A take on the debate from der Spiegel--"Pussyfooter, Rainmaker And Steamroller"

[Gloria]

-It's worth a read for its interesting view of the candidates and the roles they play...

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,496230,00.html

SNIP

Pussyfooter, Rainmaker And Steamroller

The seven men and one woman appeared in Charleston as living prototypes of the various schools of thought. In the damp and humid air of the American South, the archetypes known in the lingo of the advisors as Pussyfooter, Rainmaker and Steamroller could be inspected in almost clinical purity.

Hillary Clinton has been allotted the role of Pussyfooter, a type of politician who avoids making commitments early on, who can smoothly change his or her position, who serves the voters' need for a screen upon which to project what they think and feel, and who doesn't spoil their dreams by espousing overly harsh views.

"How would you define the word liberal and would you use this word to describe yourself?" Clinton was asked last night. She replied that she disliked the word because it has been "made to stand on its head" and added. "I prefer the word progressive, which has a real American meaning, going back to the Progressive Era at the beginning of the 20th century. I consider myself a modern progressive, someone who believes strongly in individual rights and freedoms."

And so she continued. She said yes and she said no. She confirmed and denied. Catlike, she walked through the entire political china shop without breaking anything. She rejected nuclear energy, but not out of principle. She argued that the war in Iraq should be ended, but not abruptly. In the field of foreign policy, she said it is important to talk, but not with just anyone.

MUCH MORE ON THE OTHERS

[catgirl]

1. Thank you Gloria and thank you Der Spiegel

That has always driven me crazy about Hillary. She never REALLY
answers the questions. She always plays it safe. You never really
know where she stands.

[Gloria]

2. The foreign press can present very enlightening observations...

[welshTerrier2]

3. we don't need no stinkin' Pussyfooter ...

I can't think of a better characterization of Clinton's entire campaign and why I'll never vote for her than was provided by her campaign advisor:

Party leaders used to tell their top candidates what to do, but now the advisors tell the candidates what they should be. According to Clinton advisor Blumenthal, the task consists of "manipulating symbols and images" to influence what voters expect from the candidates. Everything else is secondary to this task, he adds. The candidate's personality, even the subsequent governing. The permanent campaign is "the ideology of our age," he wrote in a book about Washington elites. And he didn't mean a lick of it as criticism.

a product to be marketed is not what leadership is all about ... let's hope Democrats and Americans learn this before it's too late ...