It's The Attitude, Stupid
Compare and contrast. Here's new Australian PM Kevin Rudd meeting Obama:
"Senator Obama called Mr Rudd this afternoon for an extended discussion but was not able to attend a face-to-face meeting because he was campaigning in Pennsylvania."
And here's Rudd meeting Clinton:
"KEVIN Rudd and Hillary Clinton hit it off so famously at their meeting in Washington that the former first lady, and candidate fighting to win the Democratic nomination for presidency, fell behind in her crucial campaign for the last ballots in Pennsylvania.
What was meant to be a quick ''meet and greet'' as the potential US president paid her respects to the Australian Prime Minister turned into a 40-minute discussion that had to be broken up by Senator Clinton's aides...
Anxious aides eventually manoeuvred Senator Clinton out of the meeting room and, after a long photograph and farewell session, her cavalcade departed, well behind time for the airport and her resumption of the campaign for Democrat nomination."
To me this says a lot about the candidates' priorities and their attitudes to politics. Clinton would rather mingle with the powerful than get down in the trenches (which probably explains why she is putting her hopes in the Democrat Party elites).
"Senator Obama called Mr Rudd this afternoon for an extended discussion but was not able to attend a face-to-face meeting because he was campaigning in Pennsylvania."
And here's Rudd meeting Clinton:
"KEVIN Rudd and Hillary Clinton hit it off so famously at their meeting in Washington that the former first lady, and candidate fighting to win the Democratic nomination for presidency, fell behind in her crucial campaign for the last ballots in Pennsylvania.
What was meant to be a quick ''meet and greet'' as the potential US president paid her respects to the Australian Prime Minister turned into a 40-minute discussion that had to be broken up by Senator Clinton's aides...
Anxious aides eventually manoeuvred Senator Clinton out of the meeting room and, after a long photograph and farewell session, her cavalcade departed, well behind time for the airport and her resumption of the campaign for Democrat nomination."
To me this says a lot about the candidates' priorities and their attitudes to politics. Clinton would rather mingle with the powerful than get down in the trenches (which probably explains why she is putting her hopes in the Democrat Party elites).
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Or maybe she knew it was the Australian PM and since they are a close ally it makes sense for a potential Candidate for President to take time to talk to the man. Further worries me about Mr. Obamas' lack of Foreign Policy knowledge......
April 1, 2008 1:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama supporter here, but I don't really buy this. Everybody has scheduling conflicts and screw-ups and soforth.
I bet Barack would love to talk to Kevin Rudd. They might laugh about how Obama totally owned former PM Howard when his Baldness tried to score some cheap points criticizing Obama's plan to withdraw from Iraq. I've seen some videos on Youtube where Rudd also beat up on Mr. Old, Ugly, and Dingo-ish.
April 1, 2008 1:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'll second this (also as an Obama supporter). Until the last paragraph, I actually thought this was being posted by a Clinton supporter!
For a US Senator to take time out of his/her campaign schedule to meet with the PM of Australia is not a bad thing.
April 1, 2008 8:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes it does. Obama still understands he is not the party's nominee... and Hillary is still putting the cart before the horse.
Remember, the POTUS answers to the American people first, not a foreign dignitary.
April 1, 2008 3:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, she was an hour and a half late when she came here to rally. Obama was right on time.
April 1, 2008 4:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Australian PM is a right-wing nut-job. Makes sense he'd fall for Hillary.
April 1, 2008 7:26 AM | Reply | Permalink