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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Prisoners in their own home How do you feel about new cell towers? Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Education Prisoners in their own home Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Ashland Kiwanis recognizes Samara Diab Hands-On work with robots at ScienceWorks Environment Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Legislature might be divided on clean fuels bill, but these Ashlanders weren't Ashland Rowing Club members put their backs into Emigrant Lake clean-up Business Breaking ground on organic vineyard practices Southern Oregon University: Recent and pending projects at SOU total about $132 million Test Drive: 2015 Subaru Outback Limited Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Ride & Drive: 2015 Hyundai Genesis Politics and elections Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Mark L. Hopkins: Looking for a political straight shooter Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out today State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Death Notices Shiela R. Ettlich Karen June Shaw Death Notices Death Notices Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society Sports Latest Stories Wade scores 32, Heat rally to beat Blazers AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Fredrickson leads Grizzlies to season-opening romp Thompson, Weber to play in all-star game High school Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Fredrickson leads Grizzlies to season-opening romp Grizz alpine skiers finish strong at state Ashland High's Honsinger tops field in final nordic ski meet Grizz snowboard team heads to state with repeat potential Southern Oregon University AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title Thompson, Weber to play in all-star game Beavers get No. 3 seed, host NCAA games Young shoots Ducks into Pac-12 title game Raider softball team opens league play with split at Northwest Voices Latest Stories Landgren cartoon: Boston gets a ‘Frozen’ sequel Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Landgren cartoon: Sunshine Week Editorial Our View: SOU's economic clout Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules Our View: Ashland is at risk as a bad fire season looms Our View: Ashland backs residents over visitors in lodging decision Our View: No need for blame in Hannah Thomas-Garner case Letters Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Letters to the Editor, March 14 Letters to the Editor, March 12 Letters to the Editor, March 11 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Guest Opinion: Ashland schools failed to protect my son from bullying Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report Columns Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Council Corner: City considers the sharing economy Herb Rothschild Jr.: Demonizing Putin makes case for war Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Jeffrey Gillespie: The opaqueness of Hillary Clinton Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Herzog scholarship for young writers Movie listings: March 13-18 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' Community blog: Take a peek at poet Scott Wozniak Theater Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Theater review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' in Ashland Ticket availability Ticket Availability Music The Farr Side: Madonna — ever the trendsetter Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Alice DiMicele plays Unitarian Fellowship The Farr Side: Another career highlight for Kelly Clarkson Music on the Mountain: Ski area launching concert series Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies 8 must-see spring films Movie review: ‘Wrecking Crew’ is a look at the people who really put the bomp Movie review: ‘Cinderella’ is an instant classic Shailene Woodley returns as Tris in ‘Insurgent’ Movie listings: March 13-18 Food and Drink Sammich does it Chicago-style Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Page H. Onorato: How food names came into being Tammy Kelly: Healthy leftover ham Lost in Suburbia: Top 10 reasons I like my dog better than my kids Dear Monty: Tips for checking out an existing septic system Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund ... Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday ... Our View: SOU's economic clout ... Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund ... Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday ... Our View: SOU's economic clout ... COMMENTARY Jeffrey Gillespie: The opaqueness of Hillary Clinton Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News When it comes to American politics, I am influenced by character, not by gender. It's important to mention this whenever you're writing about Hillary Rodham Clinton. Mrs. Clinton is an extraordinary person and a brilliant politician. Her tenure at the State Department was a tour de force of polished diplomacy and grueling work ethic. That being said, there have always been scandals. Many, many scandals, following her and her husband all the way back to when their political career began. We don't need to get into Whitewater or Travelgate, Marc Rich or Jeffrey Epstein again, but a certain pattern has been established. It showed up over Benghazi and, lately, over the revelations that Mrs. Clinton used a private email server while she was heading the State Department. That pattern isn't so much one of culpability as one of entitlement. When confronted with a muddy problem, she simply refuses to articulate any position that offers a clear explanation to her supporters — let alone any countervailing evidence to her detractors. For many Americans, Clinton's manner when confronted with legitimate character questions does not pass the smell test. It smacks of arrogance and a sense of grandiosity, a superciliousness that correlates with her political style. She thinks she's untouchable. That perceived untouchability also shows up every time she's a candidate, or a potential one. In the last presidential election, she held the Democratic Party hostage far longer than was necessary once it became evident to everyone but her that Barack Obama would be the nominee. In the run-up to 2016, she is doing so again. She is playing a long, coy game by refusing to announce her candidacy, which everyone now knows is inevitable. The entire crowd of potential Democratic candidates for 2016 — it's not a mistake that we don't yet know who they are — is frozen like an Iowa corn field in winter, waiting for the Anointed One to make her move. Add to this the fact that Secretary Clinton is bound to run as the underdog to any GOP candidate (she always will run as such, since that moniker appeals to the broadest base of her supporters) and you have a garbled commentary on your hands. If she wants to be seen as established, but not as a member of the elite, then why is she behaving like both a novice and an elitist? There comes a moment when waiting stops being strategic and starts looking amateurish. That moment has passed. Pundits and the public alike are unimpressed. They aren't seeing a decisive and articulate leader doing what she is supposed to do best, and it's turning them off. In the meantime, establishment Republican Jeb Bush has formed an exploratory committee, and is getting down to brass tacks. He's found time to sideline other candidates (most notably, the perennially optimistic Mitt Romney) while Hillary fiddles. Prominent GOP heavyweights including Chris Christie, Lindsay Graham, Scott Walker, George Pataki and even Rick Perry have formed teams of their own. The Republicans will have a crowded roster for Democrats to contend with. Unless there is a strong appetite among liberals for another conservative president in the Oval Office come January of 2017, let's hope Mrs. Clinton's advisers encourage her to get off her high horse and down in the mud with the rest of the professional politicos — before it's too late. Jeffrey Gillespie's writing has appeared in the Santa Fean and Art Collector magazines, the Portland Mercury and Willamette Week. He lives in Ashland. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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