Last week, it was Hillary Clinton's campaign spokesman acknowledging that she "didn't really think it through" when she chose to use her personal email account for State Department business rather than a secure government account, thereby admitting that she isn't fit to be president.
This week, Clinton herself conceded she doesn't have the judgment to be president.
While campaigning in Iowa Wednesday, Clinton showed that she finally understands what nearly everyone else has long known, confessing that her use of personal email "clearly wasn't the best choice."
"I should've used two emails: one personal, one for work," she said.
Yes, one for yakking with friends about yoga routines, another for the classified material that was on her personal email and private server. Most anyone who isn't a Clinton (or a top Clinton aide or Democratic operatives at the IRS and the EPA) would do just that.
As we noted last week, America doesn't need a commander in chief who doesn't "really think it through" when making decisions that can affect national security.
Presidents have and will make bad choices on big issues, but the country needs someone who can at least make "the best choice" in small decisions. How will a candidate who is unable to select what's clearly the right option when there's no pressure fare when faced with the monumental decisions that a president has to make on a frequent basis?
And that is precisely it. When the FBI investigates something as a potential criminal matter, it's not just screwing around. You can't call it a partisan witch hunt, either. If nothing arises from said investigation, then you can certainly trumpet that. But this drip, drip, drip of gradually taking responsibility for a serious mistake in judgement is part of the Clinton modus operandi. Fear not, Clintonites; it's still not enough to damage her long-term prospects.
Ever the evasive politician, Clinton told the Iowa crowd that she takes "responsibility for that decision," but just what does that mean? Exactly nothing.
There will be no consequences. She will not censure herself in any way or pay for her mistake.
But she knows that phrase plays well politically, that it makes her sound as if she's holding herself to account.
Clinton also applied slippery spin when she said she's looking forward to October when she testifies before Congress about her personal email account and private server. She's "confident," she said, "the process" will exonerate her.
In private, she's probably not so confident. She knows what she did. The president and vice president also probably know, too. Maybe that's why Joe Biden is preparing to run and the president has given him his blessing.
Joe Biden probably isn't running, as it turns out.
Vice President Joe Biden revealed to members of the Democratic National Committee Wednesday that he is assessing whether he has "the emotional fuel" to run for the White House.
"We're dealing at home with ... whether or not there is the emotional fuel at this time to run," Biden told DNC members on a conference call that was billed as an opportunity to hear from the vice president on the Iran nuclear deal. "If I were to announce to run, I have to be able to commit to all of you that I would be able to give it my whole heart and my whole soul, and right now, both are pretty well banged up."
If he did, polling shows he'd be a stronger nominee than Clinton. She's damaged goods, but thanks to Donald Trump, she's still on pace to be the 45th president of the United States. And that will be nothing to celebrate.
3 comments:
People are always talking about how Donald Trump could be a spoiler as a third party candidate in the presidential race.
Could Joe Biden do the same in the Democratic primary? Splitting the Democratic establishment vote and ushering in a victory for Bernie Sanders?
Josh:
That was my first thought a few weeks ago when the Biden rumors started to heat up, but this polling from early August suggests he pulls as much from Sanders as he does Clinton. In other words he solidifies the anti-Clinton sentiment.
It seems counter-intuitive to me that Sanders supporters would move toward Biden, but I can't quarrel with Nate Silver's crew.
I halfway agree with Silver, if not 100 percent. That said, per the main focus of this piece, spot on. Hillary's worn the pants in the Clinton family for 30 years and this is indeed her MO. Well put.
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