Clinton's Cackle: Who the @#*& Cares?

Clinton's cackle was a prominent media story the past few days, sharing screen time with the equally important story of Britney losing custody.

In case anyone noticed, the Supreme Court opened its new term yesterday with several important issues on the docket.

Given that event, I was wondering if anyone thought to ask the candidates about their position on, say, gun control? Probably not, because the fact that the Court could interpret the Second Amendment differently than it has been understood since 1939 will likely go unnoticed.

How about asking the candidates about the fact that the Court chose not to hear a case about religious hospitals being forced to offer birth control to women, arguably a violation of church and state and certainly a dilemma for those organizations in relation to their abortion stance?

Or what about the case that requires a valid photo identification in order to vote? Or whether death by lethal injection violates the prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment? Or the process by which Guantanamo detainees will be given a trial?

Chris Matthews spent ten minutes interpreting Clinton's cackle. He certainly wasn't alone, as I saw the other major news outlets following suit. They hit the big questions like, "Is it a delay tactic or is she just trying to show her soft side." These musing were followed by penetrating insights like, "You know the old saying, in order to get elected people gotta want to share a beer with you." Yeah, right. Like any of us is going to actually share a beer with Hillary. I'd bet $100 that Hillary doesn't even drink beer!!!

Fine, I understand that we can't talk about substance all the time. And I will even confess to having more than a passing interest in my wife's People when they're lying on the bathroom floor.

But, come on folks ... Americans are dying today. We're possibly going to invade Iran. We're electing a President.

Clinton's cackle and Britney's baby ... is that the best we can do?

Comments

[waiguoren]

To clarify ( as everyone is now expected to do after they've said anything )that zero will not be Hillary

[waiguoren]

Of course it matters, that inappropriate cackle. It all matters, in this insane road show the politics of the USA has decended into.

Mark my words: Hillary will be nominated, and the result will be ( you don't think it possible? )an even more horrifying zero in the White House.

[DMeadows]

"the Court could interpret the Second Amendment differently than it has been understood since 1939"

SCOTUS affirmed the Second Amendment "guarantees the right to keep and bear" arms, but had no evidence that the specific type of shotgun before the court either could or could not be protected by the Second Amendment, in the case of 1939 (US vs Miller). SCOTUS remanded the case "for further proceedings".

[DMeadows]

I guess there's a chance that current SCOTUS might interpret the Second Amendment differently. But there are two factors different here than in 1939. There is much more available scholarship on the matter and we can more reliably count on the party asserting Second Amendment rights to appear and present argument and evidence. I think SCOTUS will continue to interpret the Second Amendment as affirming the right to keep and bear arms, won't rule that there is insufficient evidence to determine that any of the specific arms involved are protected, and won't remand the case for further proceedings.

[PaceSetter]

If she laughs it's a cackle, but if she doesn't she's a stony bitch. This meme is this weeks' version of Howard Dean's scream. It's a non-event being stoked into being by the right-wing echo chamber.

Personally I don't support Clinton because of her war stance, but the pols with whom I feel in sync this time around stand less of a chance than Hillary because they raise good issues and arguments rather than big defense and big pharma contributions.

[1will]

If every syllable Bush utters is up for scorn or debate then don't be suprised when your girl is also held up to the same standards.

[myname]

Mr Friedberg,

PLeeeeease. Give me a break. If you are a Hillary fan and feel like defending her go ahead. But comparing her inappropriate and totally misplaced cackles when she is supposed to answer issues of life and death to the media's coverage of Britney Spears is ridiculous.

What is funny about being asked about service men dying in Iraq? What is so funny about being asked by Bill Maher how she justifies being elected as a president when she herself claims she was fooled by Bush when she voted for the war she was "thinking he was going to the UN for inspection". Com'on. We can't discuss how the candidates running for president evade very important questions by simply hysterically laughing it off and not give answers?

[Absintheforall]

Hillary's cackling will be like a scarlet letter on her forehead for the rest of her political life now.

[rollingdivision]

Her laugh or lack of a proper laugh is meaningless to the extreme. As are all other personal issues. The public should be looking at Senator Clinton's voting record in the senate and ignoring most everything else. Senator Clinton will likely continue her positions on the issues the way she has voted.

[Ben Dixon]

The fact of the matter is, regardless of how you feel about Hillary, she is a polished poltical operator. Everything she does is calcualted towards that end, whether it be expanding health care coverage or her luagh. If you haven't figured that out about her by now then I got a bridge in New York to sell you.

[DMeadows]

Have you seen audio/video of her laugh? It's as obviously faked as her southern accent that she adopts while in the South (search audio/video on that). Really, if you think Hillary is polished, I've got plenty of high, dry land to sell you in Florida.

[richw23]

When a presidential candidate suddenly starts bursting out with strange laughter at strange times, that is news. Once we figure out why she's willing to look so stupid in order to look more laid-back, then it won't be news anymore.

[seawolf77]

Yeah like when W smiled and laughed when being questioned about the war. An analgous question to the one Hillary received would be for a reporter to ask George W Bush why he has been so reluctant to use American military might as a force for good and peace in the world.

[seawolf77]

To expect intelligent discoourse from OUR media is like expecting pearls of wisdom to start falling out of George W Bush's mouth. Plan on keeling over dead before it happens.

[Cranbot]

Nobody reports on the fact that Dubya's laugh seems modeled on Muttley, Snidley Whiplash's dog....

[LumberingOaf]

Clinton's phony laughter is furher evidence of what a fake person she is. Not that I needed further convincing. I saw her give a speech where she tried to sound (quite unconvincingly) like a black woman. It was awful.

Yes, I realize that all politicians are phonies, but does she have to be so obvious about it?

[mommadona]

They truthfully wouldn't even bring it up
if it had been a man.

And, I am no Hillary fan, but I thought it was quite refreshing.

Almost real, if fact.

[TheOtherMaven]

Ya think so? Remember the "Dean Scream"?

Maybe the Corporate Media really ARE afraid of the Big Bad Democratic Witch. :D

[KenTao]

I'm surprised at your response, mommadona. "Almost real" does not equal refreshing to me, it equals phony. There definitely have been stupid sexist remarks made by idiots regarding her "laugh", but that doesn't excuse the fact that it's fake. And we don't need fake no more!

Earthlings Unite!

[mosh]

We should be mindful that arrogance is not strictly a male trait - Bush might cackle if he weren't so good at smirking.

[thicky]

Or maybe someone should ask Clinton what was so funny about Gravel criticizing her about her vote for war with Iran?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3gQfz8GC0o

[mosh]

Woops - I completely missed that cackle during the presidential debates - Mike Gravel might be funny in some generic sense, but his question certainly wasn't.

Cackling (smirking) as a way of showing one's disdain and contempt - where have we seen that before?

That is one scary video. No wonder the Iranian parliament just followed suit and declared our government/CIA a terrorist organization. Eye of the beholder.

If it weren't all so frightening and tragic, you might say it was Hillarious.