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I’m blaming Bill (published in the Tampa Tribune 8/26)

In the over-hyped week before Obama announced his VP choice, I shocked myself by realizing I was harboring a secret hope that he’d choose Hillary Clinton.

Why this sudden convoluted craving for a Clinton?  I didn’t vote for her in the primaries; Obama’s been my choice all along. So, why this rush of hope for Hillary now?

It’s simple.

Because she would have been an outstanding Vice President.  Because together, she and Obama would have clinched the White House.

And, because, yes, like millions of other women of all ages, I’d have liked to have seen Hillary’s formidable – and female — mojo at work in the White House.

But I also knew why Obama couldn’t, wouldn’t, pick Hillary – and it’s for the same reasons I didn’t vote for her:

Hillary comes as a package deal with Bill.  And Bill’s a deal-breaker.

From the moment Bill Clinton dilly-dallied with Monica Lewinsky in the shadows of the Oval Office, he jeopardized any future political ambitions Hillary might have had for herself.

Not because he cheated – that’s so commonplace these days it hardly bears mentioning.  But because he so carelessly debased the dignity of the American presidency with his non-sex sex acts, and then hid behind semantics to deny what he’d done.  A lot of us haven’t forgotten his finger-jabbing wordplay and the contempt for the American public it revealed.

More recently, Bill’s verbal missteps and temper tantrums sent backfiring torpedoes through the already turbulent waters of his wife’s bid for the Democratic nomination.  Bill revealed himself to be as petty in political conversation as he’d been pedestrian in his choice of paramours. Worse, he seemed utterly incapable of stepping into the shade so his wife could have her day in the sun.

If Bill was unable to contain his lust for the limelight while his wife made her own bid for presidential history, would there have been any end to the scene-stealing he’d have tried for if he’d been forced to stump — as a lowly VP spouse — for Barack Obama?

And if an Obama/Clinton ticket had won?  Relegated to the fringes of the seat of power, how long do you think it would have taken before his voracious ego started doing headstands and cartwheels to get noticed?

A notorious ladies man (and I use that term loosely) as First, um, Gentleman (and I use that term even more loosely) — where do you think he’d have looked to get his much-needed fix of ego-stroking?  Even if Bill didn’t take the bait, it would have been a constant circus for the air and ether-waves.  At every photo-op, every lingering smile, every hand clasped meaningfully … what the blogs didn’t chatter to death, the late-night comics would have skewered.

More than anything right now, our country desperately needs a president and an administration that can be trusted.  A president and vice-president who, along with their spouses, can be seen as believable symbols of a newly invigorated, newly united American nation – a nation of integrity.

But with the ball and chain of hubby Bill, there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in Florida of Hillary’s making the cut.

Having Hillary on the ticket with Obama would have satisfied my short-term craving for girl-power in this presidential campaign, but would have short-circuited my long-term longing for a return to dignity in the White House.  For a few days, though, I was holding my breath.

And now, while I’m not wild about Joe Biden, I believe Obama made the right call in not selecting Hillary to be his running mate.

Still, it’s a sad situation that a woman as hard-working, well-liked, and as whip-smart as Hillary Rodham Clinton has been relegated to the sidelines of this historic election — at a crucial time when her country needs and deserves her the most.

And you can blame Bill for that.

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Posted on August 25th, 2008Comments RSS Feed
8 Responses to I’m blaming Bill (published in the Tampa Tribune 8/26)
  1. I am so glad you are doing this Mary Catherine….oooppps MC…..You know I am soo objective but Obama made a huge mistake in not selcting HC.He will lose now and his disrespect for HC will doom him.I do blame Bill too as he really lost the nom for his wife..
    Enough on that I wish you well and hope you are enjoying life.I hope you forgot about the Kit Kat man and have moved on:-)hahahhaahContinued success and have fun,StevePS Joe Biden is a loser while his wife is a champion..I am a NJ boy and really Joe is a lightweight!PSS Blame Bill is right and Johnny Boy will win no doubt about it!

  2. Hey MC,

    Great to see you’re keeping busy. You were “balls on” correct regarding Hillary’s situation and I enjoyed your column.

    I’m not so sure that in your spare time you ever looked into your candidate’s stance on “The Fairness Doctrine”. As I stated before his stance flies in the face of what I beleive is your sincere desire for a free and open press. Please take a minute to read up on it.

    I’ve also listed a couple (well maybe more than a couple)other concerns I have regarding Obama if you need any ideas for future blogs.

