Clinton's "don't ask" policy - voters no longer allowed to ask questions

Clinton's "don't ask" policy

As she races through Iowa in the days before next week's caucuses, Hillary Clinton is taking few chances. She tells crowds that it’s their turn to “pick a president,’’ but over the last two days she has not invited them to ask her any questions.

Before the brief Christmas break, the New York senator had been setting aside time after campaign speeches to hear from the audience. Now when she’s done speaking, her theme songs blare from loudspeakers, preventing any kind of public Q&A.

She was no more inviting when a television reporter approached her after a rally on Thursday and asked if she was “moved’’ by Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. Clinton turned away without answering.

Her daughter, Chelsea, had the same reaction when a reporter approached her with a question.

Hillary Clinton’s no-question policy didn’t sit well with some of the Iowans who came to see her speak.

“I was a little bit underwhelmed,’’ said Doug Rohde, 46, as he left her a rally in a fire station in Denison. “The message was very generic -- and no questions.’’

Clinton campaign officials said that she may take questions in the coming days. But her focus is on seeing as many voters as possible before the caucuses next Thursday -- and spotlighting the messages she wants to deliver.

Spokespeople for her two main rivals in the Hawkeye State -– John Edwards and Barack Obama -– said the candidates would continue fielding questions as they troll for support.

-- Peter Nicholas

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2007/12/clintons-dont-a.html

Welcome back, friend! :hi:

Now more than ever, we ALL have to realize that this is what a Clinton presidency will be like. They are so shell-shock from the nineties, that the administration will be closed to ANY of us "citizens".
We cannot afford another 4 - 8 years of this , we need the WH to again be the peoples house.

...and destruction of our constitution and civil rights.

She'd enjoy the corruption and the "Unitary Executive" power that
BushCo has worked so hard to amass.

That's why she can't be our candidate.

She's Richard Perle in a pantsuit, not a true Democrat. All of us
should be outraged and insulted by everything about her.

You know, the guy we're trying to dethrone.

I guess since she can't plant the questions, she just won't take any.

:rofl: at ObamaNation

:silly: what is with the obama pepole??

...from Iowans at most of her events.

I'm in Iowa and watching all of the candidates closely. So, before you fall on the
floor busting a gut---let's all travel down the campaign trail and remember how HILARIOUS
her impersonal, staged, corrupt way of campaigning truly is!

Walk with me!

First, she planted questions in Grinnel, Iowa. Then, she lied about it. Then other
Iowans came forward to reveal that the Hillary campaign asked them to ask planted
questions too. Wow, too funny! She took questions all right...if she knew what the
questions were! Just hysterical.

Then, at a "Q & A" in Davenport, she was asked one tough question about Iran, and she
rudely accused the Iowan of being "a plant."

Yeah! Look at her go! Hillary DID allow questions before Christmas, but if she
didn't like the question, she smacked down the questioner. How open! How honest!
Gee, how utterly comical!

Most of Hillary's events are large and impersonal. She does not get down on the ground
and talk with Iowans like ALL of the other candidates do. Her events are speeches, where
she spews her empty talking points and platitudes.

Have you actually seen her latest campaign tactic? I have an it's a riot!
After her internal polling showed that people didn't like her, she galavanted around
Iowa with her bestist friends and her mommy--who told us what a nice lady she was!
Instead answering challenging questions--she sauntered around the
state with her "But...but...Hillary is so nice!" entourage. It was like she was
running for prom queen, not President. What a comedic genius she is!

While all of the other candidates are meeting with Iowans in small groups and answering
serious questions and allowing themselves to be challenged--Hillary meets with her
marketing people. They poll, and develop messaging plans that respond to her poor
numbers here. The events we see are nothing more than orchestrated bullshit.

Iowans are not inspired by Hillary, and most people are really turned off by her.

Why don't you pick yourself up off the floor, dust yourself off and take in some
reality--your candidate is a complete joke.

But it's so very typical that when the anyone calls the HillaryHaters on their BS (and yes, this blog post is BS) that the assumption is they're "for" Hillary.
Good luck to your candidate! (You do have one, don't you? Or are you just against one?)

:thumbsup:

Hillary is not faring well in Iowa--AT ALL.

This style of campaigning is so contrary to what Iowans demand from the Presidential
candidates. I've paid attention to the Iowa caucuses since I was a teenager, and I've
never seen such a corrupt, dirty-tricks, closed-off Democratic candidate in my life.

