Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Since You Asked: Mistletoe is probably what's up in the tree Court awards $1 million to Jackson County 6-year-old injured at birth Emergency Services, March 21 Talent father faces assault charges in alleged whipping Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, March 21 Talent father faces assault charges in alleged whipping Firefighters stop Gold Hill shed fire before it spreads Missing man found dead in forest in Applegate Lake area 'We tried to de-escalate it' Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax Ex-Merkley aide chosen as Oregon secretary of state Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Education Eight vie for Medford School Board positions Proposed Medford textbook raises constitutional concern North Medford High School principal to retire in June Southern Oregon University's building boom adds up to $130 million South Medford, Ashland, St. Mary's students building video game Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Controversial asphalt plant in Talent wins county planning approval Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Odd visitors found off Oregon Coast Forum explores data gathered in Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument State News Bend company's aim: Connect investors to Africa Brown proposes $1 billion in California drought spending Are they decorations or desecration? The Dalles Standoff: Suicide by smoke inhalation Officials urge meningitis shots at University of Oregon Nation - World Obituaries Cornelius John Meany Lewis Mark Applebaker Death Notices David Braden Frohnmayer Ray Houck Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Sports Latest Stories Green Machine Tago nets game-winner, MVP for Siskiyous Panthers kick off year with win Corban takes two from Raiders No. 8 Ducks advance with victory Varsity 541 College Sports Corban takes two from Raiders No. 8 Ducks advance with victory Wiese, OSU top South Dakota State Young, UC Irvine fall just short of upset Despite critics aplenty, UCLA surprises SMU on rare 3-pointer Pro Sports Payton lifts Magic over Blazers Hoffmann goes on birdie run at Bay Hill Harden erupts for 50 in Rockets victory Djokovic reaches semifinals via walkover Grandma dies, then Hoffman takes lead Community Sports Business Latest Stories Blog: Three Cheers for Today! Test Drive: 2015 Subaru Outback Limited Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Oregon winemaking emerges as mighty agricultural force Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Real Estate News East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects Business briefs: March 7 New construction prices jump 18.2 percent in Jackson County People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business Transportation Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Alaska, United Express boost Medford airport to record February CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Agriculture Harry & David announces new president Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, March 21 Other Views: Dave Frohnmayer was a man of honor Matthew T. Mangino: When is a confession not a confession? Our View: Textbook authors' reasoning hard to fathom Letters to the Editor, March 20 Editorials Other Views: Dave Frohnmayer was a man of honor Our View: Textbook authors' reasoning hard to fathom Our View: White House public records move is less than sunny Our View: Where the wild things shouldn't be Our View: Keeping the light trained on government Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 21 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Columns Matthew T. Mangino: When is a confession not a confession? Michael Gerson: Hillary Clinton's Nixonian path to office Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Dana Milbank: GOP budget is one big gimmick George Will: Kasich waits in the wings Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties Guest Opinion: Plan a Hawthorne playground for all children Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Lifestyle Latest stories Barbara Presnell: Why poetry? And why do it now? Get Out! March 20 calendar of things to do Looking Up: Looking for the zodiacal light Ocean salmon look plentiful off the Southern Oregon coast this year, but next year's a different story Wood bison to roam Alaska again Food Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Eat your sprouts More fast food perils Pork perfection: Consider pork steaks instead of ham for the Easter dinner table Home and Garden Hello, honey: Invite bees for a lush garden Understand home inspection Dear Monty: Tips for checking out an existing septic system Garden Cameos: Now is the perfect time to spot wildflowers Paul Rogers: It’s time to assess the damage to yards Health Health Watch: 5 tips for seasonal allergy relief A better bedtime Studying stress Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs Religion News: Presbyterian Church gives approval on same-sex marriage Religion briefs: Friday, March 13 More religion events in the Rogue Valley Religion Briefs Milestones and Achievements Haga-Parks Exercise helps special-needs kids adjust to airport procedures Engagement: Workman-Wright Anniversary: Hofer Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Here's five top entertainment picks for the coming week Alt-rock band Key of Three is a contender this weekend at Rising Stars Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Theater Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Randall Theatre presents playwright Bernard Slade's comedy Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' Music Live Music in Local Clubs Alt-rock band Key of Three is a contender this weekend at Rising Stars Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville Rogue Valley Chorale presents 'A Festival of Choirs' at the Craterian Theatre Community Events Rogue Valley artist Linda Evans' pastel paintings capture landscapes of Southern Oregon Ashland Independent Film Festival announces this year's lineup OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jesse Lawson and Joe Moxley host 