Bill Clinton Sells Hillary's Experience

Washington Post: Former President Says Wife Will "Deal With The Unexpected" Better Than Her Rivals

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Anne E. Kornblut and Alec MacGillis.

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Former president Bill Clinton yesterday delivered in stark terms a version of his wife's central campaign message: that her experience in Washington better prepares her to "deal with the unexpected."

Addressing more than 100 supporters at a VFW hall here Saturday, Clinton used the strongest language he has so far in the campaign to describe the threats facing the nation, making an oblique reference to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and saying that the "most important thing of all" in selecting a nominee is the question of who could best manage unforeseen catastrophes.

"You have to have a leader who is strong and commanding and convincing enough . . . to deal with the unexpected," he said. "There is a better than 50 percent chance that sometime in the first year or 18 months of the next presidency, something will happen that is not being discussed in this campaign. President Bush never talked about Osama bin Laden and didn't foresee Hurricane Katrina. And if you're not ready for that, then everything else you do can be undermined. You need a president that you trust to deal with something that we will not discuss in this campaign. . . . And I think, on this score, she's the best of all."

After trying out various themes and rationales for her campaign, Hillary Clinton has settled in the final week before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary on the experience plank, arguing that she is the only one of the front-running Democratic candidates prepared to lead from the first day in office, a claim her rivals have challenged by questioning the value of her tenure as first lady. Clinton advisers noted privately this week that the experience argument was bolstered by the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto and the threat of wider unrest in that country. Clinton pressed the point during a stop in Eldridge, Iowa, telling reporters: "I'm not asking you to take me on faith. I'm not asking you to take a leap of faith."
But the campaign has apparently decided that the person best able to make this case in the bluntest terms is the former president. "Who better to explain what it takes to be president than the last two-term president the Democrats have had since FDR?" said Mark Penn, chief strategist for the Clinton campaign.

Bill Clinton has been edging closer in recent weeks to arguing that the country would be taking a chance if voters nominated someone with less experience in Washington, a dig at her main rivals, former senator John Edwards of North Carolina and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. Speaking in Plymouth, N.H., last week, he said that his wife would be best suited to handle the challenges of terrorism, climate change and income inequality. He hinted that if these challenges were not met, the world, or at least American democracy, might be in peril in the coming decades.

"How we meet those challenges will determine whether our grandchildren will even be here 50 years from now at a meeting like this listening to the next generation's presidential candidates," Clinton said in Plymouth. He did not elaborate on what he meant by the prospect of the audience members' grandchildren not being there in 50 years.

His comments Saturday were incorporated directly into his standard stump speech and not ad-libbed. In past weeks, he has argued that there are three reasons to nominate his wife: her vision, her plans and her record. In Nashua, he said there was a fourth reason: her ability to deal with unseen threats.

It is a type of election argument most often adopted by incumbent candidates. In President Bush's 2004 reelection campaign, Vice President Cheney invoked a particularly bold form of it, warning of the consequences of a John Kerry election for the nation's security against terrorism: "If we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we'll get hit again -- that we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States."

The Edwards campaign warned recently that the Clinton campaign would try to play on voters' national security fears in the closing days before voting in Iowa and New Hampshire. "We know that Senator Clinton will spend the week touting her national security credentials in a move that echoes George Bush's 2004 campaign," said a memo written by Jonathan Prince, deputy campaign manager for Edwards. "We believe Democrats will not be fooled by efforts to play on their fears."

Hillary Clinton caused a slight stir on the trail several months ago when she argued at a house party in New Hampshire that she would be better prepared to respond to Republican tactics if there were a terrorist attack sometime during the general election campaign.

"It's a horrible prospect to ask yourself, 'What if? What if?' "Clinton told voters in Concord. "But, if certain things happen between now and the election, particularly with respect to terrorism, that will automatically give the Republicans an advantage again, no matter how badly they have mishandled it, no matter how much more dangerous they have made the world." She added that she would be the best Democratic candidate "to deal with that."

[tibu987]

Tell me how being First Lady translates into all the experience that Hillary and Bill says she has.
She was First Lady, nothing more. No high level national or international meetings.
Planning the White House menu and the proper way to make and serve tea does NOT equate into the all the experience they both want you to feel she has.

"The enemy isn''t liberalism, the enemy is not conservatism, the enemy is b^llsh^t".
Columnist Lars-Erik Nelson (deceased)

"Who is the more foolish...........the fool or the fool that follows him?."

[thisandthat1]

If we''re now looking at nominating former First Ladies for President of the United States ....I say we go back and take a second look at Betty Ford or Roslyn Carter. Maybe Nancy Reagan would like a chance at it, too!

