Conversation | 03/31/2008 11:30 am

'We Just Don't Elect Presidents We Don't Like'

With Lesley Stahl, Liz Smith and Mary Wells

EDITOR’S NOTE: Also featuring special guest, Joni Evans, CEO of wowOwow.

JONI: Well, let’s talk about the campaign. Lesley, what are you thinking about it today?

LESLEY: Well, what’s on my mind today is why Hillary Clinton has taken such a hit for her — let’s call it — “creative fabrication” of what happened to her at that airport in Bosnia. And why John McCain, who made a gaffe the week before about whether Iran was controlling Al Qaeda didn’t. Anybody who’s been looking at the Middle East knows there’s no connection – the Iranians are Shiites; Al Qaeda is Sunni. It’s unfathomable that he didn’t know that. So why does she get tarred and feathered and he gets off easy and goes away? What is the dynamic there? Is it Hillary, or is it something else? And let me throw out a proposition and then we can argue about it if you want: Hillary has a credibility problem. People have said for a long time that she makes things up. It’s one of her largest problems, and it sticks to her. She’s got a sticky problem with telling the truth. And so this fed into it and she cannot escape from it now. It’s crazy to think she did it totally deliberately because her … she’d been warned it wasn’t true. There was something psychological to it in a way, in my mind. And I wonder if it almost isn’t a metaphor for the way she perceives her current situation. Maybe for her what’s going on in the campaign is constant incoming fire and she kind of mixed these up. John McCain, on the other hand, has no problem with foreign policy issues. People think he’s an expert on it so if he makes a little mistake, he’s forgiven. It’s not a problem. It doesn’t resonate and he can move on. It’s just to me a fascinating situation when you look at the two gaffes side by side. Anybody have any thoughts?

MARY: One of the thoughts I had about it, when you were talking, is it seems to me that one of the problems with this particular lie issue for Hillary is that it went on for days. And it just isn’t possible that the people advising her, or that the people around her, wouldn’t have said to her, “This is not a fact and you’re going to get caught up with this. Let’s figure out a solution to this,” much earlier. It just went on too long with her kind of insisting on keeping the lie going. I mean, if they had faced up to it much faster I think it would have been …

LESLEY: But why do you think she did it? It almost makes no sense.

JONI: I wonder if it’s a lie as much as a gaffe. I think there’s a big difference to a lie like, “I did not have sex with that woman.” Maybe it’s just her memory. Maybe she actually believes what she said.

LIZ: I think she just enhanced an experience that she didn’t remember too clearly. And in the same way that people writing memoirs make themselves the heroines and heroes of it. I do think it would have been pretty stupid for her to have done it deliberately. You can’t get away with anything anymore.

134 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

You know, Tammy, I’ve got some really smart friends who tell me they think the elephant in the living room is planning to use Dr. Rice as VP with JM to totally blow Obama out of the water, because she is not “mixed race,” but really black. Meantime, have you checked out her cousin, Connie Rice, in LA? She’s AMAZING!

By Mugsy Peabody on 03/31/2008 7:19 pm

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Mugsy- She is amazing and a world away from the Sec of State. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y08RfrkbLQ

By Buh-Bye Hillary Hillary Buh-Bye on 03/31/2008 10:07 pm

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Hey, Tammy, we really got them going on our Condi Rice postings. Look at all the words we tore out of Suzanne de Cornelia. Just think what we could do for someone with writer’s block.

By A B on 04/01/2008 9:31 am

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Tee hee hee.

By Mugsy Peabody on 04/01/2008 8:38 pm

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The “gaffes” I don’t care about - the press is pouncing on every slip up and it’s not important. Rev. Wright is not running for president. It’s a mountain out of a molehill. I also don’t see why they’re telling Hillary to step down - she’s fighting to the end as well she should. I’m not impressed with Obama - talk of hope and unity are just that: talk. I’d rather he stick to issues, instead of the “inspirational” BS. Obama and Hillary are almost identical on issues. Why a rookie senator should choose to enter a race, where his party already has a strong contender, is beyond me. He should have waited 4-8 years instead of splitting the Democrats down the middle. Unity, indeed.

By e. wolynski on 03/31/2008 1:26 pm

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The Bosnia fabrication does bother me. It’s not like she mixed it up with the OTHER time that she was under sniper fire. It was all made up. And in this time of 24/7 video, it was easy to check. Weird. The John McCain gaffe really bothers me. Maybe it’s true that the McCain-loving, barbecue-eating press corps really does give him a pass. As Iraq begins to unravel, with the U.S. backing one Shiite army against another, with the Green Zone under bombardment, with 4000 dead, he continues to promote “victory” and “progress.” That fact alone should indicate he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. So the mistake about who the Iranians are supposedly training should play right into that narrative——that he is delusional.

By Alice Riehl on 03/31/2008 1:28 pm

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There is a discomfort about Hillary that all the women I speak with feel. We WANT to vote for a woman, all those years of feminist organizing around the equal rights amendment made that clear. But as eloquent and smart as she is, there is the slimy factor that surrounds her. It is disappointing. Being from Texas, I wish Ann Richards and Molly Ivins and even Barbara Jordan were still here to see the wonderment of this Democratic primary — oh lordy

By Traci Hiller` on 03/31/2008 1:35 pm

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Ann always said, Washington boggles the mind…and wouldn’t be surprised at all of this nonesense. The WASP Male model is a genius at only one thing—triangling people against one another, and the Neocons are better at it; however, neither can multi-task. So, let’s get going. GW #43 sb under house arrest while he’s being investigated MORE, and yes, Rove is rowing around doing his nasties again, as he did bringing votes for poor George or stopping the votes against him. He was doing these horrific things in Austin, right there from his own office, too. What amazes me is that we’re sitting here knowing full well what’s going on yet doing nothing about it - no one is. In the 60s we were out in the streets, and to heck with what we were called, or though of. If we don’t do something quickly, and insist the candidates all get off their butts, there will be another nightmare perpetuated solely to trip up this election, too - and this group doesn’t care about lives. We’ve seen how much they care, including little “Condi,” with Katrina, the POW inhumane treatment, and torture taking the U.S. back beyond our nation’s founding in human rights — we’re like China! And, lest we forget the scare tactics about SS, and “money running out by …” but not one of those goons has mentioned recouping the cost of war, and unlimited spending the Senate and House have agreed to without checking to see if we had the money or not — not one is ethical, or moral…no one. Ann, Molly, and Barbara are waiting for us to get all of us out on the front lawn of 1600 raising hell. Every election brings off the wall situations, but this one is deliberate, and don’t think any differently. We have work to do, and we’re not doing it. Lesley, you have the opporutnity to make some demands - get going! And, btw, the Veep isn’t very bright, he’s just experienced. While you’re at it, check out the Mexican Mafia, and follow the money …

By Upanaway on 04/01/2008 12:54 am

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My goodness! The candidates are human and subject to human error. Have we forgotten that? Maybe Hillary was just confused. Give her the benefit of a doubt. I will not support McCain and I don’t care for Obama but I’m sure he will be the democrat of choice because this country is fearful of women. Heck, women can’t even get good medical care in this country. We’re considered hysterical. Geesh.

By Marie McConnell on 03/31/2008 1:42 pm

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I really don’t think that Hillary’s situation is totally based on the fact that she is a woman. She did not plan for the possibility of a strong opponent, and she said some really stupid things in the last few weeks. Not everything is bias.

By Alice Riehl on 03/31/2008 2:39 pm

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There was a very strong field. John Edwards, for example, would make a wonderful president.

By Mugsy Peabody on 03/31/2008 6:10 pm

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Mugsy, I’m not saying there was not a strong field, just that Hillary did not plan on that. Word is that her campaign only planned as far as Super Tuesday, spending heavily and lavishly before then, believing she would have it wrapped up by then. When they did not, they had to scramble for funds. By the way, John Edwards was my choice; I still think he would make the best president in the field.

By Alice Riehl on 03/31/2008 6:30 pm

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Yes, thanks, that might well be.

By Mugsy Peabody on 03/31/2008 7:16 pm

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Unfortunately, I think it’s true … we don’t elect people we don’t like. But I like a lot of people I wouldn’t want to be president. I just found this site and am in awe. Intelligent, witty commentary on the events of the day by women “of a certain age”. What a concept!

By E Stanley on 03/31/2008 2:11 pm

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Great site.I did not cover the war in Bosnia, but I did cover the war in Kosovo -(and the Middle East, and Afghanistan and so on) and I can tell you that when pilots tell civilians that the area is “hot” and there are “reports” of sniper fire, most people assume that means there IS sniper fire. And any reporter who has spent serious time in war zones knows, the military always tells you, sometimes in jest, “to keep your head down and move quickly.” I just think Hillary can’t do or say anything right right now…that is until the actual voters of PA and Indiana turn things around. Invite you all to visit us at www.womensvoicesfor change.org

By Elaine Lafferty on 03/31/2008 2:11 pm