'Barkeeper' Dining Jasmine Thai Cuisine Restaurant Inspections Agave offers gourmet tacos, tamales, ensaladas and more Serra storms Seattle Sakura Japanese Sushi Restaurant opens in new location Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Since You Asked: Mistletoe is probably what's up in the tree ... Court awards $1 million to Jackson County 6-year-old injured at birth ... Talent father faces assault charges in alleged whipping ... Since You Asked: Mistletoe is probably what's up in the tree ... Court awards $1 million to Jackson County 6-year-old injured at birth ... Talent father faces assault charges in alleged whipping ... ANOTHER VIEW Michael Gerson: Hillary Clinton's Nixonian path to office MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 20, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Mar. 20, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> The effective kickoff of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign was an act of deck clearing so breathtaking, so brazen, that it remains difficult to process. A former secretary of state summoned reporters to the United Nations, made a statement on Iran nuclear negotiations, then admitted deleting more than 30,000 emails she deemed personal from the account she exclusively used while in office. This was the culmination of a deliberate, multiyear end run around congressional oversight, the Freedom of Information Act and the archiving of federal records. Documents she found inconvenient to sort while in government were convenient to destroy after leaving office. Those looking for a historical parallel turned, inevitably, to one figure. According to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., Clinton is "a modern, Democratic Richard Nixon." "Nixon didn't burn the tapes," tweeted Joe Scarborough, "but Hillary deleted the emails." Politico's Todd Purdum did a careful historical comparison to Nixon, finding Clinton similarly "suspicious, defensive, contemptuous of the press and scornful of political adversaries." Clinton's email housecleaning — barring future revelations — may work. She seems to have effectively navigated the gray areas of federal rules to avoid transparency. But Republicans clearly hope the Nixonian label — which some in the media find credible — will stick. They believe the email controversy, while not politically fatal in isolation, will add to the composite image of a candidate driven by secrecy and resentment, surrounded by a ruthless palace guard and convinced that rules apply only to others. A Republican candidate for president in 2016 (like every candidate for president) will need to negatively characterize his or her opponent. But the narrative of Clinton as Nixon underestimates both leaders. First, the obvious: Nixon won two presidential elections, after being associated with low political tactics (against Helen Gahagan Douglas) and a series of scandals (including a political donation controversy that nearly forced his resignation as the Republican vice presidential nominee, and a political favoritism scandal somehow involving his brother Donald and Howard Hughes). Well before Watergate, Nixon was not viewed as an ethical paragon. But he was generally viewed as smart, tenacious, tough and knowledgeable about the world. Which sounds familiar. The context of Nixon's two presidential victories (1968 and 1972) was unique. For many Americans, Nixon represented social order in a frightening world of riots, assassinations and bell-bottom jeans. But a reputation for toughness was also seen as a presidential qualification during the Cold War, and Nixon (who had gone toe to toe with Nikita Khrushchev in the "kitchen debate") benefited from the contrast to Hubert Humphrey and George McGovern. The comparison to Clinton can certainly be overplayed. By all accounts, she lacks Nixon's personal awkwardness and strangeness. But a portion of the characterization "Nixonian" is a compliment: hardworking, untiring, relentless. While another portion — wary, secretive, ruthless — can lead down some dark alleys. Right now, Clinton is generally benefiting, not suffering, from this reputation. The next president, from either party, will need to provide a contrast of strength and purpose to President Obama's foreign policy of disengagement that has resulted in disaster and led to inadequate, ad hoc responses. Despite her association with the failed "Russian reset," Clinton is generally positioned to Obama's interventionist right on foreign policy matters (especially on Syria). She is a Democrat who would be seen as a tougher, more responsible alternative to her former employer. And this reputation is also helping Clinton within her party. Her pre-campaign has been rusty — her awkward book tour, her claim that she left office "flat broke," her exorbitant speaking fees, her foundation's acceptance of donations by foreign governments. Democratic concerns about her skills are real; but public criticisms are rare and mild. Some of this reflects Clinton's position as a prohibitive front-runner, but some is also the intimidating effect of her style of politics. No Democrat wants to be on the wrong list. Clinton is not unbeatable, but the effort to label her as Nixonian will not beat her. Republicans face a very difficult electoral map; their party is still viewed more negatively than the alternative; they have managed to alienate large numbers of working-class and minority voters; and all of their prospective presidential candidates are currently losing to Clinton by double digits. If the next election is viewed by Republicans as a referendum on Hillary Clinton's scandals — and this distracts from the task of reconstituting the Republican message and appeal — then Clinton may take the Nixonian path to the Oval Office. Michael Gerson's email address is [email protected]. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 20, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » 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 MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked 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. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501