Hillary Clinton does a crappy job of "hiding" Bill Clinton on the campaign trail in Manchester, NH
Conservatives Glenn Reynolds and Ann Althouse concoct a conspiracy theory, claiming that Hillary Clinton purposely avoided mentioning Bill Clinton in the debate last night (of course, had she mentioned Bill’s name, the conservative attack would be that she’s leaning on him to get elected - it’s another round of the conservative game: Tails I win, heads you lose). Instapundit increases the stupidity and declares:
I’m guessing that their polls show Bill as more liability than asset.
But if that’s true with the Democratic primary voters who were the
target of this debate, will it be truer (or less true?) in the general
election?
Yes, Bill Clinton is clearly a "liability" for Senator Clinton, that’s certainly why she toured Iowa and New Hampshire with him at her side at campaign stop after campaign stop, featuring him on the front page of her website, in campaign videos, literature, etc. Yes, the last successful Democratic president is such an albatross around her neck.
Conservatives have pushed this theory of unpopularity about Bill Clinton for years now, and it happens to not remotely be true (George W. Bush would give his left testicle for a 65% approval rating). For all his demerits as a husband, President Clinton is widely seen as a capable and popular leader of this country, especially in contrast now to his successor.
I know literally DOZENS of people who hated him back in the day that I hear saying “If I knew then what I know now” a lot…
Althouse is so moronic… she’s so out of touch it hurts to know she teaches. Thanks heavens she’s going to Brooklyn for a year, give Wisconsin a well-deserved break from this [fill in the blank].
I agree with everything except Bush giving his left testicle for a 65% approval rating. I’m convinced that the man either A) Doesn’t really know that he’s got a 29% approval rating, or more likely b) is still smug and convinced of his own brilliance despite knowing that 70% of Americans disapprove of his work.
Oliver, if you’d bothered to read my post, you’d see that I’d already answered the point you’re raising here. Why are you linking to Instapundit instead of me, anyway? I originated the subject and you’re using my name all over your post, but you obviously haven’t read what I wrote! It really does look sexist, you know.
It looks sexist because I didn’t link to you? Is that along the lines of onion rings being vaginas? I read your post, and it makes as little sense as Reynolds’. You’re pushing a crackpot theory unconnected from reality.
Oliver, don’t you know by now that if you invoke the name of Althouse, it’s automatically all about her? Jeez, try to keep up, will ya?
Clearly, whenever Ann and Instapudit say something (anything, really), the opposite must be true.
Occam’s Razor kinda thing.
Althouse must now try to live up to widely-accepted caricatures of herself.
This is not an easy task, and is a distinction reserved for people like her and Instaputz, who reign among the elite, the kingpins of asshattery.
Who can forget the Saga of the Merlot Tasting? The Vagina-cum-Onion-Ring debacle?
SOOoo many episodes that amuse, illuminate, yet horrify, much like Elaine’s Dance on Seinfeld?
Why are you linking to Instapundit instead of me, anyway?
Like a good liberal blogger, perhaps Oliver wishes to spare his readers from increasing her page traffic at the expense of our sanity.
Hey! Don’t you know that I say stupid crap just so my site meter jumps?! If you don’t link, that don’t work! You’re violating some serious blog ethics here! No fair! Apologize to me! Now!
You’re pushing a crackpot theory unconnected from reality.
Why is it a crackpot theory? Is it beyond the realm of possibility that politically she makes sure that Bill is around in a visual sense, but when it comes to debates, interviews and policy discussions, she leaves his name out?
A lot of political consulting is very subtle so this isn’t a stretch though I would agree that calling Bill a ‘liability’ makes no sense. At the same time, she can’t allow the campaign to become more about him than her.
mambochicken, I’d opt for C. -Teh commander guy does not have a testicle to give.
Why is it a crackpot theory?
Because the “theory” is the suggestion that Bill Clinton is unpopular (he isn’t) and as such Hillary is avoiding mentioning him (she’s not) based on a total lack of evidence (there isn’t any) and sprung completely from Althouse and Reynold’s heads (they’re nuts).
This is hard to grasp?
she can’t allow the campaign to become more about him than her.
And there ya go. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t talk about him that much. He isn’t/cannot run(ning).
Wow, a post from the lady herself.
I agree with you Oliver. Having the Big Dog in her campaign is the BEST thing for Clinton’s campaign.
I think her previous initiatives to separate herself from him at the early part of her campaign(more so with her Senate campaign) were fine tactics when the worst scandal evah was the executive blowjob. Now I think it’s pretty obvious that it’s better to have a popular former President then to pretend he doesn’t exist anymore.
As for Althouse’s opinions, she can keep them to herself. It’s a shame sometimes that people even take her seriously. Not that I’m one of those ’serious’ people.
August, please go to Ann’s post and show me where she suggests Bill Clinton is unpopular.
You guys would be perfect customers for Tom Smykowski’s ‘Jump To Conclusions’ mat.
“August, please go to Ann’s post and show me where she suggests Bill Clinton is unpopular.”
She did it with a Cavuto, as did Glenn Reynolds. That’s the way these people work. They attack people with questions so when they are proven wrong they can say, “I didn’t say that, I merely asked the question.”
The fact that you are too stupid to figure that out explains why you are still part of the 25%.
CS, piss off. I’m tired of the intellectually lazy mind reading that people do so they can say, “Aha! I KNOW what you really meant!”
It’s stupid. People who do it are stupid. You did it. Therefore, you are stupid.
A person either says something or makes a strong implication about something. Ann did neither. Pollak pulled that one out of his cartooning ass.
So please, leave the comment area so the average IQ can rise above the drooling level, ok?
August, please go to Ann’s post and show me where she suggests Bill Clinton is unpopular.
You are adorable.
A person either says something or makes a strong implication about something.
…You don’t get out much, do you? That’s not true at all. There’s many different levels of subtlety in written and spoken language. The one we’re talking about is a tactic called “plausable deniability”.
I’m tired of the intellectually lazy mind reading that people do so they can say, “Aha! I KNOW what you really meant!” It’s stupid. People who do it are stupid.
Perhaps you should re-read Prof. Althouse’s post yourself. She’s doing her very best Karnak impression.
“CS, piss off. I’m tired of the intellectually lazy mind…”
Hmm. It sounds like I hit a nerve. Why does Jay react like this when I question his intelligence? Could it be he’s a college flunk out? Some could go further and speculate that your were never even able to make it to secondary education at all.
Why should people listen to high-school drop-outs?
CSS, in the style of Glenn Reynolds your post raises some interesting questions.
“CSS, in the style of Glenn Reynolds your post raises some interesting questions.”
And that’s all they are, questions. I certainly didn’t accuse Jay of being a drug-addicted high school drop-out who pays for his crack habit by dancing naked on the docks.
However, serious people would like to know if he plans to stop hiding from these accusations and prove once and for all that he didn’t sell his body to at least six different Republican senators.
Some also ask if the esteemed Professor Althouse will direct her scrutiny to the breasts of Jeri Thompson, Fred Thompson’s wife, who is doing everything she can to, in Althouse’s words, “make her breasts as obvious as possible.”
Some also ask if the nickname “Frederick of Hollywood” will hurt or help Fred Thompson’s chances in the primary.
Why does Jay react like this when I question his intelligence? Could it be he’s a college flunk out?
Careful. I flunked out of college, and I don’t care to be compared to Jay.
Bush has a degree. ‘Nuf said?