Do you think Hillary made a good decision criticizing Obama's foreign policy?

[Matty]

I think it was a good choice. No matter what some fringe folks say, Hillary has the base of the party locked down. Advocating for more "presence" around the world is an effective way to bring in support of moderates and republicans. Hillary knows that she has all the current "swing states" locked down, and she is trying to build a 2016 map that has a blue (atlas red) Georgia and Arkansas.

It is absolutely crazy to me that some democrats are upset with her comments. Why are they trying to sabotage a very intelligent political calculation on the part of Mrs. Clinton?

[Blue3]

I agree with her comments. I've been saying for years now (sad that it's now years) that we should take a stronger role in Syria.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

No. Hillary really hasn't done a good job of hiding what a crappy warmongering third way President she would be. I mean a lot of people were hoping that Obama wouldn't be such a disappointment. Well, Hillary has made it clear that she'd be a worse President than Obama. And that's the actual Obama Presidency, not the hope and change from 2008.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Definitely if she wants to expand the map, IMO.  If she wants to actually pull off wins or even come close in places like Arkansas or Missouri, she's got to make it clear that she's a Democrat (or more importantly, the alternative to GOP policies) but NOT the type of Democrat Obama is (given his losses in those states).  I'd say it was a good move.  Plus, I agree with her.  It seems the libertarian minded Republicans and left wing Democrats find it almost morally superior to reject intervention into anything while moderates in both parties recognize there are times we need to take active roles.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Smart move.

[IceSpear]

I think people are blowing it out of proportion. If you actually read the interview, she gave a few differences between herself and Obama, but her views were a lot more nuanced than "OBAMA IS A DOVE WIMP WHO HATES AMERICA I AM HAWK HERE ME ROAR". With the way the media and Atlas are reacting you'd think she pulled a Dick Cheney and called Obama a failure.

[Eraserhead]

Politically? Maybe. Morally? No.

[henster]

I don't think America is looking for a war hawk right now. From what I remember most people were opposed to getting involved in Syria at all (wasn't it about to get voted down by Congress?) and oppose sending ground troops into Iraq.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I think people are blowing it out of proportion. If you actually read the interview, she gave a few differences between herself and Obama, but her views were a lot more nuanced than "OBAMA IS A DOVE WIMP WHO HATES AMERICA I AM HAWK HERE ME ROAR". With the way the media and Atlas are reacting you'd think she pulled a Dick Cheney and called Obama a failure.

She'd been a political player long enough to know how the media would spin her words. This intense blow-up was planned.

[Matty]

I think people are blowing it out of proportion. If you actually read the interview, she gave a few differences between herself and Obama, but her views were a lot more nuanced than "OBAMA IS A DOVE WIMP WHO HATES AMERICA I AM HAWK HERE ME ROAR". With the way the media and Atlas are reacting you'd think she pulled a Dick Cheney and called Obama a failure.

Icespear, I'm reading the NYT article on her comments, and my god some of these "democrats" are off their rocker.

Common phrases in the comments section:

1) "Hillary stabbed Obama in the back"
2) "She lost my vote"
3) "Neocon"
4) "Warren"

[HAnnA MArin County]

I think people are blowing it out of proportion. If you actually read the interview, she gave a few differences between herself and Obama, but her views were a lot more nuanced than "OBAMA IS A DOVE WIMP WHO HATES AMERICA I AM HAWK HERE ME ROAR". With the way the media and Atlas are reacting you'd think she pulled a Dick Cheney and called Obama a failure.

Icespear, I'm reading the NYT article on her comments, and my god some of these "democrats" are off their rocker.

Common phrases in the comments section:

1) "Hillary stabbed Obama in the back"
2) "She lost my vote"
3) "Neocon"
4) "Warren"

Yeah, those are our party's versions of the Tea Party. The ones who want to nominate Warren/Sanders/etc. fail to see how terribly they would do in the general election, even against a right-wing nutter like Perry or Cruz. Fact of the matter is that the United States is already involved in foreign affairs and have taken it upon ourselves to be "the world's policeman." To just completely abscond from our duties would send the wrong signal to the rest of the world that we no longer care what happens outside our borders, and the U.S. has stakes and interests in pretty much every country around the world.

[NHI]

Smart move.

Distancing herself from the ever growing unpopular Obama.

[SWE]

Isn't taking a more active role in Syria an unpopular position?

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

Smart move.

Distancing herself from the ever growing unpopular Obama.

