Clinton: Gore And Kerry Lost Because They Were Viewed As Elitist

Speaking to reporters in Pennsylvania on Sunday, Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said that previous Democratic nominees lost in the general election because they were viewed as out of touch with the nation:

Pressed on whether she truly believes Obama is an elitist, Clinton called him "a good man," but recalled the narratives of the 2000 and 2004 president election.

"You don't have to think back too far to remember that good men running for president were viewed as being elitist and out of touch with the values and lives of millions of Americans," she said.

Clinton later reiterated the argument at a CNN sponsored forum. Watch the video:

At the same CNN forum, Barack Obama said that he thought Gore had won the 2000 Election. Watch the clip:

Related: Clinton Says It's Not Relevant Last Time She Went To Church Or Fired A Gun

Comments

[xxmaryxx]

Now we got a new word that everyone is throwning around. ELITIST. I'm be real I never heard the word until Clinton threw it out there. So here is my thinking on things. This country has gone to hell in a hand basket. THE COUNTRY IS BITTER with the goverment .Our leaders talking to us like we are so stupid we can't see or hear whats really going on with this messed up country. Hillary Clinton talk to us in a way that you come away with the feeling she is the one OUT OF TOUCH with the world. She has no idea what it's like to live week to week., and not know if tomorrow your getting s lay-off slip. What does she know about worrying about making ends meet bexause every couple of months they raise our electricity,Gas. Insurance ETC. How dare she talk like she has an idea, because frankly SHE DON'T she made 109 MILLION in 7 years,,thats an avg of 15 million a years folks. thats makes her an eltist ( The sense of entitlement enjoyed by such a group or class.)

[foreffectivegovernment]

xxmaryxx:
You must be one of those young, college educated first time voters that decided it would be "Cool" and "Historic" to elect the "First Black President" of the United States.
If you were something other than a "Temporary Democrat" you would know that the Republicans have been painting every Democratic candidate as an "Elitist" to scare off the blue collar workers. Republican candidates, in turn, were someone they would like to have a beer with. (Remember George W. Bush)?

They even tried to say LBJ, who proved to be the most crass President we ever had, was elitist just because he married the ugliest woman on earth for her money to run for elected office.

This is not a new word to anyone who has witnessed past elections, just as the rules were not a surprise to us. Just because the current rules do not favor your candidate doesn't mean that they are bad, it just means that you didn't learn the rules of the game before you decided to play.

[Aleka]

LOL...yes, her examples about

---what it's like to live week to week., and not know if tomorrow your getting s lay-off slip. What does she know about worrying about making ends meet bexause every couple of months they raise our electricity,Gas. Insurance ETC. ---

Were just the dead giveaway thats she's right into that hipster college crowd.

Please. Stop jumping to conclusions and read before you respond. There are a billion other reasons why she might not have heard that used, other than the one that best fits your mistaken and biased idea of what an Obama supporter is like.

[HKPhooey]

Hmmm, well with folks like you in the party who apparently look down on first time voters as "Temporary Democrats" and say the reason young voters are going for Obama is because it would be "Cool", is it any wonder they can paint our party as elitist?

[LaUrracca]

I , for one, am NOT a new voter, and am quite aware that the republicans use the "elitist" meme for all it is worth.

That is what makes it so surprising seeing Hillary play by the Republican playbook.

I just saw a photo tonight of the house she grew up in...where I grew up, it would have been called a mansion.

To call a man who was raised by a single mother, dragged around from place to place, and who went to school on a scholarship, an elitist....
would be laughable, if it were not so cynically employed.

And....my vote for Obama, is for the best Presidential candidiate I have seen in a very long time. I am voting for quality, not for color.

[IngeniousGirl]

When you crash a party you have to be prepared to be tossed out

[IngeniousGirl]

You are right, absolutely right, no matter what anyone else said below your post.
Barack will be the next President of the United States.

[missjabez]

xx, I'm not sure if I had ever heard the word "elitist" either until Miz Hillary started throwing it around, and it seems tobe her favorite word in her vocabulary these days. Why doesn't she just get a T-shirt that says "I AIN'T NO ELITIST" with a gun and a mug of beer in the background?

