It's Impossible to be Proud of the Way Hillary Has Run This Campaign

stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust

Posted April 15, 2008 | 12:37 PM (EST)



Show your support.
Buzz this article up.

I feel like asking the same question about elitists that Jim Mora once famously asked about the playoffs. Elitists?! Elitists?! We're talking about elitists?!

The Clinton and McCain families both have over $100 million. Barack Obama has a father from Kenya and mother from Kansas. Who are they kidding about elitism?

I don't think money is necessarily the determinative factor in whether you're an elitist or not. And I think the Clintons did work their way up in this world. But to claim that a guy like Obama who built his success completely on his own and from the bottom up is an elitist is beyond ridiculous. In fact, it's worse; it's Republican.

Republicans charge Democrats with being elitists every campaign cycle as they themselves are dripping with money, status and privilege. And they get away with it every time. George W. Bush's grandfather was a senator, his father was president, he went to Andover, Yale and Harvard -- and he claimed the Democrats were elitists and he was the regular guy you could have a beer with (ignoring the fact that he is an alcoholic).

And the media lets them get away with this insane shell game. You can say Obama went to Harvard, too. But one thing is for sure -- his daddy didn't get him in. There is all the difference in the world between having your family name get you into Harvard and earning your way in. One makes you privileged and upper class; the other makes you an American success story.

One more thing about Obama. When he got out of Harvard Law, he could have made a lot of money in private industry. Instead, he went to work for disadvantaged communities in Chicago. This guy spent his life helping the poor when he could have been stinking rich instead. And now they call him elitist and the media mindlessly goes along with it.

Meanwhile, McCain wants to give away billions of dollars in tax breaks to the richest people in America. And he has the nerve to bring up elitism? He married a woman who is a multi-millionaire. He is from the party that stands up for multi-millionaires. And he is going to accuse a guy who came up from nothing and helped others struggling to do the same of being an elitist? How can the media not see through this mind-numbingly obvious political hackery?

Now, Hillary is playing this game, too. And this is what pisses me off about her the most. She buys into everything Republicans say about Democrats. She has now resorted to using GOP Politics 101 against Obama. Not only is this damaging to our eventual candidate (every dollar she spends now is a dollar in McCain's pocket), not only is it infuriating because it has absolutely no validity but it is also ultimately self-defeating.

Once she accepts the Republican framing, she has done their job for them. Even in the wildly implausible scenario that she becomes the Democratic candidate, she is signing her own political death warrant by agreeing to all of the Republican attacks against Democrats.

If she wants to be the candidate who is reflexively pro-gun, accuses others of not being sufficiently religious and charges Democrats of being elitists when they're trying to stand up for the little guy, she can piss off and become a Republican already.

Seriously, who is still proud to say they are a Hillary Clinton supporter? Are you proud of this campaign? Has she inspired you? Has she made you proud to be a Democrat?

If you're a Clinton supporter at this point and you're honest with yourself, you know she's running a Republican campaign against him. You might trick yourself into thinking she is just being tough and doing what's necessary. But she certainly isn't the one fighting for our world-view and our vision of what makes this country great. You might think she has to win by any means necessary, but you're certainly not proud of her.

Let's elect a Democrat who doesn't actually mind being a Democrat.

Watch The Young Turks Here

 
 

Comments
198
Pending Comments
0

Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to

View Comments:
Page: 1 2 3 Next › Last » (3 pages total)

The Clintons do interviews on Fox. Ed Rendell says they are "fair". Lanny Davis calls into the Sean Hannity radio show. Fox bashes Obama as if Hillary isn't even in the race. Hillary gets all those "Limbaugh" votes - big numbers in Ohio. Bill Clinton was on the Rush Limbaugh show the day of the Texas primary. Something is very wrong with this picture. The Clintons said she and John McCain were "ready", but not Obama. 30% of those who support Hillary won't support Obama and will vote for McCain. How many already support McCain? Will the Clintons support McCain because Obama is so "wrong" ?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:08 PM on 04/16/2008

I think it's remarkable how Clinton is treated in one broad brush on anything she says or does, while her opponents are given the benefit. The republicans so completely trashed the Clinton's in the 1990's (starting in '91 when Bill first ran for president) that today in 2008 even the Left is comfortable trashing her like she's some Right-wing witch.

It is proof that constantly telling someone the moon is blue will ultimately make them believe it and fall in line, even if they once knew better.

