Jeffrey Toobin: Clinton's Refusal To Concede "Deranged Narcissism"

On CNN's election night coverage Tuesday, political analyst Jeffrey Toobin called Hillary Clinton's refusal to concede the election "deranged narcissism." Watch Toobin below:

The folks over at The Hotline put together a roundup of other pundits' reaction to Clinton's speech in New York City tonight:

"Well whatever that was, it wasn't a concession speech." -- FNC's Hume

"Clearly, she's trying to position herself, keep her options open." -- NBC's Russert, on HRC's speech (MSNBC).

"If I were Barack Obama, if I heard that speech, I would not be very happy. ... They are living in parallel universes right now." -- CNN's Borger.

"This was a defiant speech, against all the kind of advice that [heavyweights] within the Democratic Party gave her" -- Ex-WH adviser David Gergen, on whether he was surprised by Clinton's speech (CNN).

"She did everything but offer Obama the vice presidency" -- GOP strategist Alex Castellanos (CNN)

Comments

[Moshe]

This was Toobins greatest moment, a clarion insight clearly articulated.

This was genious Mr. Toobin: I did not think it possible to describe the Clintons in two words.

[swoosie1]

You all misjudge the woman. But sexism and such is totally ugly within the Democratic Party. My thinking is that if McCain runs a woman for VP, he has it all locked up. My vote, and yes, I am a Hillary supporter, will go to him to defy the democratic party and their misguided thinking that women should just take a step back and be door mats for the boys. This is my thinking about the party. They hate Hillary so much--maybe because she is a woman, maybe because she won so many votes, maybe because she wouldn't back down or take bull from the elders, and in the end, when she wanted to acknowledge her SD win and her supporters in a meaningful way, she was spat on by ALL THE MEDIA AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. You know, I cried when I heard her speech. It never occured to me that she should talk about Obama. That was not the point of her evening. But anyway, water under the bridge and it is clear that the Dems don't want an older, brilliant, gritty, EXPERIENCED, fighter on the ticket. They want a guy who has nothing but handlers who "manage" his every move and word, who is a big ticket talker without a lot of substance. I am gone from the Dem party, and I know a whole lot of other women who are too. We are done with it.

[guajiro]

Maybe because she won't back down, maybe because she won so many votes, maybe because she is a woman, maybe because blah, blah, blah. Bottom line is you make accusations without any substance, without any proof, without any links, without any credibility. You want to vote for the Republican nominee, fine, go ahead. You're empowering a party that cares not a whit about feminine issues (Limbaugh's FEMI-NAZIS), who have attempted to create FEDERAL legislation outlawing gay/lesbian protection/marriage, who will outlaw Roe vs Wade, who have lowered and will continue to lower college grants/tuition loans, who are aware that 95% of the top Fortune-500 corporations paid no taxes in America for the last 8 years and will further shift that tax burden onto the working class shoulders, who spend billions of our tax dollars bailing out failing banks but insist that the government shouldn't bail out the working people and who in fact have passed laws INCREASING credit card interest rates for not making payments on time, etc. This in plain view of the fact that the Democratic Party HAS MORE WOMEN AND MINORITIES than the Republican party has or has ever had since the 60's. Yeah, go ahead and vote for McCain. Count the ways that McCain and the Republicans are going to screw your daughter, your niece, your friends/relatives young daughters and nieces out of their just right of a decent living and opportunity for advancement in the future. You won't be missed.

[BoomerPete]

Got any evidence for that "95% of the top Fortune-500 companies" claim? I'm not saying you're wrong, but I'd like to see some more facts.

[kallisti7]

I concur. Saying you're done with the Democratic party? Well, that's an empty threat. Sure, go ahead, punish yourself, vote against your interests. Vote for the party that doesn't believe in a woman's right to choose. "Punish" the Democratic party. It''s absurd. This has nothing to do with sexism. Presidential elections are about having the right message, delivered in the right way, at the right time. Obama did that, Hillary, while close, did not. They followed the rules and Obama won. Case closed. Now, let's get it together and move forward.

[RudyV]

Talk about "deranged"....

