Hillary's Psychic Reality
During the Democratic debate in Philadelphia, Hillary Clinton gave the following gloss on her Bosnia fairytale: "I can tell you that I may be a lot of things but I'm not dumb... On a couple of occasions in the last weeks, I just said some things that weren't in keeping with what I knew to be the case ...on a few occasions I was not as accurate as I have been in the past... So I will either try to get more sleep...or have somebody who is there as a reminder to me. "
Huh?
Ordinarily, saying things that aren't in keeping with what one knows to be the case is called "lying". And what's dumb got to do with it? No one ever accused Hillary of being dumb. And dumb couldn't explain her Bosnia remarks anyhow.
Yet bizarrely enough, the press didn't seem to notice or comment on the utter absurdity of her remarks. Either they were accepted as some kind of apology or they were relegated to the ever-expanding swamp of campaign "gaffes" and "silliness."
In any case, the Bosnia story has now been overshadowed -- most recently by the lunatic performances of Reverend Wright. But whether or not Reverend Wright is a nut-job is not remotely the same order of question as whether snipers were shooting at Hillary Clinton. Everyone senses this, even if they can't articulate it.
It is truly unsettling to watch someone lie so effortlessly and with such seeming sincerity. To recap: Hillary, sporting a big festive shamrock scarf, looked straight at the audience and in a remarkably relaxed way recalled an incident where she had landed in Bosnia under sniper fire. She described a situation so dangerous that the greeting ceremony at the airport had to be canceled and claimed that she'd run to her vehicle with her head down in order to make a quick getaway. She even had an accompanying hand gesture conveying her dramatic dash for dear life.
There were no obvious tells that Hillary was bluffing. She chuckled a little as she described her narrow escape -- a curious affect given the gravity of the situation, but people do react in different ways to trauma. Overall, it was a pretty smooth performance. If there were any pangs of conscience they were not visible.
As political lies go, it was an outlier. Hillary didn't impulsively lie because she was caught off-guard. She didn't lie because the truth would be damaging to her political career or painful to her family. She didn't lie to win over a political base. She didn't lie to distance herself from an event that suggested some improper conduct or an unsavory person that could tarnish her reputation. She didn't lie because she was promoting behavior in the public sphere that she was not abiding by in her personal life. She didn't lie to cover up a mistake that had been made.
Hillary's lie was different. She lied with no need to do so. And she made the story up out of whole cloth. It wasn't as if one bullet was fired at her and she exaggerated the incident. There was no sniper fire - never, ever. It was the sort of lie a child might tell playing make-believe. In an article in Huffington Post, Nora Ephron confessed that she'd "lost hours trying to figure out why" Hillary told such "a big lie".
But let's say she was motivated by political gain. Some have suggested the story was meant to embellish her foreign policy experience. But dodging sniper fire doesn't really speak to foreign policy expertise; it speaks more to issues of character like bravery and patriotism. Maybe it was supposed to suggest that Hillary could be a better match for John McCain because she too had put herself in harms' way for her country.
Of course, as a political calculation, this would have been crazy. Considering the probability of getting caught, the risks of telling this lie far outweighed any conceivable political gain. As New York Times columnist Frank Rich pointed out her story had "been publicly debunked by journalists and eyewitnesses" for months. "Why would so smart a candidate play political Russian roulette with virtually all the bullet chambers loaded?"
Wouldn't it have entered her mind that if she was found out it would be seen as an insult to anyone who'd seen real action? One GOP ad with grainy footage of McCain limping home from Vietnam contrasted with Hillary's cheerful tale of coming under sniper fire in Bosnia, and the race would be over.
Hillary may have gambled that her audience wanted to believe her. Or she may have figured the story was so tall that the public would never dream she'd made it up. Whatever her thought process, Hillary appeared unfazed by the possibility of detection. Guilt, fear of humiliation, or any other negative repercussions did not appear to inhibit her. Apparently, there was no little voice in her head, helping her to distinguish between right and wrong. Christopher Hitchens concluded that Hillary may be "someone who lies without conscience or reflection".
