Washington Post: "Hillary Clinton is the most miscast figure on the 2016 political stage"

[Attorney in Texas]

link; excerpt:

Hillary Clinton is the most miscast character in the 2016 race. This is shaping up to be a change election, and nothing about a Clinton candidacy offers change. Period.... Her campaign will only feed the malaise that many voters feel and won’t do anything to create the enthusiastic wave to turn out Democrats in the numbers she will need to repeat President Obama’s 2008 and 2012 victories.

Poll after poll indicates voter dissatisfaction, with a vast majority of voters believing our country is headed in the wrong direction, and a sense that anger at the governing establishment is the prevailing emotion. It looks like the forces of change are gathering — and among today’s presidential candidates, on either side, Clinton is the biggest mismatch for today’s zeitgeist. That is particularly true among Republican and independent voters, but even some Democrats are questioning Clinton’s suitability.... Ron Burkle, a billionaire Democrat and Hillary ’08 supporter, has abandoned Clinton for John Kasich’s presidential campaign.... When you think about the state of the economy, the dysfunction of our foreign policy and the growing partisanship in our country, it’s not hard to see why Clinton appears so out of step. On our anemic economy, Clinton would be an Obama 2.0; she doesn’t even pretend to be something different or new. She is promising more of the usual Democratic freebies to more people. Nothing about her policies would stimulate robust growth; she barely even uses the word “growth.” Obama’s weakening of America’s place in the world has caused anxiety about our national security, and Clinton can’t disassociate herself from our foreign policy debacles. And in the specific instance of Libya, where Clinton was in charge, look what that got us. No one on the left or right thinks U.S. involvement in Libya is a formula for success in the future. Not to mention, at home, like Obama, Clinton is a divisive figure. She regularly calls Republicans her enemies, even comparing Republicans to “terrorist groups”; she buys into conspiracy theories that allow her to blame others for her mistakes; and she surrounds herself with partisan sycophants.

There is no case to be made that Clinton is a refreshing change, that she has the answers and the leadership abilities to not only bring the country together but also to reverse the chaos abroad that threatens the United States today. If Washington doesn’t work now, Clinton is not going to bring a new leadership style, energy or fresh appeal to the White House to change anything. At least when Bill Clinton ran for president, he was credible as a “New Democrat.” Clinton can’t try to make the claim that she is a “new” anything.... Instead of allowing voters to determine for themselves that she is a woman, oddly, she seems to constantly need to remind everyone of that fact. ... The bottom line is that if voters are looking for change, there is no affirmative case to be made for electing Hillary Clinton as president. So what is she to do? Simple. She will need to attack the Republican nominee. 2016 may be the most vicious campaign ever, as Clinton has to make the Republican candidate unacceptable. Arguably, Republicans could do their part by nominating a candidate who will be hard to swallow. But the Clinton forces don’t have a choice. And actually, given her limited presentation skills, it is a campaign strategy that will suit her.

The Empire will go negative and do so early. So while Americans are looking for peace, prosperity, a booming economy, a robust and assertive national security, a return to competent governing and to be given confidence about the future, all they will get from Clinton and the Democrats are scare tactics, crocodile tears and outright lies about Republicans. Welcome to the 2016 campaign.

[DJ13]

1. big K and huge R

[Empowerer]

2. A little info on your source:

Ed Rogers has been involved in political campaigns, lobbying initiatives, private commercial transactions and various legal, media and market access challenges in the U.S. and in various international markets since the mid-‘90s. He regularly assembles teams of lobbyists, lawyers, PR specialists, investment professionals and private investigators to secure opportunities, solve problems, manage adversarial situations and achieve positive results for clients.

Prior to co-founding BGR Group in 1991, Ed served in the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President {George H.W. Bush} and Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff. Ed also served as Senior Deputy to Bush-Quayle Campaign Manager Lee Atwater from 1987 through the general election in 1988.

From 1985 through February of 1987, Ed worked in the Reagan White House in the Office of Political Affairs, where he served as Haley Barbour’s deputy as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Political Affairs.

Strange bedfellows, indeed . . .

[lovemydog]

18. Thank you. It's apparent from reading the 'opinion piece'

that it's written by a republican public relations hack.

[MBS]

22. Thank you for pointing this out.

As they say, "consider the source".

[Ino]

3. This line made me ROFL!

"Instead of allowing voters to determine for themselves that she is a woman, oddly, she seems to constantly need to remind everyone of that fact."

