January 8, 2008
Hillary's problem in a nutshell
The question of why Hillary Clinton's candidacy is in freefall at the moment was answered at a forum featuring her husband Bill at Dartmouth College:
About thirty minutes into Bill Clinton's nearly two-hour stop here at Dartmouth College, a steady stream of students started walking out of the venue.Change is a powerful theme in politics. And after 20 years of Clintons and Bushes, the American people are plain fed up.
Moments later, Clinton -- his voice hoarse, sometimes cracking -- took arguably the toughest question of the night, courtesy of a tall, blond 19-year old freshman wearing a bright red sweater. "My main concern is, if Hillary were elected, it would create a dynastification of American politics. Bush, Clinton, Bush. What do you think?" asked Sebastian Ramirez, standing less than a hundred feet from the former president.
Clinton responded, to rolling laughter across the room, "I'm not responsible for the 12 years that the American people gave to the Bushes." He continued: "I actually tried to talk Hillary into leaving me when we were in law school, that's the God's truth. I told her, 'You have more talent for public service than anybody in my generation that I have met... I shouldn't stand in your way.' She looked at me and said, 'Oh, Bill, I'll never run for office.'"
That got a few cheers from the crowd of about 600, most of them students, with their backpacks and books in tow. But many of the students in the room, judging from more than two dozen interviews, are supporters of Sen. Barack Obama. They plan to vote for him tomorrow night.
"I am not anti-Hillary, I am not anti-Clinton, I love Bill Clinton. But I just think we need a fresh start, a new face," Ramirez told The Trail. "All my life I've known the Clintons. As much as I like them, it's time for someone like Barack."
The same way people tired of the Kennedys running for President, voters are rejecting Hillary Clinton because finally, they realize that as much as some would like a woman president, the fact that she's a Clinton outweighs all other considerations.
She should have divorced Bill and then announced her candidacy.