Blow for Obama as Bill Clinton's right hand man reveals he's voting for Romney

Atlantis50 · 04-09-2012 01:55PM #1

In a blow for Obama in the run up to his nomination speech at the DNC on Thursday night, Bill Clinton's right hand man, Douglas Band, has revealed that he will be voting for Romney because he believes it would be in the best interests of a Hillary 2016 presidential campaign.

There is a history of bad blood between Bill Clinton and Obama but they have since patched up their differences. Bill Clinton will formally nominate Obama at the DNC on Wednesday night and the timing of this story couldn't be worse for the Obama campaign.

Full story here: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80617.html?hp=r7

Mjollnir · 04-09-2012 02:04PM

I can't see how this adds up to a 'blow' for Obama, or how the timing of this is even remotely bad, given that it's really a non-story in the first place.

File under "Forgotten in hours rather than days by the electorate".

Brian? · 04-09-2012 03:09PM

Atlantis50 wrote: »

In a blow for Obama in the run up to his nomination speech at the DNC on Thursday night, Bill Clinton's right hand man, Douglas Band, has revealed that he will be voting for Romney because he believes it would be in the best interests of a Hillary 2016 presidential campaign.

There is a history of bad blood between Bill Clinton and Obama but they have since patched up their differences. Bill Clinton will formally nominate Obama at the DNC on Wednesday night and the timing of this story couldn't be worse for the Obama campaign.

Full story here: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80617.html?hp=r7

The timing of this story could be a hell of a lot worse, it's only early September. It could have come out closer to the election. With the DNC starting it's not going to make any headlines. In fact I don't think the timing could have been better.

I wouldn't see it as a huge blow either, I'd say about 90% of average Joes have heard of him.

poeticseraphim · 04-09-2012 03:23PM

briankeating wrote: »

The timing of this story could be a hell of a lot worse, it's only early September. It could have come out closer to the election. With the DNC starting it's not going to make any headlines. In fact I don't think the timing could have been better.

I wouldn't see it as a huge blow either, I'd say about 90% of average Joes have heard of him.

Moderate blow....

But the theory seems to be they want to destroy Obama to give more power to the Clintons ..rather than being a fan of Romney.

And to be honest that makes no sense...as Obama can't do a third term and Hilary could run again after.

Who knows how people will take it....

It seems the Dems are split? Are they?

Did Obama go too far right for them??? I always got that impression.

Amerika · 04-09-2012 07:34PM

It makes sense to me. Having Hillary attempt a run after another 4 years of disastrous policies perpetrated on America by President Obama and the Democrats would make it exceedingly hard for her to win in 2016. Going up against a second term of Romney would be far easier for Hillary in my opinion.

Atlantis50 · 04-09-2012 09:30PM

Band has now come out publicly stating he's supporting Obama:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80650.html?hp=l5

The DNC have also come out against the story to try and nip it in the bud.

The journalist who wrote the original story with the claims is sticking by his story:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/09/lizza-stands-by-clinton-aide-report-134335.html?hp=l5_b2

Brian? · 04-09-2012 09:36PM

Amerika wrote: »

It makes sense to me. Having Hillary attempt a run after another 4 years of disastrous policies perpetrated on America by President Obama and the Democrats would make it exceedingly hard for her to win in 2016. Going up against a second term of Romney would be far easier for Hillary in my opinion.

You really think that the Clinton camp is so self centered they'd rather see Romney win than Obama? That makes zero sense, especially given President Clinton's loud public support of Obama.

Min · 04-09-2012 09:47PM

It was said on RTE 'Obama for President 2012' Radio 1, that Bill Clinton wanted Hillary to challenge Obama for the nomination for the upcoming election.

Brian? · 04-09-2012 10:14PM

Min wrote: »

It was said on RTE 'Obama for President 2012' Radio 1, that Bill Clinton wanted Hillary to challenge Obama for the nomination for the upcoming election.

Let's say that's true, she didn't. Now given that she didn't challenge, it seems very unlikely that the Clintons would campaign heavily for Obama while at the same time try to undermine him?

