Bill Clinton needs to get back on the campaign trail

Folks, we're entering some difficult times as of late because of problems with the Hillary campaign's management. It is very unfortunate that the one candidate that can give hope to America once again has the most incompetent staff of all the campaigns. We need to get Bill Clinton back on the campaign trail. Where is he? Yes we have Hillary's mother and Chelsea out there with her, but they simply don't have the star power that Bill Clinton has. Let's face it - without Bill, Hillary is nothing. He is her biggest asset. So to keep him hidden in the closet during this very important part of the presidential race is beyond stupid.

Today I received an e-mail from Bill Clinton practically begging for money. I really hope this e-mail didn't go out to very many people, because it just reeks of desperation.

Dear VFHO,

It's one thing to have good intentions, another thing altogether to change the reality of people's lives. Hillary has been changing people's lives for as long as I've known her.

She did it in Arkansas when she made major improvements to our schools. She did it in the aftermath of September 11, when she helped first responders get the medical care they needed. She's done it in the U.S. Senate, where she has worked to make sure we fulfill our promises to our troops, veterans, and their families.

She has never let setbacks stop her. When our health care reforms didn't pass in the 90's, she rolled up her sleeves and got right back to work on the Children's Health Insurance Program, which insures six million kids in America today.

That's Hillary, the best combination of heart and mind, of leadership ability and feel for the problems of other people I've ever known. She's also our best candidate to beat the Republicans for one reason: because she would make the best president. She's got great plans for universal health care, good jobs, access to college, ending the war in Iraq, and restoring America's position in the world; and she's been tested in the kind of campaign they always run.

Now Hillary needs your help as 2007 comes to a close. We're just $212,374 from reaching our fundraising goal this week, and Hillary needs her online supporters to make it over the top. Will you make a contribution for Hillary today?

Make a contribution and help Hillary today.

You know, even if I weren't married to Hillary, I would still be enthusiastically supporting her. Her experience, her compassion, and her great ideas for the future make her the right candidate.

America is ready for change. After seven years of failed policies, it's time for a new beginning, led by someone who has spent her life making a difference for others.

If you want to know the kind of changes she'll make for you, you only have to look at what she's already accomplished for others for 35 years.

Let's help Hillary show her strength at this critical moment. We're just $212,374 from our weekly goal; help put our campaign over the top.

Contribute today to help Hillary show her strength.

Thank you so much for all you do to help Hillary, so she can do what she does best: get to work and help others.

Sincerely,

Bill Clinton

Why do we have Bill Clinton in charge of sending e-mails? Again, he is the most important part of Hillary's campaign and should be out front and center. The campaign is dropping the ball and I'll be damned if I'm just going to sit by the sidelines and watch what chance we had crumble away. Please contact the campaign and let them know how you feel. I've been trying to get on the phone with them all day but apparently their staff is too busy sending out desperate e-mails begging for money. What happened to the hope, the passion, the message of peace and prosperity? I hate to be negative here folks but the fire that was once lit inside my soul is slowly being put out by the incompetency I have been witnessing day after day. I do have a glimmer of hope left though because it is not too late, if the campaign makes some changes and they make them right now. But the primaries are right around the corner and we need to get our act together.

For now, we need you all to keep up with the mission: restroom grassroots campaign. Apparently we can't count on the campaign to promote Hillary so we'll have to do all the work ourselves. I think now would be a good time to refer back to the Grassroots Hillary Oath - feel free to print that off if you haven't already.

The Clintons bring everyone together

Every day now it seems like the other candidates are giving speeches, sending out press releases, and speaking at debates about how they will get their party back to its principles and show their base that they are the extreme Democrat or Republican. You got people like Dennis Kucinich that hopes to rally the liberal base with socialist ideals, and you have Ron Paul that attempts to rally the extreme right wing base with anarchist philosophies. Now, neither of these 2 candidates really stand a chance, but these are the directions that the parties seem to be going in. This unwillingness to compromise on issues is great in theory, but the reality is, politics is all about negotiation. You have to give a little to take a little.

The last president to fully understand this concept was Bill Clinton. He understood that sticking to the principles of the democratic base locks you in a corner with no wiggle room to work out deals that could work in your favor. Everyone loves to criticize politicians for flip flopping or endorsing policies that seem to conflict with what they stand for, but people have got to understand that politics is all a big game. And if you refuse to play the game correctly and you instead stand by a list of ideals that don't resonate with middle America, then you aren't going to be very successful. This is the reality, and this is the way it's always been and always will be.