[pedromatos]

Hillary is in big trouble, court in L.A. has hearing this month on the 25. They were hiding it and the media didn't want to talk about it, but protesters are already planning and the media will be force to talk about it.
Check out this site:

http://www.paulvclinton.com/Latest

Also view this blog:

http://politicsandcrime.wordpress.com/

[foreffectivegovernment]

Hey, look at this one too. You will really find the truth about this "big trouble"

Peter F. Paul
“An audit by the Federal Elections Commission found that neither Senator Clinton nor her Senate campaign had accepted any illegal funds”.
“The appellate court specifying that her behavior had been "perfectly legal.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_F._Paul

[IngeniousGirl]

technically, they reached a settlement without a finding of a violation of the law, which means to say that this issue has never been decided, which is why the Paul lawsuit is extremely relevant because Hillary has perjured herself in videos to which she will be deposed in this case. Easily the FEC can review and find she did in fact know of the violations which occured with Paul hosted the first fundraiser for Hillary.

[Changeizgood]

I read Judiciarywatch.com. It's loaded,and the the Rethugs are gonna rock Clintons world if she's nominated.

Just a little bird note to the loyal Clintonistas, being taken in by their love.
It's like "The Green Mile" she killed the party with their love,using their love of Bills prospersous money years, to override your common sense. They made their money selling our jobs and now he's talking to other underdeveloped countries to use their poor, and getting paid for it. NAFTA.

The lobbyist have her stake, they have to sit and guide to destroy other viable candidates. Ruwanda, Bosnia, and going after Bin Rotten.
They (the Mark Penn's and Bill Clinton) use petty differences against democracy, to keep the same stuff going after election. They think they are smarter and in college groups (skull and bones) they use the poor to build their wealth. They are who we call the Pharo, with their foot far up our butts, We the People have to pull it out to sit down in Peace. Well it's time to take OUT that well placed foot.the Constitution and the Laws, we hold dearly to be a CIVILIZED society.
God fearing People, can't be bought.
It is these false prophets in government offices that must change. Human rights are human rights.
Equal rights are equal rights.
An honest days work, for an honest days labor.
Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.
We hold these truths.

This Bush It is OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[several]

How about: Gore and Kerry lost because they were viewed as the direct political successors of Bill Clinton?

[anika]

don't obamabots have any excuse other than ... but but but clinton ... ????

how PATHETIC...

[Kalima]

We don't give excuses but only state facts or opinions based on facts.

[c1ee]

I'm sorry, but i think that sounds more like you Hillary supporters. "the media is so unfair! but but Obama, look what he did!"

[Barbarossa03]

Al Gore was affected by the political fallout of Bill and Hilary Clinton. Although the election was stolen I think it would have been without doubt his victory if it hadn't been for the Clinton influence. Kerry is another story, him and Shrub are Skull and Bones from Yale.

[msopine]

I've suddenly realized that the Huffington Post is rapidly becoming the Fox News of progressive blogs. Just check out their daily coverage of the race between Obama and Hillary over the last several months and it would be pretty hard to dispute that the Huffington Post and Fox News operate under the same definition of "fair and balanced". Even Newt Gingrich found something good to say about Hillary once. Maybe just for the sake of appearances the Huffington Post could give it a try.

[Barbarossa03]

Well Clinton does have CNN and the New York Times, why don't you stroll on over to their sites if you want a sunny-side up picture of Hilary from Wolf Blitzer. Key line you mention above, even Newt Gingrich had something good to say about Hilary, how about Obama...hmmm.

[shep1900]

The NY Times has _routinely_ backed Senator Obama, for months now. CNN hammers her on a regular basis, too. If you don't read or watch both regularly, perhaps you are unaware of the way the candidates are actually being covered.

[cynara]

You do realize that it was the Huffpo that broke the Obama "bitter" story. That story was first broadcast on this site by a paid Huffpo citizen reporter, then it spread to every other medium. So, it would be hard to consider the Huffpo anti-Hillary, considering they have given her such rich material.

[jsinclair]

On the one hand, I love the democratization of internet through blogging.

On the other hand, it's kind of shocking how the media legitimized and repeated over and over something from a non-professional, apparently untrained in journalism and with no fact-checking, insistence on balanced quotes from others there, etc.