When Hillary's lie was exposed, she attempted to diminish it. She said she "misspoke" because of sleep deprivation. Then she said she "misspoke" because, after all, she spouts "millions of words a day". But Hillary couldn't have "misspoke" She'd repeated the story on several occasions. Perhaps she was saying that she continually "misspoke". But if she continually "misspoke", surely Chelsea, who had accompanied her to Bosnia, would have pointed this out. (Psst, Mom, nobody was shooting at us).
Maybe there was nothing Hillary could say, but a little remorse would have been nice. Instead she seemed irritated: "So I made a mistake. That happens. It proves I'm human which you know for some people is a revelation". In other words, we were to blame for holding her to too high a standard of truth.
When it became apparent that people weren't willing to dismiss Hillary's Bosnia "misstatement" so quickly, she attempted to make light of it. Appearing on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, she joked: "I was so worried I wasn't going to make it [here]. I was pinned down by sniper fire at a Burbank airport." She referred to the Bosnia flap as "a mismatch of words and actions", and since, after all, she'd got it right in her book, she'd "obviously had a lapse".
The Hillary camp must have realized the story wasn't completely dead, because Bill Clinton brought it up again. In a bizarrely misguided attempt to minimize its impact he revived the story in a version of his own : "There was a lot of fulminating because Hillary one time late at night when she was exhausted misstated and immediately apologized for it, what happened to her in Bosnia in 1995... You woulda thought, you know that she'd robbed a bank the way they carried on about this. And some of them when they're 60, they'll forget something when they're tired at 11:00 at night too".
Of course, it wasn't one time. It wasn't late at night. She wasn't exhausted because she said it three different times. And she didn't apologize immediately (or even close to immediately). It also begged the question: If Hillary could be gaga at 11:00 pm, what would she be like when the phone rings at 3:00 am?
When President Clinton's story backfired, Hillary's campaign tried to paint Bill as the storyteller and his wife as the authority. At a rally in Indiana, Bill said: "Hillary called me and said, 'You don't remember this. You weren't there, let me handle it'''. Now let me get this straight: Hillary was there, so Hillary ought to know, except it turned out that Hillary didn't know, so Bill makes up a story to explain the story that Hillary made up even though she was there.
There are two possibilities: Hillary may be a pathological liar. Or, more persuasive to me, Hillary believed what she was saying and her description of her Bosnia trip was a true representation of her psychic reality and not external reality. In her internal world, Hillary may feel as though she's always being shot at by sniper fire and that she's heroically managed to stay alive.
This theory makes sense of Hillary's recklessness. It didn't feel reckless to Hillary to repeat this lie over and over again, and she paid no heed to those who contradicted her, because in her mind, she was telling the truth. Only when confronted with undeniable evidence of external reality -- actual footage from her Bosnia trip - did she admit (possibly to herself as well as the public) that her version of events was not true.
It also explains Hillary's reaction when exposed. She was angry because she was forced to abandon her psychic reality for external reality. For her, this was tantamount to giving up the truth in exchange for mere facts. When she said "It proves I'm human which you know for some people is a revelation", she may well have been reminding herself.
While most of her explanations have made no sense, when Hillary told Leno that she'd had "a lapse", she was right on. She'd had an actual lapse in mental functioning. Fantasy took over from reality. Reporters and pundits were already starting to question whether Hillary believed her own story. Hitchens wondered whether "she was subject to an illusory past". Melinda Henneberger, writing in Slate, said, she could only conclude that Hillary must have believed the lie because she could not imagine any other reason why "any presidential candidate would knowingly cook up such a doozy of a drama about dodging a sniper's bullets in Bosnia -- given that she was accompanied on this trip by a planeload of reporters". Henneberger concluded that this was more disturbing than if she had lied and "ought to be a deal breaker".