Uygur says we should "elect a Democrat who doesn't actually mind being a Democrat." Oh, bs. You show me how Obama gets to 270 electoral votes if he loses states like Ohio and Pennsylvania to McCain in November. Adding Colorado or Virginia won't make up the difference because they have fewer electoral votes, and that's the ONLY way we elect a president. What's the map for getting there?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:08 PM on 04/16/2008

Can you make an argument without reaching for the stale Hillbot talking points? The worst attack from the Obama campaign on Hillary was a one off comment from Jesse Jackson Jr. Whereas the Clinton campaign is using the excuse that "he'll face dirty Republican attacks" to...make dirty Republican attacks.

There's a reason Fox is attacking Obama more than Hillary: they know he's the stronger candidate. But she's actually guilty of what the Republicans falsely accused Gore of doing in 2000 - making crazy shit up to embellish her resume. SCHIP, NAFTA, FMLA, and especially Tuzla - you think Fox is going to let that all slide if she gets the nomination?

By saying that this election will be about national security issues and that John McCain has the necessary experience to be POTUS, she's set the race up for him in the fall.

And stop fooling yourselves, Obama is *more* electorally competitive, not *less*. He campaigns in every state, the same way we won control of Congress in 2006. Hillary only campaigns in big democratic and "battle ground" states - the same strategy that has only lost us elections. Of the top ten states that have voted, Obama has won more of them than Clinton. We've got math, you've got myth:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3/12/12552/6475

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:56 PM on 04/20/2008

I wonder what would have happened if Clinton ran in 2004.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:58 PM on 04/16/2008

I just cannot get past the fact that she wholeheartedly voted for the war and voted against the American people and for the credit card companies when she voted for the Bankruptcy Bill, but the coup de grace for me was her vote for the Kyl-Lieberman amendment to declare Iran a terrorist state, a precursor to war.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:33 PM on 04/16/2008

her intelligence lies in her ability to accumulate facts and spit out the data like some tired fax machine.

what she cannot do is synthesize the data into a coherent whole... she doesn't see the big picture, nor the nuances, nor the trends. she is not a 'wise' woman.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:19 PM on 04/16/2008


Cenk, how come ya wont post my comments? Did I get out of hand before?
I'm really sorry if I did, I admit I get kinda worked up sometimes.
The way things are these days, tho, it sure isn't hard to do.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:36 AM on 04/16/2008


Cenk, thanks for this post. It's accurate and thought provoking, but mostly, I feel, sad.

I was rooting for Hillary from the start. Very excited about the prospect. The woman who could absolutely dop it. But from the very beginning, when I saw her entrenching herself to maintain the unnecessary hard relations with corporate America while she had the chance to send the populist message, I knew it could be a beginning of more disappointment, and sure enough, it has been.

She's the one who could have carried Edward's populist message, and the media wouldn't have been able to sideline her like they did Edwards, because no one could take their eyes off her! If they DID, -and here's the SAD PART- There's been a whole country, a whole Army, if you will, of journalistic and grass roots people ready to lift her up, hold up and support her for single payer health care, leaving Iraq, environmental issues, taking the cases for the less fortunate, against corporations for everyday Americans, but she felt she could do it on her own, listening to the losers who've been advising her, pleasing the rich elite..
The Corporate media had obviously already intimidated her so bad, she didn't dare do it. And now, all she's been left with is a playbook that will surely be something she will regret for years to come.

She was the one MADE to carry that real populist message... To victory! but she passed on it.
Big mistake. Huge.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:13 AM on 04/16/2008

you said it. She really muffed this whole thing. absolutely had it handed to her and she flubbed it but good. its exactly why she should not be and is not qualified to be POTUS or CIC.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:10 AM on 04/16/2008

HERE WE GO AGAIN....

"How DARE she campaign agaisnt him!!! our precious baby!!!"

I, for one, am very proud of her and her campaign, and am most ashamed of the media, the press, the pundits, the bloggers on HuffPo, moveon.org, and obama supporters and their lousy attitude.

For one, he is inexperienced. That is not a smear. For two, Hillary's remarks about learnign to shoot as a girl are BEING TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT. She did not change her views on gun control, but rather was trying to say "I get it....its part of your culture"

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:59 AM on 04/16/2008

Oh Lord. YOU'RE queen is being taken out of context!? Really? That's rich. That AHOLE WROTE the book on how to take words out of context. Your pride has blinding you to the warts all over her campaign.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:06 AM on 04/16/2008

What words did she take out of context.?