On balance, imo, Mayhill Fowler's hit piece finding such quick MSM acceptance is not a good thing. The MSM (including the bombastic fear monger Lou Dobbs) already has enough credibility and methodology issues.

[bailey2006]

If you want a site that kisses up to Hillary, then you are at the wrong site. You might try www.hilarylies.com.

[SocialConscience]

HuffPo has becoming a breeding ground for hateful, juvenile posters. Guised in anonymity, the people here think it's acceptable to dissect the person posting rather than their statement. That's exactly what someone does when they can't formulate their own argument. I used to enjoy this site, now it is such a lightning rod for animosity. So ugly.

[shep1900]

I think the Huffington Post should require people to post using their real names. Somehow, I suspect that people would be less likely to be churlish and vicious, if they couldn't hide behind pseudonyms.

[greejambri]

Bye bye. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[SocialConscience]

Why was Obama allowed to listen to the Q&A that Senator Clinton provided during the Compassion Forum? He should have been in a sound-proof booth given his penchant for "ditto". One of his first statements, 'I don't presume to know what God's master plan is' was one of Senator Clintons' last statements during her Q&A. Obama ALSO takes the time to compliment Bush's work with PETFAR? Repeat of what Clinton said 15 minutes before.

Obama used tangents, non-sequiturs to echo buzzwords that weren't germane to questions. Nuggets include "cap and trade" system, "public square", "lead with values not just military might". All of these said by Clinton FIRST. Copy/Paste. No one asked him if God wanted him as president like they did with Clinton, but he chimed in anyway. Repeating Abraham Lincoln references, bringing up Al Gore, referring to what Clinton said during her line of questioning. He too, would operate with great "humility", repeat.

He should be allowed to sink/swim on his own, without the crutch of hearing another's answers first or getting assistance from advisors. He wasn't asked tough questions like 'why would a loving god allow humans to suffer as they do?'

Obama doesn't speak eloquently and succintly in Q&A sessions. He uses pregnant pauses to bide time while he scrouges for the next phrase to hijack. We have already experienced 7 years of someone like this. We need someone who can think on their feet when it counts.

[Barbarossa03]

Yawn. Maybe he was repeating these words so that they would be believable coming out the second time round.

[IngeniousGirl]

No he was not repeating words, Hillary used the word "anchor" twice within the first 10 minutes which was likely her canned speech, and rambled almost embarassing about finding the Holy Spirit, without explaining what she meant. Here in our home the younger set was put off by this, lached on to the specifics Barack discussed and the fact came through to them about how "inclusive" Barack is, vs. Clinton being so "exclusive" and self-entitled.

[meta]

Especially when facing sniper fire. And when vested with the responsibility to vote to go to WAR.

[IngeniousGirl]

Welllll Hillary chose to go first, she could have decided to let him go first, remember how she complained.
Hillary babbled, she was scary talking about how she would make life or death decisions, I was reminded that she was supposed to be ready on day one, yet she made it sound like we would waiting for her to agonize over her "authority" to make life or death decisions.
She decided to go first, that is the rule and she understood the rules, right!

[SocialConscience]

The point is that Obama should not have been given the upperhand by being allowed to listen to her responses. It clearly gives him an advantage. It doesn't matter who goes first; it matters whether the person who goes second gets to hear the first round of questions to start building his answers in advance.

[Aleka]

--He uses pregnant pauses to bide time while he scrouges for the next phrase to hijack--

Tells me all I need to know. Someone -truly- objective might notice a pause for thinking, which is the logical and common assumption. That you spun that into an insult shows that you are uncharitible and didn't listen to him objectively. You showed your animosity.

That taints your entire post. It cannot be taken any more seriously than a Fox News bit.

[SocialConscience]

Thank you for proving how judgmental Obama supporters are. Touche. Once again, someone who can only attack the person, but can say nothing to argue my points. You just tarnished yourself. Clinton doesn't need long...stilted...pauses...to try to maintain composure...avoid gaffes. I provided facts, you provided an emotional response, and you tout yourself as objective.

[xargaw]

Those pauses are what people do when they give thoughtful answers instead of spewing rehearsed talking points. People with high intellect are sneaky. They use the trick of thinking before they speak. That way, they don't just directly answer the question, but it is the polite way to converse with the questioner. It shows respect.

