Good Bill, Bad Hillary

[babylonsister]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_bob_burn_070612_good_bill_2c_bad_hilla.htm

Good Bill, Bad Hillary

by Bob Burnett

Hillary Clinton remains the favorite to be the Democratic presidential nominee at their August 2008 convention in Denver. However, while most Dems view her positively, she's unpopular with Independents and Republicans. This is called "the Hillary problem," but it's really "the Bill problem."

snip//

Unfortunately for Senator Clinton, a lot of Americans don't care for her, either. The latest CBS News/New York Times Poll indicates that 42 percent of respondents have a "not favorable" opinion of Ms. Clinton, versus only 38 percent who have a "favorable" rating. Since Hillary announced her candidacy for President, her "unfavorable" percentage has consistently topped her "favorable" rating. This accounts for the perception that Hillary Clinton is a polarizing figure. It's the reason that many Democratic Party insiders are backing other candidates such as Barack Obama and John Edwards.

Despite her divisive reputation, it's widely acknowledged that Senator Clinton is very smart and has been extremely effective in the Senate. So, there's a huge discrepancy between public perception and her actual performance. Judging from our dinner conversation the other night – and similar chats we've had with Hillary bashers – the Senator's unfavorable ratings have little to do with her record of accomplishment over the last six years: it's emotional.

The strong negative feelings about Senator Clinton focus on her role as Bill's wife: they date back to the Clinton relationship during the Monica Lewinsky imbroglio. Those who dislike Hillary don't approve of the way she responded to Bill's priapic escapades. As a result, they don't trust her. Our dinner companion asserted that Hillary should have divorced Bill; her logic was if she couldn't control her husband, she wouldn't be able to control the country.

This faulty reasoning – Hillary was an imperfect wife and therefore would be a bad President – seems a particularly insidious form of sexism. It applies standards to Hilary that haven't been applied to our previous Presidents: we've had a number of White House occupants – John Kennedy, for one – who weren't "perfect" husbands. Nonetheless, there's a certain cultural logic in this thinking.

snip//

Nonetheless, the basic problem with Hillary Clinton's popularity is not her modern marriage but her spouse. Bill's favorability ratings consistently top those of his wife. It's easy to understand why: both Clintons are smart and gracious, but he has charisma. The former President has that ineffable quality that makes you believe he wants you to be his special friend. He's a charmer, while Hillary is not. As a result, many folks who adore Bill find Hillary cold by comparison. Behind this lurks the reality that a lot of Americans who are captivated by the former President are deeply troubled by his ethical imperfections. However, they have trouble holding him accountable; so they blame Hillary. Their adoration follows a peculiar sexist logic: they conclude that Bill is much too nice to be fully responsible for his peccadilloes; therefore, Hillary must have driven him to them. That's the formula that affects Ms. Clinton's poll ratings: good Bill, bad Hillary.

[blm]

1. Question to Bob Burnett: How has Hillary been effective in the Senate?

In the 7 years she has been there she chose to NOT LEAD ON ANYTHING that was important to Dems and especially on issues where Bush needed a united OPPOSITION - Tora Bora, Rumsfeld's firing, 2004 election (where she stayed closer to Bush than Kerry on military matters, Downing Street Memos, Alito filibuster, Iraq withdrawal - where was the 'effective' leadership, Mr. Burnett?

[liberal renegade]

2. Hillary this, Hillary that

I'll sure be glad when she gets the nomination, then the pissing and moaning can really begin...


Go Mrs. Clinton!

[William769]

3. What a perfect response thank you.

:hi:

[liberal renegade]

4. your most welcome.....

:popcorn:

[JTFrog]

5. So you're ok with being in Iraq

for the next decade or so?

[liberal renegade]

6. Iraq? silly me

I thought this thread was about Hillary, good or bad.

I missed the part about being in Iraq for the next 10 years or so. Care to enlighten me?

[JTFrog]

7. You said you'd vote for

her so you should know where she stands on the issues. Not sure where I lost you. She believes we should be a presence in Iraq for the coming decades. Sound like anyone else we recently heard from?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/15/clinton.troops/index.html

[liberal renegade]

8. nowhere did i say i'd vote for her

but i will if she gets the nomination. Your way off topic, my friend....

You might want to read the original message again....

[JTFrog]

9. I was replying to your comment.

"I'll sure be glad when she gets the nomination", I thought that implied support. I thought you implied that you would vote for a candidate who has stated we need a presence in Iraq for years to come. I think that's part of Bad Hillary.

If I'm mistaken I apologize.

[liberal renegade]

10. Your still off topic

what makes Hillary bad,according to the article, is the fact that her husband was allowed to get away with infidelity.


Why does forgiving your husband who betrayed you make you a bad person?

[William769]

12. It's a tactic that some use here, but never works.

When you make them stay on topic they just end up going away. Good for you for calling him on it.

[JTFrog]

13. Fair enough.

Again I was replying to your comment, not entirely within the topic.

However, I'm not using "tactics". I didn't post anything untrue or try to spin anything.

[William769]

11. Self delete.

[athebea]

14. It's like a woman who tolerates her husband's...

... infidelities because he's rich and at the end of the day SHE is the one endowed with all his worldly goods, so what he does with his trouser snake in the interim really doesn't matter. She takes for granted that his bimbos mean nothing to him and he's not about to divorce her for any of them.

It is that it is so obvious that she is only in this marriage because their partnership is useful to her career.