm just saying what I'm observing here in my own psychology. Hillary has been at the bottom of my list, but then when I see Bill Clinton on T.V. for 5 minutes talking sense and reminding me of how great the Clinton years were compared to now, suddenly I feel like Hillary might be the best choice.

I'm not saying this makes any sense, just sort of objectively observing my reaction to seeing Bill on T.V. talking about various issues and how he talks with Hillary about them all the time, "as they've done all their life."

Bill Clinton would not be that bad an advisor for a President to have.

[lynnertic]

1. He has that effect on people doesn't he? n/t

[Dawgs]

2. You're assuming she can win.

Don't forget about electability. Her strong disapprovals stay around 45%.

[illinoisprogressive]

3. they both need to retire and quit thinking they are owed everything. he wasn't that great

[SaveElmer]

6. Brilliant...

Insightful...backed up by cited fact and links to statements from either Clinton to back up your assertion.

Too bad the class Obama shows to the other candidates is not replicated among some of his supporters!

[ronnykmarshall]

7. You said it, Elmer.

I LOVE Obama. I think if he gets the nod, he'll be a great candidate and will probably win the election. As will just about all of the democrats running. The vile hatred spewed from the keyboards of his supporters are an embarrassment.

[William769]

23. When did they say they are owed everything?

Or is that just you putting words in their mouths again?

ON EDIT: but then again when you have no argument, this is what you end up with.

[AlCzervik]

25. Bitter, table for one?

[venable]

4. I'm sorry to say that without this effect, she would not even be running, IMO

I'm sorry because it sounds sexist. I don't mean it as that, but the fact is he is a charismatic and brilliant man (though I quit liking his presence some years ago), and without this association, she is merely a smart, hard working, not terrifically inspiring politician in the lower tier of the charisma scale.

remember, Bill is not running. You are not actually able to vote for Bill.

[ronnykmarshall]

10. and without Hillary,

Bill probably would have never ran or be elected President.

[BeyondGeography]

22. That's a stretch

unless you're saying she was the perfect spouse foil, a responsible looking woman who covered up his hankering for trailer trash and/or anything on two legs just enough for him to be palatable to the masses.

Other than that, Bill, the most talented politician of his era, could have been elected with just about anyone by his side.

[ronnykmarshall]

24. Could be.

But I think when Bill met Hillary, he met the best partner in life that helped shape him to be the greatest politician that he is.

[ClassWarrior]

29. I've heard from someone who knows that the...

..."most talented politician of his era" meme is grand mythology. That's not to say he's not an excellent politician, but I'm sure that Hillary Clinton was a big part of Bill Clinton's success.

NGU.

[Captain Hilts]

36. Few have been so good at walking into a hostile room and winning it over.

He IS a brilliant politician.

[ashling]

37. Excuse me

I really hate doing this, but please try not to sound like a free republic clone. You should have said

"... would have never run or been elected ..."

[tblue37]

54. I (a certified grammar guru) would recommend

"would never have run or been elected." Consider this about a 98% rule: Try not to let your negative modifier separate your auxiliary verb from your main verb.

On the other hand, I will second your desire to have a past participle rather than a simple past tense as the main verb in the verb phrase.

It is a "west of the Mississippi" dialect tendency, not a freeperism, to substitute the past tense for the past participle in such phrases. Another western tendency is to use "lay" where "lie" is needed.

[ElizabethDC]

I met Bill last fall and saw him speak

although I've always liked him and Hillary, it gave me a chance to take a second look - I read a couple of books about both of them after my encounter with Bill (I had already read both of their autobiographies) and I think that's when I decided to support Hillary. A lot of it was that I realized how much influence Hillary had had during her husband's presidency (much of it behind the scenes, especially after the health care debacle), and how valuable that kind of experience would be.

[tblue37]

55. I think that Hillary wants to be president because she truly wants to do

good things. The problem is that she wants the presidency so bad that she is willing to do not so good--maybe even bad--things to get it.

If you have ever seen the film The Seduction of Joe Tynan, you know what I am talking about. In it Alan Alda plays a terrifically idealistic, decent man who wants only to do good things, but by the time he gets into a political position that would enable him to do such things, he has compromised himself into a corner and is forced to go along with the corrupt status quo.

I also believe, though, that there is a significant element of ego involved for both her and Bill--and many of the others who refuse to be satisfied with being in the House or Senate. If she could do as Ted Kennedy finally did and accept that the Congress is a co-equal branch of government and that being a great senator is as important as--maybe more important than--being president, she could become one of the most important political figures of her era. In fact, she could become the next Ted Kennedy.

Imagine how we would do in '08 if she threw her powerful machine and money into electing someone like Clark, Obama, or Edwards, rather than into sabotaging them to clear the way for herself.

[WI_DEM]

5. Yeah, but what about Hillary? When I see her speaking on TV she comes across as canned and monotone

and she is the one people will be voting for--not Bill.

