Alter: The Clintons’ Patronizing Strategy

[cali]

The latest attacks on Obama insult voters' intelligence.

Jan 24, 2008 | Updated: 11:29 a.m. ET Jan 24, 2008

The last major presidential candidate from Illinois, Adlai Stevenson, was approached by a voter in the 1950s. "Governor, you have the vote of every thinking American," she said. "That's nice," Stevenson replied. "But I need a majority."

Politics, as Bill Clinton said Tuesday in South Carolina, is "a contact sport." And while Barack Obama is trying hard to shed his professorial and all-too-Stevensonian air, he's just not a good enough eye-gouger at the line of scrimmage, especially with two people teaming up against him.

Obama's best hope is that Democratic voters aren't as dumb as Hillary and Bill Clinton think they are. The outcome of the primaries depends on whether, amid their busy lives, voters can get a general fix on who is more often telling the truth about the barrage of charges and countercharges.

This is ironic, because the way Bill Clinton survived impeachment was by betting on the intelligence of the American public. Now he's betting against it.

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http://www.newsweek.com/id/101173/page/1

[TeamJordan23]

1. I agree, that is what makes me more mad.

They really think we are stupid.

[stray cat]

2. Patronizing is right

[JackORoses]

3. That strategy may work in the Republican Party,

but the Clintons are in for a rude awakening if they apply the same methodology to Democrats.

[OHdem10]

4. Bill and Hilary understand the voters and their needs ,

Bill and Hillary understand the voters are smart even if they
may not be as highly educated.