Common Sense From Wild Bill

Wild Bill Clinton has some advice for a segment of his party on the topic of Sarah Palin:

Bill Clinton said Monday that he understood why Gov. Sarah Palin is popular in the heartland: people relate to her.

“I come from Arkansas; I get why she’s hot out there,” Mr. Clinton said. “Why she’s doing well.”

Speaking to reporters before his Clinton Global Initiative meeting, Mr. Clinton described Ms. Palin’s appeal by saying, “People look at her, and they say: ‘All those kids. Something that happens in everybody’s family. I’m glad she loves her daughter and she’s not ashamed of her. Glad that girl’s going around with her boyfriend. Glad they’re going to get married.’ ”

Mr. Clinton said voters would think: “I like that little Down syndrome kid. One of them lives down the street. They’re wonderful children. They’re wonderful people. And I like the idea that this guy does those long-distance races. Stayed in the race for 500 miles with a broken arm. My kind of guy.”

...“I get this,” Mr. Clinton said. “My view is, why say, ever, anything bad about a person? Why don’t we like them and celebrate them and be happy for her elevation to the ticket? And just say that she was a good choice for him and we disagree with them?”

Why bash Sarah Palin?  I'll start - her success as a conservative woman undermines the lib fantasy that only their party is the party of inclusion.  Her real success as a reformer willing and able to stand up to special interests in her own party undermines the fantasy that Obama is any kind of a reformer at all.

Over to you.

Comments

[ben]

If Obama loses these kind of statements will make Clinton look like a voice of reason, not to the moonbats who will blame him but to the Democratic party in general, paving the way for the Clintons to become the official party standard bearers.

[Cecil Turner]

I find it more than a bit ironic this is coming from the guy whose penchant for systematically destroying his detractors' credibility (esp. those truthfully accusing him of sexual misconduct) got his law license suspended. Other than that . . .

[SpudIslander]

Isn't it funny how Bill's vaunted political skills are readily apparent when there's nothing at stake for him personally? It's good advice, that I'm sure won't be taken.
I think he's setting up for 2012 as the voice of reason after the K-kidz get done tearing up the party. He and Hill will appeal to mainstream, centrist Democrats that aren't comfortable with Howard Dean etc. Doesn't mean that I would vote for them, but it sure makes me more inclined to listen to them.

Roll Tide!

[boris]

her success as a conservative woman undermines the lib fantasy that only their party is the party of inclusion

A little less pithy than my version:

I'd add this ... The main problem with her (and African-Republicans too) is going against Republican = E N E M Y

That is an essential component for converting the whole social justice thing into political power. If basic fairness can be achieved with either party they have to compete on national defense and economic growth.

It's not just their "lib fantasy", it is their religion.

[centralcal]

In order for there to be a 2012 in the Clinton's future, there has to be an Obama loss in 2008.

The media is in Obama overdrive now. They have begun generating their "Polls" showing BO with an amazing lead -- all psychologically timed as a lead in to the first debate on Friday and continuing thereafter.

They will increase the hammering of McCain/Palin and the praise of Obama/Biden in every venue available to them.

Bill Clinton will have to be some politician to get his voice heard among any of the die hard Clinton voters - subtlety won't cut it now. We are in screaming season.

[Steve M.]

Over the past two weeks, the percentage of independents with favorable views of Palin dropped from 60 percent to 48 percent. Among independent women, the decline was particularly sharp, going from 65 percent to 43 percent.

--Washington Post

Gosh, everyone's an elitist except Bill Clinton and the right-wing blogosphere!

[Neo]

Additionally, Sarah Palin is "none of the above" for those undecided voters who are sick to death with this "continuous campaign" season.

Obama the reformer is so .. yesterday.

[freaknik]

Palin's problem is she's dumber than Bush. That's why she's being increasingly rejected by all but you mouthbreathing deadenders.

[GMax]

WaPO poll.

Is this the ABC poll which came out at +16 for Democrats in the party ID with leaners? I am sure it is. With that kind of skewing I think you might make Santa Clause into a not very popular figure!

These folks are desperate, dont let them fool you.

