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

[Able Goodman]

Hilzilla's lust for the One Ring is so strong as to be scary to most non-control-freak individuals. Her numerous lemmings are also scary critters because socialism is directly contrary to the spiritual and intellectual essence of human individuality.
The problem with Tolkien's metaphorical One Ring (of political Power/coercion) is that, no matter how pure your initial intentions, when when you put it on to try to solve a perceived problem, the ONLY POSSIBLE result is an exponentially huger, more pervasive, more subtle, more complex, more difficult, more destructive problem than the problem originally sought to be solved.
Let's look at a couple of harsh and inconvenient facts: 1) roughly half of Americans despise and fear Senator Palpatine's, er Senator Clinton's, obvious control-freak personality disorder and 2) at least 90% of Americans, both "left" and "right" combined, are completely fed up with the "same old samo." To the “left” at least Obama represents something semi-new (a numerically popular black candidate for prez).
Being seriously deficient in the subjects of individualism and economics, most of the punditry just don't “get” what’s happening. They're totally out of the loop, as are the rest of the VDM (Vestigial Dinosaur Media) along with both the Dem and GOP establishments. Accordingly, thanks to the Internet, 2008 should prove to be an extremely interesting political season, even if, to me (at least), most of the self-perceived-as-intelligent chattering-class blather is painfully boring.

[Dave Olejnik]

Maybe this decision to avoid answering questions is just her contribution to minimizing global warming by reducing the amount of "hot air" that she spews into the atmosphere.

[Randy Whitehead]

Makes sense to me.

Why should anyone be allowed to ask questions of a person with absolutely no answers?

[tro]

Big whoop! Better than saying "CHANGE" without explaining from what to what!

Obama's people were out yesterday suggesting that it was Hilllary's fault Benazir Bhutto was assasinated.

Let that speak for itself.

[Wm Thompson]

She doesn't want to answer questions because she doesn't want her socialist agenda to be exposed.

She has been shown to not be able to communicate a firm position with out obfuscating it to death.

She doesn't want to be on record as taking a clear stand on any issue other than what her speeches indicate. She already is on both sides of all the major issues.

[Ron Mwangaguhunga]

We are now in the crunch, and any opportunity to go off message will be frowned upon.

[Randy Whitehead]

Makes sense to me.

Why should anyone be allowed to ask questions of a person with absolutely no answers?

[Jack Quillman]

Oh -Hillary, don't exspose yourself,you are our last chance for income redistribution

[Robert hazlett]

Hillary Clinton not only ducks audience questions. She has not done ONE hard-hitting full-length news interview - with ANYONE.

People in Iowa (and the people of this country) ought to know why by now, especially after the eight years of lies, corruption, and weekly scandals we got during "her first two terms" in the 90s.

The sad thing is - the media isn't screaming from the rooftops that they have no access to this socialist who wants to be queen.

[Daniel Fitzpatrick]

Well, she does need time to see what direction the political wind is blowing before any questions are answered, right?

[Robert]

I am a registered Democrat...sad enough or maybe fortunately voters should take note of her behavior. I t will only be worse if she is elected to office...food for thought.

[J.W.WOODARD]

MS.CLINTON HAS NEVER BEEN ASK A QUSENTION THAT WAS NOT PLANED ANY WAY , SHE WILL BE ARE FIRST COMI PRESIDENT JUST AS HER COLLAGE TEACHER HAVE SAID .
GOD HELP US

[Adrenalyn]

well, this is why I call democrats "nazicrats"
she is just their spiritual leader and creator of the modern day version of the nazis with their refusal to allow free speech for dissenters

[Derek]

good ole hill...showing her true colors once again.

[Matt]

Hillary Clinton is a horrible, horrible woman. Her election would be a terrible blow for the idea of freedom and of individual choice.

God, Allah, Buddha, Krishna...the Justice League...Optimus Prime...anyone, save us from Hillary Clinton and her brain-dead supporters.

[Johnny B]

In the debates, Hillary has already proven her inability to answer questions. So, I guess she is now taking a cowardly approach. Yet, she continues to talk about experience. Amazing.

[RALPH]

PERHAPS PIAPS IS AFRAID THAT SOMEONE WILL ASK HER ABOUT PEGGY PEREZ-OLIVO!!!!!!!

http://tinyurl.com/32drrl

[Dick Dickerson]

That's a darn shame she ain't takin' no questions.

[RK]

This is Ms. Clinton before being President. How do you think she will act if elected? I understand her reluctance to engage the press (they're all dishonest car salesmen). But she should allow a few questions -- and no plants, please. If President Bush can make it through some Qs (and the press calls him an idiot), surely Ms. Clinton can do so, too.

[Aaron James]

if she answered Questions she'd have to start keeping good track of her lies, in the age where I can record high definition video and audio on my fancy new phone, anything she says can and will end up on the Net to be unable to redact take back, or give a good reason why her answer becomes different day after day

Poor daughter, Chelsea seems like a sweet lass, but must endure her lying mother...

[Jeremy]

She doesnt answer questions because HIllary doenst even know what she believes. When is America going to wake up and demand better!!!
VOTE RON PAUL 08

[Riteaidbob]

If I just wanted to "see" her I could do that on TV. LAME.

[JoeF]

We're not surprised! Kommissar Hillary, hasn't said anything, except to prove that she's a socialist and will raise our taxes to pay for many Federal programs to distribute the wealth. Isn't that communism? I'm not voting for her, but rather, against her.

[Mikey]

I'm 13 and can't vote. If I could vote, I wouldn't vote for someone who would not answer questions.

[Jerry (NC)]

It is a shame that individuals think they can ask for my vote, but do not want to answer my questions clearly.

I have no use for Senator Clinton.