The reason why Bill Clinton couldn't just say, "Yes, Obama is ready to be President."

[endthewar]

By now most have heard or seen Bill Clinton's ABC News interview where he is asked if Obama is ready to be President and he doesn't just give a 'yes' answer. Most of the braindead media is sharing the same brain and pushing the talking point that Bill Clinton is a bitter man who is having second thoughts about campaigning for Obama. If you really look into this issue, I think that the reason is very clear. He's aware that people have been videotaping him campaigning for Hillary during the primary season.

He knows that he just can't say "yes" because the follow-up question somebody would ask him would be about specific things that he said earlier this year, some statements as little as two months ago. He knows that his statements are on the record and that he spent a lot of time saying things that at the bare minimum implied that Obama is not ready to be President. That is why he was forced to give such a nuanced, qualified answer to what seemed like a simple question. Personally, I thought he handled it as best as could be expected.

There are some corollary questions for Hillary Clinton as well, which is one of the biggest reasons why she will most likely not be picked for the V.P. spot. For example, if Hillary is the V.P., everybody knows that one of the questions at the Vice Presidential Debate will be, "Is Obama ready to be Commander-in-Chief?" Obviously she can't say "no", but if she says "yes" then the obvious follow-up would be to play the video of her saying that Obama was NOT ready to be Commander-in-Chief just a couple of months ago. The next follow-up would be to ask what has he magically done within the past couple of months that all of a sudden pushed him over the Commander-in-Chief threshold Hillary referred to earlier. If the moderator is really smarmy, then they ask something like, "Are you lying now, were you lying then, or are you saying "yes" right now just to get Obama elected?" If I'm an Obama advisor, I don't want to invite this kind of line of questioning about Obama's readiness to be President in this manner. He needs someone who can make a credible case with a straight "yes" answer.

Moral of the story for politicians: Don't say something in February that you don't want to defend in September.

[Egnever]

1. I dont think digging the Hole deeper is the answer

[endthewar]

2. He had 3 ways to answer the question

Q. Is Obama ready to be President.

Answer 1: "No."
Result: All hell breaks loose and Obama and Bill settle this with a duel, Burr-Hamilton style. :rofl:

Answer 2: "Yes."
Result: Leaves himself open to obvious follow-up questions where his own words impugn his credibility. He's on the record as little as two months ago saying the opposite.

Answer 3: A nuanced answer which implies "yes."
Result: The happy middle ground that doesn't encourage investigative journalists to ambush him with video of what he said during the primary season. Adds to the suspense and will make the eventual Bill Clinton-Obama photo op an even bigger event for Obama in the media.

[d_b]

3. bills no fool

[Skittles]

4. bot are though n/t

[d_b]

8. -_-

[SoCalDem]

5. He ran in the next to the last campaign that could have "private moments"

The '00 campaign was the end of the line for that kind of campaigning.. There was a time when candidates could feel free to wander into small towns and pretty much say whatever they wanted, and they could do the same at "private rallies"..

Cell phone cameras & mini cameras ended that.. NOW, whatever they say, and wherever they say it, within a few minutes it's online, and the whole world sees it.

The campaigners who are/were used to doing it the old way, have had a hard time coming to terms with the "new way", and it's making fools of them...

they resent having to own up to everything they say, and some are quite paranoid ..

[demwing]

6. Naaaah

Clinton could just look in the camera, slip a wink in, and say "That's when he was running against my wife: and laugh it off.

No sweat for the big dawg.

If he's stumbling on it, its cause he's got issues. :)

[MrSlayer]

7. Makes sense.

I can see him puzzling it out that way too.

[VolcanoJen]

9. That's it, exactly.

"Don't say something in February that you don't want to defend in September."

Thing is, it never occurred to them that they'd have to be playing defense against the Democratic Nominee in September.

They're new at this. I hope they come around.

[JI7]

10. nope, just answer it was Primary Politics and the emotions that go with it

[dkf]

11. He could have said that he's seen a lot more and now he does feel that Obama is ready.

[endthewar]

12. Even though he was claiming that Obama wasn't ready just 2 months ago?

Along with the fact that everybody knows that they've spoken only once or twice since he secured the nomination. This type of answer leaves him open to look like he's lying and/or pandering. As soon as they follow up with a, "What exactly have you seen in the past 2 months?" his bluff will be called.

[dkf]

18. Who cares if his bluff is called. As it is he did damage to Obama.

You watch...that clip is going to show up in a whole lot of anti-Obama propaganda.

He should have remembered that a new goal is to not damage Hillary or Obama, yet he did it once again.

[JVS]

13. Things said in February can be recanted before November

This was an opportunity to do that.

[barack the house]

14. This is one of the reasons I never understood why they went so negative. Your post is spot on.

[karynnj]

19. There was a story around the time of SC

that a friend of BC's said that he knew that the things he was saying hurt his reputation, but that he thought that with 4 or 8 years of HRC as President,he would come out ahead. Now, this has to be taken with a grain of salt, the person saying this did not id the "friend" - and I can't remember which talking head said it - and my memory could be flawed.

But, it does seem possible - and what had scared me when I heard it, was that it could set the stage for BC becoming even worse as that gamble failed - sort of a double or nothing approach. As an ex-President, he does at least have the forum to continue to change the way he is perceived. This is something some losing candidates lose.

[karynnj]

15. Even in your scenario he placed his pride over the party's needs

He could have brushed aside the second question speaking of how impressed he's been since Obama has been the presumptive nominee, mentioned the trip, mentioned that, like most Americans, he didn't know Obama that well, but he is now very impressed. He could have pointed out that Obama did have as much experience as he did when he won. He could then have switched to the direction of the country - and said that on all issues, Obama is very close to where he and HRC are - and far away from McCain.

Wouldn't that be a better answer?

Every Democrat needs to consider Obama first. (If you notice, Kerry speaks of Bush moving to OBAMA's positions on setting a deadline, putting more effort in Afghanistan,diplomacy, North Korea etc. Those, of course, were Kerry positions before Obama's - many by years. But, it is true they are Obama's and far more helpful than to state that he was right - he knows it's not about him - Clinton needs to learn the same.

[Vinca]

16. Bill should have sucked it up and said of course Obama was ready.

There was no need to leave the impression that he believes Obama is only qualified because he meets the Constitutional requirements. It was a low class moment for Bill Clinton.

[ellacott]

17. That hasn't stopped the other candidates from endorsing Obama

Edwards, Dodd, Richardson and Biden all have questioned whether he was ready but now endorse him. Biden was even asked about some comments on MTP. He told Tim that he was in a campaign and that's why he said those things but he believes he's capable.

[Diamonique]

20. This is why Clinton shouldn't have been out there hammering his wife's competition.

It was a DEMOCRATIC primary.

Clinton is a DEMOCRATIC former president.

His campaigning should have been all about talking up Hillary's good points. But he should NEVER have been speaking out *against* the other Democrats. It was just unseemly (for lack of a better word) for a former president to be doing that.

[polichick]

21. He couldn't say it because he's bitter. Get over yourself Bill!

[CakeGrrl]

22. Because he just can't bring himself to get over the primaries

Politicians are more adept than anyone else at saying what's needed.

He knows what's needed is to put some strong support behind the Democratic nominee, knowing good and hell well how the MSM treats Democrats.

He's still too pissed off to manage that; and if anyone can say what they need to say, he's one. And until he does, he's a liability to the Obama Team.