Monday, September 17, 2007

HILLARY CLINTON

Contrasting Hillary and Arnold's Usage of "America Is Back"

This weekend in Iowa, Clinton said that, the day after winning election, she would select envoys to “travel around the world with a very simple message: The era of cowboy diplomacy is over... America is back,” she said. (While that leads the Washington Post’s account of her Iowa trip, she said almost the exact same words in Iowa two weeks ago: “The day I’m elected,” she said, “I’m going to be asking distinguished Americans — including my husband — of both parties, to start traveling around the world, and not just talking to governments and leaders, but talking directly to people and telling them that America is back.”)

Contrast that with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s use of “America is back,” in his 2004 Convention speech: “Ladies and gentlemen, America is back! Back from the attack on our homeland, back from the attack on our economy, and back from the attack on our way of life!”

Classical Values had raised this question when Hillary first used the phrase – if America has to come back, where is it now? And isn’t she arguing that America can only be America if she or her husband are in charge? Isn't she arguing that the Bush Administration is, de facto, un-American? Isn't this questioning their patriotism?

Glenn had wondered if this was just bad speechwriting. If it’s turning up repeatedly, we can conclude it’s deliberate.

09/17 10:45 AMShare