Senator Clinton Vs. The Founding Fathers

8:23 pm EST March 29th, 2008 | Politics | 9 Comments

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I watched the first three episodes of HBO’s excellent John Adams series today, and while looking forward to episode four tomorrow, I thought to myself about Senator Clinton’s anti-intellectual attack on Sen. Obama’s oratory as “just words”.

Much of the first and second Continental Congress and its work product – the Declaration of Independence – was flowery and forceful debate and oratory. It happened to be about fundamental issues that caused a global earthquake that reverberated in the formation of America, but under the Clinton formula it would boil down to “just words”.

If “just words” resembles the following:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Shouldn’t every American be on the side of “just words”?

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9 Responses to “Senator Clinton Vs. The Founding Fathers”

  1. Susan M. Kovalinsky says:
    March 29, 2008 at 8:34 pm

    This is an excellent point that you’ve made, and I agree with you fully. I have felt the same way also when Clinton and her supporters have been scornful of Obama’s charisma and vitality, which has electrified and moved people along with his lofty orations. To mock and scorn and belittle the power of words and emotions indicates a certain shallowness and lack of robustness. All part of what makes Hillary so stale, flat and unprofitable. Thanks so much for defending Obama so beautifully.

  2. z_adura says:
    March 29, 2008 at 10:45 pm

    Words and paper are the only things that prevent us from regressing into a world of guns and knives.

  3. Sean D. Martin says:
    March 30, 2008 at 1:27 am

    You know change has been talked about in this election – change is going to happen whether we do anything or not. Change is part of life.” – Hillary Clinton

    So where his message is basically “Let’s work to change things.” hers is “We don’t need to do anything.”

    I’d rather have the person who will make an effort to direct the inevitable change.

  4. jr says:
    March 30, 2008 at 9:01 am

    Obama’s inspiring millions of first time voters while she employs the Blackwater connected Mark Penn to continue the politics of personal destruction

  5. Bob Sakowski says:
    March 30, 2008 at 2:46 pm

    “All men are created equal…”

    At the time that was written, they WERE just words.

    But do keep drinking the Kool-Aid.

    Seems Obama supporters have very much in common with the hardcore Bush supporters.

  6. Oliver Willis says:
    March 30, 2008 at 10:18 pm

    Actually, a cursory review of history would show you that’s very untrue. The mere idea that all men are created equal, if not carried out immediately following the declaration’s ratification, is a concept so powerful it is cited by those petitioning for equality around the world to this day.

    Just words, indeed.

  7. duros62 says:
    March 31, 2008 at 7:23 pm

    Seems Obama supporters have very much in common with the hardcore Bush supporters.

    I don’t even know what this means.

    At the end of the day, aren’t words pretty much all a politician has going for them?

  8. Adam Herman says:
    April 1, 2008 at 12:34 pm

    It’s a fair argument, but as with many of Oliver’s arguments, kind of shallow.

    Yes, the Founding fathers mere words were earthshattering. But think about what they were saying. That the 13 colonies were independent. They declared rebellion and irreversible seperation from the Crown.

    Obama’s speech contains nothing controversial at all. No one disagrees with unity, and universal health care is not exactly a controversial position to take in a Democratic primary.

    Now if Obama would say something truly earthshattering, then his mere words would be more significant. But right now, he’s just giving the same speech every Democratic candidate gives, just better.

  9. Duros62 says:
    April 1, 2008 at 4:49 pm

    No one disagrees with unity,

    Apparently, some folks have a problem with it.

    he’s just giving the same speech every Democratic candidate gives, just better.

    And after the last 7 years, there ain’t nothing wrong with that.