When asked during the debate how she would be different from Obama, she said she was a woman. I guess if that's all you've got...

[jfern]

15. It's ridiculous. Obama didn't run on being a black.

But somehow being a woman is special. Well if almost 60% of the primary voters are women.

[Ino]

17. Yeah, nothing like talking down...

.... to whatever level she thinks women are on.

“The Official Clinton Campaign Thx Box,” containing some of Clinton’s favorite household products as well as some campaign merchandise. Supporters who order the box will also get a pink pantsuit bitmoji.

Her Facebook bio: Wife, mom, grandma... hair icon, pantsuit aficionado...

Q: Can you tell us a fun story about a world leader you've met? A: I had a Bad Hair Day

Hillary is just like your abuela

Spending $2 million on sentimental ads about her mother, rather than her credentials to be President

Saying as President she'd still pick out the china & flowers

Being late to a nationally-televised debate because of the bathroom.... TWICE. If that had happened to me once, you'd better believe, as one of the most powerful people in the world, it would NOT happen again. I would demand, and get, a porta-potty backstage. Unless of course I thought it would be great to make a grand entrance.

As a woman myself, I find this stuff downright embarrassing. IMO, this turns off more women (and men) than it attracts.

[SunSeeker]

4. No, the "Washington Post" editorial board did not say that, a GOP hack did.

You post the most misleading OP titles. You should be embarrassed.

This is an opinion piece by Ed Rodgers, as the link, if you did not rename it as "link," would immediately tell people: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/01/04/hillary-clinton-is-the-most-miscast-figure-on-the-2016-political-stage/

Here's a little more info on Mr. Rodgers:

Ed Rogers has been involved in political campaigns, lobbying initiatives, private commercial transactions and various legal, media and market access challenges in the U.S. and in various international markets since the mid-‘90s. He regularly assembles teams of lobbyists, lawyers, PR specialists, investment professionals and private investigators to secure opportunities, solve problems, manage adversarial situations and achieve positive results for clients.
Prior to co-founding BGR Group in 1991, Ed served in the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff. Ed also served as Senior Deputy to Bush-Quayle Campaign Manager Lee Atwater from 1987 through the general election in 1988.

From 1985 through February of 1987, Ed worked in the Reagan White House in the Office of Political Affairs, where he served as Haley Barbour’s deputy as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Political Affairs. Since 2011, Ed has been an opinion writer for the Washington Post, where he writes about politics and the current state of affairs in Washington, D.C., from a Republican point of view.

http://www.bgrdc.com/x-bios/bgr-rogers.html

[Empowerer]

5. Amazing, isn't it?

They criticize Secretary Clinton for being "too Republican" and then post a blog from a Republican hack blasting her (while passing off the piece as a Washington Post editorial). Apparently, she's so bad at being a Republican that the Republicans don't know that she is one of them . . .

[SunSeeker]

9. Yep. And disgusting. And desperate. nt

[baldguy]

25. Par for the course.

Why is hatred for the Clintons from the left so similar to hatred for the Clintons from the right? Because they shop at the same store.

[anigbrowl]

6. GOP election consultant that came up with Lee Atwater?! I move to exclude

This seems really out of keeping with DU's practice about sources. You know the importance of proper citation and doubt the identity of the author escaped your eagle eye.

[zappaman]

7. What a load of crap.

You should be embarrassed posting this drivel, but I doubt it.

[Tanuki]

8. As others have noted, the OP "miscasts" the source of this. Haley Barbour's chum Ed Rogers

is the co-founder of the BGR lobbying group:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haley_Barbour
..."Barbour has been described as "one of Washington's all-time mega-lobbyists".[13] He "was a wealthy K Street lobbyist for giant corporations such as RJ Reynolds, Philip Morris, Amgen, Microsoft, United Health, Southern Company, and many others."[14] In 1991, Barbour helped found the lobbying group now known as BGR Group,[15] a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm, with Ed Rogers, a lawyer who formerly worked in the George H. W. Bush administration. In 1994, Lanny Griffith (also a former Bush administration appointee) joined the firm."
Most posters here are well aware of Haley Barbour's despicable record, and those who aren't should peruse the link above. I can see why you wanted to obfuscate the source of the smear on HRC, but in all honesty, given the moral compass of the Haley Barbour-Ed Rogers team, it is an honor to be on the opposite side from them. I'm sure Bernie Sanders would also disagree with them on just about any matter of principle one could think of.