Watch the candidates, why are they all campaigning in the Midwest? McCain in Michigan yesterday. Does that make sense if Obama is way up Nationally?

Sheesh.

[Extraneus]

He must be anticipating a good debate performance, and another chance for her to make her critics look like the lowlife idiots they are.

[Jack J]

WaPo poll (9/22):

BHO 52%
JSM 43%
Good news for BHO?

Internals (LUN) -

NET LEANED PARTY:
Dem. 54%
Rep. 35%

Net +19% Dem. With a poll sample that skewed, I'd say BHO is in trouble.

[SpudIslander]

Isn't it funny how Bill's vaunted political skills are readily apparent when there's nothing at stake for him personally? It's good advice, that I'm sure won't be taken.
I think he's setting up for 2012 as the voice of reason after the K-kidz get done tearing up the party. He and Hill will appeal to mainstream, centrist Democrats that aren't comfortable with Howard Dean etc. Doesn't mean that I would vote for them, but it sure makes me more inclined to listen to them.

Roll Tide!

[SpudIslander]

Sorry about the double post. Firefox was spinning.......

[clarice]

That poll was preposterous, wasn't it?
I think Cecil has taken the words out of my mouth on why the left needs to demonize its political opponents.

[ben]

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_tony_blankley/the_man_who_never_was

Must read article on how the MSM is pushing the empty suit.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

A Partisan Paper of Record

Whew! The McCain Campaign has really taken the gloves off in this Goldfarb piece blasting the NYT. Let's call it Round Two.

Here is the intro, go read it all:

Today the New York Times launched its latest attack on this campaign in its capacity as an Obama advocacy organization. Let us be clear about what this story alleges: The New York Times charges that McCain-Palin 2008 campaign manager Rick Davis was paid by Freddie Mac until last month, contrary to previous reporting, as well as statements by this campaign and by Mr. Davis himself.

In fact, the allegation is demonstrably false. As has been previously reported, Mr. Davis separated from his consulting firm, Davis Manafort, in 2006. As has been previously reported, Mr. Davis has seen no income from Davis Manafort since 2006. Zero. Mr. Davis has received no salary or compensation since 2006. Mr. Davis has received no profit or partner distributions from that firm on any basis -- weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual -- since 2006. Again, zero. Neither has Mr. Davis received any equity in the firm based on profits derived since his financial separation from Davis Manafort in 2006.

Further, and missing from the Times' reporting, Mr. Davis has never -- never -- been a lobbyist for either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Mr. Davis has not served as a registered lobbyist since 2005.

Though these facts are a matter of public record, the New York Times, in what can only be explained as a willful disregard of the truth, failed to research this story or present any semblance of a fairminded treatment of the facts closely at hand. The paper did manage to report one interesting but irrelevant fact: Mr. Davis did participate in a roundtable discussion on the political scene with...Paul Begala.

Again, let us be clear: The New York Times -- in the absence of any supporting evidence -- has insinuated some kind of impropriety on the part of Senator McCain and Rick Davis. But entirely missing from the story is any significant mention of Senator McCain's long advocacy for, and co-sponsorship of legislation to enact, stricter oversight and regulation of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- dating back to 2006. Please see the attached floor statement on this issue by Senator McCain from 2006.

To the central point our campaign has made in the last 48 hours: The New York Times has never published a single investigative piece, factually correct or otherwise, examining the relationship between Obama campaign chief strategist David Axelrod, his consulting and lobbying clients, and Senator Obama. Likewise, the New York Times never published an investigative report, factually correct or otherwise, examining the relationship between Former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson and Senator Obama, who appointed Johnson head of his VP search committee, until the writing was on the wall and Johnson was under fire following reports from actual news organizations that he had received preferential loans from predatory mortgage lender Countrywide.

Therefore this "report" from the New York Times must be evaluated in the context of its intent and purpose. It is a partisan attack falsely labeled as objective news. And its most serious allegations are based entirely on the claims of anonymous sources, a familiar yet regretful tactic for the paper.

[Jane]

They will increase the hammering of McCain/Palin and the praise of Obama/Biden in every venue available to them.

