Hillary Clinton's Bosnia Story A Hit On YouTube!

Huffington Post   |  Rachel Sklar   |   March 26, 2008 11:25 AM



Remember last week when Barack Obama's race speech racked up millions of views on YouTube? Well, history is repeating itself this week for Hillary Clinton — though not for anything she'd want voters to see. YouTubed videos showing the debunking of her Bosnia claim have been viewed at least two million times over the past two days — at least — showing her claims of running across the tarmac to avoid gunfire to footage of her and her then-teenaged daughter, Chelsea, being greeted by a sweet little girl. The most-viewed of the videos, a pull of a CBS News segment that has currently clocked 1,373,104 views, is also the #1 most-viewed video today and # 4 this week (Obama's race speech is #5); other versions of the video have gotten 388,057, 31,555, 25,786, 4,190 and 2,149 views respectively (ironically, CBS' own video on their YouTube channel only has 4,205 views so far).

This, incidentally, does not include Hillary-in-Bosnia related videos, like the CBS News 1996 report on the trip itself, with 95,996 views; a clip from the report on it from "NBC Nightly News" (26,997 views) and from CNN's Jack Cafferty (1,028 views); and "Hillary in Tuzla: The Tale of Bosnian Sniper Fire (TRAILER)" at 295,823 views.

It's hard to fully canvass the entire world of online video, but as far as YouTube goes, these numbers are on par with what Obama's race speech had pulled in in roughly two days (and that video may have had some "video view optimizing" help, according to Peter Kafka at the Silicon Alley Insider). Presumably the Clinton campaign isn't pushing this video (it's not on her official YouTube page, unlike Obama's speech on his). Still, there's no dispute that it's getting watched, a lot. Even from the time I started this post, the views on several of those clips have jumped noticeably.

This is not good news for Clinton. A trip that she could have legitimately held out as evidence of her engagement in foreign affairs while First Lady has instead become an example of exaggeration and resume-padding that undermines her claims of both experience and integrity. As Ron Fournier wrote today in the AP: "Polls show that voters wonder about Clinton's honesty and authenticity. The Bosnia story plays to that character issue. As former Vice President Al Gore could tell her, once the media and voters start doubting a candidate's integrity, every episode that fits that narrative gets blown out of proportion." In the YouTube era, that gets magnified a millionfold.

I wrote yesterday of the treatment of campaign gaffes by the media, and whether or not all gaffes were treated equal. Fair enough — but this isn't just about airtime or pundit-fodder. Just as people sought out the video of Obama's speech — and made the text version the most-emailed New York Times story of the week — so, too, are they seeking out the video showing the former First Lady and candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in a complete and total falsehood. Whether it was the product of sleep-deprived confusion or ill-intent is now beside the point: It looks terrible. And at least 2 million people on YouTube know it.


How Obama Became President Of YouTube
[Silicon Alley Insider]
Ari Melber: Obama's YouTube Speech Tops TV Ratings [HuffPo]

Related:
Morning Shows Snipe At Clinton Over Bosnia Remarks
[HuffPo]
Ron Fournier: Why Wasn't The Truth Good Enough For Hillary? [AP]



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Hillary's lies are the least of her shameful connection to Bosnia.

For those of you who are interested in additional facts, here's an essay written by Christopher Hitchens, a reporter who was there and who had access to top officials in the Clinton administration:

"The Tall Tale of Tuzla" http://www.slate.com/id/2187780/

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:09 PM on 04/01/2008

Hey all... this is the icing on the cake....

interview with the Pilot of that BOSNIA SNIPER TRIP... you must listen to this!!!

via videosift.com

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:32 PM on 03/27/2008

Dear Sir,

I was present at the base in question when the First Lady visited and am intimately familiar with the situation on the ground at the time. It strikes me as beyond misstatement or clarity of memory for Senator Clinton to suggest that this visit in any way compares with the reality of those of us serving in theater experienced or presented a threat to her or her daughter.[...]

while I did go out to the ZOS (Zone of Separation) once and lived under "Full battle rattle" rules, I would never in any way compare my experience with those who daily risked their lives. That was the M.P.'s who went on daily missions trying to round up weapons and militant individuals who opposed the Peace Accord [...] If, as I believe, it is improper for me to compare my involvement with those who took the bulk of the real risks it is even more improper for any visiting dignitary to compare their own for any reason, let alone for personal gain.