[XCITIZEN]

And "delusional"...don't forget that one....they "hate Hillary...they want women to step back and be doormats for the boys". That comes from some part of the brain that hasn't gotten any oxygen since 1971.

Fleeing the Democratic Party? Well, I look forward to seeing the Wimmin's Separatist Anti-boy Party. No boys allowed! And I can't wait to see the Phallo-cracy of the Patriarchy (Erica Jong is salivating...) replaced by a Vaginal Dictatorship led by Harriet Christian.

Or just see John McCain destroying the last remnants of Democracy. Looking forward to it, aren't we ladies?

[Counterglow]

As someone who has spoken in support of Clinton when the more vociferous Obama backers got out of control, I have to say this: you're totally, utterly and completely out of touch.

Clinton lost because her campaign managers were idiots and the press manufactured a horse race out of a done deal. They did this because a) they have disliked both Clintons for a long time and b) because that's how you get ratings.

And if you want to throw around charges of sexism, you might note that Clinton only hired men to run her campaign. Are there no competent women in the US who are up to the job? If there are, she certainly didn't spend much time trying to find them. Because of her poor judgment in this respect, the idiots she hired managed to turn a cakewalk to the White House into the worst collapse since Greg Norman tanked at the '96 Masters.

[ObserverinVancouver]

Her first campaign manager was Patty Solis Doyle and the second one was Maggie Williams.

[granamica]

Bye bye

[Barky]

Why do so many always see any negative comment made of Hillary Clinton thru the prism of sexism. Have you ever considered that if it were eg. Edwards who was in HC's spot and behaved the same that the term "deranged narcissism" would not be equally appropriate?

Not too long ago I came across a thread in a blog where there was a HC supporter who was seriously of the opinion (there were numerous posts going back n forth) that when Obama used the word "periodically" in one of his rebuttals to a HC point...this was somehow a coded referral to the female "period" condition. How insane is that?

[dawlishgal]

There was a letter in "The Nation" last week that claimed that Obama's having pulled out a chair for Hillary during one of the debates was proof of his misogyny.

Of course, if he hadn't pulled it out for her, it would have been proof that he is an "eltist" or just a rude guy. Her supporters are really fishing for stuff to criticize, and they will stop at nothing to find something that can be twisted and spun. Ellen Goodman came close to blaming Obama for the invention and marketing of the Hillary nutcracker.

Of course, there is sexism, but it isn't coming from Obama. There is racism too, and that IS coming from Hillary and her "hardworking Americans, white Americans."

[RudyV]

There will always been nutjobs aplenty. Some interviewee way back in Wertham's SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT claimed that he knew the pope was gay because of the way his mouth formed a perfect O when he spoke, implying he was a great, um, oralizer.

[Nooneyouknow]

Not to sound kooky, but during the campaign, no one asked Hillary about her connection to the Iran-Contra scandal. When she was in Arkansas, working at the Rose law firm, she helped the CIA get rights to use a former Air Force base in Arkansas, at Mena. Ollie North's CIA employees used Mena to bring cocaine into the U.S., the money for which was used to fund the contras. All this talk about how ruthless Hillary's been, how self-centered -- how much is there that we don't know about? What connection did she have to Ollie North and the Iran-Contra crimes?

[Boadicea]

The list of questions Hillary did not get asked is as long as your arm.

[ObserverinVancouver]

For goodness sake, you can't blame her for Iran-Contra involvement because of a property deal. That's just outlandish. Get a grip.

[acanthus]

In comparison to Clinton supporters' willingness to fely on "Barack Hussein is a Muslim" memes, Obama supporters admirably stayed from the treasure trove of right-wing smears of the Clintons from the 90's.

[Wigelah]

Clearly the press is not finished with the Clinton bashing. It wasn't bad enough to send out press releases while voting was still going on in the final primary that Hillary would concede that night. Never mind that it was not HER press release. Then, when she didn't follow the instructions that the press gave her and instead announced that she would be making no decisions that night, they lit into her again. Now, they've all got her trying to force her way onto his ticket, as well as reporting on meetings that they not only know nothing about, but don't even know where they are taking place.