[frb01]

She failed at the one task that she really had in terms of policy in the Clinton White House, reforming health care. Ask us as residents of NYS on how she has performed on providing all the jobs when she ran for Senate the first time. Buffalo has the second highest poverty rate in the country. She has one more year of experience than Edwards, four more than Obama. If experience in the Senate matters, Dodd and Biden would then be our guys, not.

[cattlekate]

Biden has more experience.

How come the MSM doesn''t showcase him?

He''s so much less polarizing.

[formrusmcsgt]

This quite a change for Bill. In the past, he has publicly taken exception with Hillary''s claim that she was part of a "presidential team".

She must have taken him to the woodshed, or maybe even to bed......

[forbesf]

Hillary will be elected President and then re-elected in a landslide. Why? Because the commone sense people who are the majority in this country will realize what a great job she''s done and will reward her.

[nodemotwit]

"Bill Clinton Sells Hillary''s Experience"

This woman has none of the seasoned experience US voters have traditionally depended upon. Never a military general in a significant war, nor governed a state, nor mayor of a significant city, nor a majority leader, nor a minority leader, nor negotiated with foreign heads of state on foreign policy issues. Not even a +decade seasoned senator with the authorship of serious legislation under her belt.

Let''s flip the rolls for a second. Let''s pretend Hillary won the presidency back in 1992 instead of Bill, and Bill was along for the ride. Now in 2008 Bill wants to be president based on HILLARY Clinton''s Record And HIS White House Experience. How many sane Americans would take that a viable experience for a MALE (and therefore, a female) presidential candidate? Couple that with her insatiable sense of entitlement and what an amazing joke.

[formrusmcsgt]

But, Dems should nominate her if they want to lose in 2008 because that it exactly what will happen.

Posted by tuckerndfw at 02:37 PM : Dec 30, 2007

I am an Independent and could never vote for Hillary, Romney, Huckabee or Paul.

The reason why I''ve eliminated Romney and Hillary from sonsideration is the same one - simultaneously speaking our of both sides of their mouths.

Paul and Huckabee, because they are flat morons.

[Krazcarl]

Hillery is still beating him with the Monicia epesode..

[hypnotoad72]

She needs nepotism to help her out? That alone should rule her out, regardless of what she''s been consistent on. (which is essentially foreign policy; but if that includes unlimited H1Bs, she can''t appease them and America''s middle class until she actually says more than primp, pithy say-nothing massaging messages. So many other candidates have actually said something of detail. )

[trillion1]

We voted for her once and never will again. She ignores her own constituents.

[newz4i]

Put up the name Clinton and evangelical conservative Republicans get to talking...brain dead dialog left over from the 90s, more commonly known as the limbaughtimized mentality.

[amazedd]

Just now-now, Cuckoo Cocoon.

[hungry1968]

But, for the most part, it is irrelevant because the president has very little authority or power to do anything without Congressional approval.

Posted by tuckerndfw at 02:53 PM : Dec 30, 2007



You wouldn;t think so the way that Bush is steamrolling all of his garbage through the house and senate. Dammn near everything he asked for he''s recieved except for his "Amnesty For Illegal Aliens Plan".

[ontheleft]

I''m not crazy about her either, but it sounds like she will get the nomination. She is a master politician. By that I mean she knows how to run an election campaign and win. It''s all about money and she has it. It doesn''t make her the best candidate.

The 2008 election should be a breeze for the Democrats, but with Hillary in the running it will be more like an uphill climb that will also affect the congressional races.

Regardless of who wins in Iowa or New Hampshire, I think February 5th (the big day) is going to be the day the nomination is decided, and it just may be a surprise for everyone - including Hillary and Obama.

[facts6]

People shiver when they say her name. Nomination will be suicide for the Dems.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by lastdance7 at 03:14 PM : Dec 30, 2007

Good Gawd! What a total bunch of krap!

Hillary has been fighting for women and family rights all her life.

She has stood up and faced off the WORST bastwards of this country, and lifted herself up out of the literal crucifixtion of her married life.

She knows that without corporations and capitalism the country has no economy. And that compromises have to be made for win win situations for people AND corporations.

She knows that the Iraqi war has to be ended, but she is also not naive enough to think we can just walk away without aforethought and planning. Unlike Bush when he took us into it. Remember the whole country was convinced by Cheney that the Iraq''s would be throwing flowers at us when we entered the Iraq.

She has began the fight for universal health care YEARS ago! And but for the republicans refusing to open doors for funding it, we''d already have it. And this country could have saved BILLIONS already.

