Sen. Clinton repeatedly cites 35 years of experience as a major rationale for her presidential candidacy. Next to her term in the Senate (in which the most significant vote she cast was a vote in favor of the Iraq war), the only other experience of hers that has national significance is the 8 years she served as First Lady. As she and her campaign recounts it, this was a high intensity position, one in which she had a major role to play in earthshaking decisions affecting millions of people. Certainly her husband, the president, turned to his spouse for advice on the issues of the day - though he is the one who ultimately made the decisions - what else did she do in her official role as First Lady of the United States that now apparently makes her more qualified than Sen. Obama to be the commander-in-chief, as she says? Let’s look.
First Lady Hillary Clinton, with her husband the President, at the Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn. She may as well be ordering an airstrike on Bosnia.
First Lady Hillary Clinton at a state dinner with her husband, the President. It’s not everyone who knows which fork is the salad fork you know.
First Lady Hillary Clinton and the White House Christmas tree. Can we roll the dice on someone who hasn’t chosen the decorations for a really big Christmas tree before? I don’t think so.
First Lady Hillary Clinton smiles and waves at her husband, the President’s second inaugural. Smiles. And waves. At the same time. Do they even teach you how to do that in Illinois?
First Lady Hillary Clinton poses with her family at Christmas. Bold. Decisive. Ready to Lead.
First Lady Hillary Clinton reads to some children. Notice how the Cat In The Hat resembles a member of Al Qaeda? Hillary did.
First Lady Hillary Clinton attends Richard Nixons funeral with her husband, the President. Look how she attended the frick out of that ceremony!
First Lady Hillary Clinton as part of her role leading the health care reform task force, speaks to a senior citizen. This, uh, failed miserably.
First Lady Hillary Clinton meets with some girl scouts. This is totally like meeting with soldiers. That is, soldiers who are as cute as a button and love playing with Barbies.
First Lady Hillary Clinton oversees the construction of a gingerbread house. For our purposes substitute “Baghdad” or “New Orleans” for “gingerbread house” and you can see where I’m going with this.
First Lady Hillary Clinton and some Sesame Street characters meet. It’s like a high level meeting at Camp David. Right.
First Lady Hillary Clinton cuts the ribbon of a Women’s Wellness Center. Many refer to this as her version of “Nixon goes to China”.
First Lady Hillary Clinton testifies to congress about the healthcare reform task… you know what, let’s move on.
First Lady Hillary Clinton and the US Women’s World Cup Team. Global? Yes, she’s got that covered.
First Lady Hillary Clinton has high level talks with Danny Devito at a summit discussing raising teens. Now she’s totally ready to take on Kim Jong Il.
First Lady Hillary Clinton displays a book about White House sculpture. There are two kinds of leaders in this world: Ones who know White House sculpture and ones who don’t. Sorry, Barack.
First Lady Hillary Clinton and the 1996 US Olympic team. Hillary Clinton is the woman to the right, just one person away from her husband, the President, the only one who at that time was Commander In Chief. He, not her, was the only one tasked by the Constitution to serve as Commander In Chief. She was his wife, his partner, his confidante, his soul-mate and more. But she was not the President.
How on Earth will you support the Democratic candidate in the fall if Hillary wins the nomination?
If you can, then you are a bit of a hypocrite for publishing a daily screed against her.
If you cannot, then your goal cannot be to elect a Democrat, only your specific Democrat.
It pains me to watch the party ripped apart by a Clinton hatred that seemed until recently to be largely confined to the other side.
She might send somebody for you after this one, lol.
Good stuff.
Oliver, while well done and detailed, you missed an even easier hit. Her HUSBAND, the elected President, had been governor of a small, impoverished non-border state. When will the reporters ask her, “what was the threshhold for Comamnder in Chief on the day you moved into the White House as First Lady?”
Obama has at least served in the Senate, albeit not one full term.
The position of first lady is strickly ceromonial. There’s not even a first lady if the president is single as has happened… She may speak to her husband over dinner, but she’s not even cleared to attend some official meetings… So this idea that she was negotiating treaties, solving skirmishes around the world and settling border disputes is absolutely ridiculous… She did open shopping centers and arranged flowers and seating at state affairs… D.