She is not even given the respect to end the campaign on her own. If it wasn't clear to people before that they are being lead by their noses by television commentators you should be able to see it now.

Sad. Just Sad.

[4smartpeas]

Just when I think the media/pundits can't be any more vicious in their outrageous, hate filled commentary about Senator Clinton, they go even further down the rabbit hole. The way Clinton supporters are being attacked isn't making the unity thing happen anytime soon either.
I have to agree with swoosie1, except there is no way I'll vote for McCain or any other republican. The media will blame Hillary when Obama loses the GE. Don't get me wrong I have great respect for Senator Obama and I will support his campaign, but he can't beat McCain and that's the problem. Neither Hillary or Barack was my first pick, but...well it is what it is and I won't do anything that will put McCain in the White House. That said, I believe the democrats have not put themselves in a position to win this election. I hope and pray that I am wrong, but ...yea its sad, very sad.

[ObserverinVancouver]

I think you are unclear on the concept. The media receive press releases. They don't create them. It is indeed Sad. Just Sad.

[TRCPA]

I agree completely......Matthews, Russert, Todd, Toobin and others want to keep the talk all about Hillary, so they can have someone to demonize should Obama not be elected in the fall.

Instead of now making it about the candidate that they support, these people in the media are and have been projecting their own demonizing processes onto Clinton and her supporters.

They are and have been using the Republican playbook against another democratic candidate.....something that they have claimed to denounce all during the primaries.

They know that the democrats have all the issues on their side, but they question their own candidate of choosing's ability to deliver the White House, hence, it must be somebody else's fault, i.e. Hillary Clinton. Pathetic and nonsense.

Hillary has been a champion of the rights of those who have been invisible to most others all throughout her life. To throw someone like that under the bus just to get their candidate of choice elected is beyond despicable.

But I have learned a lot more about the MSM in these primaries, so I am now not surprised.

[obamagal]

Someone with enough ethics to speak the truth. How refreshing.

[BobOnThis]

Why stop there... our duomocracy is 'deranged narcissism'!

[gopindrag]

Has the time come for Hillary to mount a 3d party run for the Presidency? Has the time come for Hillary to alchemize lead into gold? Has the time come for Hillary to recast the Texas Rangers as World Series contenders? Yes it has. And I want her to make me look like Brad Pitt, so that not even Angelina can tell the difference.

[Peddler]

Tobin may have deviated from the standard language of journalism, and for that he is critized, however, at least he didn't deviated from the truth.

[GayGrandpa]

Hahaha. I loved David Gergen, WHA...? WHA...? Shaking his head in shock at the words, WHA...T?!

[crossoverwriter]

Yeah, I thought David Gergen was pretty smart and cool until his reaction to Toobin's brave truth. What's up with David G's protective reaction towards the Clinton's? I thought he was beyond that.

[CrabbyGolightly]

Hillary? Narcissistic? Someone needs to check the meaning in the Diagnostics book. Hillary ain't narcissistic any more than Toobin is.

Do a Google on "ShutTheFreud Up" and their YouTube video on misogny in the media and you'll see why Toobin fits right in with the misogynist crowd.

And by the way, Oprah for VP! Oprah for VP!

CrabbyGolightly.com

[se7enMMBsg]

. . . yeah, i ALWAYS get my information on you tube. Please.

~se7en

[MysticMichael]

For the last time: Just because a female candidate catches flak for behaving like an opportunistic, amoral thug, doesn't automatically make the critic a misogynist - simply because the candidate happens to be a woman. A male candidate who behaves similarly should expect to catch just as much flak - if not more. To suggest otherwise is every bit as sexist in its own way.

Hillary catches flak because she is Hillary. The fact that critics feel free to criticize her - despite her being a woman - is a sign that she really is being considered on her merits. With regard to the feminism movement, wasn't that really the goal all along?

[guajiro]

I did, and it turns out that what you're saying isn't true. By the way, Oprah has given more to the Republican's than any Democrat and is one of the top givers even within the Republican party. It's on Google, look it up.

[Wanod]

There are guy's here and in the media, that hates the idea that a woman can do something other then have baby's and cook.

