NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- They sold us Obama - twice. Now they’re at it again, parleying savvy skills to do the same with Madam Hillary Clinton. It's an understandable response, because the previous sale, that being Obama, proved a demonstrable dud.
But if book sales are analogous to electoral politics, and this author is not saying they are necessarily; Hillary Clinton is not in for the same sort of political ascendancy that greeted Barack Obama in November of 2008, and later, and for many, surprisingly, again in 2012.
According to Daniel Halper over at the Weekly Standard, a publishing insider calls the newly released memoirs of Hillary Clinton about her tenure as Secretary of State, a “bomb.” Halper goes on to write the publishing source, “a Simon & Schuster insider,” says Madam’s Clinton’s book “sold 60,000 hard covers the first week and 30,000 ebooks.”
Well, there’s that.
It would be nice if this were the beginning of a swift kick of substance over hype in American media and politics - as if we could be so lucky. But the jury is still out.
It could be speculated that given the givens; the reality of our times - and the world’s - the sale of another candidate for the presidency of these United States without discernible accomplishments and skills required for the duties of the said office, will be a difficult one. Some will cry that the author of this piece (all about myself) would only be satisfied if the “they” described above (as in the mainstream media) held the same ideological bias as the author.
But one need not be in agreement ideologically to have offered stern questions of candidate Barack Obama before, and potential candidate for president, Hillary Clinton, now. Good journalism, opinion or otherwise, does not demand, nor should it ever, aim at chin-wagging, nor cheerleading for one particular political party over another. Or ideology.
It does, however, entail quality reporting, and in-depth investigation of the issues at hand - if opinion journalism - and the facts as can be determined, in newsgathering.
The media’s sale of candidate Barack Obama, a candidate without presidential qualities, was a near insane attempt at the absurd, and quite past being serious.
In a complete breakdown, the media did its able best to ignore or belittle any attempts to honestly vet the candidacy of Barack Obama and his complete lack of presidential skill-sets. And now it is being done - again! With Madam Hillary. It’s being tried, at least.
In a complete breakdown, the media did its able best to ignore or belittle any attempts to honestly vet the candidacy of Barack Obama and his complete lack of presidential skill-sets. And now it is being done - again! With Madam Hillary. It’s being tried, at least.
We could simply ask and receive silence back to the question of what distinguished Hillary Clinton in her role as Madam Secretary that she should be President of these United States. That’s being kind.
But there is ample evidence those questions should be more forceful, and include what Madam Hillary did as secretary of state and would disqualify her immediately.
It would be pedantic to say our times appear difficult. The world - as the cinematic George S. Patton uttered in the form of George C. Scott - grew up.
And it happens to be a very stygian view at the moment, and possibly getting more so. And when that happens to be the case, at least historically, great leadership is required and thankfully, has often arrived.
Such leadership is needed in our times. Far from being someone who would say ideology does not matter, one can at least hasten to suggest real statecraft is needed in our time.
The fall of Iraq into chaos, possible Civil War; continued joblessness in our own land, increased income stagnation; all demand quality leadership, and demand an honest assessment of candidates’ qualities and leadership skills.
The question is does the national press in its current manifestation offer such options? It’s wise to be positive in life. The alternative is not only depressing, but does not offer any real hope; hope being the better foliage of our ambitions, personal and collective.
But one should be realistic too - with an assessment of environments around oneself - be it political, social, or religious - able to submit to reality.
When one is realistic about much of the national media’s coverage of political candidates in our day, and events, though that’s another column entirely, I cannot be sure there is all that much to be positive about.
Headline Surfer® is the award-winning 24/7 internet newspaper published by veteran journalist and book author Henry Frederick serving the Daytona Beach-Orlando metro region via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick's first book, "Creepy Ass Cracker," 842 pages, published by Xlibris, hits bookstores in the Fall.
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