Hillary's Diversionary Tactic Is Feeding The GOP Noise Machine
Apparently being caught lying on your resume brings out the venomous side in Sen. Clinton.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a wide-ranging interview today with Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporters and editors, said she would have left her church if her pastor made the sort of inflammatory remarks Sen. Barack Obama's former pastor made.The problem for Hillary is that this plays into the larger metanarrative about her campaign, that she'll do or say anything to get elected. She's smart enough to realize that dragging the Rev. Wright matter back into the news makes her look petty and despicable, but in the end it's probably the best option she has for two reasons."He would not have been my pastor," Clinton said. "You don't choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend."
The Clinton campaign had refrained from getting involved in the Wright controversy, but Clinton herself, responding to a question this morning, denounced what she said was "hate speech."
For one, slinging mud out of sheer desperation reinforces a negative perception, but it's a more favorable one than the emerging storyline that she's a chronic liar whose falsehoods cut to the very notion of her campaign strategy that she's more "experienced" (Never mind the fact that were she to be judged by her own definition of "experience", she'll lose to John McCain in November). Moreover, for a lot of Clinton's supporters, her willingness to engage in character assassination is considered an asset in November. For Obama supporters, this makes her look like an asshole, but Clinton's base (the "fight fire with fire" wing of the DNC) will see this as another example of her being "tough".
Of course, the other upside for Clinton is that in distracting attention away from embarrassing news, she refocuses attention on the emerging right-wing meta-narrative that Barack Obama is unpatriotic. This has been the thread that unites many of the right-wing smears against Obama, from the "lapel pin" flap, to Michelle Obama's comments about being proud of America "for the first time", to the Obama singing the national anthem without his hand over his heart, to Rev. Wright's "God Damn America" comments.
Now in their efforts to use the "Tonya Harding option" against Obama, the Clintons have resorted to doing the GOP's work for them. Just last week, Bill implied that Obama, unlike McCain and Hillary, doesn't "love this country". Now Hillary is dragging the Wright matter back into the spotlight. These sort of attacks make perfect sense for the party that turned a yellow ribbon magnet into a form of wartime sacrifice, but are Bill and Hillary Clinton really buing into the notion that a patriot should be judged by his ostentatious and self-aware displays of nationalistic fervor? Or are they just throwing a bunch of shit at the wall and hoping something sticks?
Contrasting the two dominant meta-narratives, it seems that Obama is the one with the upper hand here. After all, unlike Hillary Clinton's weasely admission that she merely "misspoke" in her tall tales on the stump, Obama has already addressed the Wright matter in a straightforward manner (as more than 3 million YouTube viewers can attest). Bringing this up again runs the risk of making Hillary look foolish, like in the Ohio debate when she criticized Obama for "denouncing", but not "rejecting", Louis Farrakhan. Rather than get caught up in Hillary's silly word games, Obama just pithily insisted that he would "reject and denounce". It was a moment in which a nation's eyes rolled in unison. Whatever, Hillary.
While the "Obama isn't patriotic" storyline will have some staying power (if only to give the bobbleheads a way to burn-up airtime between commercials until November), the notion that Obama doesn't sufficiently love his country is pretty stupid on its face and will only really have legs with voters who would never vote for him in the first place. Like the Farrakhan exchange, it's a narrative so childish that it can only be rejected through mockery. "Sure," I can imagine Obama saying, "I hate America so much...I'm running for President."
Yet, here we are, in the tail end of a primary season in which the losing challenger for the Democratic nomination has sunk to reinforcing right-wing smears against her party's likely nominee in a transparent attempt to distract the media from the fact that she's been caught in multiple lies about her experience. Granted, Hillary Clinton lost her chance to win my vote long ago, but I can't help but wonder how favorably superdelegates will look upon a former frontrunner cutting off her nose to spite her face.
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Hillary Clinton ignores the photo of Rev. Wright ministering to President Clinton during his Lewinsky affair and I agree that she thinks the public will either not care or that her choices whatever they are are ok. This is a woman who granted an interview with a right wing press who accused her and the President of a felony during his term in office. This woman has also gone on FOX NEWS and constantly conspired with the Republicans and promoted John McCain to smash her party hopes if she cannot be President.
I believe the media has it right she would rather see John McCain win against Obama in hopes that she can run at the end of McCain's term because she figures he will be too old to run. So they are willing to destroy the party for this long shot. It's amazing that they have not realized that she will loose then because the party and the voters will not support her after having supported the party. Or perhaps the media has missed it and if current events reveal her intentions perhaps she plans to run and the Republican candidate the second time around.
Frankly, I think we have Republican "moles" inside the Clinton campaign and the Florida Democratic Party... it's the only way I can explain things like the Clinton Campagn sounding so much like The Swift Boat Vets, and driving away Democrats who hate dirty politics...
