Is what someone said, or not, 16 years ago really relevant today?

[question everything]

Here was Obama, during the ABC debate, wondering why did it matter what "an acquaintance" of him did in the 60s. And he was right. The same should hold for everyone else.

If people here are willing to dismiss the achievements of Bill Clinton - like being the first Democrat to be re-elected since FDR - why grasp onto one idiotic comment that did not affect any activity or policy by the Clinton Administration?

You cannot have it both ways: either what someone did or say years ago matters now, or it does not. And when the Obama camp is so proud of the young voters - does anyone think that it matters to them? That they remember anything from the 1992 campaign, or even from the Clinton administration?

[rocktivity]

1. It's the media who's trying to have it both ways.

How can they justify making an issue of Wright while ignoring Kantor--on the grounds that Wright said what he said more distinctly?

:shrug:
rocknation

[question everything]

2. Wright cast doubt on Obama's sincerety, by referring to his comments

as being politically motivated. And just two months ago, Obama had a major speech about Wright.

Kantor said what he said 16 years ago.

[PoliticalAmazon]

3. Kantor is directly attached to Clintons' campaigns, impacting policy, etc. n/t

[donheld]

4. It might be if it was Hillary, Barack, or John

Otherwise NO!

[Triana]

5. ONLY if you're Barack Obama. n/t

[JeffR]

6. Your first point is the crucial one here.

It shouldn't matter. It wouldn't matter in a more civilized country.

And that's the point.

As to Bill Clinton's mixed but demonstrably positive track record getting dissed so enthusiastically, that's because a lot of progressives have had their nerves scraped raw by a number of things that he screwed up. He put effort, credible effort into addressing a lot of these things, but they were defeats or outright mistakes. People in the millions live with those consequences. But of course, he faced a stacked deck, and in no way is his tenure comparable to the Bush years, of course.

But people are tired, frustrated, angry and yes, bitter. People are done with this, a lot of them, anyway. And the somewhat sorry spectacle of seeing President Clinton pointing his finger at a bank of cameras and uttering, at best, half-truths has become a little tiring, frankly.

The frenzy about this Kantor nonsense has resulted directly and predictably from the Clinton campaign's scorched-earth politics-by-association. Period. That's what brought this on. Obama's camp didn't start this silly gotcha game. I suspect Clinton's camp didn't either, despite some suspicious activities recently. Note to all Democrats this time around: It's the media, stupid.

All the posts about this here today reinforced the ire that's been aroused on the spectrum ranging from Obama partisan to late, wishy-washy convert.


As you say here, you cannot have it both ways. I agree. No, we can't. Not this time.