[RButler]

Those pauses are open to interpretation. What makes you think your interpretation called 'he's thinking, he's thinking' are any more accurate or valid? Oh, wait. You're an Obama supporter, your interpretations are the TRUTH.

[the964kid]

Those are the rules that Hillary agreed to. You can cry to her for accepting going first.

That's what you have to do when you're losing.

[SocialConscience]

Again, the point is not that she had to go first, it is that Obama was allowed to listen to the Clinton's questions and answers. He should be providing his own answers, without the influence of hearing the questions and her answers ahead of time. Are you really that biased that you don't get that this provides an advantage? Do you know for a fact that Clinton knew that Obama would be listening to her line of questioning prior to his Q&A session?

[comingawakening]

I have a number to share with the HuffPo crowd...

$50,230.42

The is how much money the Clintons have earned since leaving the White House in 2001.

In 1997, the poverty line for a couple was $13,690. Which means that the Clintons made 3.66 the poverty salary rate per diem.

Another way of looking at this is that the average salary in the US is about $35,000 per annum. Thus the Clintons earn as much money as 520 average earners.

Down to Earth they are!

---
perezpolitics.com

[comingawakening]

Opps! The $50,230 is their DAILY INCOME SINCE 2001. I hit post too soon. Sorry.

[racetoinfinity]

Yes, and a lot of it has been earned cozying up to and currying favor for and getting in on deals with the "wealthy and the well-connected", whom Hillary has decried as having undue influence in Washington. She's the hypocrite of all time!

[msopine]

That's very interesting. Now I wonder if you could tell us how much money they made before Bill was elected President? If you compare them with the other Presidential families who occupied the White House throughout the 20th and so far 21st Century, they would have been designated at poverty level. Why don't you amortize their $100 million in book profits over all their adult lives in public service, and maybe it'll seem more reasonable to you.

[jsinclair]

Yes, and just imagine. The average yearly income is $35,000.

Bill was given $800,000 by the Colombian government alone. That's 22 YEARS worth of salary for the average person.

Sobering.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

She's wrong, so there's a pretty good view NOW, of just who's "...out of touch".

[Sabreen60]

This was supposed to be a faith and compassion question and answer program. It was not a debate. I could not believe that the first time out of Brown's mouth was the issue of Senator Obama's comments. CNN is real close to FOX in terms of baiting the candidates in order to get ratings. I hope everyone who was put off by their tactic in this venue will write/email the station and let them know exactly how they feel. Shame on you CNN. And shame on Hillary for taking the bait and enjoying every bit of it.

[IngeniousGirl]

and she was nodding in agreement with him at the end unconsciously :)

[anika]

even after being mocked by SNL campbell brown cant stop being in the tank for obama...

[Aleka]

I did write CNN, as well as a couple of the sponsors of the website.

[funnyguy]

Hillary and Bill: They made only $110 million in last seven years. Just real, down-to-earth working class people. Humble, too.

[Beowoof]

Hillary has given the Republican attack machine enough to hurt Obama, but destroy her. Her blatant lies about NAFTA only to win Ohio without thinking about the consequences for November can and will be used against her. Calling Obama elite when there are ample photographs with Hillary and the "elite" is incredible. Bosnia would just be the pre-game show. All she has left in her arsonal is the threat of blowing up the other side of the world.

[SocialConscience]

Obama is the one hurting Obama. His words and actions speak for themselves: "typical white person", jobless Pennsylvanians are "bitter" and "cling to guns, their religion", "baatan death march", "boneheaded" Rezko mistake, Exelon legislation, on and on. Every day, a new gaffe.

Michelle Obama's words speak for both of them: "there is no second run", "for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country", "as a black man, Barack can get shot going to the gas station", "if you can't run your own house, you can't run the White House", ad infinitum.

Anyone else tired of the bourgie smugness? All you have to do to be reminded is look at countless photos.

[MichaelDeane]

Only to kool aid drinking Clinton supporters like you.

You might want to remember 81 percent of this country is disatistfied.

Bosnia? Sniper fire? Ireland peace treaty?

Norman Hsu. John Chung. Peter Paul?

Social Conscience? No you are an ignorant fool who recites talking points AND exposing your own candidates foibles.

Please come back when Obama wins so we can laugh at you.