..and the only way I can explain virtually NO ONE pointing out that it was Florida's REPUBLICAN CONGRESS that gleefully passed the early primary that disenfranchised the Florida Democratic voters! Way too many people in the media have been saying "It's the Democrats fault for insisting on having the early primary."
The Democrats don't control Florida's Congress... THE REPUBLICANS DO!
Even Howard Dean is too stupid to realize he was HAD by the Florida Republicans!
The Democratic Party lacks leadership, if it had capable leadership gutter politics and the endorsing of Republican candidates would have been nipped in the bud from day one.
They have fiddled whilst the Democratic Party has been scorched by the enemy within.
Hillary's Scorched Earth Policy is (sadly) the best thing to happen to the Republican Party this time around. Or as my cousin observes, "The Democratic Party is snatching Failure from the jaws of Victory."
An intelligent inquery to the young global political genious! If Obama becomes the democratic nominee haven't you severely underrated the political savvy and political acumen of the American Republican party?
Consider the fact that McCain could reach out to General Clayton Powell as his V.P. choice? What then?
Or alternately when Hillary is "deep sixed" by you youngsters remember "Hell breath no fury like a woman scorned" Perhaps she will become McCains running mate-she could submit to old John as his V.P..!
if McCain can reach out to Clayton Powell, that would be very impressive and beyond presidential....seeing that Clayton Powell died in 1972.
It seems that Powell is now an Obama advisor.
Yum yum GOP love to chew on democratic red meat.
Yum yum GOP going to make mincemeat of Obambi.
If Hillary run it will be even more fun for GOP in November!
I really think it is so silly to continue to harp on the fact the when Obama wins, the republicans are going to attack him with all the mess they did to all of our other candidates.
Look folks, if we know that these fools are going to pull that same old tired stunt, then we have half the battle won already, because they are not going to be the one's voting for Obama or any other democrat in the first place.
We know what they are going to do so the party is over for them. All we need to do is continue to come out in the massive numbers that we are known to come out with and vote for the better candidate.
They got away with that crap because we were not sure what they were up too, but that is not the case now. They can run U-Tube videos until the cows come home and it will not move us.
Pretty soon they will get the message that the games are over, like now.
Let's learn how to be as smart as they think they are.
Anyone find out yet just who gave the media the 'selective snippet' of Rev. Wright? Anyone want to venture an educated guess? I have asked for several weeks now, but no one wants to come out with the answer...we, the public, have a right to know the truth on this matter!
And WHY has the media, in response to all this, neglected to show the FULL video? I call that irresponsible journalism, to say the least!
Hey Greg Saunders, wake up! Accusations of Hillary and team "dragging" up Reverend Wright and throwing him back into the news is inaccurate! Americans want to know the truth!
It's about time someone asks some real hard questions about his moral standings! We know where Hillary is considering her basic "faith" and "Moral" compass! Hillary is a solid secular humanist that attends whatever "Christian" Church is needed to give the media a photo-op! We understand where she is coming from and how she wil get from point (A) to point (B).
However, everyone one is so far in the dark about Barrak Obama about whether he is a Christian, or a Black(Pro-African Islamic sect)! Until Reverend Wright revealed his colors; no one was sure and very afraid to ask! Now it's time to ask Barrak Obama: "Mr. Obama what is your moral compass?" This question is a legitimate one!
Americans vote for persons(candidates) from all walks of life and faiths! Therefore, allow the voters to know what your basic moral guidelines are? WE VOTERS ARE FAIR! We wil either vote for you or against you based PARTLY on your moral compass. IT FAIR TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS.
Americans elect Jews, Christians, Muslims, Atheists, Secular Humanists, Agnostics, Deists, Hindus, Buddhists, and others to governmental offices. But, the voters, have the right to know what's the center of their character!!
Keep asking until we get a clear and concise answer!
We don't need to ask this woman what is her moral compass. We have a very clear picture. She lies and plays all kind of dirty tricks to grab what she feels is hers. She rather sees her party destroyed, and McSame as president, than to admit defeat. Some mora character!
And for her religious beliefs, she belongs to The Family, or The Fellowship Prayer Group. Do your research, so you can see their agenda, and the people that belongs to that organization. This will tell you her moral guides.
I dont' have to ask about her, I have a clear and concise opinion, and is not pretty.
Hillary's moral compass points only in one direction....1600 Pennsylvania Avenue...and whatever she has to do to get there appears fine by her.
I agree with your article, Greg, but let's be real. When you say, "Now Hillary is dragging the Wright matter back into the spotlight," it's not really her doing the "dragging" so much as it is the media.
Every time she even begins to open her mouth, there is someone there to record it and report it. And I honestly haven't thought about the "unpatriotic" drama for quite sometime, until I read your gathering of all that information into one montage for your readers to be reminded of.
I'm not defending Hillary, though. I think she's a bad person all around.
