Overdose of "process"

After his performance in the South Carolina debates Thursday night, Fred Thompson spoke to a CNN reporter who seemed more fixated on strategy than substance:



Specifically,

"I'm not gonna even talk about process anymore tonight, this is a night of substance--we were talking about substance here tonight and that's where I'm gonna leave it."

Noble and necessary for Fred, but perhaps wishful thinking in today's world. Everybody paying attention today is mesmerized by process, ie, the strategical moves designed to win elections but having absolutely nothing to do with the issues, as if the country's future was secondary.

Thompson has been hitting on this disconnect from the beginning to no avail. He's absolutely right about the direction of the Republican Party, since only Duncan Hunter is as consistent as Fred and a vote for any of the others would represent a change of platform to some degree. Maybe such a change is necessary in today's world but if so, what does that say about today's world?

But speaking of process, nobody more exemplifies the term than do the Clintons. Many are talking about the excerpt from Sally Bedell Smith's book in the London Daily Mail, in which she picks apart the Clinton marriage and shows it for what everyone already knew it was--a deal with the devil.

Based on Ms. Smith's account of Hillary's influence in the White House it's clear she should be able to claim two presidential terms on her resume, but of course she can't for obvious reasons (as I keep repeating, term limits should apply to her). But let's see if CNN or the others have the guts to ask Lady Machiavelli the same type of leading, slightly condescending questions they ask of Fred or even Ron Paul.

MORE 1/13/08

Seen enough debates? This just about says it all. "Withdraw from the Jay Treaty".