Watch for the post debate polls regardless of performance. 99% of those voting will say Obama won the debate.

[RichatUF]

Jack J-

Net +19% Dem. With a poll sample that skewed, I'd say BHO is in trouble.

This bit too::

This Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted by telephone September 19-22, 2008, among a random national sample of 1,082 adults, 916 registered voters and 780 likely voters.

Our polling experts Rick and GMax might have something to say about this. However, I'm not surprised the MSM would be trying to use the crisis for their candidates advantage and not at all surprised McCain's campaign seems to have been tripped up.

[bad]

Obama spokesperson Bill Burton needs a punch. He is smarmy and dissembling.

[RichatUF]

Seems I'm late again to the party and should have scrolled all the way up to read the other comments. Good morning JOM!!!

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Megan Kelly is doing a piece on the Rusty Shackleford expose of Winner & Assoc. and their hit piece YouTubes of Sarah Palin.

See Jawa Report for orig. article:

“Hope, Change, & Lies: Orchestrated “Grassroots” Smear Campaigns & the People that Run Them”

[M. Simon]

Rass - The Man Who Never Was

[Verner]

"I get why she’s hot"

If he ever invites the Gov. to lunch, she'd better take her biggest baddest SS agents, and insist it's in a public place.

[M. Simon]

Verner,

I think taking her husband would do the trick.

[boris]

Don't think she'd need any backup. If he tried anything his SS would have to protect him.

[ex-democrat]

Sara - you stopped before the juiciest line in that Goldfarb piece: "...Johnson was under fire following reports from actual news organizations that..."

Ouch

[Lea]

You can't be from Arkansas and smart and not get this. Bill gets it. Too bad all the other dem's have never left the coasts or Chicago.

[Gabriel Sutherland]

I caught a glimpse of Bill O'Reilly last night and he was making a point that Bill Clinton didn't really have any foreign policy experience when he ran for President. As I went back to look at the Presidents and their VPs, you start to see very glaring holes in this "they have to have foreign policy experience" argument.

[SR]

Do you think it's partially a class-based thing as well? Maybe I'm oversensitive to that kind of thing (because I'm from a blue collar background but have been living & working in kind of a liberal elitist neighborhood for most of my adult life), but on some level I always suspect (and sometimes have it confirmed) that a lot of my upscale neighbors and friends find working- and lower-middle-class whites repulsive and embarrassing. Since Palin's politics are so "wrong" according to the liberal worldview, it's suddenly okay to express that kind of contempt, which normally they try to conceal.

Maybe that's why Bill Clinton (who is also genuinely from a lower class background) doesn't really get it? Maybe it's why I don't get it, quite. I'm a liberal feminist myself (though I'm voting for McCain because national security is my no.1 issue in the presidential election, so of course I have a political reason to cut Palin some slack), so I'm out of sympathy with most of Palin's views, but I basically like her, as far as how she seems just as a person. She reminds me of practically all of my female relatives in some respect or other; Todd Palin reminds me a lot of my dad. I find the visceral loathing towards Palin from some of the folks on my side of the aisle (I'm usually a Democrat voter) kind of depressing, and revealing.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

As I went back to look at the Presidents and their VPs, you start to see very glaring holes in this "they have to have foreign policy experience" argument.

It is all a smoke screen to cover for the fact that Obama has zero foreign policy experience. And no, living in Indonesia before the age of 10 is not experience. Biden's knowledge of foreign policy is so wacky it can only be called laughable.

Biden said this morning that proof that we should not have gone into Iraq in 2003 is that the next attack on U.S. soil won't be coming from Iraq.

[matt]

Gee whiz, the Media do everything they can to tear down Palin and she drops in the polls. Finding every last opponent in Alaska to rip her; conflating her story into something it never was; lying about her faith and her politics, and then the mass of people in the country lose their hope? Is there any wonder?

Despite Biden's repeated gaffes and his general goofiness, nary a word of criticism.....Talk about a double standard. This is the ultimate in hypocrisy.

The Media should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.

