TNR's Michael Crowley asks why Obama isn't pressing Hillary on her claims to have more "experience," a questionable claim based largely on her time as First Lady:
So far this "experience" theme seems to be keeping Hillary in the lead over Barack Obama. But what does she really mean when she talks about "experience"? Given that Hillary has spent just over one (cautious) term in the Senate, she's clearly talking about her time as First Lady (and to a lesser extent as First Lady of Arkansas). Yet Hillary actually says very little about the particulars of her White House years... Hillary almost never talks about sitting in on her husband's key policy meetings, or otherwise shaping substantial components of his agenda...
Why not? Probably because right now Hillary gets to have it both ways: She enjoys this vague claim to "experience," without getting bogged down in specific issues, because people only have foggy notions of her role as First Lady...
So here's an idea for Barack Obama: Start pressing Hillary for some specifics about all this experience--particularly on issues that might rile up the party's base...
But as I've pointed out before, directly questioning Hillary's experience in the White House is an open invitation for Bill to weigh in much more strongly on her behalf. No one wants to do that in a Democratic primary.
Hillary is full of it. Her experience? I wonder, does she mean, the experience that led her to oh-so-sensibly support the horrendous Iraq War for 5 years which other Democrats opposed? Or even worse, with her current stands supporting a major increase in the allocation of H1B visas and outsourcing?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/07/AR2007090702780.html
*When we are actually losing jobs*?
I am a Democrat and a young professional woman, but I detest Hillary Clinton with a passion that I can't put into words. It's largely because of her arrogant, Marie Antoinette "Let them eat cake" attitude to American skilled workers that is leading her to support the H1B visa program, which should be sharply curtailed to perhaps 5,000 or at most 10,000 entries, and outsourcing.
In fact, Hillary is so reprehensible, that responsible Democrats should not only not support her, but should actively oppose her and work toward her defeat. Hopefully we can accomplish this by getting another Democrat nominated- Edwards, Obama, Richardson, Dodd, all have more humane attitudes toward H1B and certainly don't want to increase it. But if the Democrats stupidly nominate Hillary, we should work actively to bring her down. Even if it means allowing a Republican to win the Presidency in 2008, this would allow us to clean up the Democratic Party to make it a true party of the people, leading it to victory in 2012.
The Democrat's Anti-Hillary Manifesto
http://tinyurl.com/34gjw4
Posted by: Rose Franklin | September 10, 2007 at 05:48 AM
Obama can't challenge Hillary on experience because it would remind people that two years ago he was in the state legislature. Hillary Clinton has been on the public scene for 15 years discussing serious policy matters. As First Lady she was not a Stepford Wife. She was a top advisor to her husband during the Balkan conflict when Obama was an obscure guy. Honestly nobody would be taking Obama seriously as a presidential candidate if he weren't black.
OTOH Democrats like Biden, Dodd, Richardson can credibly challenge Hillary on experience. They all have more experience than her.
Posted by: MikeB | September 10, 2007 at 01:02 PM