Plus, she has in her support group one of the finest ex presidents in history.

Throw your stupidity and rocks all you want at the Clintons, after all you''re the idiots that elected George Bush TWICE!

[sgtrds]

I''m still an Edwards man, but if Hillary is the nominee I''ll vote for her and she''ll win big time over any of the republicans running. People can say what they want to about her being divisive or take shots at Bill, but the truth is Bill was the best president since FDR and left office with a nearly 70% approval rating. Americans are sick of the neocon garbage they''ve had to put up with from the as*sholes in the White House and they want to return to what they see as the good old days of the Clinton years. Me too.

[j-whitman]

bucktooth99,,,, I''ve been hearing the GOP is about to replace their top contenders with Michael Bloomberg

[sgtrds]

Does a good man have to be a nymphomaniac?

Posted by bucktooth99 at 03:45 PM : Dec 30, 2007

Yes.

[hungry1968]

People shiver when they say her name. Nomination will be suicide for the Dems.

Posted by facts6 at 03:20 PM : Dec 30, 2007



The scary part is that she is unquestionably better than anything the republicans have to offer. If a republican wants to win the nomination, he better switch his affiliation to independent, green party, or satanist. Carrying the (R) is a death blow.

[hungry1968]

bucktooth99,,,, I''''ve been hearing the GOP is about to replace their top contenders with Michael Bloomberg

Posted by j-whitman at 03:46 PM : Dec 30, 2007


He renounced his party affiliation with the republicans a few months back and he''s now a registered Independent. He''s got my vote if he runs!!

[hungry1968]

Why? Cuza hydrogen taxis?

Posted by bucktooth99 at 03:51 PM : Dec 30, 2007



No - his universal dental plan for NYC residents is designed to cure bucked tooth people.

(Just kidding!! He doesn''t have a universal dental plan - but buck toothed people do need to be cured!!)

[sgtrds]

So, you''''re saying that its the gorilla in all of us.

Posted by bucktooth99 at 03:48 PM : Dec 30, 2007

Yep, all good men. JFK was a great man and he scre*wed around. My dad was a great man and he scre*wed around. I''m a pretty good guy and I used to scre*w around. It''s in the genes.

[sgtrds]

(Just kidding!! He doesn''''t have a universal dental plan - but buck toothed people do need to be cured!!)

Posted by hungry1968 at 03:52 PM : Dec 30, 2007

Careful or you''ll be hearing from the BTADL (The Buck Tooth Anti-Defamation League)!

[mcv57]

SDoes a good man have to be a nymphomaniac?

Posted by bucktooth99 at 03:45 PM : Dec 30, 2007

Yes.



SgtRDS, you are a pervert.

[sgtrds]

I mean, what de hell does anything got to do with somebody''''s peckkker anyway?

Posted by bucktooth99 at 03:55 PM : Dec 30, 2007

All great men had a very high *** drive. It''s part of the whole package.

[mcv57]

.... and a *** with no father who was moral.

[sgtrds]

I mean, what de hell does anything got to do with somebody''''s peckkker anyway?

Posted by bucktooth99 at 03:55 PM : Dec 30, 2007

FDR, JFK, RFK, MLK, WJC....all of them great men who had a high se*x drive.........

[mcv57]

Nobody paid attention to SgtRDS. He is an atheist *** who wacks-off when he sees a goat in heat.

[sgtrds]

If Hillary Clinton is the Democrat''''s choice, they WILL lose the 2008 presidential elections.

Fact.

Posted by tuckerndfw at 03:59 PM : Dec 30, 2007

If the Democratic ticket was Pee Wee Herman and Bozo the Clown they''d still win in a walk. There are no republicans running that can beat any of the Democrats running. The 2008 election goes to the Democrats no matter who they nominate.

Fact.

[mcv57]

There is no such thing as a good government official, especially a president of the U.S. They all been ripping the taxpayer off since JFK (he nearly balanced the budget).

[sgtrds]

And I agree with ya! Bill Clinton was a good president. But what happened? Whats the nature of politics? He made a labedos mistake, and it became about him.

Posted by bucktooth99 at 04:01 PM : Dec 30, 2007

The big mistake he made was when he was asked about his scr*ewing around he should have told the press that it was none of their godda*mn business, because it wasn''t and isn''t. Scre*wing around was between him and his wife and it''s nobody else''s business.

[mcv57]

Nobody paid attention to SgtRDS. He is an atheist bas*ta*rd who wacks-off when he sees a goat in heat.