Bush was able to market himself on this ability of meeting both sides in the middle, and that's how he got elected. But once he was elected, he betrayed the people by refusing to work with those of opposing views. Above all else, this is precisely the reason why Bush's poll numbers are so low. He tried to be everything-republican. His way or the highway. Believe me, history will not remember him in a good light.

That's why at this time more than ever, we need someone that isn't so stuck and stubborn in their narrow ideologies. We need someone who is flexible and understands that a good President has to work with both parties and consider all ideas. The American people's needs and wants are constantly changing, and a good leader needs to be flexible to adapt to that change. This is why we need someone like Hillary Clinton in the White house. A good representative of any group is someone who doesn't let their own personal views get in the way of carrying out what the people want. From what I can tell, Hillary Clinton doesn't really have deep personal views, so this conflict between leader and the people won't even be a factor.

MSNBC touched on this a little bit in an article entitled "Bill Touts Hillary's Work With GOP":

Today in New Hampshire, her husband noted the ways she’s worked with the opposite party, including a would-be rival. And he argued that more attention needs to be paid to candidates’ records and not to "pure politics."

“I argue to you based on a lifetime of experience that if you have spent as my wife has 35 years ... being a positive change maker, that indicates that you would be more likely to successfully execute change as president. If you have proved in the U.S. Senate that you could get things done with Republicans as well as Democrats, that indicates you’d be more likely to succeed as president.”

Bill hit the head right on the nail. In order to be an effective leader, it is essential that you learn to work with all sides and not be so isolated in your own ideals that you fail to see the real needs of every day Americans. I'm willing to bet that no other candidate realizes this fact, a fact that is only realized with a great deal of experience - something both Bill and Hillary have an enormous amount of.

Hillary hints that she may choose Bill Richardson for VP

From Newsmax.com:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton tossed an intriguing teaser into Saturday night's Iowa Brown and Black Presidential Forum: Bill Richardson as vice president?

When the New Mexico governor referenced Bill Clinton's old job as governor of Arkansas, he said to Clinton, "Don't you think governors make good presidents?" according to the New York Daily News.

Clinton's answer -- "Well, Bill, I think they also make good vice presidents" -- left Richardson briefly speechless.

Speculation about Richardson as VP has been fueled by his refusal to criticize Clinton, and his willingness to defend her.

If you'll recall from our post on possible Vice President selections for Hillary, we noted that Bill Richardson is the only democratic candidate with experience in the executive branch. As much as we'd love to see the possibility of a Hillary & Bill dynamic duo, we also think the White House could use some fresh blood in the office. Richardson also offers a vast amount of experience with foreign relations as the former Secretary of Energy. Plus, it's no secret that Bill Richardson has been the only candidate with enough integrity to not attack Hillary Clinton during the debates and press releases. He has shown that he knows better than to do that, and I don't see him as someone who would get in the way of Hillary's proposals while in office. Let's face it, Hillary and Bill can take care of the White House just fine on their own. Whoever the Vice President happens to be, we shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking that they are anything more than a fill-in for a required position. The real reason Hillary should choose Bill Richardson? The Latino vote. In this day and age, alienating this important demographic is political suicide. The naming of Bill Richardson for VP along with her plans on immigration reform will by the winning combination for capturing the hearts and votes of Latinos across the nation.

Who Would Make A Good Vice President for Hillary

As it's becoming more and more evident that Hillary Clinton will win the nominee and ultimately become elected President of the United States, a subject that we're starting to focus on more is who will be the Vice President alongside Hillary. It's pretty likely that she will choose from one of the democratic candidates currently running for president.

Here's what we have to choose from:

Senator Joe Biden
Senator Christopher Dodd
Former Senator John Edwards
Senator Barack Obama
Governor Bill Richardson

There are also a few fringe candidates running like Dennis Kucinich, but the serious contenders narrow down to this group here.

At first glance, one of the things that pops out right away is the fact that there are 4 Senators and one governor, Bill Richardson. One benefit that Bill Richardson has is that he has experience working in the executive branch of New Mexico. The problem is, he is used to dealing with problems mostly pertaining to that of New Mexico and may not have a clear view of the problems we face as a nation. Another downside is his lack of name recognition and popularity. He may not alienate any Hillary supporters, but he isn't likely to bring in any new ones either. Quite frankly, Bill Richardson running as Hillary's vice president with either have a neutral or negative impact. That simply isn't good enough for Vote for Hillary Online.

Joe Biden and Christopher Dodd also have the problems with popularity and name recognition. Make no mistake, these candidates have their loyal followers, but we're talking about mainstream America here. Chris Dodd is even viewed as a fringe candidate to some. Again, these two candidates will either have a neutral or negative impact on Hillary's campaign and presidency. Not good enough.