Obama WAS NOT Being taken out of context.....his words were quite self explanatory.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:29 AM on 04/16/2008

The elitist spin on his comments were clearly republican type bull shit (taking things out of context).
While Obama could explain why bitter people vote against their economical interests, the idea was somehow offending to Mizz Clinton.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:23 PM on 04/16/2008

It's very simple so I'll explain.

She removed the part about the economic disenfranchisement and Washington promises every 4 years that amounted to nothing, leaving only guns, religion and xenophobia to cleave to.

One you separate the reason all you get is a caricature which was never his intent and a 5th grader could see that.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:21 PM on 04/16/2008

It didn't bother my husband or my 16 year old - but watching her down shots to be "liked" by guys in Pennsylvania made me kind of sick - not really the way I want my President to conduct herself. And it did give an example to my son of caving in to peer pressure -- I doubt she would choose to do this on any other given Friday night. I turned to Obama a few months ago because I think Hillary has lost her bearings -- I don't want a president who is either completely cynical or undergoing an identity crisis.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:49 AM on 04/16/2008

Yea, seeing her 'trying' to be one of the boys has set the women's movement back 20 years....lol

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:21 PM on 04/16/2008

so i assume you were equally offended when obama went to sports bars and tried bowling in an attempt to "fit in"??

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:25 AM on 04/16/2008


She should have never attacked Obama so chicken-heartedly, like a republican. She should have stuck to the issues. People were watching, waiting to see if she would fall in there, and she did. They, myself included, would have thought much better of her for not even going there. She let herself get sucked into the cowardly neocon playbook, and the only one it has really hurt is her, because people have woken up, dear. Get a clue.
Nothing against Hill, but this is NOT the time to be unloyal to the Dem party. In the face of what this nation's had to suffer with this idiot, Its unforgivable..

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:25 AM on 04/16/2008

She should have never attacked Obama so chicken-heartedly, like a republican. She should have stuck to the issues
=========

BALONEY. She was on the issues for WEEKS and the media payed no attention and neither did you.

Did Huffpo do anyting on her crime reduction plan? or much about her statements about China? No, Huffpo and the media focused on Bill Clinton, HRC's bosnia statements, etc.

She had EVERY right to offer her opinion of Obama's comments.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:28 AM on 04/16/2008

"She had EVERY right to offer her opinion of Obama's comments"
No one is contesting her right to act in this way. In the end she will simply not get the nomination (but you can remain proud of her for that too). And she may cause enough damage to the nominee (giving idiotic talking points such as this elitist bull shit to republicans) so that the democrats end up loosing another election. Feel free to be proud of that too.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:20 PM on 04/16/2008

you are completely deluded. HRC was a media darling for months back when she was the "inevitable" candidate. You, like HRC, are just trying to re-write history. HRC is a liar, but what's worse is her victim mentality. You were the front-runner and you blew it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:09 PM on 04/16/2008

Indeed. That's why I hardly think there would be any "good ole days" if she someone won the nomination. She's not as smart as she thinks she is. I don't trust her lies or the campaign's smears and I don't think her campaign shows she's be all that great of a president.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:55 PM on 04/15/2008

her intelligence lies in her ability to accumulate facts and spit out the data like some tired fax machine.

what she cannot do is synthesize the data into a coherent whole... she doesn't see the big picture, nor the nuances, nor the trends. she is not a 'wise' woman.

i don't understand why the hillaryites can't see this.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:21 PM on 04/16/2008

It is more important that the US gets to watch a debate between Obama and McCain than to watch 2 Republicans argue about the details of their jointly failed policies. In 1964 Goldwater got trounced but his message inspired the modern conservative movement. Every election since has been right-center, except 1972. Progressive Democrats have taken the party back in 2008 and it marks the beginning of the generational pendulum swing in politics. Obama is its articulate standard bearer for 2008, taking over from Howard Dean in 2004. Let's get to the debate and watch him expose the tired bromides, and discredited policies of the right, while the whole nation focuses on the matter, not just political junkies like us.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:35 PM on 04/15/2008

Obama supporters seem to have this notion that he should be annointed and not have to win votes or campaign hard.

Well, I don't agree.

He indisputably revealed a side of himself with his remarks. He has to be accountable.