[Aleka]

You have almost all of that totally out of context. You DO know that the -actual- quotes etc are available right? So anyone can compare what was actually said with you've tried to foist here? Those are distortions, as I am sure you know, and I don't understand why you would choose to lower yourself to spreading distortions and lies?

I think that you should really think about why a mere picture of Obama incenses you so. That is not really a normal reaction. You don't even know him.

Perhaps you have issues of some sort, or perhaps you are projecting your own intellectual insecurities on him. I don't know. But you know - it isn't healthy what you are doing here.

[IngeniousGirl]

So I find you way down here saying the same thing you say above, I guess you've got your talking points. You hit all the whistle calls, the only thing missed is the fact that Hillary has negatives high negatives that have not changed since she began her campaign, generally people are inclined not to trust her... that is what the polls have said since the beginning.

[jsinclair]

Yes, Obama has run such a high-minded, issue-oriented, campaign. The (imo, minimal) criticism Clinton has faced has come mostly from the press.

IF she were to be the nominee, when the PACs get going, she'll be swift-boated so fast and so thoroughly on so many different things, she won't know what hit her. The Republicans (including Rove in his Commentator Chair at FOX, and all the currently closeted McCain supporters at CNN) will definitely hit hard.

[cowboyneok]

Bam! GORE did win in 2000 and THE ELITISTS stole the election from him and gave it to their boy, Bu$h.

Besides, all we ever heard in 2004 was Theresa Heinz Kerry was financing her husband. Okay, well that worked for Republicans so now they better explain why John McCain has EIGHT TO TEN HOMES financed by Cindy McCain's money made by her family peddling all that booze.

[WillPower]

The media did a recount and found that Bush won. He won the first count and all the recounts. Nobody stole anything, although Gore tried.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/media/media_watch/jan-june01/recount_4-3.html

[c1ee]

Cool, thanks for the info. I still think Gore was the winner (due to the whole Florida - Jeb Bush - disenfranchisement of black voters conspiracy), but i'll believe it when pbs says the recount would not have declared Gore the winner.

[comingawakening]

"Bill and I read passages from the Bible to Chelsey when she was growing up." Really?

I admit that I am an Obama supporter and that I thought Hillary did a good job aside from her attack of Obama within the first 3 minutes during a "compassion" event but I digress.

Obama just looked more comfortable. He was in his element and answered questions in a way that conveyed more honesty to me. I am not religious but I respect the rights of anyone to practice their religion as long as it doesn't control their politics. I think Obama walked a fine balance tonight. He spoke about religion in a way not many Democrats have in many years and yet he defended the Consitution and asked believers to translate the beliefs into an "common dialogue" to bridge our differences and solve problems.

---
perezpolitics.com

[IslandGyal]

I agree but I know America is going down a road of no return. Next election, the litmus test will be having to be an evangelical christian, as just a regular christian won't do. Then next election, all non believers will be hunted down, and so on and so on; it’s just a matter of time before we will be like Iran, etc.

[racetoinfinity]

Europe, Austraila, New Zealand, and Japan will be the only evolved places left.

[wndrwrthg]

Bills readings were from the "Song of Solomon".

[RButler]

She was asked the question about Obama's remark. Are you deaf and dumb?
I thought her answers about her faith were deeper and more personal than his. He was speaking as a politician. She spoke of 'grace' which I don't really know that much about in a religious sense as I'm not religious. But, one of the things that I've marveled at about Hillary is her ability to work with people in Congress and elsewhere who were out to destroy her and Bill from the get go. I don't think Obama has that kind of grace or ability. Nor his wife. I don't his his pastor of 20 years provided that kind of inspiration. She went over and shook Ted Kennedy's hand at the SOTU after he endorsed Obama when she didn't have to.

[Serfie]

Hillary is right.

When Gore and Kerry ran in their respective elections, they came across as smug and holier than thou.

I am not saying they are that way, but that is the odor they gave off. Gore always spoke to the audience like they were mentally retarded and Kerry ran a campaign so inept that a retard could have done better against George Bush. I have noticed that Obama and his supporters also have that "my shit don't stink" attitude. Guess what? Your shit stinks.

