Iowa Caucus and NH Primary Thread

[The Leaper]

I don't know. Clinton decided to reinvent government and though asking agencies to reinvent themselves to be more efficient might not have been the best strategy if you wanna trim off excess employees, but somehow he seemed to get a lot done.

I don't think that was Clinton MJ.

Remember a guy called Newt Gingrich and the Contract with America? Two years into Clinton's presidency, the American people had enough of Hillary trying to stuff a socialist health care system down their throats and handed Congress over to the GOP for the first time in some 50 years.

A large reason for the success of America under Clinton was due to the leadership of that Republican Congress. It is to Clinton's credit that he worked with that Congress and got some great things accomplished, but you are short sighted if you think Bill Clinton was the primary force behind the balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility in the mid to late 90s. The American people spoke and Washington got something done.

I'm a strong supporter of strict term limits in Congress...precisely because of how well the country does whenever we clean house in Washington and get some new blood in there, regardless of party. People sitting in Washington for 15+ years lose touch with the people who first put them into office.

Washington should be there to serve us...not the other way around.

[The Leaper]

Watching the news last night and today, I thought all the news pundits got the "cry" all wrong. They were acting like it was the beginning of the end of her campaign. I thought it was a good moment for her because for once she didn't look like a robot. I'm not for her in this campaign, but she showed a lot of toughness. If you like following politics, this was pretty damn interesting.

I think the pundits completely missed the point last night though.

I think the larger issue that brought voters to Hillary and McCain last night was the little Iranian Yacht Club exercise that happened to occur next to a couple of our ships in the Persian Gulf theater. Those voters who made a last minute decision did so with that Iranian stunt fresh in their minds.

It was a reminder that the world we live in isn't just about us and our desires anymore...and that handing the presidency over to someone like Obama or Huckabee, neither of which have any foreign relations experience to speak of, might be a little dicey.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I think the larger issue that brought voters to Hillary and McCain last night was the little Iranian Yacht Club exercise that happened to occur next to a couple of our ships in the Persian Gulf theater. Those voters who made a last minute decision did so with that Iranian stunt fresh in their minds.

[SkinBasket]

I thought all the news pundits got the "cry" all wrong. They were acting like it was the beginning of the end of her campaign. I thought it was a good moment for her because for once she didn't look like a robot.

"The cry" comes down to what you believe about her. Those who feel she's a robot take note of the fact her campaign wanted her to show more emotion. She beeps a couple times, and BINGO, next day she's tearing up... Beep Beep.

Those who think she's somehow a real person see the cry as "a good moment" showing America that she has emotions and feelings and is running for the Presidency because she cares about it, not just because she's a power hungry robot that happens to wear a skirt instead of a suit.

[Joemailman]

I think the larger issue that brought voters to Hillary and McCain last night was the little Iranian Yacht Club exercise that happened to occur next to a couple of our ships in the Persian Gulf theater. Those voters who made a last minute decision did so with that Iranian stunt fresh in their minds.

Me thinks a bit of over-analysis by the Leaper.

[The Leaper]

Me thinks a bit of over-analysis by the Leaper.

So crying won it then?

[Harlan Huckleby]

not just the crying moment, it was a combination of occasions where she exposed herself, and women in particular identified with her. For instance, the moment in the debate where she got angry and defensive over John Edward's attack.

[Joemailman]

I think there were probably a lot of factors. In addition to what Harlan said, the sense by a lot of women that the media were treating her unfairly, the Clinton campaign's ability to get the vote out, the fact that most people who were undecided until late went for Clinton, the possibility that a lot of independents who were expected to vote for Obama switched over and voted for McCain, and the possibility that a lot of those independent-minded New Hampshireites said to hell with the polls and voted for the underdog.