When all your hopes and dreams for winning hinges on a handshake,

[ProSense]

you're screwn.

LOL!

[jackson_dem]

1. Why couldn't you save folks time and just say this in the other thread?

Instead of linking to this thread?

[ProSense]

2. I wanted you to respond in this thread. n/t

[JackORoses]

3. screwn bluen and tattoon!!!

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. That is your projection. Actually I think doing well in FL was more on her mind

I don't think in Clinton's wildest dreams did she expect Obama to allow his own behavior to become one of the lead stories from the SOTU coverage.

For Obama not to realize the controversy it would kick up to appear to be avoiding contact with Clinton while she was shaking hands with everyone around him, including Ted Kennedy who had just come out against her, is a political blunder. This isn't tripping over the words of a joke, this is basic. Hillary Clinton certainly knew she likely would run into Barack Obama at the SOTU, and he sure as hell knew that also. They both needed pre-plans on how they would handle it.

How they interacted with each other was sure to be reported on. Had they both done a small courtesy smile and hand shake, it would have been a small inconsequential toss in to the coverage of the night. At worse it would have been nuetral. Obama went out of his way to shake George Bush's hand, he should have known not to go out of his way to avoid shaking Hillary Clinton's hand. Press were everywhere and some of them no doubt were assigned to closely follow each of the presidential candidates during the entire event. That was absolutely predictable.

If Obama hoped he somehow could avoid direct contact with Clinton without it being obvious that he was avoiding her, that dream was dead the moment he knew she and Kennedy were greeting each other right next to him - he certainly was not oblivious to that. From that moment forward politically he should have known that the gracius AND EXPECTED thing to do would be to greet her also, and from that moment on, politically, it should have become his business to make sure that he did.

Obama just stepped on a full days worth of very positibve media coverage and replaced it with a very sour seeming story instead. One can't afford to do those things during a Presidential election.

[ProSense]

6. No, the NYT covered the entire episode

in fewer words than you did

[Tom Rinaldo]

10. Just watch how much attention this ends up getting tomorrow

I'll bet that story literally is the least of it. I am not saying that it deserves to get all the attention that it will get, just that it could/should have been forseen and avoided. Because there are photos they will get distributed, some just through emails between neighbors, family and friends. Because the public is fascinated with public spats, talk radio will feed on it.

However much attention it receives; whether more than you expect or less than I expect, it will be attention that counters some of the positive momentum Obama got from Ted Kennedy endorsing him today. None of it helps Obama. None of it had to happen.

[rodeodance]

12. I prefer Keith olbermann's coverage tonight.

[1corona4u]

5. Yeah, but how about this handshake...

kind of telling if you ask me...



Obama stretches to shake hands with Bush....the war criminal....Obama really is a uniter...

[ProSense]

8. I see your spin and raise you

few facts

Screwn!

[PretzelWarrior]

9. you guys apparently don't get politics.

it's not like Pelosi's gonna throw the gavel at the back of Bush's head or Cheney's gonna shoot Pelosi in the face. THey have to be civil.

I think when Bush said, "Hey Buddy" to Obama....Obama probably replied, "keep my house tidy for me. I'll be there in a year."

[1corona4u]

19. They have to be civil? Then why wasn't Popebama civil to Hillary?

Is he exempt from that too? I watched Popebama GO towards Bush. He made an EFFORT to get to Bush. You're probably right about the arrogant comment Popebama might have said to Bush though.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

7. Yeah, but never underestimate the impact of dumb shit like this on the voting public

If this story gets traction it could make a difference. I'm canvassing for Obama tomorrow and I'm bracing myself for it. You wouldn't believe how many people I've had to inform that Barack isn't a Muslim who refuses to pledge allegience.

On the bright side, none of the slimy smears against him have seemed to detract from his overall likability. Even the people who wholeheartedly believe the spam emails think he's a good guy. :shrug:

[rodeodance]

11. Petty behavior on the part of one candidate towards another is no small matter.

[ProSense]

13. Whatever happened tonight, not shaking hands with Hillary isn't the end of the world!

It certainly will not stop the downward spiral of Hillary's campaign.

[Alizaryn]

15. Petty behavior?

Allowing Clinton to shake Kennedy's hand without upstaging the event, may have had something to do with being respectful, knowing that there was a relationship between the two of them and not wanting to invade it ... since he would have been seen as the "bad guy" by her. It's something I would have naturally done too if I were in his shoes, a very natural reaction. MUCH more agreeable to me then a false smile or scene stealing smirk etc.

ANYONE who thinks that this compares to the "nasty" behavior toward Obama from the tag team Clintons is being delusional, IMO.

[rodeodance]

16. you have quite the imagination to come up with this excuse for Obama's behavior.

[Alizaryn]

17. It may be imagination in your mind but

it would have been a natural reaction for me. Regardless of what the bottom line is since there's noway of me knowing, it doesnt affect my opinion of him in the least. I'd prefer a cold shoulder to a fake smile any old day myself.

[rodeodance]

18. Whatever.--

[goldcanyonaz]

14. One should start a new handshake thread?