Big Phoney

I have always had a distrust of the Clintons. I'd like to think its because I am a good judge of character. My wife will tell you its because I should be a lawyer. I pay attention to every word and nuance... which often leads me to comment to my wife when listening to people whose answers aren't definitive or whose tone and inflections don't match the response. Think I'm exaggerating? Just ask my wife... who constantly steps in to tell me sometimes the answer is just the answer and I don't have to read into everything.

After watching the Clintons for years, its hard not to read into everything. Since before 1992, long before I was really interested in politics, I have had a distrust of Bill and Hillary. Even the most mundane questions posed to them get legalese answers that are left up to interpretation. I'd be surprised if there are more than five occurrences in Bill Clinton's entire presidency where he ever said "Yes" or "No" to anything. Everything with the Clintons is grey. Even the definition of "is". And if you do manage to get them to answer something definitively, and it turns out to not be politically advantageous or suit them at a later date... they'll start more Clinton-speak to talk their way out of it. And if that doesn't work, then they'll just lie.

The populous now knows this about the Clintons. And the Clintons know we know. If only they could control the specific questions asked of them, then they could control the tone and message while limiting the amount of double-talk and non-answers.

And that is exactly what they are doing.

That's what they did recently in Iowa, when the Clinton campaign planted student questions ahead of a public appearance. Why worry about preparing for any number of possible questions you could be asked, if you can just control what will be asked ahead of time? Then maybe your canned response, in response to your canned question, can actually sound like a real answer and not some ethereal doublespeak.

But of course I'm a member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. And I tip my waitresses too.