This may explain why Hillary's explanation in the Pennsylvania debate was so bizarre: "I can tell you that I may be a lot of things but I'm not dumb." She wanted to shift her problem into the domain of IQ rather than raising a question about her psychic functioning. If people began to question her grasp of reality, she'd be history.
The sensed of a shared reality is fundamental to the functioning of the world. In the same way that delusions and hallucinations are so disturbing, or that contradicting a child's perceptions is so traumatic, so Hillary's story constituted a jarring attack on our sense of common reality.
In the course of Hillary's campaign, a number of features have repeatedly emerged that are also elements of her Bosnia tale. 1) Hillary is both hero and victim; 2) facts are of no consequence; 3) And there are no witnesses or observers to the facts. This last point is always startling. For example, Hillary's explanation of her vote on the war made Nora Ephron wonder if Hillary thought we "weren't alive at the time."
On the tarmac in Bosnia, Hillary is the victim for being shot at and the hero for braving a war zone. And she's apparently having a negative hallucination that nobody else was there. The irony, of course, is that when the Bosnia story was discovered, it reinforced Hillary's psychic reality: Once again she felt she was being sniped at (this time by journalists). And that she had to heroically fight on and escape this near-death experience. Which it now seems she has.
For those who think Hillary won't go all the way to the convention in Denver, think again. Hillary sees herself as the victim in this primary campaign -- blaming the press, or the Democratic rules of proportional representation, or the caucus system, or whatever else she comes up with between now and August. She considers herself a heroic fighter for the good of the country; she ignores all the merely factual evidence that she is losing by every measure; and she imagines that nobody is there to notice.
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Ms. Ladowsky, thank you.
The malicious, non-issue tripe that is brought up constantly against Obama is asinine... Hey Barack! That guy's opinion and presence in the same room as you should be shunned for something he did almost almost 40 years ago. How dare you work together with him as board members for an anti-poverty philanthropic organization!
And while we're at it, where's your made in China lapel pin that proves you're a patriot? Don't you realize that shallow trinkets like that is all the depth so many voters need to prove patriotism?
And lest we forget another associate of yours, the saucy Rev. Wright. Who cares if you've categorically denounced him, it's not like McCain has said he was thankful for the nutjob Hagee's endorsement, whose bigotry is topped only by his vapid ignorance. Oh wait, he did say he was thankful..
These are all shallow, pathetic, manufactured "issues." The difference is simple: Obama, as do we all, has people in his life that he cannot answer for everything they say or do that might rub us the wrong way. Hillary LIED.
She didn't miss-remember anything. She literally chuckled through telling the story at least three times. It was a gag to her, not a gaffe. It was a calculated attempt to, no matter the truth, prove her battle-worn experience was greater than Obama's. It was a bald-faced, stupid, middle school maturity level lie. "Disgusting" or "pathetic" don't do it justice.
Want to talk about something Barack did 20 years ago, go to youtube and see the"Video Hillary Doesn't Want You To See, Parts 1&2 Paul v. Clinton. The charges are fraud, deceit, neglience,unfair practices, unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy.
http://www
Then google Peter Paul and read what's going on. An L.A. Superior Court Judge, Aurelio Munuz , ruled on Friday April 25 that Hillary Clinton would not be required to testify in a sworn deposition as a material witness in the case until after the November election. Delaying Hillary's deposition until after the election, denies the public right to know what a presidential candidate and a former president have done to undermine the Rule of Law and the Constitution. Clinton's post White House employment have resulted in a corruption of every branch of the government by the Clinton's in plain view of the public and with the collusion of the media and the government orchestrated by Hillary Clinton. The Department of Justice Prosecutor in May 2005 criminal case stated that $1.2 million was personally contributed by Paul at the request of Bill cCinton as part of an employment deal for Clinton's post White House rainmaking services and was confirmed by FBI Agent David Smith. Numerous illegalities directed by Hillary with Bills help, to win and keep her Senate seat and avoid being accountable to the law.
