3 a.m. Phone Call
Clinton’s “3 a.m. Phone Call” Ad – The FixWith just five days left before the critical Ohio and Texas primaries, Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (N.Y.) campaign is out with a provocative new ad that raises the specter of a future world crisis and asks voters who they would want in the White House if such an event occurred.
This is lame.
First, if you believe for a single instant that Hillary Clinton would be making these earth-shatteringly critical decisions all by herself without consulting experts (and she’s not one), then you are naive.
And second, as president, Barack Obama will have access to the same group of experts that Hillary Clinton would be consulting.
Let’s assume for a moment the scenario of the 3 a.m. phone call is real, though, and for whatever reason, there’s nobody around for the president to consult with. Do you honestly think Clinton is better equipped to handle that kind of situation? A time like that would require, above all else, a leader with wisdom. Experience alone wouldn’t be enough. Without wisdom, we’d be doomed. And, quite honestly, I have to question the wisdom of a candidate who would put out such an ad.
Posted by RebeccaHartong on February 29, 2008 under Politics
It turns out Obama has now released his own version of the “3 a.m.” ad. See it here.
I think indeed that his 2002 Kennedy level speech opposing the war is historical (http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Barack_Obama%27s_Iraq_Speech)
It does take admirable courage to take such a position when Bush was mesmerizing nearly anyone else with his blatant lies. And as for insight, it seems to be 100% right:
“But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors … I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda.”