I am quite angry that what I and my fellow soldiers worked to achieve should be used as a playing card to build up a political nominee and tear down another.[...] To trivialize the atrocities suffered by the real people I met in that country for political gain is beyond my ability to comprehend. [...]

Best Regards,

Tammi K Hetherington (nee Jann)

Serpentine, Hillary, serpentine!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:47 AM on 03/27/2008

give her a misspoken break! she mistook the sound of footsteps with those of bullets. anyone might make that misspoke.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:09 AM on 03/27/2008

Come on now, let's be nice;

It all depends on what the meaning of sniper fire is, is !

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:24 AM on 03/27/2008

with all that sniping she does, you'd think she would know.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:17 PM on 03/27/2008

I had a minor epiphany this morning: Remember Mike Dukakis and that ridiculous picture of him in a helmet riding the cockpit of an armored tank, with a silly grin on his face? Well, fast forward to Democratic Campaign 2008: The video of Hillary's Bosnia dodging sniper fire (while receiving flowers from a child).
She is toast.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:04 AM on 03/27/2008

PS to my post. You know, Clinton supporters are incensed that people are making a big deal about Hillary's "mis-speaking" about the Bosnia trip. In ordinary times and ordinary politics, yes, you can say this fiasco is way overblown. But that would be to ignore the fact that she has been using this story as a means of proving her credentials to be the one to answer the phone at 3 AM. That she is the one who is most fit to be Commander in Chief. That fact alone makes the Bosnia "mis-statement" more than just a litlte newsworthy. It goes to her basic trustworthiness on matters of fact and her experience.
If you are a Clinton supporter you are not going to desert her for this, nor should you. But stop whining that other people see this incident as something that tells us about the real HIllary.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:34 AM on 03/27/2008

Oh the irony. Hillary said she was sleep deprived when she "missspoke," and then NBC produced two more videos of Hillary using the same lie. So, how are we to trust her at 3 am in the morning to handle a national security crisis when she can't distinquish a sniper from an eight-year-old with flowers?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:33 AM on 03/27/2008

the only crises hillary has experience dealing with are the one's caused by bill... and she ain't too good at that. that could be what she is referring to when speaking about the 3a.m. call.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:02 AM on 03/27/2008

Man, everything she said about that trip was a lie! Great interview with the Pilot!
Thanks MRb1000!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:15 AM on 03/27/2008

Thanks for crunching the numbers, Rachel!

Y'know, in a very short time, I think YouTube hits are going to be just as telling and important as Nielsen ratings for the television and cable networks.

And, 2 million hits mean a lot more than 2 million pairs of eyeballs seeing this thing. You have to know that there are YouTube users at home and in the workplace calling people over to take a look at it.

YouTube has amplified the power of "word of mouth" exponentially.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:21 AM on 03/27/2008

The Clinton comedy show coming to your neighborhood soon. For times and dates check your local listings.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:08 AM on 03/27/2008

"How to Not Run a Campaign," coming to a Border's Book Store near you.
Written by Rudith Julie Annie and Hillary Clinton.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:29 AM on 03/27/2008

Hillary Clinton's been ducking bullets her whole life, what's new?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:40 PM on 03/26/2008

A friend of mine writes that a new species of insect has been discovered in Bosnia: Mendex flagrante, subspecies, hilarius

Allegedly the low-lying bug was located in Tuzla, where it sought to avoid prying scientists, sniper fire and other hazards.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:35 PM on 03/26/2008

Too funny . . .

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:50 AM on 03/27/2008

Mike Allen's (from Politico.com) excerpt from that report pretty much sums it up.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:26 PM on 03/26/2008

"Reality" TV. Opps, I mean "Misspoken" TV.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:32 PM on 03/26/2008

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD ....