Please, Obama & Obamaniacs, no more Mr. Nice Guy?
As Mo Dowd says,
What could be more shameless than suggesting to Democrats that John McCain would make a better commander in chief than Obama?
Get the Clinton tax returns and hire back Samantha Power. Nice guys finish last or buried as vice presidents.
As opposed to Hillary, who as everyone knows has not served in the Senate even part of one term.
Brilliant commentary, Bruce.
Yes, it was a well-done Hillary hit-piece from a dedicated Obama supporter. The fact remains that she has spent more time in the White House than Obama has. She’s spent more time in the Senate than Obama has. She’s been in public life longer than Obama has. She’s been ALIVE longer than Obama has. And while you may debate the quality of her experience, you cannot in any way argue that she has less experience in government than Obama. I’m not saying that Obama is not qualified to be President; compared to the current occupant-in-Chief, Obama is ridiculously overqualified. I’ll be happy to vote for him if he wins the nomination. But in my opinion Hillary Clinton is more qualified than Obama, and that’s why I’m voting for her.
As you have pointed out effectively in the past Oliver, much of the spin in politics revolves around branding, in this case negative branding of the opponent. Question is, why might this spin from the Clinton campaign work, and how could Obama’s campaign effectively counter it? Of course you just provided a detailed visual review of Senator Clinton’s experience. Quick and it should be effective.
I may be over analyzing here, but I am not sure that this immunizes Senator Obama from this tactic. I would point to an analysis by David Kurtz at TPM (http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/182587.php). He thinks that Obama’s campaign needs to be taking on the Republican nonsense they are throwing his way much more effectively. So while the direct argument from Clinton’s campaign is the “Commander in Chief Experience” rhetoric (nonsense), the meta-message is “Commander in Chief Material” or “I am the person with the experience to handle the Republican political machine”, a point difficult to otherwise make simply in order to use as a branding tool. The fact is, if he fails to handle the Republicans well, he does look inexperienced, and it reinforces the branding message that Clinton’s campaign is using.
And while you may debate the quality of her experience, you cannot in any way argue that she has less experience in government than Obama.
Hillary has spent seven years in elected office. Obama has spent eleven.
So, yes, you can argue she has less experience in government. For evidence, I present reality.
Unless you’re spinning that “experience in government” means, in which case I watched a LOT of The West Wing so I think I’ve met the “Commander-in-Chief” test too.
The fact remains that she has spent more time in the White House than Obama has
Norman Hsu has “spent more time in the White House” than Obama if you include the nights in the Lincoln Bedroom. You voting for him?
Oliver!
Oh my! You just legitimized a right wing smear! Republicans could use this against her in the general election! Are you trying to destroy the Democratic Party?? Is there anything you won’t do to win? Is he just sabotaging her for another run in 2012? If he can’t win, nobody wins?
Tax returns, Whitewater, CLinton Library, CLENIS!
Got anything for us on Troopergate, Travel Office, drug running, and the Clinton Body Count? Paula Jones? MONICA!!!!
Meanwhile, in the reality-based world, “Commander In Chief” Obama To Appear With Military Brass
Balls of fire!
We’ve got Oliver playing the “definition of is” card and Pollak playing the Lincoln bedroom card.
When did you people suddenly turn Republican?
I dunno, August, is Norman Hsu running for President?
The statement was, “at least Obama has served in the Senate.” That was a direct contradiction of reality. I did not say Hillary has spent more time “in elected office.” There’s other ways of being “in government,” including being married to the guy who is in elected office. I’m sure you also count Obama’s community activist work as part of his experience; that also wasn’t elected office.
If you guys are going to haul out all the old GOP chestnuts, let me remind you that the Republican talking point back then was: “She has no business meddling in government policy–nobody elected her!”
There’s other ways of being “in government,” including being married to the guy who is in elected office.
Right. And Yoko Ono was one of the Beatles.
There’s other ways of being “in government,” including being married to the guy who is in elected office.
Lucky for us, this is not a monarchy.
August, you’re just being obtuse.
