Why do so many people who know the Clintons well, and who one

[cali]

would think, would be supportive of Clinton, have such a strong distaste for them?

People who served in the Clinton administration. People who served in Congress when Clinton was president and have served in the Senate with Hill. Why do they evoke so much dislike and opposition from these folks? What do they know that makes them so opposed to her candidacy?

People like:

Marion Wright Edelman
Tom Daschle
John Kerry
Robert Reich
Patrick Leahy

and many, many more.

[jpgray]

1. Because they prefer Obama, and she is his primary opponent

As far as I can tell, the two scarcely have any disagreement in terms of policy.

[cali]

4. That's far too simplistic. It's not only about preferring Obama

as any reading of their comments would show. Read the transcript from Goodman's interview with Edelman, who has not, to my knowledge, endorsed Obama. And why would someone like Leahy prefer Obama. As for differences in policy, there's not a whole hell of a difference between the top three, but that's not the only criteria that we use to choose.

[FrenchieCat]

9. Well Leahy is the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.....

and I'm pretty sure that he's convince that Obama would make better, more honest choices of Judges....

[jpgray]

10. Well, it is also about disliking aspects of Hillary :-)

Again it's difficult to pin down their reasons, even given their statements. If it comes down to a choice between those two specific candidates, it must be less about platform than history, personality, image, character, etc. At least, that's how it seems to me.

[joshcryer]

2. Because they want a puppet, not someone they know will give them hell.

[cali]

6. *sigh*

yes, of course, they just want a puppet. Thank you for that silly comment.

[joshcryer]

15. Yes, they want someone who will cede to their pressures.

Obama shows very little spine in a lot of his most important votes, that's for damn fucking sure.

[flordehinojos]

13. Yes! they know hillary will take no bullshit from them ... they know it and they are afraid of her

"don't bullshit me" stance.

leahy is a weakling ... who used his lips to say he wouldn't take shit from bush, and yet, he kept on and kept on taking shit from bush.

marion wright edelman? i guess hers and clinton's life took different paths ... like the different paths friends often take ... like spouses often do ... like happens in the journey of life when people grow in different directions.

john kerry ... he knows his tarnished image will not shine again next to hillary's. he thinks his tarnished image will find some new shine if he stands next to obama ... you know sort of like a reconquering of a new territory for him, holding up a banner for someone who needs to have a banner held up ... clinton can sweep the floor with kerry and he knows it.

robert reich, did you say? regardless of what you say he is still riding on the recognition train that the Clinton's gave him. he knows it. he wants to ride his own train, and therefore he needs to jump tracks.

as you see, it is not so much about the clintons...it is about each of these people, their expectations of life and possibly their disappointment at the fact that the end of the train ride for them came with the end of their service in a clinton administration.

[chimpymustgo]

17. Interesting observations. Can't take issue with what you've said.

I think there's a lot of jumping on the bandwagon - for personal reasons. Good post.

[MonkeyFunk]

3. And plenty of people who've worked with Obama and Edwards

are endorsing Clinton.

Why phrase it the way you did? How do you know they have distaste for the Clintons? Maybe they're just supporting somebody else.

[cali]

7. Many who I list have made comments that indicate their antipathy

and Edelman and Reich have not endorsed Obama. And Clinton, as former First Lady and Senator for 7 years, is garnering quite a bit of opposition from former friends and allies. It's actually a bit surprising.

[JI7]

5. considering Clinton likes Bush more than Kerry

and they accuse Kerry of hating the troops.

Clinton supported Robert Reich's loser opponent in the Mass Gov Primary which resulted in asshole Romney's win. the only reason Clinton did this was because Reich had been a longtime critic of Clinton's policies.

[Demeter]

8. Why Indeed? Perhaps Because They Love Their Country and Have Some Pride in What They Do?

Qualities that one finds conspicuously missing from the GOP, by the way. Oh, there's lots of lip service, but people who love their country don't make policy to screw it over. And people who take pride in a job well done don't end up under criminal indictments.

And people who treat their co-workers fairly usually have friends for life.

Just saying...

[oasis]

11. No doubt, establishment Democrats Daschle, Leahy and Kerry were embarrassed

by the racial implications of the New Hampshire primaries. They realized that there was/is a need to reassure African American voters that we are all one family in the Democratic Party.

That's my take on those three.

As for Reich, he soured on the Clintons ages ago.

[cali]

12. Leahy is one of the most liberal dems in the entire Congress

and it's hardly a secret here in Vermont that he's not a big Clinton fan.

[JI7]

14. reality is that Obama had Daschle, Leahy, and Kerry's support even before Iowa

caucuses.

Daschle publicly endorsed Obama about a year ago.

he had Kerry's support before the Iowa caucuses but they wanted to use the endorsement for a later time since he was doing well in Iowa and NH looked good at the time.

and i have been hearing Leahy was leaning Obama even before Iowa.

[Tom Rinaldo]

16. You don't ususlly spin this hard

I am willing to accept that some who support Obama over Clinton do so in part because of dislike of Clinton. I am not wiling to assume that in any individual case however. I would never project thoughts into another Democrats head and assume that there is a "strong dislike" of Hillary present unless I have solid reasons to speculate that.

Surely you are not claiming that for someone who knows Hillary professionally to support Obama for President over her it must be because of a personal dislike of her over any other reason? If we are free to support candidates based on who we think would make a better candidate or president without that having to be driven by matters of personal popularity, why not elected officials also?

So you are saying that people like Henry Cisneros, Sen Maria Cantwell, Mayo Angelou, Rep Lynne Woolsey, Robert F Kennedy Jr, Walter Mondale, Andrew Young, George McGovern, Wes Clark, Rep. John Lewis, Ex Rep & current Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, Senator Debbie Statenow, Madelein Albright, Ambassador Joe Wilson, Richard Gephardt, Senator Robert Menandez, Senator Barbara Mikulski etc. endorsed Hillary Clinton because they strongly dislike Barack Obama, or that the only reason they have to endorse Hillary is because they think she's swell?

[Evergreen Emerald]

18. excellent response.