BloggeRhythms

On a slow news day, came across an article @latimes.com by Joe Trippi. He’s the Democratic strategist and media consultant who ran Howard Dean's campaign for president and was a media advisor to Gov. Jerry Brown in 2010.

Mr. Trippi writes: “The pundits have it wrong. Unless or until Biden decides to run, Clinton doesn't face much of a challenge. And if Biden does run, Clinton is still going to be very tough to beat.”

While Mr. Trippi’s words denote confidence in his favorite presidential candidate, they’re remindful of someone mentioned here before in similar instances: Baghdad Bob, Sadam Hussein’s  Information Minister in Iraq.

Asked about America’s possible military action in Iraq, Bob said: “By God, I think this is rather very unlikely. This is merely a prattle. The fact is that as soon as they reach Baghdad gates, we will besiege them and slaughter them....Wherever they go they will find themselves encircled."

On another occasion he exclaimed: “There are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never!"

And soon after that, he was picked up bodily by two U.S. soldiers and carried off his own live TV stage while still loudly proclaiming that Saddam’s forces were winning the war.

So, I guess it’s all a matter of how one interprets the facts of any given situation. 

Which brings us to today’s update on Bill Clinton’s wife.

According to Theodore Schleifer @cnn.com, “Former President Bill Clinton blamed Republicans who hope to undercut his wife’s presidential chances and a voracious political news media uninterested in substance for the furor surrounding Hillary Rodham Clinton’s use of a private email account and server while she was secretary of state.

“I have never seen so much expended on so little,” Mr. Clinton said in a taped interview with Fareed Zakaria that is scheduled to be shown Sunday on CNN. The network released excerpts on Saturday afternoon. “

What’s most remarkable, however, is the approach the former president took, treating the gross mishandling of secure information regarding the nation’s State Department as if it was just a simple lapse of judgment.

Attempting to brush the issue off, Bill said: “She said she was sorry that her personal email caused all this confusion. And she’d like to give the election back to the American people. I think it will be all right. But it’s obvious what happened.”

Try as he may, though, voters apparently don’t agree with the former president as exhibited in a new Fox News poll showing: “Some 38 percent of voters view Clinton favorably, down from 45 percent in May.  The downward shift comes from the fact that half of women now rate her negatively.  Positive views among Democrats are also down since May (-11 points.)

“Overall, a record high 56 percent of voters now have an unfavorable opinion of Clinton.” 

 

While none of the people tested -- not the president, not the vice president and not the 2016 contenders -- garner positive ratings from at least 50 percent of the electorate, Vice President Joe Biden comes closest.  His favorability stands at 49 percent, up from 43 percent in March.

What’s also interesting is that the defense presented on his wife’s conduct in office came from a former president who was impeached for lying under oath to Congress. Which is like believing Obama’s promise that under his health care tax, you could your doctor if you wanted.

It also raises the daily question: Joe Biden, Mayor Bloomberg, and Starbuck’s chairman and CEO, Howard Schultz, are you reading this? 

That’s it for today folks.

Adios