Now this is someone who will be ready at 3 A.M. on day one!!!

Let's get real....

4 more years (for Bill)

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:53 PM on 03/26/2008

It's a bird - it's a plane...IT'S hilLIARy!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:42 PM on 03/26/2008

Thats because Hillary is caught in a bold face lie. Anybody can look at YouTube and see this lie and judge the issue for yourself. This isnt going to help all the voters who already think Hillary is not trust worthy and not authentic. Here's a glowing example that she's still trying to downplay by saying that was just 'sleep deprivation.' Hillary, how are you gonna handle that 3am call if you have poor judgement without the right amount of sleep??!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:26 PM on 03/26/2008

It's 3AM. A little girl greets you with flowers. Who do you want collecting the flowers?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:25 PM on 03/26/2008

It's too bad that there is not a simple video from Ireland demonstrating
her lies about her involvement there as well.
When you think about it, how does one misspeak over a period of time apparently using
a teleprompter? And I would like to know whether Hillary still remembers her visit this way.
Was it a shock for her to see these video's clearly showing that her "recollection" was in error.
Or was the shock that she didn't realize that there was video? And if the stress of the campaign
caused her to have delusions of her past- what does that portend for a Presidency? If she has a
bad day in the Oval Office is she going to have delusions about who the enemy is and what will she
do if that day comes at 3:00 a.m.!!!!!!!!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:08 PM on 03/26/2008

Recently THE FOOD NETWORK fired one of its most popular stars after learning he embellished his resume. The legacy of George W. Bush is tainted by lies and half-truths as over 4000 American military personnel have lost their lives; over 4000 families grieving; nearly 30,000 injured troops and families; over 2 million Iraqi citizens misplaced; over 600,000 Iraq citizens injured; hundreds of thousands men, women and children killed ... ALL ON A LIE.

ON A LIE, the greatest nation in the world is weakened by soaring debt to foreign countries, like China and Saudia Arabia. On mistruths and deception the infrastructure and quality of life for Americans is compromised with an unheard of national debt and spending.

Preparedness for our next Commander-In-Chief must include truthfulness, integrity, and honesty. If we are to believe Mrs. Clinton being sleep-deprived is the reason for her erroneously recalling the facts of this trip, especially coming under enemy fire, how are we to expect her to respond to a 3:00 a.m. call?

LYING is a serious character flaw, no matter how convincing you can narrate the tale. Wake up America and let's move beyond this politic of silliness and embellishments.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:58 PM on 03/26/2008

Remember the old days when Hillary was the "inevitable future candidate"? As soon as she had unmasked herself, everything fell apart. She blew her own campaign by the kitchen sink.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:50 PM on 03/26/2008

I as an American am terribly disappointed in the MSM. This is an important issue, whether the American people want an compulsive liar as President of the United States.Senator Clinton has proven herself to be untrustworthy.It would've been burned into the minds of Americans if she had to "duck and dodge" sniper attacks along with Chelsa, Sinbad (the comic) and jouralist Andera Mitchell.Why is Hillary being given a pass on this obvious lie.That's shameful on the medias part.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:50 PM on 03/26/2008

Pass it around

Someday CNN will decide it's newsworthy

CNN= Clinton news Network

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:45 PM on 03/26/2008

Another good post Rachel!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:42 PM on 03/26/2008

Its not the product of sleep deprivation if she repeats it over and over again, and has it written into her speeches, even after it was disputed the originally a few weeks ago.

A lie is a lie is a Clinton

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:39 PM on 03/26/2008

what is astounding to me is none of the pundits have picked up on a big story within the huge bosnia story. what did hillary expect cxhelsea to say if asked about the bosnia trip before the video came out? did she expect her daughter to lie for her. i think the answer is obvious. who onearth would want a person with a complete lack of moral compass running our great country? not me. hillary has shown time and time again during her campaign she has the worst possible judgement. is this who you want answering that 3am call? not i?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:33 PM on 03/26/2008
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