Hillary and the business as usual machine needs to step aside and get behind a candidate! i have taken a pole of my friends, two a w/f will vote for hillary if shes in jail. a Viet vet (4 times) also will vote her way. but, progressive unemployed upstate New York Voters will vote against her as i will . The youth vote has been sent to Obama, just because McCain's older than dirt. Out of 8 friends two for Hillary because nothing will change but, the names.5 including me for Obama and believe it or not one for McCain who is 87 years old today. and he voted for Perot as i did way back when. we need to do damage control, don't give me a ticket with Hillary on it because i won't vote it no matter what! This country needs to wake up and smell the economic disaster that we are in! All our jobs have gone to foreign countrys Hillarys money to the Caymans, give America back to Americans! the revolution starts in November at the ballot box!
Hillary go back to Arkansas! We in the upstate don't need any more of your lies!!!!
you know what's *really* funny? (not really)- the fact that there's probably literaly *millions* of people who are fervent hillary supporters who ACTUALLY AGREE WITH rev. wright's statements about how america has gone overseas, tried to police the world, muscled our way into occupations, made people sick and tired of the bully that is the USA, and how our "chickens have come home to roost". ...after all, there are huge numbers of democrats who would agree that america *was* attacked because of our treatment of the middle east and our occupation of saudi arabia. however, since the person who made these comments is connected to barack obama instead of *their* candidate, these folks who probably agree with the comments, at least to some degree, want to get all indignant and pretend like it was the most offensive thing they've ever heard.
meanwhile, it's perfectly acceptable that hillary clinton was dumb enough to tell several bold-faced lies about her bosnia trip when there was videotape to immediately dispute her claim and make her look stupid? oh yeah- and how about her claim that she was sent to bosnia because the trip was "too dangerous" for the president himself to make. I guess that's why she brought her only child, a teenager, with her onto the tarmac. puh-lease.
and btw, hillary fans, please let us know when you come up with videotape of barack obama sitting in the church while pastor wright made those remarks... *crickets*...
Saudi Arabia was never under our occupation. We had some of our troops based there. It matters you know, but I guess it doesn't matter to the extremist.
"At the heart of the bin Laden opus are two declarations of holy war - jihad - against America. The first, issued in 1996, was directed specifically at "Americans occupying the land of the two holy places," as bin Laden refers to his native Saudi Arabia, where 5,000 U.S. troops have been stationed since the 1991 Persian Gulf War. The two holy places are Muslim shrines at Mecca and Medina."
http://www.rickross.com/reference/alqaeda/alqaeda9.html
Hillary was being politically smart. Wright has damaged the entire Democratic party -- not just Obama. And it isn't Hillary whose keeping the story alive. She's just reacting to it. Look at the latest polls out of Missouri. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Missouri voters believe that American society is generally fair and decent. Among these voters, McCain leads Clinton by thirty percentage points and Obama by thirty-four.
This Wright business has branded our party as un-American by many moderates, and it is why more Dems should have condemned him, and loudly. The election will not be won by progressive intellectuals who understand nuance. McCain has cinched MO by March? I now fear that neither Obama nor HIllary can escape this inevitable smear come November.
Wright, Wright, Wright. Meanwhile the woman lies with a straight face, not one, but several times. about her trip to Bosnia. Now our party is going to be branded a party of liars,.
Look at the polls. Look who is ahead in negatives. Yes, is her. And we have not even seen her taxes yet. The election won't be won by liars, who praise and endorse the opposition.
Politicians lie. All of them. What we need to look at is whether they lie about things that actually matter to the running of the country. Fact: Clinton was told there would be possible sniper fire. She foolishly went anyway, and took her child. She was covered by sharpshooters. (All of this easily found in news reports from the day.) THere was no sniper fire. Ensuing merriment on the tarmac. She tells whopper of fish story on campaign trail. It's ugly, you bet. But it is nowhere NEAR the lie of saying you never knew your own mentor's radical philosophy in 20 years of personal conversation. To me, that's a lie that borders on pathalogical.
Check out polls OTHER than NBC. A good one to start: Rasmussan's latest poll out of Missouri. Review sources other than Huffpo, DailyKos and MSNBC for "information" about Obama. Obama is not progressive. See progressivepunch. Hillary and Barack are both centerist democrats. Obama has just as many skeletons in the closet regarding some possible insider trading, ties to big pharma and the subprime industry and deals with the Right wing. I'm not an Obama hater -- I'm a realist democrat who knows all of our candidates have huge flaws. Even my original choice: Edwards. Hyperreal worship of a POLITICIAN is mind-boggling to us skeptics. Obama is a product, pushed by one of the best advertising campaigns I've ever seen. And I was involved in advertising for almost 20 years.
didn't we already have a president named harding? oh yeah- it was warren g. harding. now it looks like tonya harding- oops- I mean hillary cinton, wants to be president.
hey obama! watch out for the fat guy with the baton!
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