[okasha]

10. Fruit of the poison tree, Counselor.

You should know better.

[Major Hogwash]

11. Clinton: "May the farce be with you."

It is soooooo obvious now.
She didn't have much of a chance in 2008, and not any chance at all in 2016.
Clinton's campaign is scripted nonsense . . . lather, rinse, repeat . . . and it is still worn out like a broken record.

There won't be a dry eye in the house before this is all said and done.

[Indepatriot]

12. First paragraph is a bulls-eye, the rest is bullshit

[RiverLover]

24. Bingo. And the title is spot-on. The rest is RW BS.

AIT should self-delete.

[blue neen]

13. You post this as if it's a Washington Post editorial, when it clearly is not.

The author is a GOP operative and lobbyist and partner with Haley Barbour.

You should change the title of the OP or self-delete. Your scenario is dishonest.

...Another example of what DU has been allowed to become...

[ucrdem]

16. Doesn't matter. The pic says it all:

"I got this."

[Surya Gayatri]

21. Hear, Hear...scandalous use of a RW mouthpiece to slag off a Democratic front-runner.

WTF?????


Eddy Rogers is a real piece of work. See this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251974579#post20

[ucrdem]

14. I guess WaPo has lost confidence in her willingness to bomb Iran.

That leaves, let's see . . .

[oasis]

19. Former Haley Barbour deputy is the author of this Hillary hit piece?!?!?

[Surya Gayatri]

20. Here's a thumbnail profile of the author. WTF is this guy's opinion piece doing on DU?

Ed Rogers is one of these wingnuts (a Lee Atwater man) that MSNBC constantly puts on the air and allows to relentlessly smear people. I think Dan Abrams needs to hear about this one. On Hardball today, the topic was the 2008 possible Democratic nominees for president. When Obama'a name came up---this is how he, Eddie, described him.

Shuster: Barack Obama is going up to New Hampshire. He's somebody I imagine Republicans should be fearful of---he's a great speaker...

Ed Rogers: Count me down as somebody who underestimates Barack "Hussein" Obama. Please,...

Yes Ed, he does have a deep voice. Conservatives can call Democrats torturing murderers all day long on TV and never pay a price for it.

Update: Yes it is his middle name, but Rogers emphasised "Hussein" in the clip so that he could highlight Saddam in my opinion, and if you think not, then you've never seen Ed in action. I should have been clearer in my post.

http://crooksandliars.com/2006/11/28/ed-rogers-barack-hussein-obama

So, we're now reduced to quoting right-wing shills for "expert" commentary on Democratic front-runners. For shame...

[SunSeeker]

30. Yes, a GOP hack who cluelessly belittled Obama's chances now does the same with Clinton.

But he's the "go to" source for Attorney in Texas in this shameful post.

[randome]

23. "...outright lies about Republicans."

Hilarious! And I bet you thought this was worth reading!
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Don't ever underestimate the long-term effects of a good night's sleep.[/center][/font][hr]

[leftofcool]

26. Another right wing mouthpiece brought to DU

[onenote]

27. It really is disheartening how often this is happening.

Some posters are simply shameless in their use of RW talking points. It's no longer believable that they just "didn't know".

BTW, as an "attorney", the OP should know you don't get to violate the four paragraph limit on quoting stories by the too cute by half use of ellipses and the combining paragraphs that were separate in the story into single paragraphs.

[Tanuki]

32. Even more disheartening to see how many recs an unabashed GOP propaganda piece like the OP

garners on DU these days.

[img]?w=610[/img]

[Scuba]

28. I agree she's miscast. She should be running in the Republican primary.

[Skinner]

29. Ed Rogers.

Prior to co-founding BGR Group in 1991, Ed served in the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff. Ed also served as Senior Deputy to Bush-Quayle Campaign Manager Lee Atwater from 1987 through the general election in 1988.

From 1985 through February of 1987, Ed worked in the Reagan White House in the Office of Political Affairs, where he served as Haley Barbour’s deputy as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Political Affairs. Since 2011, Ed has been an opinion writer for the Washington Post, where he writes about politics and the current state of affairs in Washington, D.C., from a Republican point of view.

http://www.bgrdc.com/x-bios/bgr-rogers.html

[msanthrope]

31. You Better Believe It!!! nt

[LexVegas]

35. "which he founded with former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour in 1991." One of your boys, huh? nt

[sufrommich]

38. Another right wing source claims Hillary can't win!

Obviously it's Bernie they fear.