Today in the New York Times we get the best analysis of Clinton on
Iraq, as well as why the other ’08ers are having so much trouble making her
2002 vote an issue. It’s a must read.
… Beyond that, Mrs. Clinton’s advisers suggested that she executed
the shift with minimal political cost because there was no one moment in which
she dramatically telegraphed a turn-around. From that perspective, they argued,
her decision to resist calls from war opponents to apologize for her vote
authorizing the war proved to be the right one, since it could have offered
a critics an opportunity to label her as inconsistent — a line of attack
that hurt Senator John Kerry in his 2004 presidential campaign and one that
could have complicated Mrs. Clinton’s efforts to convince the nation
that it can trust her to be commander in chief.An adviser to one of Mrs. Clinton’s opponents, who did not want to
be quoted by name offering praise for the way she was handling the issue,
described the senator’s change as “more of a slide than a flip-flop.”
…
As I’ve said over and over again, but will reiterate because of so many new
eyes around here right now, I have no dog in the primary fight. But as I’ve
also written, Take Back American 2006 was a tipping point for Clinton. Also, whether you
like her or not, her refusal to apologize, but instead say vote for someone
else if an apology is what you need, sent the message required. Make a choice, Clinton
has too, though that has not quieted people from believing her rhetoric doesn’t match up with her foreign policy philosophy on Iraq.
“I don’t know if policy and rhetoric are aligned,” Mr. Moulitsas said. “But people don’t see the policy paper on our side; they hear what she says, and she talks a great game.”
Aides to Mrs. Clinton’s rivals argued she would still have a problem in the early voting states — Iowa and New Hampshire — where antiwar sentiments are high and Democrats are aware of her evolution on the issue.
I’ll be at a panel, then the presidential forum, so I’ll report back later
on all the happenings. No doubt Iraq will be discussed.
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