November 30, 2007
Discuss Friday's local commentary and letters
Why people hate Hillary
Megan Beyer
Beyer, who lives in Alexandria, is a journalist and commentator on the PBS women's political talk show "To the Contrary." Her husband, Don Beyer, served as Virginia's lieutenant governor from 1990 through 1998 and was the Democratic nominee for governor in 1997.
I look like Hillary Clinton. I used to deny it. But in 1993 when my then 18-month-old baby saw her on television, crawled to the screen and started kissing it saying, "Mommy!" I had to admit, there was something there. For 15 years, valet parkers have greeted me with "Hillary!" Check-out ladies say, " I know you have been told this before. ... " and men in elevators pose it as a possible insult followed by a sheepish, "but you are much nicer."
Read more.
Pre-K is an excellent investment
Dan B. Fleming
Fleming, professor emeritus of education at Virginia Tech, lives in Blacksburg.
A major issue in the upcoming session of the Virginia General Assembly is whether to expand prekindergarten education for an additional 17,000 at-risk 4-year-old children. There is considerable research showing such education will help students achieve better in later years.
Read more.
Friday's letters can be read here.
Comments
[November 30, 2007 9:56 AM]
HenryMaybe it is the failed health care takeover or the Travel Office scandal or the stolen FBI files. Hillary has become the symbol for stolen power for the country. A senator from a state where she had never been a resident. A woman running on her husband's record. A candidate from whom the media alternately worships and trembles at her feet. A politician who makes entire networks cower with a single unapproving glance, daring them to mention the elephant in the living room. That Hillary?
Her husband was impeached for perjury and not one reporter will dare ask her about it. No reporter will dare to ask her about her husband having an ongoing illicit affair with a young White House intern right under her own nose. Or about her accusation that a vast Right Wing conspiracy was behind the allegations about the affair. Or about the Rose Law Firm billing records that she denied possessing but were found in her personal office on a table. She's like the figurehead of a vast political empire that must be protected from any inquiry because she does not resemble the powerful person that is seen on the throne. No wonder people call her "Queen Hillary". The subjects answer to the Queen, the Queen doesn't answer to the subjects.
Can you imagine in your wildest dreams, Pat Nixon running for President and not one reporter daring to ask her about her Watergate?
[November 30, 2007 6:05 PM]
JoshHenry has it covered perfectly. No one is allowed to ask Hillary tough questions, even on policy.
We're tired of her multiple positions on the war and illegal immigration; we're tired of her dishonesty and evasiveness. After eight years of President Bush telling it straight and doing exactly as he promised, Americans don't want to go back to have to parse every single thing they hear.
Yet Ms. Beyer boils it down to the predictable "conservatives are afraid of strong assertive women."
Wrong, honey.
We loved Maggie Thatcher who was just that. A lot of us think Condi Rice would make a great president. So we're fine with women being leaders; just not dishonest unqualified women.
And if Ms. Beyer thinks Americans are nostalgic for Hillary's philandering inattentive perjuring lazy incompetent impeached husband, she's clearly out of touch with reality.
[December 1, 2007 7:54 AM]
HenryWhen Bill was low in the polls during the 1992 primary, the media was really tough on him. When he became the man to beat, the media started cheering for him. After the election, Sam Donaldson left the White House reporters pool because he knew he wasn't going to be able to go after this president. That's what bothers me the most. There was no accountability and it showed many years later. The issue that lmost sunk Clarence Thomas became "no big deal" when it came to Clinton. It became a huge problem after the Murrow bombing when Clinton tried to shut down his biggest critics; talk radio.
The same thing is going to happen with Hillary. Hillary will not allow criticism. Opposition to her policies will result in the media's cries of "mean-spirited" and "Obstructionism" which is what we heard during Bill's term. We don't hear it today of course. If the media will not treat Hillary like other candidates, this will be less of an election and more of a coronation.
[December 1, 2007 8:28 AM]
BUDHenry,
20 years ago, your concern of Hillary's coronation would be right on the mark. Thankfully, with the MSM being trounced and led by talk radio and the 'net, Hillary will and IS being exposed (a piece at a time)as an empty pant suit. In 2 months we're going to see Hillary with no "mojo", Barack with no experience and Edwards still looking for a message... and the BATMAN signal flashed for the NOBEL prize winner!! But it will be too late.
[December 1, 2007 10:00 AM]
Ed S.Hillary Clinton reminds me so much of Fairfax County BoS At-Large Gerry Connolly. Smug. Self-righteous. Socialist.
Almost as frustrating as Hillary, however, are those that will blindly follow her, whether they're listening to her message or not. The people that will vote for her simply for her husband's name, or worse yet, simply because she is female, disgust me.
I laugh when the media poses the question "Is the US ready for a woman president." It's just another example of how the media has gone from reporting real news, to fill-in material between commercials where substance is replaced by time-killing hot air. Hilarious how that story can be followed by one deploring racism or sexism. Wonderfully ironic.
[December 1, 2007 11:15 AM]
HenryMy favorite is the people who attacking Bush for "lying" as if that is some kind of immoral bnehavior. Hello!! Hillary used the excuse "I do not recall" over 88 times in her testimony on Whitewater. Yeah right.
Bob Kerrey, a Democrat, described Bill Clinton as a "very good liar". I wonder if Hillary will receive the compliment.
Considering the effectiveness of the Clinton scandal machine, Hillary could probably be involved in dog fighting and we would never be told about it. But we sure get to hear about Obama being a Muslim (sic)