Barack was drilled for 45 minutes about a lapel pin, we need to discuss this.
Two points: it does not matter why she did it. A person so inept at controlling herself should not be president of the United States of America. As president she will get access to the most advanced military of the planet and an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. If her mind slips while under stress and she happens to "feel under sniper fire", there will be hell to pay.
Exactly the same is true for John McCain. He has given himself away as an old men who is mentally not capable of running for president, either.
Sadly we don't have a system to weed out psychologically unsuitable candidates. If we did, George W. Bush would never have come even close to the White House.
Second point: even if not one MSM outlet takes note, ALL foreign heads of state and their diplomats do. They have plenty of interest in getting to know the next US president and they have dossiers. If our NATO allies were to get a vote, Obama would be president in a flash. If Hugo Chavez and Ossama bin Laden had a choice, John McCain would be their candidate. Or they would just go for a third Bush term. It's pretty much the same from here on.
Yes, a beautiful analysis. Imagine fantasist Hillary as Prez...sca
I'm watching CNN now and they are doing a profile of Hillary. No mention of her time working for a communist law firm in Berkeley. No mention of working on the Watergate issue and her subsequent firing. No mention of flunking the Washington DC Bar exam. No mention being a board member for Walmart. Are all these things untrue? Someone school me please. Otherwise there is a serious new blackout going on.
Her Bosnia lie is indeed peculiar. As laywers say "she lied like an eyewitness".
But, haven't we covered the story enough?
This article is a "let's put the ball back on Hillary's court" attempt.
The bright part for Hillary on the Bosnia story (if there is one), is that "Monica" has all but disappeared from the blogs.
I think the bigger point is this is not a stumble, and it is not isolated. This is actually (unlike most of the trumped up garbage in the media against every candidate) a real issue. Credibility in leadership is essential.
Think of the story "The Boy Who Cried Wolf". If you are a known liar, people don't believe you when you eventually get around to telling the truth. The world is too dangerous and the stakes are too high to allow anything be the best, most principled, and most honest leader we can find.
That is precisely why so many of us have been drawn to Obama. Those of us who support him for deeper reasons than some superficial appeal are becoming increasingly confirmed and convinced of his ability. As we watch his conduct through trials and tribulation, we support him even more.
Thank you so much for this terrific blog. I think it's elicited some of the most insightful comments I've seen on the Huffington Post. Bravo.
The truly scary thing is that being delusional may work for her and she may wind up with the nomination and maybe even the presidency.
An absolutely wonderful analysis. I'm adding you to my email alerts!
Thank you.
:-)
Good main point in the article: Hillary doesn't perceive reality as it is but changes it to correspond to "her psychic reality".
And some nice reporting of background factual representation.
But most of the author's interpretation, and the comments that I skimmed through, just provided evidence that so many Americans are psychologically ignorant.
Unconsciously altering "reality" to protect the person's view of him/herself (the ego) is called a defense mechanism, and this is basic Freud, Psychology 101. Everybody does it, to a lesser or greater extent. Go google defense mechanisms
Lerel, to the extent that "everybody does it", retreat to a defense mechanism of fantasy, probably approximates the proportion of people that are in jail or protective custody or are law abiding and free. Liars are the least trustworthy of people, duh, whether it is a defense mechanism, pathetic, or a premeditated lie, criminal. Politicians may be liars and con men, but it is a matter of degrees.
Ellen, sweetie. You've just finished describing a lunatic. The question must be, how complete a lunatic is she? When she's lucid, is it within the larger insanity? Or does she just have periodic breaks with reality, like when she sees the opportunity to get into an alternate state where she can be the bestest, bravest, powerfullest, baddest, goodest girl on the planet?
Quite puzzling really. Also the point she is making about the choice of pastors!! How does one "choose" a pastor? Really? What would she be looking for?