She's saying that she wants an extreme version of Obama's foreign policy.  Americans think Obama is too much of an interventionist, Clinton is taking his interventionism to an extreme.

[Bull Moose Base]

It is absolutely crazy to me that some democrats are upset with her comments. Why are they trying to sabotage a very intelligent political calculation on the part of Mrs. Clinton?

Because they're not worried about her losing, they're worried about her winning and implementing a foreign policy they hate.

[pbrower2a]

Reasonable -- because she cannot run on being the continuation of Obama policies unless the international situation salvages President Obama. In such a case she portends success.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

No. Attacking Obama's foreign policy from the right just shows how out of touch Hillary is.

[Maxwell]

I think it's a poor decision, because she's leaving room on her anti-interventionist flank for a potential Republican or Democrat challenge, and Americans are not in favor of more intervention. That being said, people who think Warren is the right challenge for Hillary are totally wrong, because Warren is a cold warrior too.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

Advocating for more "presence" around the world is an effective way to bring in support of moderates and republicans.

No it isn't.  Republicans have changed since Bush was President.  And independents don't want war either.  The internet and the media is the only place that I can find a large group of people who want a more activist foreign policy.

[IceSpear]

I think people are blowing it out of proportion. If you actually read the interview, she gave a few differences between herself and Obama, but her views were a lot more nuanced than "OBAMA IS A DOVE WIMP WHO HATES AMERICA I AM HAWK HERE ME ROAR". With the way the media and Atlas are reacting you'd think she pulled a Dick Cheney and called Obama a failure.

Icespear, I'm reading the NYT article on her comments, and my god some of these "democrats" are off their rocker.

Common phrases in the comments section:

1) "Hillary stabbed Obama in the back"
2) "She lost my vote"
3) "Neocon"
4) "Warren"

Well, I doubt the New York Times comment section was ever a bulwark of support for Hillary.

[Bull Moose Base]

I think people are blowing it out of proportion. If you actually read the interview, she gave a few differences between herself and Obama, but her views were a lot more nuanced than "OBAMA IS A DOVE WIMP WHO HATES AMERICA I AM HAWK HERE ME ROAR". With the way the media and Atlas are reacting you'd think she pulled a Dick Cheney and called Obama a failure.

Icespear, I'm reading the NYT article on her comments, and my god some of these "democrats" are off their rocker.

Common phrases in the comments section:

1) "Hillary stabbed Obama in the back"
2) "She lost my vote"
3) "Neocon"
4) "Warren"

Yeah, those are our party's versions of the Tea Party. The ones who want to nominate Warren/Sanders/etc. fail to see how terribly they would do in the general election, even against a right-wing nutter like Perry or Cruz. Fact of the matter is that the United States is already involved in foreign affairs and have taken it upon ourselves to be "the world's policeman." To just completely abscond from our duties would send the wrong signal to the rest of the world that we no longer care what happens outside our borders, and the U.S. has stakes and interests in pretty much every country around the world.

Based on what though? In the 2008 primary, Hillary's surrogates if not Hillary herself were saying Obama was a huge risk to lose the general election.

I think it's a poor decision, because she's leaving room on her anti-interventionist flank for a potential Republican or Democrat challenge, and Americans are not in favor of more intervention. That being said, people who think Warren is the right challenge for Hillary are totally wrong, because Warren is a cold warrior too.

What's that assessment based on? Warren's problem is more that she's inexperienced in foreign affairs. The same can't be said for Feingold.

The reason this was a bit dumb politically is evident in Axelrod's brushback pitch. The suggestion that we should have armed secular Syrian rebels won't hurt her but blaming Obama's or anyone else's poor judgment for creating a dangerous vacuum in Iraq opens her up to obvious attacks. She's revealed some political blindness this summer, but still not enough for me to think her losing the nomination is likely.

[Maxwell]

She's inexperienced sure, but she's certainly a hawk when it comes to Iran, and I can't imagine that's the only foreign issue.

[7,052,770]

Yes. All that matters is the Democratic Party winning in 2016, and this helps. As I've said before, Hillary will be a far better president than whatever Republican wins if we don't nominate her.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I think Hillary is mistaken in attacking Obama's foreign policy when she was its architect for several years. Does anybody remember Bengazhi? That was on Obama and Hillary and you can't avoid that.

[Brewer]

I think Hillary is mistaken in attacking Obama's foreign policy when she was its architect for several years. Does anybody remember Bengazhi? That was on Obama and Hillary and you can't avoid that.

#rememberbenghazi!!!!!1!!1