Why do you think Gergen mentioned Hillary C in his NYT op-ed?

[Captain Hilts]

In his Opinion piece about change in White House personnel, he said:

President Clinton, too, was a leader who could change when things veered off course. I was a part of one of the Clinton shake-ups, joining the administration as his White House counselor when he was in trouble in the middle of his first year in office. Six months later, he had climbed out of the ditch and was on his way again.

It wasn't what I or others on staff did that ultimately made the difference. Rather, it was Mr. Clinton himself, with the support of his wife, Hillary. He acted early enough that he still had a reservoir of good will, and he made a genuine effort to alter the way he functioned.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/opinion/23gergen.html

Why do you suppose he mentioned Hillary here? He doesn't mention Nancy Reagan's active involvement in White House personnel changes, so why mention Hillary Clinton here?

[Olney Blue]

1. Maybe it's a sincere compliment?

:shrug:

[goclark]

2. Maybe he wants a job with the Chimp

I believe he was telling the truth about Hillary and Bill Clinton.

She gets bashed around here at DU but I like her for how she handled herself in the WH.

She and Bill did work as a team. They are SMART and they know how to LISTEN.

Now Laura may be up in the polls but that is only because HE is so stupid that SHE is any port in a storm.

I like Gergan for the most part,he tries to say things that will help Bush and IF Bush did most of them our country would be better off.


As far as Bush is concerned, Gergan is "Trying to make Chicken Salad out of Chicken Shit." ~ that dog won't hunt but he tries to make it hunt.

Just my opinion

[stillcool]

3. because he...

was part of the 'Clinton' administration?

[Captain Hilts]

4. He was part of the 'Reagan' Administration too.

But no mention of Nancy widely-known personnel preferences and how she worked to get RR to adopt them.

[stillcool]

6. I think his inclusion in the Clinton Administration...

was the highlight of his career, and his observances of that time are where his bread is buttered.

From 1984 to 1993, Mr. Gergen worked mostly as a journalist. For some two-and-a-half years, he was editor of U.S. News. Working with the owner and editor-in-chief Mortimer Zuckerman and a revived staff, he helped to guide the magazine to record gains in circulation and advertising. During that period, he also teamed up with Mark Shields for political commentary every Friday night for five years on the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. The two were a popular political team and won numerous accolades for their political coverage.

[dogman]

5. Likely, because of her involvement.

After losing the Governorship in Arkansas he reportedly reached across to the other side and had a "successful" second shot. He did the same after getting in trouble as President and brought in Gergen and Morris. He had appointed Cohen as SOD to mollify critics of his anti-war activities. It has been said Hillary was behind many of these moves, she had been a "Goldwater" Republican. Her conservative roots offset his liberal bent to produce what he called their co-Presidency. This was the basis of his centrist leadership style.

[Zen Democrat]

7. I don't think Gergen likes the Bush Administration one bit.

He's an Eastern Establishment Rockefeller Republican, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilaterial Commission -- and not at all happy with the Fundie take-over of the GOP.

I haven't heard him say a positive thing about George W. Bush in a couple of years.

[Captain Hilts]

8. True, ZenD, I think he dislikes GWB also.

But, I think this piece white washes Nancy Reagan's involvement in personnel decisions. That's just my take.

[Zen Democrat]

9. I dunno. Maybe he's including Hillary because he's going to support her.

I think Gergen would support Hillary before he would Frist, Brownback, Allen, etc. I think Gergen liked McCain at one time, but McCain's New Old-Time Religion Revival Show may have affected that.

I've heard Gergen defend Hillary many times, so maybe he was talking her up, giving her credit for Clinton's recovery?