Being married to the President does not grant you the leadership skills of your spouse, nor does it necessarily net you your spouse’s experience. I see no evidence that Mrs. Clinton spent significant amounts of time in the President’s briefing sessions, that she was right there with him making decisions.
Here’s the important thing you need to remember about the First Lady’s position “in government.” If Bill had died in office, how many other government officials would have been in line to take his place before Mrs. Clinton?
Answer: Pretty much all of them.
Ollie, you just jumped the shark.
This site should now be added to the blogrolls for TNR, Ann Coulter, NewsMax, and Sean Hannity.
You are doing serious harm to Progressive chances in the Election.
I really recommend you should call David Brock, and have a serious sit-down, dude.
As to Hillary’s accomplishments as Senator, she has a curriculum and history Obama cannot equal, and you and he know it.
Basically Obama’s major effort in the Senate to date has been to run for President.., meantime,
CLINTON AS SENATOR
She set a RECORD for legislation introduced or co-sponsored by a Junior Senator.
Whether you like earmarks or not, in 2007 Clinton was second only to Sen. Levin in bringing home the bacon to her state.
Since becoming a senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton has worked to strengthen New York’s economy and homeland security, while supporting a return to fiscal responsibility.
She worked to bring economic relief to victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The senator introduced legislation to provide funding for threat-based homeland security to ensure adequate resources for first responders, and such high-target communities as New York City.
She serves on various senatorial committees, including the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; Environment and Public Works Committee; and the Special Committee on Aging.
In 2004, Senator Clinton was asked by the Department of Defense to serve as the only Senate member of the Transformation Advisory Group to the Joint Forces Command. She has visited troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, at Fort Drum in New York, home of her adopted 10th Mountain Division and other New York units, as well as at other NY bases and Walter Reed Military Hospital, to learn first hand the challenges facing American combat forces. She is an original sponsor of legislation that expanded health benefits to members of the National Guard and Reserves. She has been a HUGE force and Senate advocate for Veterans’ healthcare and other issues.
She is the first New Yorker and the first woman ever to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, working to see that America’s military has the necessary resources to protect our national security.
She chairs the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, which is responsible for communicating with the public about key issues before Congress.
In 2004, Clinton CO-FOUNDED and became the first co-Chair of the first Senate India Caucus.
She also has worked for prescription-drug safety for children, to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and to prevent contamination of the American food supply by bioterrorism.
Senator Clinton continues to work to increase access to health care. She authored legislation that has been enacted to improve recruitment and retention of nurses, to improve quality and lower the cost of prescription drugs, and to protect our food supply from bioterrorism.
She sponsored legislation to increase America’s commitment against Global AIDS, and is now leading the fight for expanded use of information technology in the health care system to decrease administrative costs and reduce medical errors.
To help businesses expand, Senator Clinton co-sponsored legislation enacted in 2004 to extend tax credits to communities that can help businesses in regions designated as Renewal Communities.
She has sponsored conferences and business development tours throughout the state, aimed at attracting new investment; introduced legislation to increase access to broadband technology in rural areas; and serves as Honorary Chair of the Advisory Committee for New Jobs for New York.
Hillary has spoken clearly about the importance of protecting our constitutional rights, respecting such landmark Supreme Court decisions as Roe v. Wade. Her commitment to supporting Roe and working to reduce the number of abortions, by reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies, was hailed by the New York Times as “frank talk…(and) a promising path.”
Hillary is one of the original cosponsors of the Prevention First Act to increase access to family planning.
Hillary is strongly committed to making sure that every American has the right to vote in fair, accessible, and credible elections -and that every vote must be counted.
She has introduced the Count Every Vote Act of 2005 to provide a verified paper ballot for every vote cast in electronic voting machines; set a uniform standard for provisional ballots, and require the Federal Election Assistance Commission to issue standards that ensure uniform access to voting machines and election personnel in every community.
Because the Republican Congress has been unwilling to deal with this issue, Hillary is working with advocacy groups and citizen volunteers to build the demand for action.