[Sabreen60]

Of course you are entitled to you opinion. However, I beg to disagree. Al Gore won the election, but it was stolen from him. I'm sure Hillary can forget about Gore and Kerry's endorsement. But I'm sure she feels she won't need them.

[Aleka]

Do you ever think that that is more a result of your own headspace than reality? All he has done is conduct a campaign that was above this negative crap - paid for more by the people than corp. That is, rightfully, something to be proud of.

So why do YOU perceive it as :my shit dont stink: despite his numerous references to how he makes mistakes? He's actually quite humble, and I wonder why you can't see it.

I have noticed that a lot of people are completely intimidated by intellectual types. Because they feel intellectually inferior, they project that outward and assume the other person likewise considers them intellectually inferior.

And maybe this is why this is such a big flap. Maybe people probably ARE projecting their own sense of intellectual insecurity onto him, and concluding that if they were he, they would look down on them too. But that is a function of their own egos rather than reality.

Too bad - cause we damn sure need someone smarter than we are to get us out of this mess.

[POINT84]

Exactly

[IngeniousGirl]

and Bush was unholy and a thief

[IslandGyal]

"I have noticed that Obama and his supporters also have that "my shit don't stink" attitude. Guess what? Your shit stinks."


Serfie
And, I guess in your delusional mind Hil-liar-y's doesn't huh?

[Igglesbee]

Obama does not have the attitude that his shit doesn't stink - he has the attitude that throwing shit at other politicians stinks. It does.

But let me get this straight - people say they hate the nasty political attack machine, but when Obama refuses to behave divisively, he gets called an elitist SOLELY so Hillary can TRY to beat him down? She admitted her motives by saying "elitism" is why Gore and Kerry lost, didn't she? She cannot win this primary fairly, period. She's beating on the Democratic nominee FOR HER OWN SELFISH AMBITIONS. She doesn't give a shit about this country anymore, it's just about HER winning.

I used to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE both the Clintons, but now, I'm DONE.

[Max7073]

First of all, IMO CNN has lost all credibility due to their coverage of this election and being so obviously in the tank for the Clintons. Also, is it just me or does anyone else find that Campbell Brown person really annoying? I think she and Mayhill Fowler (Flower? whatever) should become BFF.

Next, to quote Bill...Give me a break!...Hillary, calling Obama elitist. The candidate who was the inevitable nominee. The candidate who thinks she is entitled to the presidency. That's rich.

And after 'mis-speaking' on three separate occasions, the lie getting more grand and fanciful with each telling, then having her husband mis-speak and use eight more lies in a pathetic attempt to explain away the first lie... the Clintons are saying that Obama's use of the word 'bitter' 'raises a 'legitimate political issue'

Umm, people, ...perhaps we should be concerned about a pair of serial liars trying to slither their way back into the white house...as democrats while they continue to align themselves with the GOP

Or perhaps we should be concerned about how 'tired' Hillary seems to get by 11:00 pm and how it muddles up her recollection of events. Not the best qualities for someone who wants one of the toughest jobs in the world.

CNN you are embarrasing. Let's see some meaningful, balanced coverage and move onto something substantive. Perhaps you could delve into that deal Bill was working with the Columbians.

[Aleka]

I have written to complain, and I encourage others to do so. It is time we demand that the media start being responsible.

[Igglesbee]

Don't waste your time. The media does anything and everything necessary to make money. they could care less about the truth. Keeping this fight going makes them TONS of money. You know all those millions (and millions) the candidates raise? That pays for network commercials. No controversy? No commercials.

[anika]

you have'nt watched roland martin shill for obama... ???

[ljsfolly]

Funny thing as I do remember Al Gore won and got it stolen by the supremes that were selected by bush sr. Also does Katherine Harris mean anything to anyone? Fla was bought and given to shrub by the same. Wasn't it like chads or something like that hanging and all that? I am once again saying that any super delegate who doesn't stop this crap so that the democrats can fight McCain do not deserve my vote for anything in the future and although that might be little in your mind there are more of me out there tired of you waiting to see if you can help Hillary steal the nomination. There isn't a tie and Hillary is too far down to win unless you the superdelegates hand it to her and deny the votes of those who you represent. I don't want McCain to win and Hillary is doing her best to help him do just that. Why else does it seem like McCain and Hillary speak the same words with the same attacks?