You picked out some interesting quotes. I wonder if anyone who was actually familiar with the subject (is it just the war in Iraq or is she talking about our grand strategy to subjugate the Middle East?) would use the words that Hillary chose. They just don’t sound right, and they are essentially meaningless.

What she says about Anbar indicates that she has no depth of understanding of what is going on in Anbar Province—not surprising, since she’s not there, and even those who are there are regularly surprised by shifting reality. She doesn’t know if the change in tactics is working. She just knows that somebody (who?) told her it’s working, yet that’s not what she says. It’s the lack of doubt that signals lack of depth—not what I’m looking for in the next president.

To say that we’re years too late in changing tactics is to narrow the focus down to stupid. If your strategy is collapsing around your ears, revealing all its fatal flaws to anyone who will pay attention, and you don’t see it or hear it, choosing to talk about Anbar and tactics instead, you’re not taking the matter seriously.

As for preparing to fight the new war, I’m looking for more here, too, from anyone who wants to be president. Foremost in my mind is finding a way to end the current war. Whether Hillary likes it or not, we are compelled to fight what she prematurely dubs “the last war” because it continues—day after cursed day—in Iraq. Afghanistan could use some closure, too. Once we have ended “the last war,” our president should set his/her sights a little higher than preparing for the new one. To speak of our country as perpetually at war, and preparing for the new one, is to admit to an appalling lack of imagination. It’s conceding helplessness where the power of the presidency should be opening doors to a better future.

What Hillary is offering here terrifies me. I think she must be smarter than she sounds, but acting presidential by accepting Idiot Bush’s parameters just doesn’t cut it. Just because the Bush-Cheney administration has degraded political discourse to schoolyard taunts and secrets in the clubhouse doesn’t mean that we have to carry on by babbling like idiots. War is serious and just about always a mistake. We can talk about it and we can bring some intelligence to the discussion, but not if we follow Hillary’s example.

Intelligence is the last thing they want to bring to the discussion.

Intelligence would say that if a hundred billion or so was spent developing alternative energy sources there would be even less need for the energy wars.

Intelligence would say that anyone who begins to address the real issues of war and peace will end up exactly like Bobby Kennedy or Martin Luther King.

So unleash the dogs of war and let ’em fight for no reason other than to keep their profit margins high and their beautiful minds righteous. Most humanoid primate subspecies only last a hundred thousand years or so anyway. The dogs that won’t fight? Well, a real strong manly man knows how to put down those miserable mutts.

And make a buck off it, too.

No Hell below us
Above us, only sky

Always was, always will be.

They’re not even casting a finger to the wind anymore. We are so screwed.

Who are these people who think she’s the ideal choice? I certainly haven’t been meeting them.

The Dems and independents I encounter usually say they wouldn’t vote for her if nominated or “she can’t win.”

I can only figure it’s like a casual baseball fan filling out an all-star ballot. “Let’s see. Hmmm, I’ve heard of this ’Barry Bonds’ guy, I’ll vote for him.”

Seriously, WTF?

It seems that an inordinate amount of single women have decided that they want Hillary Clinton to be the nominee no matter what, as well as a lot of corrupt conservative establishment types who don’t want the war or the march towards a police state to end. That’s why she’s ahead.

“we have to be preparing to fight the new war.”

A couple of syllables were left out in transcription. The full text should read, “new-cu-lar war”.

Note: In case anybody’s wondering, Hillary is still held in relatively high regard by the 98% of likely Democratic primary voters who don’t read political blogs. That’s not necessarily a knock against bloggers; IMO Hillary would be cruising to the nomination right now were it not for the blogosphere. It’s just that our reach isn’t long enough yet. Maybe by 2012.

…for the rest of us

My guess is that Hillary’s gaffe will be some sort of stumble where she’s unable to say something. Kinda like Dukakis on the death penalty, back in the day.

Still waiting for that plan to restore Constitutional government, by the way.

We. Are. Going. To. Die. We must restore hope in the world. We must bring forth a new way of living that can sustain the world. Or else it is not just us who will die but everyone. What have we got to lose? Go forth and Fight!—Xan

I’ll give her that - she measures her words, considers them carefully. Word is, in person, she’s a compelling figure. But on camera, she comes across as inauthentic to me, and I chalk it up to her rarely speaking from the heart, always from the head. She’s passionate about gaining the presidency, and will do or say whatever she thinks it takes to accomplish that goal. In stark contrast to, say, Kucinich, who says what he believes and then is cropped out of photos.

“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead

It’s a “pre-response” to the point you’re making.

We. Are. Going. To. Die. We must restore hope in the world. We must bring forth a new way of living that can sustain the world. Or else it is not just us who will die but everyone. What have we got to lose? Go forth and Fight!—Xan

“in her own words.” for shoving in people’s faces in 2010, when the “new” war is dragging on, and i can remind people of how they bitched at me for not enthusiastically supporting her now and when she gets the nomination. obama said something really similar today apparantly, i didn’t find the link but he was blabbing about how 30K more soldiers may be a good idea, etc.

endless war: your choice from both republicans running for the democratic nomination for president.