[mzteris]

9. women speakers are taught

to lower their voice and to use a "different cadence" than a natural one.

WHY?

PITCH: Because people associate a lower pitch with "men" (and therefore intelligence/authority) and a higher pitch as either a "Mommy" or a bubble-headed cheerleader type.

CADENCE: Because women are generally interrupted more often than men are when they are speaking. By using a "different cadence" people don't exactly know where to "jump in" and take over the conversation.

[Captain Hilts]

38. I hadn't thought about that. They are taught to avoid being 'perky'.

And, yes, they get interrupted more.

[TeamJordan23]

8. Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton, Bush...

Can we please try some new people? I don't want two families running the country for a great portion of my life.

[ronnykmarshall]

11. Oh please.

I'm 46 and I've had a hell of a lot more other people run the country other than a Bush or a Clinton in my lifetime. I was THRILLED when Bill Clinton became President. I was sickened on Jan 20th 2001 when pig boy took over. I'll be happy to look back when I'm 56, to have lived through 8 years of President Bill Clinton and 8 years (hopefully) of President Hillary Clinton.

[Alamom]

17. BRAVO ! eom

[ronnykmarshall]

18. Thanky!

[TeamJordan23]

50. I am just saying

That I am just ready for something NEW. GW was only famous because of his dad, and Hillary is only famous because of her husband. I'm sorry but that is just reality. But I am just ready for someone new.

One reasons I would like someone new is foreign policy. A lot of people in this forum agreed with Ron Paul's statements yesterday regarding foreign policy. If that is so, than the Clinton Admin deserves some blame too. Our foreign policy was one-sided (pro-Israel) during the whole 8 years of the Clinton Admin. And it will likely continue that way if Hillary is elected. I just truly believe that Obama (my candidate) or Edwards could have a more balanced foreign policy and one with new perspective.

At the end of the day, I will not vote against Hillary just because it will be another Clinton. I think, overall, the Clinton Admin was very good. But that doesn't mean that an Obama presidency also can't be very good, or even great for that matter.

[Ethelk2044]

48. Hillary will never make it in the General Election

We all know that. If we pick her the freepers will make sure we lose the General election.

[Tellurian]

51. I sure don't want Obama for president..he's too new..

low mileage and incapable of stopping the RW machine effectively enough, preventing them from climbing out of the hole their in..

nosiree! No presidents with training wheels for this gang of thugs!

[IndyOp]

13. 1980 - 2016 -> 36 years of Bush-Clinton rule...

Given that Bush I ran the Reagan White House and Hillary is elected for 2 terms...

:(

[SaveElmer]

16. The lamest argument against a candidate...

Like Bush and Clinton were interchangeable...

Get real...

[IndyOp]

19. I never, ever said that either Bush was interchangeable with either Clinton.

Bush I is interchangeable with Bush II.

Clinton I is interchangeable with Clinton II. I despised Bill Clinton's treatment of Iraq, his foreign trade policy, and his willingness to let the fairness doctrine go the way of the dodo bird. There is more about Bill I don't like and Hillary seems to be ready to follow in his footsteps.

[SaveElmer]

27. Then you problem is not with dynasties...

You just don't like the Clinton's...

[IndyOp]

31. My problem is with dynasties & Clintons & Bushes.

In all seriousness - the family I might come closest to have wanted to see as a dynasty would be the Kennedys -- but, had, John served two full terms I would not have wanted to see Bobby in the Presidency. I find it physically painful to say that because, of course, we didn't get a full two terms with John and Bobby was stolen from us too.

Dynasties are just unhealthy for a democracy. FDR instituted the estate tax because he knew that if the money became concentrated in the hands of a small number of families, democracy would not thrive. Ditto re: political power becoming concentrated in the hands of a few families.

My problem is with dynasties & Clintons & Bushes.

[SaveElmer]

39. Arbitrary...

Do you advocate then a ban on people running for President if they happen to be related to a prior President?

And exactly how are these so-called "dynasties" harmful to Democracy...I mean if Hillary is elected President...she was elected right? Through the Democratic process right? Not really a dynasty then is it?

Its an arbitrary and ridiculous standard some of come up with as yet another way to attack a Hillary candidacy. I guarantee you if we were back in 1968, and DU existed then, there would not be a peep of protest about RFK running...

[IndyOp]

46. As you wish. (n/t)

[William769]

28. What a crock of shit!

Nancy ran the White House!

[IndyOp]

34. .

:rofl:

You are joking aren't you? Nancy was portrayed as the person who was running the White House because it is more acceptable to the public that Reagan was a hen-pecked husband than that the VP was pulling the strings. Bush' control of the White House during the Reagan years was Cheney's model...

[William769]

35. So then I assume that you don't believe they also ran the Whitehouse using astrology?

Well they do say ignorance is bliss.

[IndyOp]

44. "The Power of Nightmares" - an excellent BBC film about

the origin of the neocons (Strauss, Chicago) and the Project for the New American Century and more...

