It’s been noted that Hillary Clinton resembles Indira Gandhi in running on political dynasty. But as the campaign has worn on, it’s become clear she’s actually more like Bilawal Zardari, someone without directly relevant experience hoping to trade on name recognition by marriage. Problem is, the market value of that name recognition has been swamped this year by the Barack Obama fundraising phenomenon, a megatrend which is a national referendum on this disastrous president.

Clinton’s new red phone ad touting her military and crisis management experience is backed up by nothing resembling truth:

Ad: “Your vote will decide who answers that call… Whether it’s someone who already knows the world’s leaders, knows the military - someone tested and ready to lead in a dangerous world.” [Link]

Responding to the release of HRC’s new… ad… [Slate] asked the obvious question: “What foreign policy moment would you point to in Hillary’s career where she’s been tested by crisis?” Silence on the call. You could’ve knit a sweater in the time it took the usually verbose team… to find a cogent answer. [Link]

Reading Armed Services Committee reports is hardly military experience. Being a first lady without so much as a security clearance is nothing like being on the hook to run an international crisis war room. By Clinton’s confabulation of competence-by-proximity, Laura Bush, or even Dubya’s accountant, is better qualified for the presidency than, say, foreign policy warhorse Joe Biden.

Obama doesn’t have that experience either, but Clinton is the one arguing that resume trumps judgment. This election is her first national campaign and the first time she’s faced real political opposition rather than opponents stepping aside, cowed by her Q rating. She is a Potemkin candidate, conducting her entire campaign on name recognition and tissue-thin relevant experience and whipping up fear of terrorism. In Dubya’s case, we already know how that movie turns out.

Toward the end of her tragically curtailed life, Benazir Bhutto had morphed from an idealistic college student into an establishment politician who’d lost her moral bearings in a quest for raw power. Hillary Clinton is now by far the candidate of large donors and lobbyists, more so than the presumptive GOP nominee. Even more than the Nehrus, Clinton’s story resembles that of the junior Zardari.