[Jane]

I find the visceral loathing towards Palin from some of the folks on my side of the aisle (I'm usually a Democrat voter) kind of depressing, and revealing.

SR,

Watch out. Once you realize what you have now realized it gets really hard to go back.

I'm a feminist from way back. I'm just not a feminist the way liberals mean it - (and I was a liberal for most of my life because of that issue). I'm a feminist because I think women have arrived, are completely capable, and should be judged on their own merit. I don't subscribe to the school of feminism that thinks women need constant help to achieve stuff. That barrier broke years ago. I don't think that is actually feminism frankly. AS the democrats have made clear this election - for them feminism means one thing - choice.

Re: Palin hatred: Frankly I think democrats have spent so much energy over the last 8 years hating George Bush that they can't survive without a target. McCain doesn't fit the bill so it's gotta be Palin. It keeps the fires stoked.

[Ann]

Jane,

You are my favorite feminist. :)

After watching Biden today, I have added "Ladies and Gentlemen" to the drinking list.

And I have come up with a new campaign slogan:

"Ladies and Gentlemen vote for O and Joe"
"HOPE AND DESPAIR"

[centralcal]

Excellent slogan, Ann!

[MayBee]

TalkLeft today has a story linking to this http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/23/meetings_with_foreign_leaders.html>WaPo piece by Glenn Kessler. At least it is, for once, a comparison of the two VP candidates.
The fact that it is just that also points to why it is just that.

Meetings with Foreign Leaders? Biden's Been There, Done That

By Glenn Kessler
Maybe it's just a coincidence, but after two weeks of requests for a list of the world leaders that Democratic vice presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden, Jr., has met with, his office released one -- on the very day GOP vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin met with her first world leaders.

[Sue]

I'm so wanting to believe the polls are wrong. But I wanted to believe they were wrong in 2006 and they weren't. If McCain doesn't kick Obama's ass in the debates, I fear we're in for some rough years. ::sigh::

[bgates]

MayBee - I'm less concerned with how many he's met than with what kind of impression he's made.
"Nice pecs, Putin."

[viva ron paul]

Palin has been judged on the merits.

And been found wanting.

Maybe McCain should let her out of her press burqua already. Perhaps she could defend herself.

Now he won't even let her answer a basic question after the U.N. meetings. The press report about Palin looking at McCain as the reporters are ushered out the room and McCain is shaking his head no are almost heartbreaking.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

They have begun showing snippets of the Couric/Palin interview on Fox. The snippet I saw was asking her about the problems with Wall Street and whether the bailout is a good thing.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

The question was are we facing the next Great Depression.

[Jane]

Hey Ann,

Did you listen to Ruch today? What do you think about what he said about the bailout?

[Jane]

I mean Rush

[Bill in AZ]

Biden said this morning that proof that we should not have gone into Iraq in 2003 is that the next attack on U.S. soil won't be coming from Iraq.

hmm... so what does Biden know?

[MayBee]

"Nice pecs, Putin."

Ha ha ha ha ha. I bet Putin would kinda like that, though.
I just found it hilarious that Obama has been fighting against Palin for weeks, but when it comes to meeting foreign leaders, he's got nothin'. So finally Joe's record comes out of the mothballs to compare to Palin.

McCain's campaign could send out the list of which foreign leaders the top of the tickets have met. Along with the old snippet of Obama claiming his college druggie trip to Pakistan was better foreign policy experience than any meeting could ever be.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Jane just posted this in the other thread:

McCain just suspended his campaign to return to Washington to work on the bailout.

[bad]

Page four of the linked PDF file shows an early assessment of where CAC was in terms of raising matching funds. Amounts are listed separately for Private and PUBLIC funds.

Keep in mind these are not final figures.

[bad]

Darn!! Link to files of public funding.

LUN page 4 of pdf file

[kim]

Good move by McCain; he's in his element.
===========================

[mariner]

Jane:

AS the democrats have made clear this election - for them feminism means one thing - choice.

No, it doesn't. It means "ABORTION".

Sarah Palin made a choice -- but it wasn't ABORTION. So now she's being attacked by "feminists" for her choice.