    -He voted for partial birth abortion.
    -He voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions.
    -He supports affirmative action in Colleges and Government(quotas).
    -Says he will deal with street level drug dealing as minimum wage affair.
    -He is willing to meet with Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Kim Jung Il and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but not FOX News.
    -Has said that one of his first goals after being elected would be to have a conference with all Muslim nations. Why?
    -Opposed the Patriot Act.
    -First bill he signed that was ever passed was campaign finance reform.
    -Voted to allow law suits against gun manufacturers.
    -Supports universal health-care.
    -Voted yes on providing habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees.
    -Supports granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
    -Supports extending welfare to illegal immigrants.
    -Voted yes on comprehensive immigration reform.
    -Voted yes on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security.
    -Wants to make the minimum wage a ‘living wage’.
    -Voted with Democratic Party 96 percent of 251 votes. (241 votes Demo, 10 votes Republican)
    -Is a big believer in the separation of church and state.
    -Opposed to any efforts to Privatize Social Security and instead supports increasing the amount of tax paid into Social Security. Tax Increase.
    -He voted No on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax which now hits middle income brackets. Tax Increase.
    -He voted No on repealing the ‘Death’ Tax. Tax Increase.
    -He wants to raise the Capital Gains Tax. Tax Increase.
    -Has repeatedly said the surge in Iraq has not succeeded…which is not true.
    -He is ranked as the most liberal Senator in the Senate today and that takes some doing.

    Other than that he seems like a decent guy.

  3. MC: Welcome to a new medium. You’ll soon be thrilled with its possibilities. Let your heart go light. If you feed it, it will grow.

    A daily watering will keep your seedling thriving. I count on your seedling to flourish, attract attention and expand to a great shade under which many can gather to share. Sarasota needs your wit, insight and wisdom. s/StanZ

  4. Very well said. I totally agree.

  5. Being held hostage in a Blue State
    August 27, 2008 at 5:37 am

    Interesting how you (MC2) and all your liberal readers just a short time ago thought good ole Billy Boy walked on water. During all the accusations and Monica-gate it didn’t matter, it didn’t hamper his running the country and the economy was good. All those Republican complaints involvings Whitewater, travelgate, etc… were originated by a vast right wing conspiracy.

    You all chose today to wake up and smell the coffee. Today he’s yesterday’s hero, and a problem today’s problem. Hillary is now the wronged party mainly because of her gender, now there’s a good reason to vote.

    Democrats will eat their young to advance their cause……that cause being Obama. He had to bring in Joe Biden to attack McCain there’s a stand up guy for ya! Afraid to do his own wet work.

    Here are some thoughts for you all to ponder; it starts with party loyalty, fire only when fired upon, in times of war you don’t stop to clean your rifle and lastly…….

    Vote McCain

  6. You were right on wigh your “I Blame Bill” column. Glad you have started your blog and plan to check in often. Greatly miss your column in the paper.
    One thing we all need to consider in this upcoming election is that we are Americans first, no hyphens, and need to vote to bring the country back on an even keel. The past eight years have been a disaster on so many fronts that I could take up a whole page just lising them. What we need now is a viable health care plan, a solid well thought approach to economic stability, a sound plan to relieve our dependance of foreign oil, and a plan to restore the leadership of the US in world affairs and markets. The Democrats offer such plans, albiet with costs, but the Republicans have had eight years with wartime costs alone at $10B per month, all off budget, and have mortgaged our grandchildren with budget deficeits. This from a party based on fiscal conservatis! As a lifelong Republican I will not be voting for them this November because they don’t represent the values that will keep this country great! Yes, we do need change! Vote Obama and Biden!

  7. Yes M.C.,

    Good psychological profile of #42. He is the most overrated politician of our time. Yes, he gives a great speech, shakes a great hand, and is a great triangulator. But look at the rest of the story.

    He took office with huge Democratic majorities, and left office with a radical band of Republicans in charge of both houses. And the 2008 election wasn’t the first election in which he was an interloper. Al Gore suffered gas pains the entire year of 2000 as this rogue elephant physically, verbally, and psychologically was unable to take a bow, and cede the stage.

    Bush never made a compelling case to turn the reins over to him in 2000. The best thing he had going for him was the country’s case of ‘Clintonitis’. And as you point out, in 2008 we relapsed.

    Perhaps Bill would have preferred the Russian model. There, a former president(Putin)is able to openly dominate the sitting President. Last week Clinton criticized a new President of his own party for not being optimistic enough about the economy. That breaks a long-standing tradition of former presidents not criticizing their successors, regardless of party affiliation.

    Watch out folks. The former president is off his meds and out of therapy. A sordid drama of Clinton and Obama could be ahead.

  8. Hey, Bill, thanks for reading the blog and for commenting! Nice “running” into you at the Arts Festival!

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