Des Moines Register: Iowans pick up on Clinton's silence

[Colobo]

Iowa Falls, Ia. � Iowans have noticed that Democrat Hillary Clinton has not been taking public questions from audiences during most of her final-push campaign rallies.

After her 40-minute monologue ended shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday, Clinton immediately began to sign autographs, pose for photographs and listen to caucusgoers� concerns one on one.

Iowa Falls resident Alene Rickels, 51, when asked her thoughts about the event, told a reporter: �Her speech was really good, but it would�ve been interesting to see how she reacted to questions.

�I really thought she would take questions,� said Rickels, a middle school teacher. �It�s late in the day, so I�m assuming that that�s the reason. I don�t know what she did the rest of the day.�

Clinton took no questions from audiences at any of her stops earlier Sunday, in Vinton, Traer and Cedar Falls.

That message control raised eyebrows for other caucusgoers.


Lee Weber, 53, of Mason City caught Democrat Joe Biden at lunchtime Sunday, Democrat Christopher Dodd after supper then hopped in the car to see Clinton in Iowa Falls. <...>

Out of her 19 campaign rallies in Iowa since Christmas, Clinton has done two audience Q&As.

Democrat Barack Obama of Illinois has taken questions at 12 of his 24 rallies since Christmas. On Sunday, he took questions at his first three events but not at his final one in Des Moines. He rarely does press availabilities and will generally decline to answer reporters� questions if they approach him while he is shaking hands. His staff, also, guards him quite closely to prevent media from asking him questions.

John Edwards, a Democrat from North Carolina, takes several questions at every event, and tells people that if he didn't get to them, they should either e-mail their questions to his web site or write them down and hand them to one of his aides, and he or someone from the campaign will answer the question before the caucuses.

More at:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071231/NEWS/71231010/-1/SPORTS0803

[Colobo]

1. Kick.

:kick:

[msongs]

4. pretty sad when you have to kick your own posts nt

[BringBigDogBack]

8. kick

:P

[Kurovski]

10. Kicked...

and recommended.

[sniffa]

19. kick

[BeyondGeography]

21. kick

[Cassandra]

2. She's not big on answering New Yorkers...

questions, either. She goes on listening tours, which require listening, not answering.

[KingofNewOrleans]

3. Shouldn't the correct headline be, Edwards answers all

while other candidates cower in fear!!! (it's ajoke people)

I bet Iowans do pick up on this without a newspaper pointing it out. The whole point of Iowa and NH is retail politics, getting to interact with the candidate. The candidate takes that away and they notice.

[Joe the Revelator]

5. Hillary: George Bush in a pantsuit.

[City Lights]

16. LOL!

:thumbsup:

[loudsue]

6. I hope Edwards runs away with Iowa, but I'm still worried about

Hillary taking NH. I wish NH voters would wise up and get out of the Hillary/Obama propaganda storm.

An ex-president's wife does not necessarily know as much about her husband's previous job as any other wife does about her husband's job. I don't know many company presidents whose wife declares she can step in after he leaves because being married to him gave her all this "experience". But the media seems to be playing to the idea that she somehow got all the same experience Bill had.

[Debi]

7. I was at the Cedar Falls event and wanted her to expand her comments

on her involvement in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

I also wanted to know more about her involvement in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (made law as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1974). She eluded to her work with families of children with disabilities and that b/c of her work with them that children with disabilities are no longer at home or in institutions but in schools receiving a free public education.


Article on Sunday's visit in Cedar Falls, Iowa: http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2007/12/31/news/metro/c7aba223f3a5ff43862573c2000e17e3.txt

[sniffa]

20. do you think she was really invloved?

and more importantly, was she risking her life dodging bullets and stinger missiles while being involved?

[williesgirl]

9. She's just bush-lite in a skirt - and I'm a feminist! rec'd

[calteacherguy]

11. Kick. And kudos to Edwards as well. nt

[Pluvious]

12. Hiding from the voters - how sad

IMHO it says a lot to not hide from voter's questions

Kudos to Edwards

[Catherine Vincent]

13. So what's wrong with taking questions one on one?

[bvar22]

14. Word!

Hillary would rather PLANT questions than answer them!

[Lucinda]

15. The whole thing is worth a read. Recommended.

[City Lights]

17. K&R eom

[spin]

18. Foot in mouth disease?

Perhaps she's afraid of blundering...screwing up her chance to win.

Being able to answer tough questions with intelligent answers is not the most important quality that I look for in a presidential candidate. I realize that under pressure people can falter and say something stupid that can be used against them.

But when you walk out on the political football field with the intention of playing your parties quarterback, you can't be afraid to throw the football merely because it might be intercepted. You have to think fast, be able to hand off the ball to the running back when required, scrabble when the other team blitzes, look down the field to find the right receiver and put the ball right on the mark. You can't stand too long in the pocket thinking about what to do or you will end up flat on your ass. When this happens, and it will, you have to be able to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again.

God, I love football season. But just like political season, I'm glad when it's over.


Hillary could make a good if not great president. To have that chance, she has to show that she's a tough lady, unafraid and ready to lead.

When you talk about a women with great guts and dedication to a cause you might think of Benazir Bhutto. She was willing to sacrifice her life to help Pakistan. Unfortunately that's exactly what happened.

Of course it's unfair to compare Hillary to this woman. Politics in Pakistan is a whole different ballgame in a very foreign league. It's a life and death sport there.

But somehow Hillary's refusal to answer the voters questions in this country doesn't show me that she has the courage necessary to lead.

[BeyondGeography]

22. The candidates have been making speeches in Iowa for 11 months now

at this point, Q&A should be the bulk of what they do in public.