Listen Up America: Hillary Isn't Really Listening
Jan. 30, 2007 — -- Does anyone really think Hillary Clinton is a particularly good "listener?"
No one plays the political game harder or better than Clinton. If the book "Primary Colors" is an accurate, behind-the-scenes look at the political rise of Billary, make no mistake about it: The woman is large and in charge when it comes to figuring out ways to get elected. After all, how many scorned women would continually stand behind their adulterous men?
It seems pretty obvious that the woman who has presidential aspirations would -- and did.
When Hillary decided that her road to return to the White House included becoming a U.S. senator from New York (despite having no more connections to the Empire State than the average tourist who loves to shop and go to the theatre there), she embarked upon a senatorial "listening tour," just like she's doing now. Poor Hillary had to get her pumps muddy as she pretended to listen to pig farmers in upstate New York and their various concerns while hopping around the state, eyes bulging, head nodding, hanging on to their every word.
New Yorkers ate it up.
She was smart enough to know that she already had the limousine liberals from Manhattan in her hip pocket. She needed to win over the rural crowd. What better way to do it than to take her entourage directly to the people?
It's been said that Bill Clinton is a master of making the person he meets feel like they're the most important individual in the room. Well, I've met Hillary in person and can confirm that she has the same knack. I suspect that if the former president is really that good at making the other person feel so important, he learned it from the woman who wants to be a future president.
Like many American marriages, mine is a politically mixed one. I'd like to report that Denise, the love of my life, is a rock-ribbed conservative Republican like her husband. Sadly, that is not the case. So when my former agent, George Hiltzik, told me his son Matthew was working for Hillary's New York senate campaign and could arrange for my wife and me to meet Clinton in person, I had a painful decision to make. Does my contempt for Hillary outweigh my love for my wife, knowing how happy it would make her to meet one of her political idols?
Mike Gallagher is a national syndicated talk radio host and a contributing editor for Townhall.com. His Web site is http://www.mikeonline.com
As difficult as it was, I couldn't resist surprising my wife. So there we were, at a New York synagogue where Hillary had given a speech, waiting in a back room to meet her. As she strode into the room and saw us, her face lit up with a big smile. "Denise!" she exclaimed. "How ARE you? You know, we really have to win your husband over to our side, don't we?"
Boy, is she good.
It's that kind of political savvy that she hopes will propel her back into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. And since the "listening tour" in New York was such a success, she figures she can replicate that on a national scale.
So back to the issue of just how good a "listener" she is. As David Broder of The Washington Post reported this week, the recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing proved a telling peek behind Clinton's carefully placed curtain.
This hearing was a solid opportunity for committee members to direct many probing questions about the war in Iraq to the man who is the new commander there, Lt. Gen. David Petraeus. Indeed, another presumed presidential candidate, Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, asked Petraeus no less than 14 questions during his allotted time. In fact, he ran out of time before he could finish.
What did Clinton do with her allotted time? She gave a meandering, blowhard speech about why she thinks the war is failing. She complained about Iraqis failing to step up and take responsibility. She threatened to "cut money for the Iraqi troops."
In short, she didn't ask a single question. Not one. So during an important hearing designed to present facts and information about this complicated war, the woman who would be president wasted all of her time in order to make a campaign speech.
What kind of listener is she? Not a very good one.
Let's hope the American people won't be as fooled by her as New Yorkers were.
Mike Gallagher is a national syndicated talk radio host and a contributing editor for Townhall.com. His Web site is http://www.mikeonline.com