Hardball analyst: Clinton "too cold" and "too elitist"
On the January 25 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, during a report on the importance of Western states in U.S. elections, NBC News correspondent George Lewis aired a quote by Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a senior scholar at the University of Southern California, asserting that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) is "too New York, too elitist, too cold, if you will, to really talk the language of the Intermountain West."
Lewis aired the quote by Jeffe to back up his assertion that "coming from New York," Clinton "might have trouble connecting with voters in the smaller Western states." But Lewis offered no other support for the assertion beyond Jeffe's speculation. The assertion was part of a series of answers to a rhetorical question Lewis posed during the report: "So, which candidates are helped and which ones are hurt by this emphasis on the West?" But Lewis specifically named only Clinton and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson among the Democratic presidential hopefuls. He asserted that "being from the West could help an underdog candidate like ... Richardson" then aired a clip of Richardson saying, "I'm a Westerner; I'm a governor; I've gotten things done."
Later in the program, discussing the "role" Nevada will play in the elections, Republican strategist Michelle Laxalt claimed that, "in many respects, Senator McCain matches the state to a great degree," citing as evidence that "Nevadans tend to be a very individualistic group and they are mavericks by nature." She also said that McCain "matches a lot of the maverick, [former President Ronald] Reagan, [former Sen. Paul] Laxalt [R-NV], individualistic, and civil libertarian in many respects." Laxalt offered no examples of McCain's purported "civil libertarian[ism]"; he has a lifetime score of only 23 percent from the American Civil Liberties Union.
As Media Matters for America has documented, many media figures, including Matthews, National Journal's The Hotline editor in chief Chuck Todd, and Wall Street Journal national political editor John Harwood, have promoted the perception that McCain is a "maverick" -- a Republican politician willing to oppose the president and his party on major issues. However, Media Matters has documented numerous instances in which McCain has changed his position to support Bush.
From the January 25 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
LEWIS: So, which candidates are helped and which ones are hurt by this emphasis on the West?
CLINTON: I'm not just starting a campaign, though.
LEWIS: Hillary Clinton, with her well-funded campaign, will be able to buy plenty of TV time in California. But coming from New York, she might have trouble connecting with voters in the smaller Western states.
JEFFE: I'm wondering whether she's, at this point in her career, too New York, too elitist, too cold, if you will, to really talk the language of the Intermountain West.
LEWIS: Conversely, being from the West could help an underdog like New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
RICHARDSON: I'm a Westerner; I'm a governor; I've gotten things done.
LEWIS: On the Republican side, Arizona Senator John McCain will also be helped by his Western roots, as this region stands poised to shift the dynamics of the 2008 presidential campaign.
[...]
MATTHEWS: You've got an early caucus out here. This state's going to play a big role. Is it going to help McCain, a Westerner? Who's it going to help out here?
LAXALT: I think it's too early to tell. The fact is that Senator McCain is probably a little bit better known there in Nevada. He does live right across the border and he spends a great deal of time in Nevada.
As your other guests indicated, Nevadans tend to be a very individualistic group and they are mavericks by nature. They are not big on big government. They are anti-federal government and, in many respects, Senator McCain matches the state to a great degree. Remember, this is a state second only to the state of Alaska, with nearly 90 percent of all of the entire state is owned by the federal government. So, if you come in as a candidate running for the presidency of either party in the state of Nevada, don't open with "I'm here to tell you that the federal government wants to come in and help you" because they will send you right back out the door. Having worked for Senator Stevens here --
MATTHEWS: Is John McCain the closest -- Michelle, I've got to direct your testimony --
LAXALT: Sure.
MATTHEWS: -- here a little more to where I want you to go. Is John McCain the Reagan-type guy out here? Does this -- the people out here liked Reagan -- and I know your dad did, best buddies with him -- do the people who like Ronald Reagan historically look to a guy like McCain, war hero, that kind of guy?
LAXALT: I think McCain is very, very comfortable in the state of Nevada, and he matches a lot of the maverick, Reagan, Laxalt, individualistic, and civil libertarian in many respects, and a man who is -- I think he is viewed to be a true Westerner, and he spend a lot of time in Nevada -- and Nevada is still small enough, notwithstanding the fact that it's growing exponentially. They want to see these candidates face-to-face, and they want to look in their eye -- and McCain, they're very familiar with.
"mavericks by nature"
Please... stop with this 'maverick' nonsense. If Matthews had both sides of the fence... for instance, one who liked Hillary in addition to this Laxalt person. Then he'd be given a pass.
By the way, I grew up in rural Arizona... full of 'mavericks' with plenty of Western appeal. It's, ah, a bit over-rated (to say the least).
Way to go, media elitists. Insult the population of the Intermountain West by suggesting that they jus' too ignint to figger out what that city lady is sayin'.
