WaPo's Richard Cohen: Today, I'm Casting My Vote -- Against Bill Clinton

[bluemegan]

Talking Points Memo
February 5, 2008
link


One thing that's good about the fact that the voting is upon us is that it's forcing pundits to come clean about what's been driving their commentary about the Clintons for so long. Case in point: Richard Cohen in The Washington Post today.

Before, Cohen and David Broder and other pundits had the option of concealing their disdain for Bill by couching it in predictions about how the American public, as opposed to them, would ultimately judge Bill a liability to Hillary's candidacy. But in his column today, Cohen endorses Obama, which forces him to reveal what he actually thinks. And he writes:

The fact is that as a politician, Hillary Clinton is a creature of her husband...He remains, as Wordsworth might put it, too much with us. He was a good president with bad associations -- beginning with Jim McDougal of Whitewater fame and ending with Marc Rich of pardon infamy. Bill Clinton has a tropism for the faintly corrupt, and his wife has more than a tropism for him. He would stalk her presidency as he has her campaign, and when she vows that she alone would rule the White House, she is talking personnel, not marriage. It ain't the same.

So I vote, as I must, for Obama and against Hillary.

And there you have it: A top columnist at the second most influential broadsheet in the country is basing his choice between Hillary and Obama largely on ... Bill! And the man isn't even running for President. Cohen is so put off by the thought of the mere presence of Bill anywhere near the White House again that he has let this specter determine his choice between two other highly accomplished adults for the post of leader of the free world.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Ooooowwwwcchhhh!!!

[DJ13]

2. basing his choice between Hillary and Obama largely on ... Bill!

Oh. My. God. a columnist who actually votes?!

What is wrong with this country?!

These columnists are supposed to be neutered, mindless pawns of the will of our overlords, have they no shame?!

:eyes:

[ursi]

18. Bill is why I haven't been in support of Hillary's run from day one

He would be the co-president just like she was during his reign. Bad for anyone to be VP.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. David Broder worked for Bill Clinton as his press secretary. Bill hired the guy.

[MADem]

6. What guy?

Not sure what Broder has to do with Cohen, the columnist...?

[John Q. Citizen]

11. Read the OP. It's talking about how mean the columnists are to Bill, including Broder.

You know, the guy Bill hired, 'cause Bill's such a genius.

[MADem]

12. Oh, ok--I was focusing on the Cohen piece, not the TPM bit. Thanks. NT

[Beausoleil]

17. I think you are mistaken

David Broder has worked for the WaPo since 1966. Was never Clinton's press secretary.

[MADem]

4. Wow. I'm speechless. What a .... childish asshole? Idiot?

Never mind the issues, a woman can't POSSIBLY be a "REAL HUMAN!" Like a MAN is, of course!!! She's just a Lurleen Wallace, doncha know!!

Misogynist twit.

[aquart]

5. Attacking Hillary gets her votes. So now they're attacking Bill. Safer.

The geniuses figured it out after New Hampshire. Saying mean things about the lady makes ladies vote for her. Saying them about her husband, no backlash. Very very very clever.

[katty]

9. it's easier to attack Bill--but cowardly

[nels25]

7. Reality bites

much as may hurt to state the obvious, there are a lot of people in the nation who see it about the same way as Cohen does, and will most likely vote in the same way.

Look Bill was a competent president issue wise, but in all actuality would you want a male of his makeup and persona to marry you daughter?? Not me.

He had his 8 years, enough all ready.

If you believe he would not have significant influence in a Hillary administration than you also believe in the tooth fairy.

No more Bush and no more Clinton, let Hillary become senate majority leader, I like that outcome better, with Obama as president.

:dem:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

8. This Richard Cohen?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/14/AR2008011402083.html

Fuck him. He can stick his column, and his vote, up his ass.

[Pirate Smile]

10. Didn't he write a big Obama bashing column not very long ago? He is one weird dude.

[MasonJar]

13. I love Bill Clinton. He is beloved throughout the world also, by about the same degree

as Georgie is despised...that is some enormous number. Go Hillary!!!!!!

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[clarence swinney]

15. VOTE AGAINST THIS RECORD IS DUMBBB

PRAISE CLINTON AND GORE WITH PLEASURE
GDP--rose from 6,300 to 11,600
NATIONAL INCOME-5,000 to 8,000 Billion--
JOBS CREATED—237,000 per month to replace Jimmy Carter record of 218,000.
AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS--$360 to $478
AVERAGE WEEKLY HOURS WORKED--never hit 35.0--hit that mark 4 times in 80's
UNEMPLOYMENT--from 7.2% down down down to as low as 3.9%
MINIMUM WAGE--$4.25 to $5.15
MINORITIES--did exceedingly well
HOME OWNERSHIP--hit all time high (no big deal most can say this-except Reagan)
DEFICIT--290 Billion to whoopee a SURPLUS
DEBT----+28%---300% increase over prior 12 years by Conservatives.
FEDERAL SPENDING--+28%---+80% under Reagan- who is da true conservative?
DOW JONES AVERAGE—3,500 to 11,720 top in 2000. All it's history to get to 3500 and Clinton zooms it
NASDAQ--700 to 5,000 top in 2000.---All of it's history to get to 700 and Clinton zooms it
VALUES INDEXES-- almost all bad went down--good went up in zoom zoom zoom
FOREIGN AFFAIRS--Peace on Earth good will toward each other---Mark of a true Christian--what has Bush done to Peace on Earth?
POPULARITY---highest poll ratings in history during peacetime in AFRICA, ASIA AND EUROPE . Even 98.5% in Moscow--left office with Highest Gallup rating since it was started in 1920's.
STAND UP FOR JUSTICE--evil conservatives spent $110,000,000 on hearings and investigations and caught one very evil man who took a few plane rides to events.
BOW YOUR HEADS—“Thank you God for sending us a man of Bill Clinton's character, intelligence, knowledge of governance, ability to face up to crises without whimpering and a great leader of the world. Amen”.
THANK YOU GOD FOR THE GOOD TIMES THE CLINTON YEARS.
clarence swinney-political historian-Lifeaholics of America- burlington nc
[e-mail]
6-28-03

[clarence swinney]

16. CLINTON KO's REAGAN

Comparing Democrat’s hero-CLINTON—versus Republican’s hero--REAGAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.JOBS—grew by 43% more under Clinton.
2.GDP---grew by 57% more under Clinton.
3.DOW—grew by 700% more under Clinton..
4.NASDAQ-grew by 18 times as much under Clinton.
4.SPENDING--grew by 28% under Clinton---80% under Reagan.
5.DEBT—grew by 43% under Clinton—187% under Reagan.
6. DEFICITS—Clinton got a large surplus--grew by 112% under Reagan.
7.NATIONAL INCOME—grew by100% more under Clinton.
8.PERSONAL INCOME—Grew by 110% more under Clinton.
SOURCES—Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.BLS.Gov)--Economic Policy Institute (EPI.org)—Global & World Almanacs from 1980 to 2003 (annual issues)
www.the-hamster.com (chart taken from NY Times)
National Archives History on Presidents. www.nara.gov
LA Times 10-11-00 on Market--www.Find articles.com

A vote for a Republican is a vote for Less Success.
A vote to reduce the Standard of Living for all Americans.

Clarence Swinney-Political Research Historian-Lifeaholics of America-President
Please submit comments to [e-mail] or P.O. Box 3411-Burlington NC-27216