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Vic Lundquist
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November 17th, 2007 | | Posted in Analysis, Commentary, and Editorials, Barack Obama, Character, Commander in Chief, Democrats, Ethics, General Election, Headlines, Hillary Clinton, Integrity, Leadership, Mitt Romney, New To Romney, Op/Ed, Press Releases, Republican Nomination, Rudy Giuliani, The Politico, Values
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Robert Novak is reporting (click here —-> Hillary vs. Obama) the following:
Agents of Sen. Hillary Clinton are spreading the word in Democratic circles that she has scandalous information about her principal opponent for the party’s presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama, but has decided not to use it. The nature of the alleged scandal was not disclosed.
Obama has replied as reported at Politico in part:
Obama accused Clinton of “Swift boat’ politics” and vowed he will not be intimidated.
“I am prepared to stand up to that kind of politics, whether it’s deployed by candidates in our party, in the other party or by any third party,” Obama said. “The cause of change in this country will not be deterred or sidetracked by the old ‘Swift boat’ politics. The cause of moving America forward demands that we defeat it.”
Howard Wolfson, Clinton’s campaign communications director, said she has “no idea” what the item is about.
In the statement, issued at 11:39 a.m. Eastern time, Obama called on Clinton to renounce the report or disclose the information, and twisted the knife by adding: “She of all people, having complained so often about ‘the politics of personal destruction,’ should move quickly to either stand by or renounce these tactics.”
The statement continues: “The item did not identify these ‘agents,’ nor did it reveal the nature of the charge. It was devoid of facts, but heavy on innuendo and insinuation of the sort to which we’ve become all too accustomed in our politics these past two decades. If the purpose of this shameless item was to daunt or discourage me or supporters of our campaign from challenging and changing the politics of Washington, it will fail. In fact, it will only serve to steel our resolve. But in the interest of our party, and her own reputation, Sen. Clinton should either make public any and all information referred to in the item, or concede the truth: that there is none.”
Obama’s statement is a bit unusual in that it gives Novak such credence.
Since I decided to get involved to support Governor Romney, I have given a great deal of thought to whether the reporting of fact-based information, that reflects on a candidate’s character, should be off limits. Two very important attributes drew me to Governor Romney as a leader in the first place. First he is the most intelligent, master strategist of all candidates. Second was his character. The character of a leader has always been a very important requirement for me, and I believe is paramount among most Americans.
Most people running for high office rely on their character and reputation, in part, to garner widespread support. Character is more important to some candidates and their supporters than it is for others obviously. Americans need to know, as much as is possible, the true character of the leaders they elect to positions of high trust. Each new commander-in-chief is empowered to send my son or grandsons to war.
My conclusion was that information that is factual to a candidate’s true character is important for the public to know. We know from the Bill Clinton administration that some Americans think a leader’s personal life, relative to extramarital relationships, should be off limits and private. I disagree. The fact that such remained private in earlier presidencies is beside the point (would JFK have been elected President if all Americans knew his wife could not trust him with other women?). Presidential candidates are constantly “selling” themselves to impress us with their strength of character and leadership. Highly respected leaders are generally self-disciplined and are above reproach as to the principles and values they tout. Of course, they err as humans, but the leader of character has mastered self to the point that he or she would never make a choice to sully their character or their reputation. In other words, behavior that leads to damaged character, is in fact a decision; it is a choice. Such behavior is not a “mistake” as we often hear from our leaders when they choose to leave the moral path in any way.
So what about this Novak report? All biases aside, I think the floating of this ‘innuendo and insinuation’ by Clinton is despicable and base. Unfortunately, the fact that she did this does not surprise me, which for me is a sad commentary in the modern, enlightened age. It is no surprise because it eminated from Ms. Clinton. I strongly agree with Obama’s camp that she should either come forth with the facts, or come clean and state there is nothing to report. It is utterly despicable to publish statements that you have potentially serious, character-damaging facts you intend to keep private. In my book, what Ms. Clinton did today through Novak and others, reflects perfectly on the lack of character in her stoop. This behavior is a perfect example of a decision or a choice a candidate makes that damages their character. This is not a mere mistake by Ms. Clinton. Few things are left to chance by this senator. Curiously, such behavior further damages Senator Clinton’s character, but not her reputation.
As to the facts. I do think if facts exist, that if revealed would alter Americans’ perception of Senator Obama’s character, those facts should definitely be revealed. But if revealed, they should be reported in all professionalism, without sensationalism. The fact that any man or woman in this nation would expose themselves to incredible scrutiny by running for the Office of President, is behavior worthy of our highest respect, in my opinion. That is until or unless they break the trust. Senator Obama has my highest respect in this regard.
Because I strongly believe that Senator Clinton has many times broken the public trust in many ways and seeks to be President mostly out of lust of power, it is she that I hope wins the nomination of the Democrat Party. If we can nominate Governor Romney on the Republican ticket, it would be an historic match-up of character polarization never before seen in this nation’s history; unlike a Clinton-Giuliani match-up.
~ Vic
“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”
— Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. president (1809-1865)
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