2008 A Hit on Obama’s Experience
posted by November 20 at 12:30 PM
onThe Clinton campaign is calling reporters’ attention to this line (bolded below) in a speech that Clinton delivered today:
I have traveled the world on behalf of our country - first in the White House with my husband and now as a Senator. I’ve met with countless world leaders and know many of them personally. I went to Beijing in 1995 and stood up to the Chinese government on human rights and women’s rights. I have fought for our men and women in uniform to make sure they have the equipment they need in battle and are treated with dignity when they return home.I believe I have the right kind of experience to be the next President. With a war and a tough economy, we need a President ready on Day One to bring our troops home from Iraq and to handle all of our other tough challenges.
Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next President will face. I think we need a President with more experience than that. Someone the rest of the world knows, looks up to, and has confidence in. I don’t think this is the time for on the job training on our economy or on foreign policy.
I offer my credentials, my experience, and qualifications which I think uniquely equip me to be prepared to hit the ground running on Day One. And I offer the experience of being battle tested in the political wars here at home. For 15 years, I have been the object of the Republican attack machine and I’m still here.
I predict it won’t be long before Obama hits back at this. As we’ve been seeing on many issues in the last week, the Democratic campaigns are going overboard to hit back hard at every charge, lest their candidate be tagged as this year’s John Kerry.
Comments
I think this attack would have resonated better about 35 years ago -- when Obama actually was 10 years old. Then again, this attack wouldn't have been necessary 35 years ago because he wouldn't have been eligible to run for president anyway.
What's remarkable to me is the restraint Obama and David Axelrod are demonstrating to not snap back with a paraphrase like this: Now voters will judge whether living in the White House as First Lady prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next President will face.
For 15 years, I have been the object of the Republican attack machine and I’m still here.
YFTM the progressive Democratic attack machine too.
Because that's the entire sum of Obama's resume and qualifications, of course.
Weak.
it's amazing how condescending the release is with the ordered words, "big, complex". as if talking to ten year old. that is powerful language.
Oh how I wish Jed Bartlett weren't just a fictional character, but an actual presidential option...
"As we’ve been seeing on many issues in the last week, the Democratic campaigns are going overboard to hit back hard at every charge, lest their candidate be tagged as this year’s John Kerry." --Wasn't John Kerry's problem that he didn't hit back at the Republicans, at the Swift Boat Vets, at media distortions, etc.? Not other Democratic candidates.
Until I see it, I won't believe the Democrats can hit anyone except each other.
Why oh why do they hate President Obama so?
I blame Traitor Novak and his boss, Karl Marx Rove.
TSM @3
She's responding to this:
Phelix, don't muddy the waters with facts. Don't you know that the Slog exists as a venue for Hillary-haters to sound off in a reality-free echo chamber, until they start believing things like "anyone but Hillary" and "if Hillary's the nominee, I'm not going to vote"?
Phelix @8, please provide a published source for this quote.
@10.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-clinton20nov20,0,2834295.story
Thanks for posting that link for me, Jewritto. :)
And I'll try to keep my facts quiet in the future Big Sven, wouldn't want to disturb the reality-free zone. ;)
I was fearful of this being another Al Gore "I invented the Internet" episode. 'Cause Gore never actually said that. So yes, Obama did say that about his experience in foreign relations. And yes, it sounds pretty embarrassing by itself. But let's give the full context from that LA Times article:
Right now, I'm not entirely sold on Obama. I am much more sold on him than on Hillary, though. And considering that I'm not your typical American voter, any presidential candidate that I was unequivocally enthusiastic about would stand no chance whatsoever of getting elected.
No Nig-Nogs for me!
is she paying you guys?
I wish, $log.
No, amazing as it sounds, a few of the 44% of Democrats who support Hillary actually read and/or post to the Slog.
I don't think he's touting that as his sole credential. But it's a credential that is uniquely his, and I do think that living abroad - especially someplace as unlike here as Indonesia, and with an Indonesian stepdad - gives you a perspective you can't get otherwise. I lived in Belize when I was 9, for just a few months, and saw all kinds of stuff that made a huge, lasting impression on me. Obama describes the impression made on him by his Indonesia years in his autobiography, Dreams From My Father.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreams_from_My_Father
@13 - thanks for putting the quote in context. It's hard to separate the legitimate criticisms of Obama from the more general arselicking of Hillary around here in recent times.
tsm@13- Riiiiiiiiiiiight. Because this place is a vicious den of Clintonites. Oh that it were true.
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