Would Hillary be the Democratic nominee, or Secretary of State or Senator if she weren't the wife of a President ?

Sgt Tom Cunnally — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:35:36 -0400

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Jul 28 at 2016 10:37 AM

SrA Edward Vong — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:37:20 -0400

Excellent question! It wouldn't be wrong to assume that she has reached the level she has because of her position. One can say though that it definitely made her climb through the ranks easier than other.s

Response by Sgt Tom Cunnally made Jul 28 at 2016 10:38 AM

Sgt Tom Cunnally — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:38:05 -0400

If Hillary had not been married to the President if the United States would she be the Democratic Nominee for President?? If you look at her accomplishments and her character flaws, I doubt it

Response by MSG Stan Hutchison made Jul 28 at 2016 10:43 AM

MSG Stan Hutchison — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:43:18 -0400

An interesting question. Looking at her history of public involvement and service, beginning when she was 17, it is possible, though I doubt it. As First Lady, she got visibility on the national stage. Without public visibility, going that far is almost impossible.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2016 10:46 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:46:08 -0400

Clinton did well at a prestigious undergraduate university, and obtained a law degree from Yale, arguably the best law school in the country. She held a number of government/public interest positions, and then went on to become the first woman partner at a prestigious law firm in Arkansas, before embarking on a career in national politics.

If you saw such a resume from a generic Sally Smith, I think you'd wager that at minimum, Smith had to be pretty smart and capable, and so I'd say the same of Clinton. I don't know that there's any evidence that Clinton has a 1:1,000,000 intellect, but it would be error to suggest that she was somehow of average intelligence. But yeah she would have to be wife of POTUS to ever accomplish a single thing.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Jul 28 at 2016 10:48 AM

CPT Jack Durish — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:48:46 -0400

Maybe. Maybe not. However, I think that the more salient question is, Would Hillary Clinton be where she is if we had honest journalism in America?

Response by Col Joseph Lenertz made Jul 28 at 2016 10:59 AM

Col Joseph Lenertz — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:59:08 -0400

Nope. Just no chance.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Jul 28 at 2016 11:04 AM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 11:04:04 -0400

Sgt Tom Cunnally While nobody can say for sure, I think it is highly unlikely that Hillary would be where she is today without being a former First Lady. Of course it goes back much farther than that... She would not have been First Lady of the US if she had not been married to Bill Clinton and been the First lady of Arkansas, or the wife of the Attorney general of Arkansas prior to that. Also, going forward, she would not have been a Senator "from New York" (what a joke), if she had not been the First Lady and married to Bill Clinton. Nor would she have been a serious candidate for President against Obama and his choice for Secretary of State.

I believe that Hillary Clinton would have just been another liberal nut job that nobody knew if she had not latched on to Bill Clinton... Now, I also realize that the exact opposite might be true. Maybe Bill Clinton would not have achieved the success he did if he had not married Hillary.

Reminds me of a story I heard Colin Powell tell ... He stated that, when he was Sec State, he was invited to his hometown to be honored in a "Colin Powell Day". He said that, following the parade and ceremony, he and Alma Powell were about to drive out of town wen they stopped for gas at a station on the edge of town. As he pulled up, a mutual friend of theirs walked up to put fuel in their car. That friend was a former suitor of Alama, who Colin had beaten out for Alma's affection and hand in marriage. Feeling full of himself, Colin told Alma, "See, if you had married him, you'd be the wife of a gas station attendant, instead of the wife of a former 4-star general and Secretary of State", to which Alma responded, "No, if I had married him, he would be the former 4-star and Sec State and you would be pumping gas".

You just never know....

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2016 11:12 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 11:12:12 -0400

It's impossible to know, but just another attempt to denigrate Hillary. She graduated from prestigious schools and started early in public service. So she had the similar start as many. But it is a useless endeavor to try and define an entirely alternate universe. Would Donald Trump be the nominee had he not been the son of a multimillionaire who made him president of the family real estate company worth over $100 million? Would Dubya have even gotten into Yale had his dad not been a graduate and rich and president? Does anyone really believe Bush would have become president if he was born to a middle class family and just relied on his own intelligence?

Just by looking at Trump and Bush and seeing how the circumstances of their birth played such a large role in their ultimate success in life, it's easy to see what a useless question this is.

Response by SGT Bryon Sergent made Jul 28 at 2016 11:14 AM

SGT Bryon Sergent — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 11:14:27 -0400

I guess the highest held. IMHO it would be Former Secretary of State.

Response by SFC Kenneth Hunnell made Jul 28 at 2016 11:22 AM

SFC Kenneth Hunnell — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 11:22:22 -0400

No, the only ones that really knew of her was family friends. Clients and people from Arkansas

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Jul 28 at 2016 11:25 AM

Capt Seid Waddell — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 11:25:20 -0400

No.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2016 11:46 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 11:46:22 -0400

No, just about every job she has held since marrying Bill has been because of Bill and his clout. She was not very competent in her early career.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Jul 28 at 2016 1:00 PM

SGM Steve Wettstein — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:00:25 -0400

IMO no. What was her qualifications to be a senator besides working in the WH but then again some senators don't have any experience in governance prior to election.

Response by PO3 Donald Murphy made Jul 28 at 2016 1:04 PM

PO3 Donald Murphy — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:04:43 -0400

There is a joke that goes like this:

Hillary and Bill are driving through Arkansas in the Presidential limo and stop for gas. The attendant comes out to pump the gas and Hillary starts pissing her pants with laughter. "Whats so funny" asks Bill? "I used to date that guy in high school," remarks Hillary. Bill gets smug. "Yeah, I wonder how your life would have turned out if you'd have married him instead of me?" Hillary stops smiling..."I'd have still been first lady."

You guys need to read "American Evita." The writer is foreign and does not love or hate Hillary. Hillary paid for Bill to go overseas for his Rhodes scholarship. She's got tons of inherited "contacts" through her dad. She would be where she is now without Bill.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Jul 28 at 2016 1:09 PM

MSG Brad Sand — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:09:59 -0400

Probably. I have heard she is the one with the real drive and that Bubba would have been happy at home chasing skirt?

Response by PO2 Mark Saffell made Jul 28 at 2016 1:26 PM

PO2 Mark Saffell — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:26:55 -0400

I think if she wasnt a Dem she would be in jail no matter whose wife she is. The only reason she walks free is because Dems are all about do as I say not as I do.

Response by COL Larry M. made Jul 28 at 2016 1:51 PM

COL Larry M. — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:51:30 -0400

It's hard to say. She received national attention from being the First Lady, but who's to say she wouldn't have generated her own attention even without Bill.

Response by MSgt James Mullis made Jul 28 at 2016 3:24 PM

MSgt James Mullis — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 15:24:11 -0400

No.

Response by SSgt Ryan Sylvester made Jul 28 at 2016 4:03 PM

SSgt Ryan Sylvester — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 16:03:12 -0400

Hell, she wouldn't have even been a senator if she had been the wife of a regular President. Everyone probably just felt so bad for her because of Bill sticking his cigars where they didn't belong, or thought she was so great for "sticking it out with that degenerate" that she slid through the election. Now most people have forgotten or don't even care anymore about Bill's indiscretions in the Oval Office, he's making wads of cash at speaking engagements and she's been making fistfuls of money selling out the country.