The American Spectator

Reader Mail

You Never Can Tell

3.10.03 @ 12:01AM

CELEBRITY COVER
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.'s Hillary's Running and Reader Mail's Madam President:

Another sober dissent:

I must disagree with those who say Hillary has no chance of winning should she run against George W. Bush. Certainly none of us who place any value on the integrity of the office would want to see such a thing (though, in fairness, her husband did a good job of dispensing with that). It would without a doubt dissipate whatever respect we have left globally. And, of course, the idea that someone with Ms. Clinton's past infelicities (of which we are all well aware) could have even become senator is disgraceful enough. True, we will never know what might have happened if Rudy Giuliani had remained in the running -- I suspect something quite different, but we can't be sure. But does Our Imperial Hillary have a chance against GWB? The answer, I think, is sadly yes. Here is why:

As smarter people than me have already pointed out, Mrs. Clinton's popularity stems not from anything she personally has done (or not done -- and there's a lot on both counts) but on her celebrity. In our celebrity-obsessed culture, Hillary is no different than a Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, or any other Hollywood motormouth, except that she has a vote in the Senate to go along with her leftism. To say standards for her are not high is an exaggeration. Britney Spears is held to higher scrutiny than she.

Which leads me to H.L. Mencken's famous crack about underestimating the stupidity of the American people. While not accusing Americans of stupidity, they do seem prone to suggestibility. I'm thinking back to MTV's "Rock the Vote" campaign which certainly helped elect the first Clinton. Doubtless Mrs. Clinton will have even more star power behind her. The press seems interested only in fawning over her. As for "cocooned sycophants," they can be remarkably effective. How else do we explain the Kennedys?

Mrs. Clinton is neither stupid nor inarticulate, with a few ill-timed exceptions. If GWB finds himself apologizing for anything, going on the defensive, or just plain bumbling -- no, I do not think it inconceivable that Mrs. Clinton would have a chance. I recall someone writing of her New York candidacy that "the votes weren't there." Well, they were there. And they're out there.

Should the international concerns melt into new "It's the economy, stupid" whines, a second President Clinton may well be on the way. I doubt this will happen -- at least not while the American public believes their safety is at risk. As for betting--I'd be curious to see a Hillary-Rudy rematch in 2008. Check your Pay-per-View listings!
-- Mitt Stampler
North Philadelphia, PA

It is all well and good to have the opinion that Hillary will enter the race for the role of president, but quite frankly, to me, this is the stuff that nightmares are made of, another President Clinton! She changes her mind about issues as often as she changes her socks, for heaven's sake. There is no grounded thinking, she is made of marshmallows. Did you ever try to get rid of a toasted marshmallow that is stuck on your finger? You cannot pick it off, it just sticks to your other finger, you can't shake it off as it will even stick to a wall if that is where it lands. You have to eat it and eating a Hillary toasted marshmallow will give a person a stomach ache. Big Time.

Besides, what about Bill? Is he going to be around more? More! He is a constant nuisance now, and I read where he will be making a million for talking for CBS. I could cry, he is the last guest at the party who will not go home. Will he be the First Man? Will she dump him to be seen as a strong woman at last, who has enough self-respect to not accept the woman in his life? She needs to wait until '08 so she can do something to rid herself of what would be a negative in her campaign. Of course, if there is anyway she can use him for the good of her campaign, she will.

Did no one learn about her? Did they think it was all Bill? She can scheme with the best of them, and maybe it is time we learned that for certain. Remember, as long as she is quiet, she is fine, but when she starts talking, she blows it as she is now with her constantly changing views on the war.

Will the liberals ever learn that the Clintons have and will continue to bring them down? They badly need to find someone with depth and integrity to rid the party of the stain that was left when they were in office.
-- Carole Graham

HIS 60 MINUTES ARE UP
Re: The Washington Prowler's Clinton on the Dole:

The choice of Clinton is the one that is odd. Everything he says will be a lie, self-promoting, revenue producing, or a propaganda message for his wife. Nothing he says will explore/examine in an objective manner. I trust that accurate, i.e., not doctored (this is CBS, you know), transcripts of his comments will be available. His lies, when annotated, will become yet another stain on his legacy.
-- unsigned

"'Dole isn't a patsy; he was a good choice to go up against Clinton,' says a CBS news producer. 'Limbaugh? Gingrich? This is a former president we're talking about.'"

Well, Newt is a former Speaker of the House and that ain't chopped liver; and second, that's impeached former president to you, CBS.
-- Tom Halleck

Letter to the Editor

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