Hillary's Missed Opportunity

She could have taken the opportunity to remind Americans what Democrats stand for.

She could have said Democrats are the party that fights for the common man, the party that gives a voice to the voiceless.

She could have called for a civil discussion on the plight of small town Americans.

She could have critiqued the media for deploying the same kind of gotcha politics that she has protested for years.

She could have used her voice as a leader of the Democratic party to calm the waters.

She could have attacked John McCain and the Republicans for daring to call a fellow Democrat -- a sitting U.S. Senator, colleague and likely presidential nominee -- out of touch.

She could have reminded Americans that George Bush is the one out of touch with the American people with his failed war policies, tax breaks for the wealthy, corporate-sponsored environmental laws and lack of leadership on the struggling economy.

Instead:

Hillary called Barack Obama an elitist.

She joined hands with John McCain to call Barack Obama out of touch.

She accused a fellow Democrat of looking down on the American people.

She handed out "We Are Not Bitter" bumper stickers to her supporters.

She distributed right-wing talking points to the media that questioned whether Obama could win the general election.

She called herself the true American.

She claimed everything is hunky-dorey in small town America, that Pennsylvanians have no right to be bitter or angry and frustrated at their government.

She pandered to and patronized small town Americans with stories of her days as a young hunter.

She twisted Obama's words as an attack on religion and guns and small town life, knowing full well that's not what Obama was saying.

She openly relished in Obama's misfortune, mocking him at every campaign stop, seizing the opportunity to bring down her opponent at all costs to gain her rightful place in history.

Yes, Hillary Clinton made her choice. She could have stood up and acted on priniciples. She could have put the media and the pundits in their place. She could have shown her critics that she indeed possesses the leadership qualities and moral compass they say are lacking.

Yes, Hillary could have acted presidential. Instead, her reactions tells us Hillary Clinton is the one candidate who isn't ready to lead this great country.

•  She could have suprised us all.

  by jeepdad on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 11:46:16 PM PDT

  •  No, evidently

    she couldn't have.  It was, unfortunately, beyond her capabilities.

    by Seneca Doane on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 11:53:11 PM PDT

  •  The thing is...

    doing so would not have been a surprise to me.  What has actually happened has been the big surprise for me.  I expected so much more from her in this campaign.  It really makes me sad.

    by swampus on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 11:55:29 PM PDT

    •  I feel the same way. I started out supporting

      Hillary. Unfortunately, during this campaign she's proven much of what her critics have been saying about her for years.

      by jeepdad on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 11:58:43 PM PDT

      •  I started out with Edwards...

        and went to Obama mostly because I thought he would be of more help to down-ballot Democrats in November (I really liked Obama and Clinton equally at the point that Edwards dropped out).

        Sometimes people do things that change your opinion of them forever.  When Edwards apologized for giving Bush the authority to invade Iraq, it changed my opinion of him.  I began to think of him as someone I could trust and someone who learned from mistakes.  For me, it put him on equal footing with Obama on Iraq policy and I liked his other policies better than Obama's.  

        It is amazing what can change in just a few months.  These candidates have just gone in opposite directions.  Obama has chosen the path of Democrats.  He challenges me in the exact way that I want to be challenged by my leaders.  Senator Clinton, in contrast, insults my intelligence.  I wonder if I'll ever think the same of her as I once did.

        by swampus on Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 12:16:24 AM PDT

•  You mean she could have acted presidential?

  by MagisterLudi on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 11:51:57 PM PDT

  •  She chose not to take the high road.

    And the thought that she might take the high road never crossed anyone's mind.  Am I right or wrong?  Sadly, I think I am right.  This just doesn't portend well, on any level.

    by pikkel on Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 05:22:08 AM PDT

•  Unfortunately it will only get worse!

  Nothing is below the belt for her campaign as she tries to forestall the inevitable.

  by humphrey on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 11:55:20 PM PDT

•  A Hillary who would have said those things

  Would have kept saying, "That's between Senator Obama and Reverend Wright."  She would not have said, "He would not have been my pastor."

  But I like how you put this.  The things you opened with are actions or words that I would have expected from a mature adult.

  by sheddhead on Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 12:01:17 AM PDT

•  you saying "She could have done the right thing"

  is like saying "brueso could stop eating chocolate".   Not gonna happen.  

  Hill just can't resist pouncing if she sees a possible opening that might get her even a minimal advantage.   Doesn't matter who she steps on or what party they're from- if she thinks it's going to help, she's there.  That's become abundantly clear this campaign and everything she has done for the past couple of months has been completely predicatable.

  by brueso on Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 01:05:54 AM PDT

•  thanks

  My first comment on this site. True, she missed an opportunity.  And even more, I think this may actually backfire from superdelegates. Its cementing the idea that Hillary will do anything to win including destroying Obama and the democratic party.

  Dr. Brzezinski said Obama is a very rare kind of person/leader, the type of person that understands change as is happening.  Where as most people understand change retroactively (after it has happened). This explains why Obama can talk to us as adults and listen to our issues and ideas.

  McCain and Hillary are aging rapidly, more so in brain - and this perhaps explains why they can't seem to understand or grasp real problems facing regular people.

  _flex

  by flex4obama on Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 01:26:43 AM PDT

•  If Hillary is a President,then

  Yoko Ono is a Beatle or Heather Mills or I suppose Bianca Jagger should get up at the next Stones concert and belt out "Brown Sugar". She is a dynastic(through marriage)candidate as Dumbya was through blood. Feminism is supposed to be about women making it on their own,not through marriage.

  by Litvak36 on Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 03:55:17 AM PDT