We are left with the well known front runners: Barack Obama and John Edwards. I want to point out a very simple contrast between these two: John Edwards is far to the left and does not shy away from his beliefs, and Barack Obama tries to pander more down the middle to appeal to a wider audience. John Edwards threatens to take away health care packages from legislators if health care isn't made available to all of the American people, and Barack Obama shies away from conflict - he wants a new brand of politics that calls for people to come together. Both have their pros and cons. John Edwards gets respect for looking out for America's lower class and sticking to his guns about his stances, but he also runs the risk of alienating the middle and upper class. Barack goes for all inclusive friendly approach, yet often comes across as a wobbler because he never takes a tough stand on anything.

While Vote for Hillary Online's ideologies more closely resemble that of John Edwards, we feel that some of his rhetoric may not be easily swallowed by the general public. Not to mention the obvious: There has never been a woman president or vice president, and there has also never been an African American president or vice president. We feel that the symbolic implications of having both of these things accomplished at one time would make this election much more powerful.

There is one other option though that we will start exploring in the days to come: Bill Clinton as vice president. Think it's not possible because the 22nd Amendment blocks a person from being elected president twice, while the 12th Amendment states the vice president must be someone who's eligible to be President? Think again.

Jacques Chirac's Wife Endorses Hillary Clinton

Great news folks: Bernadette Chirac, wife of former French President Jacques Chirac, has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. Not only that, but she has vowed to support her on the campaign trail. If you will recall in our last post about the dynamic duo of Hillary and Bill Clinton, we mentioned the fact that the Bush administration has soured relations with just about every foreign leader. It's time for America to be respected in the world community again, not looked at with disgust. We're facing an important turning point in the world today, and we can either do the right thing and improve foreign relations, or we can continue to snub our noses at the rest of the world which will inevitably lead to dire consequences.

It was not too long ago that we were friends with the French. They were our ally in the world, and we shared a common goal of world peace and economic stability. This has been all but ruined by the Bush administration. The French dared to be a voice of logic in the wake of our senseless Iraq invasion, and we ridiculed them and even accused them of siding with terrorists. Remember freedom fries?

The fact that members of the former French administration are now endorsing Hilly Clinton should confirm the fact she is the only candidate who has a keen sense of the importance of sound foreign relations, and it's apparent that the international community is taking note.

Oh, and with this great news, certainly the media couldn't find a way to work this into their smear campaign, could they? They unfortunately do, although this time not so obvious. Note the headline: "Clinton wins surprise support from former French first lady" You really have to wonder what Reuters finds so surprising in this. This endorsement should be obvious to anyone who was paying attention.

Bill and Hillary: Two for the Price of One

Of all the candidates running for the opportunity to be ruler of the free world, Hillary is the most unique option because her presidency will essentially be giving Americans two for the price of one. Who are the spouses of the other candidates? Can you name more than two? Is there anything remotely interesting about any of them? Do they have strong leadership capabilities and experience? If any of the other candidates were to get elected, their spouse would simply play the role of the tag-along. They'll walk alongside the president before getting on board Air Force One. They'll smile for the camera, maybe give a few speeches at elementary schools about the importance of education. But at the end of the day, the spouses will have absolutely no role to play other than to make sure the White House is tidied up for when the President gets back from a trip.

Except in the presidency of Hillary Clinton. Folks, we need strong, clear leadership. There has never been a more important time in history where our country craves so much a leader who can get this great nation back in order from the chaos of the Bush administration. And with Hillary Clinton in office, you not only get her expertise and leadership skills, you get Bill Clinton's enormous experience and the ability to bring together a nation so often at odds. We here at Vote for Hillary Online think this has been a vastly overlooked component to the reality of what a Hillary Clinton administration would mean for America.

Foreign policy. Boring stuff right? Let me make it easy for you: Bill Clinton was a mastermind at developing important relations with the leaders of other nations all around the world. The world was at peace - not because we forced peace by submitting people at gun point, but because we listened to their concerns, and we used our massive power to help our allies in times of need.

The foreign policies of the Bush Administration have all but alienated all of our former allies because of our utter lack of respect for the interests of our neighbors. When Americans travel to Europe nowadays they have to pretend to be Canadian because Bush's actions worldwide have tarnished the perception of American people overseas. We need a complete reversal in order to regain respect and trust amongst our former allies in the world. We need someone who knows how to understand the concerns of other people, not scoff at them. We need someone who has experience in this area, and I'm pretty confident in saying that 8 years' experience in direct foreign relations is well beyond the experience any other candidate has.

America is suffering right now. Not only internally, but externally as well. What we need is exceptional leadership and I can't think of a better choice than the dynamic duo of Hillary and Bill Clinton.