Actually, in both cases, the answer to both cases is “It DOES make a difference – a tremendous one, in fact.” And both are in the same area: trust. Or in fact, creating more a lack of trust than what already exists. Both questions from the top figures in the organization show a lack of concern of the perception of impropriety at best or a callous lack of concern (at all) at worst.
As Grokster Scott points out here, the question from Hillary was an avoidance of responsibility on her part. She may, indeed, have future political plans and does not want a political albatross hung around her neck. It was also, secondarily, a defense of Obama and of Obama’s claim that He has single handedly decimated Al Queda and made the word safe for Socialism (after all, an Obamessiah has to be blameless in order to mold us to be able to enter into his Heaven on earth). After all, if that policy PR is shown to be false (and I believe that it has), the inference can be “where else is Obama’s foreign policies failing?” or other policies as well.
But it matters even more – Government should be open and transparent. It does matter, in that it is not YOUR Government, it is ours, the Citizens. This is not YOUR nation, it is ours, the Citizens. The reasoning of those we have elected to govern (not rule) as well as how that reasoning turns into action (and then how that action is carried out) should be able to be followed by the ordinary citizen. When that open and transparency is violated, the lack of trust by the ordinary system rises. Pulling down the shade by dint of her question only creates dark corners in Government in which bad things seem to sprout and create rot.
Oh, back to Wayne MacDonald, now the former NH GOP Chair…on the NH GOP Area 5 Vice-Chair race