[LINY516]

This isn't about sexism, it's about an out of control egotistical power hungry shrew. The media is finally right about what happened. Stop making her the victim. She's the victimizer. Sexism exists, but not in this case.

[CommittedDem]

So, why did close to 18 million people vote for this "out of control egotistical power hungry shrew."

[RedWilma]

Crying wolf about sexism just hurts the millions of women who truly are subjected to gender prejudice and discrimination. I do not appreciate that word being bandied about by Hillary supporters.

[laurinek]

I am the staunchest feminist around and I know that this was not a sexist statement. THat chip on the shoulder mentality helps no one.

[ImlayinMyRearViewMirror]

Be fair. Your candidate has gotten away with innumerable things that candidates in previous elections haven't even thought about doing. To say that she has established all kinds of precedents---many of which are of questionable value---would not be over the top.

[guajiro]

And very poorly even at that.

[deb123]

Refreshingly honest!

[generaldelivery]

Hillary to Toobin: "You run your presidential election campaign and I'll run mine".

[laurinek]

You can't handle the truth.

[marthlois]

I give Jeffrey a heck of a lot of credit. I think he's a Clinton backer - but maybe not.
Whatever.......he called it as it saw it! No doubt he was expressing what he felt was a
very ungracious moment in time for HRC.
For me, I understand why Hillary must have been somewhat devastated. But that does
not mean she should not be required to do what other politicans have done before her.
The right thing is a concession speech so that the winner can have his moment in time.
It was not about her moment in time and showed lack of sensitivity, lack of character and
lack of good judgment.

Whether you were for Clinton or Obama, it showed poor manners. And HER MAMA
probably tried to teach her how to play by the rules.

[CommittedDem]

He is not a Clinton backer. haha. He hates her guts and insulted personally from early on.

[floridagramma]

CommittedDem, you are absolutely right. His remarks have always been vicious, unfounded, and obnoxious. Why do the producers of CNN allow such evil ad hominem remarks be made of the former first lady? Do you think they might have an agenda? The media also sold us on the Iraq War. Be careful of what they are selling us on now!!!

[kimbari]

Dozens!

[ByersL]

It did give me a good laugh--Toobin is rarely that slap-down, but he was on big time on Tuesday.

[afgail]

My God, you all just can't stand that Hillary will do what she has to do in her OWN WAY and on her own schedule. She has a very stiff neck and won't be bossed or bullied into conceding on your command. You all still don't get it that she is one proud, disciplined, tough lady.

[Alyscha]

You dont get it....that's exactly what we are annoyed about! She doesnt give a DAMN about doing things in the best interest of the democratic party...its's all about her OWN WAY...its always about her!

[kellamd]

At some point in time, you have to be a team player. Men understand this, women don't.

[Melissa]

CNN, MSNBC, and NBC, with their hatred an sexism towards Hillary, night after night are helping to make John McCain the next president.

[Martha12]

It is not her "own way " any more, and certainly not the night she gave her speech. When Obama won the nomination, he became the LEADER and REPRESENTITIVE of the Democratic Party. President Bush called to recognise, and congratulate him, as did John McCain. The news media around the GLOBE announced he is the nominee, and new leader of the Democratic Party. Considering all of that, Toobins' description of her"deranged narcissism" , is factually accurate. Even her good friends, Hillary Rosen and Diane Fienstien, were stunned, and publicly had VERY harsh words for her. Given the history of the Clintons, her actions should surprise no one. That night was simply their true colors shining through. They say that in politics, people have a very short memory. That must be true, given the Clinton reputation and history, for the American people to embrace her again. Hillary Clinton tried to steal THE historic moment of a century from the American people. Can you imagine what a lunatic, General Robert E. Lee would be remembered as if he had given a speech like that after he lost the war? Instead he is well regarded in history, even if his cause is not agred with, he remains respected. Because of the historical nature of Obamas' nomination, Hillary Clinton, will be remembered in the history books for her DERANGED NARCISSISM.

[se7enMMBsg]

. . . oh, but she most certainly WAS "bossed", and by her own supporters/staff at that. Shit, pay attention to the facts, you'll look "less" ignorant in the future.

~se7en