And, most important, she has taken everything the Republican smear machine has thrown at her for decades. She’s been accused of drug dealing, having an affair with and then murdering Vince Foster, having Lesbian affairs, having thick thighs and ankles, having a screech of a laugh, being “too divisive” “cold” “two-faced” “insincere” “cynically conniving” “hard” “unfeminine” “a pantsuit-wearer” “castrating” and it’s only made her stronger.
She was re-elected in New York with almost 70% of the vote in 2006, in spite of the fact that New Yorkers KNEW she was going to run for President.
She is the most qualified, most experienced, most effective Dem candidate.
I have no doubts about her ability to lead this country to a better future, to lead America to regain our respect and status in the world, and to lead an effective, focussed fight against Muslim radicalism and destructive, Corporatist, anti-American Conservative dogma.
I like and respect Obama, I supported Edwards, I love Bill Richardson, but as our next President, there’s only one clear choice for me: Hillary. And Bill.
You are a disappointment, Oliver.
Oh, come on! Danny DeVito is WAYY taller than Kim JOng Il.
I think Hillary supporters may be genuinely surprised about the degree of trepidation and outright animosity many of us harbored, in some cases for years, toward Hillary and Bill Clinton. I wrote her off, for example, after the health care debacle. What bothered me than and still bothers me today is the process that she used to try to move this policy forward. She chose to exclude the people and their elected representatives from the process. Hillary Clinton may be a Democrat but she is not a democrat.
Wellstone: “You are doing serious harm to Progressive chances in the Election.”
Wow. I didn’t realize Oliver’s little blog was that powerful. That he could do more harm with is “Hold on dere, partner, your claims don’t make sense” than, for example, Clinton does by making the claims in the first place or, oh, effectively endorsing McCain over Obama.
Wellstone, so you dismiss anything Obama has done in Congress with an offhand “all he’s done is run for President.”
At the same time include in your list of Hillary accomplishments such notable things as being the first woman on a particular committee and being a co-sponsor of the Prevention First Act. So the most notable thing about those two accomplishments being her lack of a penis and being one of 136 co-sponsors.
Has she done notable things? Sure. So has Obama. Let’s not dismiss all his and over play all hers.
BTW, any person who accuses you of doing harm to progressive chances and policies has taken leave of his or her senses. Hillary Clinton is a progressive in the sense that a Yugo was a car.
Wellstone: “You are doing serious harm to Progressive chances in the Election.”
Wow. I didn’t realize Oliver’s little blog was that powerful. That he could do more harm with is “Hold on dere, partner, your claims don’t make sense” than, for example, Clinton does by making the claims in the first place or, oh, effectively endorsing McCain over Obama.
I think its kind of telling that all the honest and true accomplishments you’ve cited for Sen. Clinton occured when she was a fucking senator and not from her tenure as First Lady, which is my whole point.
And yes, clearly something I write will reverberate through the halls of power and cause Democrats to lose.
Or something.
Sen. Clinton has made it clear she thinks that herself and John McCain are more qualified to be president. She cites her years in the White House as preparation for that job, in contrast to Obama. When she does that, I think she’s full of shit.
“You are doing serious harm to Progressive chances in the Election.”
Progressive chances? Oh, come on. Hillary is just a little left of Joe Leiberman and you think thats progressive? She’s a DC insider just like the rest. Perhaps more so given her “experience” as 1st Lady.
I think you underestimate the extent to which a First Lady has input and influence on national policy, if she wants to have it (and clearly Hillary did). Even Laura Bush has had her moments. Nancy Reagan gave us “just say no” which still reverberates today. It’s not all about directing armies and facing down Kim Jong Il.
I absolutely think experience as First Lady counts.
Ok, for those Hillary supporters out there, as an out-of-state Iowa college student, why should I support, much less vote for, someone who has said that I don’t deserve a vote?
liberalrob: “It’s not all about directing armies and facing down Kim Jong Il. I absolutely think experience as First Lady counts.”
I’d agree that any experience counts for something. But what Hillary is putting forth isn’t her experience as First Lady working on the health care plan (a domestic policy) or a “Just Say No”-type campaign. She’s saying this experience as First Lady specifically makes her qualified to be Commander in Chief. That being married to the CiC means she’s ready for the job.
Is she? Could be. But not for the reasons she’s putting forth.