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

[David]

The lights dim slowly as the Clinton campaign circles the bowl for the last time.

[Arthur]

I am a Democrat but am ashamed of Hillary Clinton because when a candidate will not answer questions from the public that proves to me she has no self-confidence in her ability to answer questions. What is she going to do when the tough questions come from world leaders? They will laugh at her. My party no longer talks about issues, they all blame some one else but themselves. Democratic congress has the worst rating (23% approval rating in the history of Congress). I voted for Harry Reid but his rating with Nevadians is just as low. Where is John Kennedy when we need him? I am sitting this one out. Hillary? I don't think so. She has no class.

A.M
Las Vegas

[Linda]

Remember Hillary's web site announcement for President? "So, let's talk, let's have a conversation, let's chat....... let's blah blah....." What a phoney! She couldn't handle real questions that haven't been planted, or screened so she can give her canned answers. Here are a couple I would love to hear someone ask her:

1. Why should Americans trust your judgement when you seem so easily fooled for decades by your sexual preditor, cheating, lying husband?

2. Please describe the proceedure of Partial Birth Abortion and tell why you support it.

[Sanjong Thapa]

It's a shame that none of the top Dem candidates have any experience running any branch of local, state, or fed'l gov't

[Trochilus]

What happened to the conversation with America? You know, "let's chat!" It has now morphed into, "Everyone zip it! I have some very important generic pap I'd like to share with you so I can get out of here."

One thing is for certain . . . the story doesn't explicitly say so, but you can be darned sure hubby wasn't there. No way she could have shut him up! Which may have everything to do with why he wasn't present for the purposes of recitation.

[Your Jewish Master]

Is this really a big surprise? Come on, it's Hillary you're talking about.
You must vote for her without question

[Big Horn]

Ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies!

[Dennis]

It must be HER “Don’t ask, Don’t tell policy”

[foutsc]

What do you expect when the slightest innocent misstep is magnified 1000X by the press?

[Michael Lang]

Typical. Bill might have gotten away with this kind of nonsense but his dowdy wife won't.

[ap]

People who do not take questions have no answers. Common sense has disappeared.

[number9]

compare: "If you are under 13 years of age you may read this message board, but you may not participate"

and,

contrast: "She tells crowds... to “pick a president,’’ but... not... to ask her any questions"

what a coinkydink... if you are an inquiring mind, you may pull the lever, but not ask why...

if this is the preview, then the big show running 2009-2013 should be epic

[Marcy]

No questions that may trip her up from her carefully planned and memorized presentations. Doesn't want a repeat of her debate debacle. What does that say about her? She can't consult with her handlers on the spot and doesn't want people to know how she really feels about issues...how she really stands. I think she believes she is so far above the citizens of this country that she doesn't have to be transparent and they will still vote for her. I hope she is mistaken.

[Jeff]

I find it frightening that this cycle, we have a major candidate who is running for president of the United States, but refuses to answer questions about her positions on specific issues, her record or her experience. And if she is cornered into answering a question about any of those - especially her record - she whines that she is being "attacked". Everything is so scripted. But Americans must be like sheep because it may be working. What makes it doubly scary is that she has a shot at winning (at least if you look at SOME polls)

[Paul F]

Ms. Clinton's problem is that while the American memory span is not all that long, it's long enough to remember the tactics and methodologies of her husband's failed administration ~ and to acknowledge her role in that administration.

We've seen what her politics and policies can do to a country.

No thank you, we've had plenty enough Clinton for one country.

[Sheva]

What there are no more Illinois Sunday school teachers of Hillary available to ask questions in Iowa?

I guess at some point you run out of plants.

[John from Philadelphia]

Standard Clinton tactics - when will the American public and the MSM wake up to this woman's complete lack of character and qualification. I cannot wait until Bush and Clinton are no longer part of our nation's daily discourse.

[Mike Sweetman]

She's in a corner...she can't use the old "plant" question anymore and shes run out of people to accuse of drug use...she has no other tools...heres a novel idea...how about answers!....wait a minute...can't use those either..they're locked up in the archives....damn!....maybe she should just go back to Chicago, I mean New York, I mean Arkansas and inhale.....

[AG]

She never learns. Being a candidate is about reaching out; that's why people who can at least feign interest in other human beings (i.e., like her husband) are successful. Hillary doesn't think about people unless they're useful to her as it's all about her. Her egomania is compounded with paranoia (she believes everyone is an enemy until proved otherwise and treats people accordingly), and the result is someone few voters like. When you consider that about 45% of the electorate has said it won't vote for her though she's had 15 years to make the public love her, you realize that it's only Bill's popularity and her name recognition that are the foundation of her candidacy.

[WirelessCobra]

Typical Hillary maneuver. When she first ran for Senate here in NY, she went all over the state on her infamous 'listening tour' and the yokels in NY bought into her 'concern' and elected her. The yokels haven't seen her since, except on national news coverage of her preseidential bid. Hillary is an evil, self-centered, egotistical, focus group driven, look at me, but don't ask questions flack who rode the coattails of Bubba to get where she is today. I know Iowa is not the overall face and conscience of America, but let's hope they can set the tone for Hillary's quick and overdue departure from the political stage.

[Frank Fawcett]

Hillary won't take questions because she has no good answers other than meaningless platitudes. She has been presented by the main stream media as the smartest woman in the world. She is not. She is also afraid of any questions on some of the things she was responsible for as co-president such as WTC1 bombing, refusing to capture or kill Bin Laden when he was offered to us on a platter, the Waco massacre, IRS audits of the women Bill is alleged to have sexually assaulted, FBI files, bombing the people of Kosovo who were no threat to us, selling pardons, selling military secrets to China, to name just a few. If the press was doing it's job these are all valid questions and should have been asked.

[Jeff]

Is anyone really not surprised by this? Why take questions when you don't have any answers? Hmmmmm. . . . .

[Henry Smith]

Hillary is a lying, dishonest a candidate as there has ever been running for the office of the President. A committed Communist, anti military she will drive the greatest country in the world into ruin if left to implement her policies. She is if nothing else, against individuality and capitalism and is a racist, class envy enabler. She is an elitist with no empathy for the people that really need our help.

[Robert Gibson-Taylor]

My questions for Hillary are:
1. What's your reaction to having that house drop on your sister?.
2. What's your plan for retrieving your sister's ruby slippers from that evil Dorothy Gale?
3. Where did you get those flying monkeys?
4. Want to hang out in my jacuzzi?

[Susan I]

Does this surprise anyone? Even if she would take questions, she does not answer them, she does the dance and evades.

Why on earth anyone would vote for this person is beyond me. And she must realize that President Bush is not running. Her attacks on him are boring. She talks about him being secretive, what a joke. What is she being by not answering questions?????