And his spin of making it about bitter isn't authentic.

He needs to explain why he called people racists and why he patronized them by suggesting their religious beliefs and culture is born out of bitterness.

The idea that a presidential nominee doesn't have to answer for something that crass would be the height of absurdity for the party.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:37 PM on 04/15/2008

Ann, like HRC, you lie. Obama didn't call anyone racist. And nobody has suggested that he shouldn't answer for his remarks. What frustrates you is that he DID answer for his remarks and your attempt to smear him backfired.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:12 PM on 04/16/2008

Ann, substitute Hillary's name for Obama's and you've finally got it right. You're almost there.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:13 AM on 04/16/2008

He never once called anyone a racist, nor did he ever suggest that their culture is borne out of bitterness.

The height of absurdity is the hypocrisy of Bill taking $800,000 from the Columbians to help them on the trade deal while Hillary supposedly is against it. The height of absurdity is lying about whether yourself and your ONLY child were shot at or not, and feigning a memory lapse. As a mom, I'd sure remember that.

I know your job is really hard when you have so little to work with, Ann. You have our sympathies.

Maybe McCain will pay better and have a better story, I'm telling you, you should apply now! Before your gig with Clinton runs out!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:49 AM on 04/16/2008

He never once called anyone a racist
=====

UHH..."antipathy for people who dont look like them"....that is a Harvard elitist way of saying "bigots"

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:27 AM on 04/16/2008

If you are suggesting that there are not some people in America that have "antipathy for people who don't look like them", you are living in a dream world...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:45 AM on 04/16/2008

Hey Ann,

Let's hear what you have to say about your girl Hillary in this video. Remember, the one where she condescends to women who "stay at home and bake cookies"?

Bet you don't think this is elitist at all:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rulSnAM6gmM

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:25 AM on 04/16/2008

Yup, I remeber that well. Those comments made me love her all the more.

Back then, she was being mocked for being, god forbid, a working mother....oh the horror.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:00 AM on 04/16/2008


Did ya get a load of those eyebrows? Pretty thick, huh?
like half the girls in Newark... I think that was Madonna style back then.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:46 AM on 04/16/2008

AnninCA..........Like all other Clinton supporters you are ignorant of the facts. You never cease to amaze me with your distorted views of the truth. I know you will never see things the way a normal person sees it and I feel pitty for people like you who are like lost sheep being drawn to the slaughterhouse. As long as I live I will never understand how anyone with half a brain cannot see Hillary for the coniving,narcissistic,power hungry wench that she is........ I feel sorry for you!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:40 AM on 04/16/2008

Sure, Obama should have to be accountable for what he says, and he is, but he shouldn't have to be accountable for what you say he said, which he didn't, in fact, say.
You post too much.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:08 AM on 04/16/2008

DUH...Annin..of COURSE Obama is accountable for anything he says..but try this ...LISTEN...he addresses what he says...doesn't say (or have his spouse say)..."oh..he was tired"..

he accepts...moves on....no bullshit....I am so sick of the Clintons (yes..I voted for bill c twice)..I could spit...

McHillary...bye bye... I'm mad as Hell...and won't take it anymore...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:02 PM on 04/15/2008

*blink*

Believe me, Hillary had very little to do with the uproar. If she had that kind of power, she would have knocked him out of the race months ago. LOL*

The remarks were outrageous. He said them. He revealed himself in the worst way as a true panderer for votes.

But he'll talk trash behind their backs in a heartbeat.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:31 PM on 04/15/2008

Panderer. Wow that really is a stretch, answering a question he has answered similarly before about why he has trouble getting to voters in some of these small towns is hardly pandering. Who is he pandering to. The San Fransiscos he is selling on the problems getting to voters in small towns? The small towners who seem largely to AGREE with the statement that they are frustrated and angry, if not bitter?

Far from hurting Barack he actually has a bump from this. But please continue on believing that the truth will actually hurt a candidate. That explains Hillary's whole campaign. I finally understand. Thank you for making that clear.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:38 PM on 04/15/2008

As a Hillary supporter myself, I can easily say you're way off base here AnninCA.

EVERYONE knows that Hillary is twisting and milking his words for all she can. Sadly, it might be all she's got now.

BTW, Why is it that when I click your profile I see nothing but smear after smear on Obama -- and you're clearly on here all day every day? Something a LITTLE suspicious there ;)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:37 PM on 04/15/2008