You have a pastor tryout. You wheel them in on platforms and hear them speak and then pick the one that wins you the most votes.
Hillary living in Chicago's Southside, a white woman, a goodie-goodie gal, going to a black church. Choosing to go to a black church. Or, wait, choosing to not go to a black church. And not just any black church, but THE black church where one goes to find out what's real, to network, to be one with it all. Now, that's a psychic reality yet to be explored..
Great article.
I would add, though, that I Think her lies are all tied to self aggrandizement; 35 years of experience, The great right wing conspiracy, Bringing peace to northern Ireland, Sniper Fire, All bullshit.
The FRIGHTENING part is that her military related decisions reflect this same pathological need to look stronger than she is. I.E., she backed war with Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, blindly backs the Israelis in their Every act of subjugation of the Palestinians, and now, the talk of the "total obliteration" of Iran.
In the subject of obliteration, there are two scenarios.
1) nukes, irradiating the entire region, killing all Iranians and probably tens of millions of their neighbors OR
2) the military route, with HUGE casualties on bot sides.
Also ALL BULLSHIT, but doesn't queen Hillary look glorious when she talks that way?
Perhaps this accounts for her previous assertion that the accusation of her husband's affair with Monica Lewinsky was a "vast right wing conspiracy" in spite of previous affairs she was aware of with Jennifer Flowers, etc. Her argument that her failure to pass healthcare reform was due to Republicans rather than her secretive, obstinate handling of it as well as her refusal to either listen to or give information to members of her own party. Perhaps it accounts for her assertion that she's winning the popular vote, conveniently allowing Barack Obama ZERO votes from Michigan which is just plain deceptive and also discounts the voters of 4 caucus states. She may believe caucus states don't count, but she will surely be hoping to count those citizens' votes in the general.
Hillary proudly claims she's a hometown girl from Pennsylvania, New York, Arkansas as well as her actual hometown of Illinois. I listen as her accent changes depending on which region she is in with incredulity. Then she accuses Barack Obama of being elitist when she was raised in upper middle class, had a summer home in Pennsylvania, attended Ivy League schools (without financial aid), spent the last 28 years living in mansions, and doesn't know how to pump gas or fill a coffee cup! It's dumbfounding.
We could go on... in the end I think it's the effect of lying so frequently over the last 30 years that she can slip into believing some of those lies quite easily.
Great post Tane...you said it all so well.
Hillary is no dummy-however she is a manipulative and calculating politician
It sounds to me like you are the one who has a problem.
Here's a report from Tabitha Soren, MTV, who was there 6 weeks earlier:
http://www
""It was winter, it was a bumpy flight, the weather was not great, and it was very noisy on the plane. I believe we all had bulletproof vests on, but they weren't bulky like you'd expect or some sort of thing you'd see in 'Batman.' They were pretty lightweight and you could still be shot, but they covered the important parts. It was nerve-racking because you didn't know what to expect, but because the Dayton Accords had been signed, it didn't feel like we were flying into an active war zone.
"I was told the most hazardous part of flying into Tuzla was the land mines that they hadn't excavated yet. They were real adamant that you had to stay on the path, and anytime you went off the path, someone was there to yank you back on. At anytime, there were landmines that you could run over, so that was the most threatening part — not landing at the airport. "
So, bullet-proof vests and watch your step for the land mines. Maybe those painting this scene as some kind of children's paradise are the ones who need a reality check.
saying that there was danger is different than lying about and exaggerating GUNFIRE being aimed specifically at you. that's the fact. i don't believe that hillary believed her lie. i believe that she is so megalomaniacal as to believe that it doesn't MATTER that she lied.
The actual account is irrelevant, since she made it irrelevant.
All the children in the video at the greeting ceremony are quite a reality check though.
That was six weeks before Hillary landed, only after things had been settled down enough to make it safe. If you walk like a fraud, talk like a fraud, look like a fraud.....
Still, no mention of sniper fire.
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