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Jake Tapper is ABC News' Senior National Correspondent based in the network's Washington bureau. He writes about politics and popular culture and covers a range of national stories.
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He's 'A Risk' ... 'A Roll of the Dice'
December 17, 2007 2:54 PM
I wonder if President Clinton had any sort of déjà vu when on the Charlie Rose Show Friday he characterized Obama's supporters as thinking "we're willing to risk it ... we're prepared to roll the dice."
I'm old enough, regrettably, for that language to seem familiar … familiar … familiar ... (Cue flashback music and video dissolve.)
I see it now … they're assailing the handsome young candidate as a risk … as a roll of the dice.
"We simply cannot take the risk on Governor Clinton," said then-President George H.W. Bush in November 1992. "His experience and character do not meet the criterion of the Oval Office."
Said Bush adviser Robert Blackwill to the Hotline in August '92: "This is not a time to gamble with our future. Electing Bill Clinton president would be rolling the dice."
And on and on and on. But you get the idea.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to change out of these acid-washed Bugle Boy jeans I somehow find myself wearing.
-- jpt
December 17, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (12)
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> With the world becoming so much more
> dangerous under Bill's watch - giving
> our military tech to china
True. I'd much rather do what Bush did: give it to Saudi Arabia, home of the 9/11 hijackers.
Posted by: John Grabowski | Jan 26, 2008 2:16:39 PM
> "We simply cannot take the risk on
> General Washington."
> Dollars to doughnuts SOMEBODY said
> that back then! :-)
Actually no, since he was the only president who was apppointed, not elected, and it was unanimous.
Posted by: John | Jan 26, 2008 2:07:10 PM
Interesting about our former president Bill Clinton's
"Role of the Dice" comment. That brought to mind
Acts 1:26 in the bible - the apostles cast lots (their form of dice) to replace the traitor apostle, Judas.
Seems like they trusted divine providence. Well after
the former years, perhaps, we should consult a higher power in our way. Then, for sure, Obama would serve us as president.
Posted by: Kathryn N | Dec 19, 2007 10:38:59 AM
Barack Obama for President of the United States of America.
Say no to nepotism.
Say no to triangulated Iraq vote disasters.
Say no to mud-sling machine politics.
It's time for America to Rise and Shine again.
Posted by: PulSamsara | Dec 19, 2007 9:16:06 AM
nice catch. Shoe's on the other foot, BUT: we're more jittery today than we were then. Clinton's message has the potential to be more damning.
Posted by: cordelia525 | Dec 18, 2007 12:32:29 PM
Clinton (either one of them, take your pick) is a politician to the nth degree. Expect him/her to say/do whatever is necessary for the final objective: winning the election. No surprise that he/she is now using the very same reasoning against her opponents that were used against Bill in the past. No shock at all.
Posted by: sophillyfatz | Dec 17, 2007 9:22:02 PM
An argument can be made that had President Clinton treated the 1993 World Trade Center attack as an act of war (once they determined that al Qaeda was involved), instead of a criminal act, we might not have had the other attacks. But his very weak and limited response to the attacks on the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and his total lack of relaliation for the attack on the USS Cole, certainly encouraged and emboldened al Qaeda to plan and execute 9/11.
Posted by: James Danley | Dec 17, 2007 8:41:58 PM
"We simply cannot take the risk on General Washington."
Dollars to doughnuts SOMEBODY said that back then! :-)
Posted by: Tom J | Dec 17, 2007 8:14:10 PM
Jake, that's hilarious - I am SO glad you remembered that line! (I don't suppose you could put those two clips together on YouTube? With back to the Future background music? Kind of the JibJab for the end of 2007?)
Posted by: Tom J | Dec 17, 2007 8:11:23 PM
I find the Clinton barrage on Obama interesting because she only has one complete Senate term more than he does...
Posted by: phillygirl64 | Dec 17, 2007 6:20:51 PM
Yeah. World got much more dangerous under Clinton's watch. Not Bush's watch, just Clinton's watch.
Posted by: DKNY | Dec 17, 2007 5:09:18 PM
With the world becoming so much more dangerous under Bill's watch - giving our military tech to china, ignoring the growing terrorist threat etc., taking a chance on another Clinton admin. is the real "roll of the dice."
Posted by: squeenter squillo | Dec 17, 2007 4:55:21 PM
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