The key actors in the Bush II administration - Cheney, Rumsfeld, other PNACers - have appeared in every Republican White House since Ford - Reagan - Bush I...

Nancy - astrology - sound to me like silliness - sure they happened - but they don't explain the most important events that have happened - the events that began before the Reagan administration and that carried on long after.

[calteacherguy]

15. I understand that viewpoint, I've felt that way myself.

Which is probably one of the reasons why I will end up voting for Obama. Strangely though, I didn't feel that way while seeing Bill Clinton on T.V. I think there is potential here for a great psychology/sociology experiment. Ask people there opinion of Hillary, then show them 5 minutes of Bill talking Presidential, then ask them their opinion of Hillary.

I'm still undecided; I'll just wait and see what happens between now and February 08'.

[IndyOp]

12. Yeah that happened for me after watching the lastest Youtube biography

of Hillary as narrated by Bill. BUT I'VE OVERCOME THE FEELING --

Bill Clinton presided over 8 years of weekly bombing of Iraq -- 8 years of deadly UN/US sanctions that killed 100,000's -- he left Negroponte the war criminal at the U.N.

Clinton's Iraq policy was a continuation of GHWB's and GWB's Iraq policy is a continuation of Clinton's Iraq policy.

Hillary says that "Iran is still on the table" -- does she want "new, more usable mini-nuclear weapons" like GWB does?

The Clinton era was better in terms of domestic policy for many Americans -- our foreign policy still had all of the components of hegemony that I despise.

I dislike Bill Clinton's trade policy and his willingness to allow the fairness doctrine to be revoked as well as his foreign policy.

I do NOT want Hillary -- I do not want to live in a nation that is a DYNASTY. Bush I controlled the Reagan White House. So, from 1980 until 2016 we have TWO FAMILIES in the White House (if Hillary serves two terms). 36 years with two families? We have many millions of citizens - we can't possibly be so desperate that we can't find someone other than a Clinton or Bush.

[papau]

40. willingness to allow the fairness doctrine to be revoked" - that was Reagan - actually veto'd the

bill to restore the fairness doctrine in 1987 - the billing being needed because it was a regulation prior to that which Reagan had killed.

Perhaps Bill could have gone back to the regulation approach - except the GOP had set up that procedure of Congress being able to dis-approve regulations. And passing a bill in 92 to 2000 was impossible as the party had changed since 87 and was trying for media love in those 8 years.

[graywarrior]

14. snore

I admire you sense of hope, but I am sick to death of those two politically copulating their Clintonesque dynasty all across America and especially in my face. Bill's a charmer, but I'm sick of being charmed.

[calteacherguy]

20. Update: The feeling is wearing off now.

What could I have been thinking? We need something new, a clean break from the past.

I hope Obama lives up to my expectations. If he does, he has my support. If not, perhaps Richardson?

[ElizabethDC]

30. Well, you can always watch the interview again

I just watched it on msnbc.com. :7

[calteacherguy]

32. I could, but I don't really want to. nt

[ClassWarrior]

21. I'm sure President Clinton wouldn't withhold his counsel from ANY...

...Democratic President. Or a President of any party, for that matter. So that means nothing for Senator Clinton, even though her campaign wants you to think otherwise.

NGU.

[calteacherguy]

26. Excellent point. My reaction to seeing Bill on T.V. was more emotional than reasonable.

Like I said upthread, with some reflection, the effect seems to wear off quite quickly.

[BootinUp]

33. Bill is still the master.

Hillary is the student. Lets see what happens.

[Tellurian]

41. It's a partnership..or if you prefer, a team..

It's not one or the other, it's both- They have very different strengths and it works for them. Together, they become one mind, and that is the "who" that ran the White House 7 long and arduous years ago.

[AtomicKitten]

42. It was a great interview.

:thumbsup:

[nevergiveup]

43. I want change

No more status quo for me please and although I love Bill Clinton, I don't want him back in the White House. Would I vote for Hillary if she is the nominee?....of course, but it isn't what I wish for the country. Obama, Richardson or Edwards would all be a breath of fresh air and God knows, the United States of America needs some fresh air.

[ElizabethDC]

45. I think Hillary would be quite a change from Bush n/t

[Tellurian]

49. The Republicans have crashed and burned..

now we just have to bury them for good..

Team Clinton is the most qualified, with the most experience, to ensure getting the job done!

[wyldwolf]

47. that's the idea... as the primaries heat up... Bill will barnstorm one half of the country...

...while Hillary hit the other half...

[BeyondGeography]

52. Just make sure Bill works the battleground states

in fact, let him do just about the whole thing. Bill can do most of the campaigning and Hillary can appear in commercials and in front of women's groups. ;)

[Tellurian]

53. How about a Dove commercial...

Then you can never say you haven't seen her softer side... :)

[info being]

56. Hillary doesn't have a fraction of what Bill has though