First she accused an Iowan (in front of the entire audience) of being a "plant", because
she didn't want to answer his question about Iran. Then she plants questions herself, and
lies about doing it until another Iowan steps forward to say that the Hillary campaign
asked her to ask a planted question too--and that Hillary would call on her.

Iowans expect and demand that they'll ask candidates questions. I've never seen anything
like this in Iowa. She's not doing well here and I suspect that she's trying to avoid
any major bombs so close to next week's caucus. She understands very well that people don't
like her and she doesn't want to be challenged about her warmongering, rooms full of lobbying
money and the way she's done nothing about BushCo's corruption.

I was listening to a local Des Moines talk-radio program on Wednesday. The very-conservative
guest had 2 Iowa Democratic party mucky mucks as his guest. Both of these Dem-party leaders
said that their people in the Hillary camp are very worried, because their internal polls
show her tanking.

The other candidates are taking questions and being real. It's really disgusting how arrogant
and inaccessible Hillary is.

Please don't conclude "The other candidates are taking questions and being real. It's really disgusting how arrogant and inaccessible Hillary is." on one blog's report of one event.

Politics 101: when you are in the lead, don't mess it up. Don't take any questions, don't interview, just give your speeches. It is common in politics.

God, you people are waiting for any tiny thing to twist and distort and then in faux outrage spew more hatred while pretending to be "progressive."

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

whether you are in the lead or not.

Thanks for reminding me again what this elections is all about, Emerald.

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

“The message was very generic -- and no questions.’’

exactly Mr Rohde


When has she ever answered a straight question anyway?

As Clinton hammers through her résumé line by line, though, she risks leaving the crowd behind, even if she gets the idea across. There's nothing subtle about her latest theme; from the gigantic American flag backdrops to the plain-spoken rhetoric about plowing through Republican obstacles, Clinton almost seems to be trying to bulldoze voters into her camp. "It's not terribly inspiring," Jaclyn Rundle, a management professor at Central College, after listening to Clinton make her case at a rally in Pella. "There's nothing flashy about it, nothing very elevating."

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/12/28/clinton/index1.html

..said the same thing about Hillary.

Her entire campaign is manufactured. The only thing missing from
her speeches is an authentic human being.

Many Iowans are really turned off. At the very least, they are not
inspired by her and you need to inspire people if you want them to
trudge out into the snow and caucus for you.

I've said it before. Hillary will be lucky to place third in the Iowa
caucuses.

Hillary has conducted a very lackluster campaign and she seems to be
taking marketing direction from Bush himself.

Her campaign is so out of step with the Iowa caucuses. You're supposed to
be accessible and available for questions and challenges. That's how it's
been done for years. But Hillary doesn't want to be real.

Many on the ground in Iowa are saying this and there was a story about a voter
from New Hampshire voter who said the same thing about her. This LA Times
account only reinforces what MANY are saying about Hillary's disingenuous campaign.

ObamaNation just *loves* these tiny little blogs! :rofl:

The people of Iowa are talking about Hillary and her
offensive campaign.

Accusing legitimate questioners of being "plants" then planting
questions herself. Most of her speeches involve her preaching
at everyone, and then leaving.

I'm in Iowa. I've seen this firsthand.

This article only reflect the reality.

But go ahead...ignore reality.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12282007/news/nationalnews/hawkeye_poll_has_clinton_leading_881326.htm
Clinton 31% Edwards 25% Obama 22%
You say: "The people of Iowa are talking about Hillary"
Evidently.

When I went to a John Kerry rally in WA, he came, gave a speech and left. When I went to Geraldine Ferrarro rally, she came, gave a speech and left. That is what politicians do.

Yet, when Clinton gives a speech it is "preaching."

I think it depends on your bias.

All candidates who are in Iowa, are expected to take questions, allow voters to challenge them
and to meet with small groups of people--to facilitate one-on-one dialog.

The Iowa process demands that candidates do more than make speeches and leave.

Obviously, in the general election it's more common to see candidates giving speeches
to large crowds and then leaving.

However, we're not talking about the general election or campaigning in states well
into the primaries. We're talking about the Iowa caucus run-up here. Trust me, it's
a totally different animal.

Hillary Clinton is the only candidate who is refusing to be open and honest with
the Iowa voters. People ARE noticing and it's hurting her.

I stopped paying attention to any of those polls, long ago. They don't reflect reality.

Furthermore, a local radio program had two Iowa Democratic party leaders discussing politics,
and they were talking about the candidates' internal polls. These leaders both said that inside
the Hillary camp, they are worried, because her polls are not looking good.

I guess we'll see the night of the caucuses, won't we?

I find it interesting to hear the mumbled going-ons out there. :hi: