(CNN) – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sounded a confident note on her boss' reelection prospects in Tunisia Saturday, telling a group of Arab students President Barack Obama would be president for another four years.
"He will be re-elected president," Clinton said in Tunis. "I think that will be a very clear signal to the entire world as to what our values are and what our president believes."
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Clinton was responding to a question from a Tunisian student named Ivan, who asked about the staunch pro-Israel stance nearly every American politician, both Republican and Democrat, espouse when they're running for office.
Clinton, a former presidential candidate herself, said campaign trail stumping often gains outsize significance that doesn't actualize when governing.
"You will learn as your democracy develops that a lot of things are said in political campaigns that should not bear a lot of attention," Clinton said. "There are comments made that certainly don't reflect the United States, don't reflect our foreign policy, Don't reflect who we are as a people. If you go to the United States you see mosques everywhere, you see Muslim Americans everywhere. That's the fact. So I would no pay attention to the rhetoric."
Republican candidates running for their party's presidential nomination often accuse Obama of appearing weak in his support for Israel.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said at CNN's Florida Republican Presidential Debate in January that Obama "threw Israel under the bus with regards to defining the '67 borders as a starting point of negotiations."
Romney added, "I think he has time and time again shown distance from Israel, and that has created, in my view, a greater sense of aggression on the part of the Palestinians. I will stand with our friend, Israel."
Fellow candidate Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, said at the same debate "we're in a continuous state of war where Obama undermines the Israelis."
Clinton said political observers from abroad should take cues about American policy from Obama, not from the presidential candidates.
"I would say watch what president Obama says and does. He's our president. He represents all of the United States," she said, adding she found it surprising people in Tunisia and other countries "pay more attention to what is said in our political campaigns than most Americans."
Clinton was in Tunisia meeting with other world leaders who oppose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
CNN Foreign Affairs Reporter Elise Labott contributed to this report.
Also see:
Newly released Palin e-mails show frustration and discussion of her marital status
Obama and Republican trade blame on gas prices in weekly addresses
No laugh track needed: Romney in Kalamazoo
Gingrich ridicules Obama over bailouts, energy plan, Afghanistan
From CNN Politics
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Hillary 2016!
Can you blame Bill now – yuck. Why is it every woman in government is either heinous (Clinton, Pelosi, Sotomayor, Kagan, etc.) or nuts (Palin and Bachmann).
If Obama is re-elected youcan kiss America goodbye.
OBAMA 2012! It may be the only way the US survives this GOP war on social issues, much less the mess made during the Bush administration!
No matter what this rich idiots say Obama will be re-elected with landslide victory this time. Obama2012/Hillary the best 2016.
What an ugly women!
@luckjoe – Why, give me your reason or reasons why you can kiss America goodbye, if Obama is re-elected? You mean to tell me, that Romney, Santorum, or Ron Paul, can save America?? Either you're a racist, blind, rich, or a fool.
Goofyfoot2001
Well, if he is re-elected then your liberals will have only yourselves to blame when the country comes crumbling down. Which is exactly what will happen. Money doesn't grow on trees folks. Are you packin'? Most conservatives are because they understand economics and most importantly history. It's amazing how we are repeating it. It ALWAYS ends violently unfortunately.
February 26, 2012 07:22 am at 7:22 am |
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Yes, when the country comes crumbling down. Yeah, right. Unlike the shining example of prosperous economic and security growth we were having when President Bush left on that helicopter on his way out of the White House, right? Don't let those pesky facts kill the gist of your rant though.
Well, Charles and Grimreaper, bimbos can't usually make the grade. But keep your sights set low and you never get disappointed.
Charles
What an ugly women!
February 26, 2012 10:14 am at 10:14 am |
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What an ugly lack of literary intelligence! She is a WOMAN, not a WOMEN and is doing a hell of a lot better than you are.
*****"WOMEN of AMERICA UNITE and VOTE for YOUR RIGHTS"*****
*****"OBAMA 2012 / CLINTON 2016"*****
Dragon lady has no credibility
sss
@luckjoe – Why, give me your reason or reasons why you can kiss America goodbye, if Obama is re-elected? You mean to tell me, that Romney, Santorum, or Ron Paul, can save America?? Either you're a racist, blind, rich, or a fool.
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SS, I venture to say he's all of the above.
He may be president, but his thoughts are not of the United States. He is totally behind the Muslim faith.
luckjoe
If Obama is re-elected youcan kiss America goodbye.
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Been drinking the spiked Glenn Beck/Rush Limpballs Koolaid again haven't you. If PRESIDENT Obama was so bad, why hasn't the country crashed during his first term, hmmm? crickets eh? Who got the job done with Bin Laden and Quaddafi, NOT BUSH, who has turned the economy slowly around with 23 months of private sector job growth and manufacturing jobs, NOT BUSH. Wanna counter with some facts of your own or just make baseless statements based on nothing.
diridi
No matter what this rich idiots say Obama will be re-elected with landslide victory this time. Obama2012/Hillary the best 2016.
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You know it!
OBAMA 2012!! That's a given hands down!!
HILLARY 2016!!!! America can't go back to the reagan or bush era!
OH! The agonizing end of the bigotry and hateful republican party!
Anonymous
He may be president, but his thoughts are not of the United States. He is totally behind the Muslim faith.
February 26, 2012 10:27 am at 10:27 am |
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Ah, your post convinces many of us who were on the fence about him, ESPECIALLY because you hide behind an anonymous tag eh Fox troll?
For all the Neandethals out there the day will come when it becomes abundantly clear that Obama has elevated the discourse from sabre rattling to the kinder and gentler nation we really are. I am very proud that the people were strong enough to elect this man president and look forward to the next four years with him at the helm. Every past president has had some missteps, so this magnifying glass on the current one causes me no discomfort whatsoever. Come November the good people of this country will put the Obama haters on the losing side once again and despite their claims to the contrary a good job will be done.
obozo the clown. LOL
Clown I say
Hillary is delusional . The American people cannot afford to have Obama in the oval office for 4 more years. Obama has a problem with math, I call it fuzzy math. The unemployment numbers are larger than he wants us to believe. The unemployment bureau calls it, " labor under – utilization". Meaning those not even looking for a job and those with part-time jobs needing full-time jobs. National rate in 20109.6% really = 16.7%. In 2011 8.9% really = 16.7%. So how can any one believe anything the Obama White House and Democrats on the Hill say.
It's so typical that Republicans can't address this without attacking Hillary's looks or simply the fact that she's a woman speaking strongly. God forbid! How do we still have so many of these misogynist nutcases in America? Without widespread ignorance and bigotry, the modern GOP wouldn't even come close to winning any national office at this point.
On a finer note, it's actually kind of inappropriate for her to 'predict' the election in such bald terms to an international audience. I seriously doubt Obama would have said anything like this himself. I think she's getting frustrated trying to hold together any strands in the Middle East right now. Between Obama and Hillary, she may have pulled the more difficult job. Of course some of that is because Barack makes everything look so easy.
All these right wingers who think America is somehow doomed if Obama is reelected...perhaps you don't believe in A,erican exceptionalism? We're NOT Greece, you know. We will survive, whether it's Obama, Santorum, or the Easter Bunny. Or...don't you believe in American exceptionalism?
The Republicans have stopped Obama's bills for 4 years to make him look stupid. They put their lust for power ahead of 300 million people. The greedy power hungry republicans will be the death of this great nation if they get the vote. They have held us down so they can have power, that is a very very bad characteristic of any leadership.