Min · 04-09-2012 10:46PM

briankeating wrote: »

Let's say that's true, she didn't. Now given that she didn't challenge, it seems very unlikely that the Clintons would campaign heavily for Obama while at the same time try to undermine him?

http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/bill-clinton-dubbed-obama-incompetent-urged-hillary-to-run-for-presidency-book-210271

New York: Former US President Bill Clinton dubbed Barack Obama "incompetent" and pressed wife Hillary to quit her job as Secretary of State to challenge the incumbent President in the primaries, a new book has claimed.

"The country needs you!" the former president had told Hillary Clinton, urging her to run this year, according to accounts of the conversation included in Edward Klein's new biography of Obama.

Bill Clinton had, according to book excerpts, said that Obama "doesn't know how to be president" and is "incompetent."

The title of Klein's explosive, unauthorised biography of Obama, "The Amateur", was taken directly from Clinton's criticism of the president, the author said. "Barack Obama," Bill Clinton said, "is an amateur."

The withering criticism is incredible, given the fact that Bill Clinton is actively campaigning for Obama's re-election, the New York Post reported.

According to the book, Bill Clinton unloaded on Obama and pressed Hillary to run against her boss during a gathering in the ex-president's home office in Chappaqua last August that included long-time friends.

"The economy's a mess, it's dead flat. America has lost its Triple-A rating...You know better than Obama does," Bill had said.

Hillary resisted the entreaties, according to two of the guests interviewed for the book.

"Why risk everything now?" a sceptical Hillary told her husband, emphasising that she wanted to leave a legacy as Secretary of State.

"I want my term (at the State Department) to be an important one, and running away from it now would leave it as a footnote," Hillary had argued. She said she had the option of running again in 2016.

The book's explosive claims were shot down by the spokesmen for the White House as well as the Clintons, who closed ranks.

Bill Clinton's spokesman Matt McKenna said the excerpts were "totally and completely false" and called Klein "a known liar." Phillipe Reines, a spokesman for the Secretary of State, noted that Hillary had challenged the veracity of an earlier book that Klein wrote about her, "Truth About Hillary."

White House spokesman Eric Schultz accused Klein of making up facts to sell books.

"Nobody in their right mind would believe the nonsense in this one, especially since both Secretary Clinton and President Clinton have been loyal and supportive of the president (Obama) at every turn," he said.

No smoke without fire. The Clintons would support Obama since Hillary is waiting for 2016, doesn't mean they wouldn't secretly like a Romney victory, while publicly supporting Obama.

poeticseraphim · 05-09-2012 07:47AM

Min wrote: »

http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/bill-clinton-dubbed-obama-incompetent-urged-hillary-to-run-for-presidency-book-210271

No smoke without fire. The Clintons would support Obama since Hillary is waiting for 2016, doesn't mean they wouldn't secretly like a Romney victory, while publicly supporting Obama.

They are Dems...the story is BS

Anyway it does not matter ther are publically supporting Obama...and will vote for him.

Then in fours years i guess Hilary will try again.

Her healthcare agenda was always important to Hilary there is no way that woman would support Ryan especially considering her work for women's rights worldwide.

Duck Soup · 05-09-2012 09:44AM

So let me get this straight. Man I've never heard of is unsure of who he's going to vote for in his own and his boss's self-interest.

Hold that front page. Hold it I say.

joseph brand · 05-09-2012 01:12PM

Duck Soup wrote: »

So let me get this straight. Man I've never heard of is unsure of who he's going to vote for in his own and his boss's self-interest.

Hold that front page. Hold it I say.

And it has nothing to do with Obama or Romney. It's a strategic vote, in preparation for the 2016 election (Hillary)?

southsiderosie · 05-09-2012 02:39PM

Yeah, I'm a political junkie and a democrat, and I had no idea who this guy was. He wasn't a Clinton aide in the White House.

If James Carville had come out and said this, then I think it would matter more, but I can't see how most voters would care about this guy.

Blow for Obama as Bill Clinton's right hand man reveals he's voting for Romney

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