Jackson Free Press

Does James Carville really think that people should make political decisions based on loyalty above all else? No matter what someone does? No matter who else comes along who is more impressive, and inspirational to a new generation of voters? Carville's "Judas" comment—and this column today in The Washington Post showing no remorse for it—shows how hopelessly out of touch both he and the Clintons are. You don't run a country, or elect a president, based on loyalty. That is patently absurd and and an insult to the American people. Good he's honest about what he's all about, though. This should cost the Clintons even more votes (and watch for the part where he makes it sound like Bill Clinton was the mafia boss who "made" him). This is gross:

Last Friday the New York Times asked me to comment on New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama for president. For 15 years, Richardson served with no small measure of distinction as the representative of New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. But he gained national stature -- and his career took off -- when President Bill Clinton appointed him U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and later made him energy secretary.

So, when asked on Good Friday about Richardson's rejection of the Clintons, the metaphor was too good to pass by. I compared Richardson to Judas Iscariot. (And Matthew Dowd is right: Had it been the Fourth of July, I probably would have called him Benedict Arnold.) [...]

I believe that loyalty is a cardinal virtue. Nowhere in the world is loyalty so little revered and tittle-tattle so greatly venerated as in Washington. I was a little-known political consultant until Bill Clinton made me. When he came upon hard times, I felt it my duty -- whatever my personal misgivings -- to stick by him. At the very least, I would have stayed silent. And maybe that's my problem with what Bill Richardson did. Silence on his part would have spoken loudly enough.

Previous Comments

ID

117826

Comment

Should Al Gore come out to endorse Obama, I'd like to know what Carville will say then.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2008-03-29T19:17:28-06:00

ID

117827

Comment

Shoot, if Gore endorsed Obama, he'll probably be called Pontius Pilate or General Custer.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-03-29T19:40:41-06:00

ID

117828

Comment

No, I think Gore believe that Bill Clinton betrayed him in the Lewinsky debacle.

Author

footsy

Date

2008-03-29T21:21:57-06:00

ID

117829

Comment

Right. Gore and the Clintons do not like each other. My guess is that Gore will endorse Obama before he stands aside and allows Hillary to force a nasty convention fight. Edwards, too. Clinton betrayed everyone in the Lewinsky debacle, and he enabled a dolt like George Bush to become president. Now his wife is trying to rely on HIS legacy to get herself the White House. And Clintonians have the gall to talk about "loyalty." "Loyalty" is not playing cigar games with a barely-legal intern with your teenage daughter sleeping in the same building, and then take the country into big trailer-park drama mode when you get caught. Loyalty to what!?! Lightning should strike Clintonians everytime they utter "loyalty." We need Bush and Clinton crap out of Washington.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-03-29T21:39:24-06:00

ID

117830

Comment

Meantime, Hillary loses public trust after her lies about being under sniper fire, etc., surfaced. The Wall Street Journal: In the weeks before the Pennsylvania primary, Sen. Hillary Clinton not only lags Sen. Barack Obama in the race for delegates, she also is losing ground in her effort to convince voters that she is trustworthy. The debate over her record has left Sen. Clinton confronting her lowest approval rating since April 2006, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released last week. According to the survey, 29% of the approximately 1,000 respondents said they had a very negative opinion of Sen. Clinton compared with 15% for Sen. Barack Obama and 12% for Sen. John McCain, the likely Republican nominee. A Pew Research survey released last week shows 29% of Democratic voters describe Sen. Clinton as "phony," compared with 14% for Sen. Obama.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-04-01T10:44:11-06:00