YouTube Debate And Hillary’s Machiavellian Finesse
2 comments July 23rd, 2007
The CNN/YouTube debate was the convergence of new media and very old-fashioned Machiavellian politics. And, as with previous debates, none of the other Democratic contenders came close to matching the manipulative dexterity of Hillary Rodham Clinton. The stuffed spontaneity of the CNN selected questions was actually highly predictable to most practiced politicians in this vaccuous debate. They all had canned lines and responses. Hillary, however, continues to show that she is the most skillful of the Democrats in playing the political game.
The most relevant question directed at Hillary inquired how she could represent fundamental change when her election and relection would mean uninterupted rule at the White House by two families for 28 years. This is, of course, a critical issue, as it touches at the very sustainability of American democracy. However, Hillary had anticipated this question long ago, and no doubt her highly-paid political and image consultants had prepped her on the fine art of evasion. She blamed, in essence, George W. Bush for being elected in 2000, for if Al Gore had won, that question would not even arise. Hillary went on to say that she should be judged on her merits, while adding a comment that made it very clear that she would milk her status as the wife of President Bill Clinton for all it is worth. Contradictory, but in a manner so subtle, most viewers of the debate probably were not attuned to how they just had their pockets picked by Clintonian obfuscation.
These debates clearly serve the interests of the Clinton political machine. However, concerning the interests of informing the American electorate, that is what is truly debatable.
