A Window

What candidates believe about the economy, the military, social values, health care, energy policy, education - and on and on and on and on - is of course critical.  Nevertheless, something else is integral to selecting a candidate to represent our nation.  That something is the character of an individual.

We have been given a window into the character of at least one candidate.  It is not pretty.

Mrs. Clinton's willingness to ignore the truth for short-term political advantage is exactly what breeds the partisanship that's paralyzed Washington for too many years, and the cynicism felt by so many Americans, especially the young. Getting ahead by any means possible is the strategy. Once elected, the candidate falsely believes that he or she will be able to set things right and govern differently. All that was said in the campaign is rationalized -- it will be forgiven and forgotten as part of the hyperbole of the election process.

Sadly, it just isn't so. No one forgets and no one forgives in Washington. (Ask John Kerry if he has gotten over the Swift boat smear campaign.) How you get elected defines who you will be once in power. Mrs. Clinton has shown us with this one simple, baseless accusation why it will be hard for her candidacy to represent a change. She appears too comfortable with the politics of personal destruction if she can gain a political advantage.

Comments

[Greg]

While I am not a pro-Hillary Clinton (though I loved Bill when he was in office), I need to ask you this question. Where was your outrage when the Swift Boat Veterans came out? Did you think that was unfair, and did you have the same feelings for Bush and Rove that you do for Hillary? How about the smear job they did on McCain? Again was there condemnation, or just silence?

Again I am not a Hillary supporter because as I have always said, she is too much like a Republican. This sort of politics that she used, and will be using is straight out of the Karl Rove / Lee Atwater play-book. The only difference is that when she uses it, it is suddenly wrong. While we agree this is not a fair practice, it might of been more reliable if you had these objections when they were used by the George W. Bush campaign, but I do not recall any objections then. I believe the majority of push polls and negative ads have been seen on the Republican side, yet I am waiting for your condemning of those Republicans using them, not just the Democrats. What if you commented this on all candidates and not just Democrats.

PS- I find it no surprise that a Murdoch run paper would come out against Hillary since their boy Rudy was a total flame out.

[Peg]

I had no problem with the Swift Boat Vets. From what I could determine, most of what they had to say was either accurate or opinion. (Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.)

I condemn lies and innuendo wherever they occur. Sometimes, however, it is difficult to know if a candidate actually is behind such a campaign, however, or if it is misguided supporters.

When something comes out of the mouth of a candidate (or their spouse) - then one can make no mistake.

I will say that I condemn at least some of what McCain has said about Romney. His comments about Romney and a pull out from Iraq seem to be falsehood and twisting. Not good.

Ultimately, however, we will have to select from a field of flawed candidates. No matter what, though - Hillary's flaws are far too substantial for me.