I had a chance to chat with Hillary Clinton today via satellite from Ohio. Here’s how these things work: She sits in front of a camera, often for several hours at a time. Interested TV stations are given 5-minute “windows” during which we can speak with her. It’s a system that allows the candidate to cover an enormous swath of the country — with a flip of the switch she’s beamed from North Texas to Cleveland — and it gives us access we might not otherwise have.
The problem is, five minutes is never enough. (I suspect the frustration is felt on both ends.) It is nearly impossible to have a substantive, issues-driven conversation about the future of America in five minutes. But we give it our best shot. Among the highlights from today’s chat:
- Senator Clinton feels like an underdog now.
- She supports a “virtual fence” along the Mexican border.
- The troops will start coming home from Iraq 60 days after her inauguration.
- She loves good Tex-Mex.
There’s more, of course, and you can see it here:
Video: Interview With Sen. Hillary Clinton
Please, pick up where I had to leave off. Do some homework on your own. You can start by checking the candidates’ positions on the issues. Here are the websites of the four major candidates remaining in the race (in alphabetical order).
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/
The Texas primary has never been so important. Mark your calendar. It’s March 4th. Just don’t cast your vote based solely on a sound bite or a 5-minute chat.
