Hillary Clinton's "don't ask" policy

As she races through Iowa in the days before next week's caucuses, Hillary Clinton is taking few chances. She tells crowds that it’s their turn to “pick a president,’’ but over the last two days she has not invited them to ask her any questions.

Before the brief Christmas break, the New York senator had been setting aside time after campaign speeches to hear from the audience. Now when she’s done speaking, her theme songs blare from loudspeakers, preventing any kind of public Q&A.

She was no more inviting when a television reporter approached her after a rally on Thursday and asked if she was “moved’’ by Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. Clinton turned away without answering.

Her daughter, Chelsea, had the same reaction when a reporter approached her with a question.

Hillary Clinton’s no-question policy didn’t sit well with some of the Iowans who came to see her speak.

“I was a little bit underwhelmed,’’ said Doug Rohde, 46, as he left a rally at a fire station in Denison. “The message was very generic -- and no questions.’’

Clinton campaign officials said that she may take questions in the coming days. But her focus is on seeing as many voters as possible before the caucuses next Thursday -- and spotlighting the messages she wants to deliver.

Spokespeople for her two main rivals in the Hawkeye State -– John Edwards and Barack Obama -– said the candidates would continue fielding questions as they troll for support.

(UPDATE: For an amusing update, click here.)

-- Peter Nicholas

Comments

[Gill]

She is a fraud.

[Steve Schiedermayer]

I'm surprised that we view this limit-the-discussion approach as a change from long-standing Hillary media policy. It has been the standard rather than the exception.

[Terry]

Something anyone using their brain should understand Hillary makes promises she can't keep, has no format to stand on and if you look at her face closely has an evil appearance that is only about her.

[RJ]

What kind of presidential candidate is afraid to take questions from the people?

[Heavy Jay]

Dear Mrs. Bill Clinton,
Why did you order the National Organization for Women to look the other way when it came to your husband being a rapist? Do you honestly believe that these nags would have muzzled themselves in regards to your husband being a rapist if you weren't part of the Wellesley Crowd? The only thing on your resume` is handling "Bimbo Eruptions".

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Few media have trumpeted that Sen. Clinton exposed her socialist agenda during a speech Monday in San Francisco.

"Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you. We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you," she said at a fund-raiser for radical Sen. Barbara Boxer.

"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good," the former first lady admitted.

Monday, June 28, 2004

[Bob]

When considering Clinton, check on Google for the "Clinton Body Count" before you push the lever. This says it all!!

[Adam]

Of course Hillary does not want questions. She does not have the answers!

[tom]

She is a scripted phony who is afraid to get caught off the reservation.

[Ross Compton]

She and Huckabee are the only two candidates I find just plain scary.

[JOHN]

SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON IS GOING TO MAKE A GREAT PRESIDENT.

[Daryl]

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah !

[Beak]

Of course there will be no questions. Don't we all know that royalty (Queen Hillary) doesn't have to respond to commoners? She just wants the crown so Bill can get started on his third term. It is a perpetual mystery to me why so many Americans can even think of voting for this woman. Don't any of them remember the debacle of her in the WH the last time?

[Vindi Ghutui]

Hilary Clinton can't say anything without a prewritten script or a rehersal. What will she do when speaking to heads of state from other countries? Hmmm!

[will]

Her silence speaks volumes.

Hillary is not to be trusted with the Presidency. We need guts to face the hard questions not Clintonion cautiousness.

[Roland Melnick]

Opening her mouth has hurt her cause lately, but I think walling herself off from voters will make her situation worse. Non-participation in public Q&A's is never a good idea, especially in places like Iowa that place such high importance on them. She realizes she is not a shoe-in for the nomination and is wary of making another drivers-licenses-for-illegal-immigrants gaffe.

[Bob]

Hillary can be her own worst enemy. If I were her, I would not answer question either, she has a lot of "Swift Boat" type baggage on the internet:

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2007/11/hillary-lesbian.html

http://regressiveminds.bloghi.com/2007/11/01/peter-paul-fraud-lawsuit-vs-hillary-won-t-go-away.html

See this video:
http://regressiveminds.bloghi.com/2007/11/01/peter-paul-fraud-lawsuit-vs-hillary-won-t-go-away.html

[CallMeIshmael]

A "Non-listening tour?"

[Dick Alderman]

If Hillary is elected, we will have a real blood bath as she crucifies anyone who has opposed her along the way. This has been her history and her recent try at humanizing hersefl won't change that.

[Kevin]

She has finally figured out it's best she keep her words to her canned speeches and stop giving the media any more ammo on questions she's not well prepared to answer.

[Eve]

Not answering questions? This article makes it sound like this is a new behavior for Hillary but she has done before. Maybe she does not want to explain that as president she would force you to purchase health insurance. Health insurance is one of the biggerst scams ever. They make their money of denial of your medical claim. There is no reform for this kind of scam, only additional scams in the way of cover up. By the way, did you know Hillary accepts $$$ from the insurance companies. Her plan will make her richer and make us poorer. My plan is to vote for the only person who would DARE to change this. Dennis Kuchinich, you are the man!!!!

[STEVE]

How can we find out what a candidate truly stands for if they won't take, or answer questions? Something to hide is all we can assume.

[Rick]

A new meaning for don't ask, don't tell - "Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies."

[bart farpolemieux]

no questions!....typical of a marxist dictator

[LeftCoastOracle]

I suspect the timing is convenient for Sen. Clinton: although she sites the proximity to Iowa's caucuses she may not be taking questions because she lacks a coherent response to what the U.S. should, or should not, do in the wake of the assassination of Benezir Bhutto. Given the unbelievable responses I've seen from most of the candidates she may be playing it safe until her advisers come up with a responsible position.

[Earl Lutz]

How do you expect Hillary to answer questions!

I mean..

We catcht them everytime the "plant" a questioner and there's a WRITERS strike going on!

Hillary is a real as a 3 dollar bill