I can't believe 'people are saying' that the populace won't understand the words coming out her mouth...I have visited Nevada and heard them speak English, as well as other languages...and, please, maverick by nature- ha!
They used to critcize Clinton for not being a New Yorker, now a few years later she is too New York. Mathews is one of these who will slam Clinton for whatever adjective is popular. For any of these GOP advisors to criticize any one as "too something" and give G Bush a pass for being "too dumb" or "too texas" is just comical.
I will never like Hillary the person or the candidate-in-waiting. However after seeing a bit of her over the weekend I think she will be a formidable opponent if nominated. My own personal favorites from the major parties are Gore and Hagel - both dark horses at this time.
That would be a great election. Probably my favorite scenario. I'm sure I don't agree with Hagel on everything, but at least he's showing integrity over the war. In today's theatre of low expectations, that alone puts his face on Mount Rushmore.
hmmm,
I really don't see a problem here. I think it's a fair question to ask if she's too elitist to connect with the folks out here. Perhaps using the term elitist is a bit of the sly, "when did you stop beating..." thing, but I haven't studied her voting record to know how well she has done regarding the west.
I don't think that reflects badly on the population here either. We have issues peculiar to our geography, just as everywhere does. She either needs to let us know that she's aware of them, or convince us that they aren't as important as the more national issues.
Sour Ivory Tower Grapes.
Yawn . . . more Hillary-bashing . . .What is that makes her "too New York"? . . . the fact that she is a Chicago native?What is it that makes her "too elitist"? . . .the fact that she has a Yale education? Our current pResident has a Yale education; no one ever refers to him as "too elitist" . . . then again, that could be because he once made the statement: "rarely is the question asked: is our children learning?"
I always like the pundits puzzling over the "elite: angle, while talking about middle America like that "special" kid who's in the same room.
Do they think a waiter at a restaurant in Idaho relates more to an Idaho millionaires son who's a senator than to a waiter in New York or a construction worker in Florida?
Who actually goes to the voting booth thinking "yeah, that candidate is qualified and has some good ideas, but they're from that faraway state"?
Maybe I'm over-mis-estimating my fellow Americans; More than a few think that preppy little panty-waist in the White House is a cowboy.
Elitist ? holy cow, Just look at Bush.
I would say that the Hillary bashing has begun, but when did it ever stop? During her two tours of duty as First Lady when she stood up to the bullying of Congressional Republicans while trying to secure universal health care for Americans? When they slammed her for not leaving her philandering husband, even though they would've admired her strength for "standing by her man" if the Clintons had been Republicans?
Dictionary.com defines elitism as:
" The belief that certain persons or members of classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources."
Universal health care, tax cuts for the middle class, better education for our children, lower college tuition and social security protection. If these are the positions of an elitist, then we, the working people of this country, must be the superior class =)
But Hillary stands for class war on the poor, corporate control of government, Israeli and military/industrial complex domination of foreign policy...if she didn't have the D behind her name, you'd swear she walked in out of the PNAC. In her six years as Senator, she's voted with the Republicans very consistently, has supported their policies...she's a right-winger.
The Master Plan is to ensure that if the Repubs can't keep the White House, it goes to someone from the other party with the SAME policies. This why Kerry got the nomination in 2004 over Dean and why Hillary will get the nomination in 2008. And just like with Kerry, the press will lie and call Hillary the ultimate liberal, which is a complete and total falsehood meant to con liberal Democrats into supporting her and maintaining corporate and AIPAC control over our government.
And McCain was a maverick. But after having his presidential run sabotaged by the Bush campaign in 2000, he was broken. Maverick? Sure and at the petting zoo, they have "wild animals".
The only thing more sickening than these false characterizations is the smug self-importance of the pundits who couldn't predict that the sun will rise tomorrow.
Good grief...
Between NOW & 2008 any number of analysts will be trotted out to ruminate over the nominees and give their opinions of their chances of winning their party's nomination..
So what IF some consider Hillary TOO this or that. Aren't they allowed to have an opinion? And in this case saying Hillary could be considered too elitist or cold by some voters [in the Western states] isn't some far-fetched hypothesis.
George Lewis gave Richardson(D) & McCain(R) both westerners, a more positive outlook. Makes sense.
McCain's star will likely fade because of his stance on Iraq. And I'm certain these political analysts will be right there to speculate about his chances & ponder his fate.
"Does this -- the people out here liked Reagan -- and I know your dad did, best buddies with him -- do the people who like Ronald Reagan historically look to a guy like McCain, war hero, that kind of guy?"
So is Matthews calling Reagan a war hero, or just saying that those who liked non-war hero Reagan would like McCain? Matthews, you really need to try to disentangle people's rhetoric from their actual careers.
When she first ran for senator in New York a few years ago, Hillary was a carpetbagger from Chicago. Now, she's "too New York" to get votes outside of the elitest East. Personally, I want a president that I'd feel comfortable drinking a beer with.