I think the likeness to Bush is an indication that Carpenter doesn’t follow, that Hillary Clinton isn’t so much counting on Americans’ gullibility as she is insufficiently sharpwitted to figure out ahead of time what she can get away with.
If we were talking about Dick Cheney, the situation would be different; he is essentially bullying the media into doing his work for him. He can say anything that pleases him, as long as he can make any interviewer who challenges him quiver in fear (like that time he got Wolf Blitzer to wet his pants on air).