[jamurphy4]

People shiver when they say her name. Nomination will be suicide for the Dems.
Posted by facts


They Shiver because it''s cold, but they stand in it to show a resolve, and that is to change America for the better.. All you nat sayers will find out that she will be a great President.. The Mothers, and Fathers that have kids over their fighting their butts off , and nobody guarding their backs.. All those people that had to buy their loved ones Flack jackets, because the Republicans wouldn''t supply them to our soldiers.. In every war we fought, from 1776 on, we made the losers lay down their arm''s, so what does are Republican leadership do.. They tell the Iraqis they can keep their weapons, and then give them more.. I wonder just how many of our guys were shot in the back by one of those weapons.. You Republicans had your chance, and You & bush have taken us to the gutter.. We are hated all over the World, and we need a BIG change.. It''s time for a women to lead us, and Hillary has more experience then anyone on either side of this race.. My vote will go to her.

[userverfied]

Still not capable of campaigning for herself? Or will Bills ego just not quit?

LOL

[sgtrds]

You know why Jim Leher asked him, Randy? Because he didn''''t think they were serious. He thought it was a light hearted "fun moment" in political coverage.

Posted by bucktooth99 at 04:05 PM : Dec 30, 2007

He still should have told him (nicely because Jim Leher is a nice guy) to mind his own da*mn business. It''s noboy''s business if the president is fooling around on his wife. It just ain''t.

Got to run to the store. back soon. Play nice.

[denn034]

There''s good and bad experience. Hillary''s experience is bad as far as I''m concerned. Let me finish by reminding people that Bill is an amoral deviant who''s opinion is worthless in the eyes of decent people.

[neobrian-2009]

Give it UP Shrubbies !
You ARE All a bunch of LOSERS!
You can write all the bushit you want ! You`ve ruined our country long enough ! Go to FAUX News !

[hungry1968]

Nobody paid attention to SgtRDS. He is an atheist bas*ta*rd who wacks-off when he sees a goat in heat.

Posted by mcv57 at 04:06 PM : Dec 30, 2007


As long as he doesn''t actually touch the goat, what''s the problem?

:-)

[beehive21-2009]

Opra or op would win if she runs.Bill was a good President and with him behind her, she''ll he a great president.

[hungry1968]

Still not capable of campaigning for herself? Or will Bills ego just not quit?

LOL

Posted by UserVerfied at 04:07 PM : Dec 30, 2007



It''s a brilliant strategy actually. Use the best / most popular president of the last 27 years to campaign on her behalf is an excellent strategy.

How many republicans are asking Bush for his endorsement, or to come to one of their campaign rallies?

HAHA!! LOL!!

If he comes near them, they start throwing holy water at him and they hold up their crucifix''s like their trying to ward off the devil!!!

Too funny!! HAHA!! LOL!!

[hungry1968]

That would suggest his sexual activities were public business since he chose to make them so.

The Clinton scandals will all get to be revisited, including his alleged rapes, if Dems are stupid enough to nominate Hillary.

Posted by tuckerndfw at 04:11 PM : Dec 30, 2007



He CHOSE to make them public?

And since when is consensual *** considered "RAPE"??

[mrmazerati]

Bill Clinton. Proven heterosexual and all around smart guy. Be good to see him around again.

[talk2chief]

She hasn''t done anything for the State of New York which she represents. Except use it for a carpet bagging stepping stone to the White House. I would like to remind the democrats out there, when she stated Sadam was a bad man and that she had "10 years experience" on his activities, she wanted him "removed" by force. That is fact when she voted for the war. Careful what you wish for.

[ontheleft]

"The stupidity is too high on the ricter scale"

It''s Richter, stupid.

[mrmazerati]

Anybody who is a real man wouldn''t put another guy down for getting some.

[klingon69]

but the truth is Bill was the best president since FDR and left office with a nearly 70% approval rating. Americans are sick of the neocon garbage they''''ve had to put up with from the as*sholes in the White House and they want to return to what they see as the good old days of the Clinton years. Me too.
Posted by SgtRDS at 03:44 PM : Dec 30, 2007
Whoever said FDR was a good president?

[sgtrds]

If I recall correctly, at the time of the Lewinsky scandal, Clinton was also on trial for sexually harassing a former employee (Paula Jones).

Posted by tuckerndfw at 04:11 PM : Dec 30, 2007

Actually no. She had filed a civil suit and it had been ordered delayed until after he was out of office.

[sgtrds]

No matter how many shots some people take at Bill, to the vast majority of Americans he is a beloved man and if not for the 22nd amendment he''d still be president and would be running virtually unopposed for his 5th term.