To Hillary Clinton Defeat Is Never Painless
Ken Hughes
February 23, 2008
To Barack Obama Success Is Never Painless
Hillary Clinton has reached the fork in the road when its time to make a decision. Does she hopelessly continue with her quest for the presidency praying for a miracle or does she gracefully bow to Barack Obama. Itīs been a long time since thereīs been a Clinton defeat on anything. Usually theyīre able to turn adversity into Gold. Few political families could survive the scandals the Clintons have in their political careers. Bill has put Hillary through the wringer and she always seems to come out smiling. If it werenīt for her own personal presidential ambitions would she have stayed the course?
Hillary can accept defeat and return to make her mark in the senate as her friend Teddy Kennedy has done after losing a bid at becoming a presidential nominee or she can stay and fight an obvious losing battle. Hillary is a reasonably intelligent woman, not nearly as much as her publicists would have us believe but intelligent never the less. Given her age and temperament she can serve for years in the senate and not be remembered as just another woman who ran for president and lost. Hillary is not the first woman who aspired to be president there were other women who preceded her, Shirley Chisholm and Carol Mosley Braun were two who preceded Hillary. The question of whether they were serious candidates is mute the fact is they ran and won delegates.
Both Hillary and Obama have given the impression they can assume the presidency and revamp America to their liking and that simply isnīt true. Neither Hillary nor Obama have given much creditability to Congress or "We the People" as being a part of this nation and its government. Presidents donīt have the power to do what we are being told these two will do if elected. There are 300 million of us including 535 congressmen and women who must first approve of any new programs a new president is apt to propose, thereīll only be one of them. Congress may play politics with some of the taxes but you can bet they will think long and hard about raising income taxes beyond letting the Bush tax cuts expire, congress is in trouble with the public and they know it.
This coming election isnīt only about electing a president, it about electing the entire House of Representatives and one third of the Senate. That will be a consideration for congress of what they promise and canīt or wonīt deliver. President have been blamed and given unwarranted credit for the entire workings of the government when in actuality the majority of blame and credit should go to congress. Congress is willing to be slighted on the credit if they donīt have to accept any of the blame. The public has come to accept once elected a congressman or woman serves forever, it like the covenant of marriage, "Until death do us part." No congressmen looks for a divorce from is constituents
Caucuses, primaries and conventions are only the warm-up acts for the real thing. Theyīre like the American Ideals nothing really happens until the contestants pass the judges approval and go before a real audience the American public.
There are a thousand roadblocks to stumble over between now and November. Being a contender in March doesnīt mean theyīll be a nominee in October.
If Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee heīs going to be pressured to explain in detail some of his ambitious changes heīs been skirting around in the primaries the way Americans do business. Either that or tell the truth and be forced to accept our capitalist system of government and forgo his socialist beliefs. I would suggest to Senator Obama America is not the worst place to live on the planet. Anyone worth being called a man / woman can make it without government assistance. Immigrants do it every day and kiss the ground for the opportunity. Franklin Roosevelt may not have meant it but he said it never the less," We have nothing to fear but fear itīs self." If presidential candidates can scare enough people into thinking the sky is falling to get elected then itīs a cake walk the rest of the way.
Whoever is elected it will behoove the voters to make them spell out their agendas in detail before they get the nomination. Itīs time for politicians to stop lying and starts telling the truth, the voters not only deserve it they can take it. Elections arenīt sandbox science any more.
Hillary Clinton has reached the fork in the road when its time to make a decision. Does she hopelessly continue with her quest for the presidency praying for a miracle or does she gracefully bow to Barack Obama. Itīs been a long time since thereīs been a Clinton defeat on anything. Usually theyīre able to turn adversity into Gold. Few political families could survive the scandals the Clintons have in their political careers. Bill has put Hillary through the wringer and she always seems to come out smiling. If it werenīt for her own personal presidential ambitions would she have stayed the course?
Hillary can accept defeat and return to make her mark in the senate as her friend Teddy Kennedy has done after losing a bid at becoming a presidential nominee or she can stay and fight an obvious losing battle. Hillary is a reasonably intelligent woman, not nearly as much as her publicists would have us believe but intelligent never the less. Given her age and temperament she can serve for years in the senate and not be remembered as just another woman who ran for president and lost. Hillary is not the first woman who aspired to be president there were other women who preceded her, Shirley Chisholm and Carol Mosley Braun were two who preceded Hillary. The question of whether they were serious candidates is mute the fact is they ran and won delegates.
Both Hillary and Obama have given the impression they can assume the presidency and revamp America to their liking and that simply isnīt true. Neither Hillary nor Obama have given much creditability to Congress or "We the People" as being a part of this nation and its government. Presidents donīt have the power to do what we are being told these two will do if elected. There are 300 million of us including 535 congressmen and women who must first approve of any new programs a new president is apt to propose, thereīll only be one of them. Congress may play politics with some of the taxes but you can bet they will think long and hard about raising income taxes beyond letting the Bush tax cuts expire, congress is in trouble with the public and they know it.
This coming election isnīt only about electing a president, it about electing the entire House of Representatives and one third of the Senate. That will be a consideration for congress of what they promise and canīt or wonīt deliver. President have been blamed and given unwarranted credit for the entire workings of the government when in actuality the majority of blame and credit should go to congress. Congress is willing to be slighted on the credit if they donīt have to accept any of the blame. The public has come to accept once elected a congressman or woman serves forever, it like the covenant of marriage, "Until death do us part." No congressmen looks for a divorce from is constituents
Caucuses, primaries and conventions are only the warm-up acts for the real thing. Theyīre like the American Ideals nothing really happens until the contestants pass the judges approval and go before a real audience the American public.
There are a thousand roadblocks to stumble over between now and November. Being a contender in March doesnīt mean theyīll be a nominee in October.
If Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee heīs going to be pressured to explain in detail some of his ambitious changes heīs been skirting around in the primaries the way Americans do business. Either that or tell the truth and be forced to accept our capitalist system of government and forgo his socialist beliefs. I would suggest to Senator Obama America is not the worst place to live on the planet. Anyone worth being called a man / woman can make it without government assistance. Immigrants do it every day and kiss the ground for the opportunity. Franklin Roosevelt may not have meant it but he said it never the less," We have nothing to fear but fear itīs self." If presidential candidates can scare enough people into thinking the sky is falling to get elected then itīs a cake walk the rest of the way.
Whoever is elected it will behoove the voters to make them spell out their agendas in detail before they get the nomination. Itīs time for politicians to stop lying and starts telling the truth, the voters not only deserve it they can take it. Elections arenīt sandbox science any more.