2016 elections - because it's never too early

[Admiral Yi]

Sure but in the case of Hillary Clinton, she's also been a named/known person since the early 90s. Now she came to fame because of her husband's presidency but it isn't like that's the only thing we know about her now - 2 decades later.

Well yeah.  We know her better now because of all the jobs she got because she is Mrs. Bubba Clinton. 

[Caliga]

Yes, but at this point I do think she is qualified to be President regardless of how she may have earned those qualifications or what her surname is.

[dps]

While I am concerned about dynasticism, and I don't like the Clintons, I wouldn't be worried about Hilary's age, and she'd have far better credentials for the job than any President since Bush the Elder.

[Sheilbh]

I don't necessarily see a problem with it though. I certainly had more of an inclination and drive towards pharma as it was something that I was raised on at the dinner table and communications with family friends. Does that make me less qualified to work in pharma?

Not necessarily.

I think nepotism in all fields is wrong and a problem. It's a natural human instinct, but that doesn't make it right.

Politics is somewhat different for a few reasons I think. First of all it's about electing representatives to govern the country. So I think it's helpful to have people from all over the country and different backgrounds not a self-perpetuating political elite, rooted in DC/London with a holiday home among their people. I think it's a good thing to have Labour MPs who came up through the trades unions, Liberals who are lay Methodist preachers from the Celtic fringe and Tory Shire MPs.

Secondly I don't think exposure to politics necessarily makes you more qualified. I mean in this country we've got a generation of political leaders who in some form or other went into politics as their first job. I don't think they're any better at it because of that. Actually I think there's maybe even a problem there because they're so used to communicating to each other that they speak and write in this deadening think tank prose - read anything by David Miliband for an example - which is a problem for a political system based on convincing people to support you.

Thirdly I think the qualifications for politics are mainly personal. I think the things that I'd most want in a political leader are judgement and a sense of perspective - both things which I think probably come with age and life. I don't think Euan Blair, in his late 20s, and currently rootling about for a seat in Coventry will be better placed than other potential candidates because of his exposure to politics at the highest level.

Without Bill, she'd have been a successful lawyer or a minor government official.

Tony and Cherie Blair were both barristers who wanted to become MPs. They made a deal that the first one to get selected would have a career in politics and the other would go back to law. Tony got selected first and Cherie built up a very successful legal career, now independent of her husband she's a very senior human rights barrister and a High Court Judge.

[Admiral Yi]

What exactly does a human rights barrister do?  Bridget Jones' 2nd squeeze was one too.

[Sheilbh]

What exactly does a human rights barrister do?  Bridget Jones' 2nd squeeze was one too.

They specialise in human rights law

In the US I imagine a lot of it would be constitutional law.

Edit: To be totally fair to Cherie I think she's a prominent employment and public lawyer, but the press which generally hates her and human rights law tends to pick up on that aspect of her job.

[Phillip V]

Hillary Rodham already had skyrocketing career and credentials before she married Bill. She and Bill "merely" knew that his political opportunity could arrive first due to his social capital in little Arkansas.

Bill had choice of any wife, but he told people while he was a bachelor that it was "Hillary or no one." Hillary had a powerful political brain before she met Bill. They both would have been "successful" on their own. But together, they were able to do much more.

[Sheilbh]

Hil better than Bubba?

I think discipline goes a long way in politics.

[The Minsky Moment]

And the same could be said for father and son teams ?

Nobody's arguing otherwise, except perhaps the most ardent of JQ Adams fanboys.

JQ was eminently qualified and a very good President.  And his victory had very little to do with his not-so-popular pa, more to do with support from Henry Clay.

[garbon]

My love, Shirley Manson, is apparently flipping out about Pruden's article on Hillary and how he said she was past her sell-by-date.

[Eddie Teach]

Is she a US citizen?

[garbon]

No idea, but I don't see how that's relevant.

[Eddie Teach]

If she was truly your love, you'd probably know that. 

And it's relevant to the extent that most people immediately tune out complaints about their political process made by foreigners. And beyond that I would consider her naturalization of mild interest.

[garbon]

If she was truly your love, you'd probably know that. 

I didn't say obsession.

And it's relevant to the extent that most people immediately tune out complaints about their political process made by foreigners. And beyond that I would consider her naturalization of mild interest.

Perhaps, though I don't know that this is about the political process...unless you consider op-eds 3 years before an election to be such.

Actually didn't she marry an American a few years back? Could easily have US citizenship by now then.

[Admiral Yi]

Who the hell is Shirley Manson?