Why We Wish The Clintons Would Just Go Away

Because they surround themselves with people like Mark Penn and James Carville (Rove-like figures, just dumber and more duplicitous than Karl), and rather than making the Clintons look pure by contrast, they make them look even sleazier.

Because they lie more often than they tell the truth, and we can't take it anymore (where to begin? Ah, perhaps, one of Bill's freshest: he was always against the war in Iraq).

Because when they don't lie, they avoid telling the truth, prevaricate and try to laugh it off.

Because they have spun us into complete exhaustion (she, the most famous woman in America, complains that Iowa is difficult because she is less well known than a failed vice presidential candidate and a half-of-one-term senator).

Because they live on another planet, one where attacking a candidate's kindergarten record is appropriate and useful preparation for a general election.

Because he's the first black president as long as it doesn't interfere with their plans for world domination (when it does, they can turn into Jesse Helms and Trent Lott on a dime, from the Sista Souljah absurdity to the suggestion that the first black candidate with a shot at winning the presidency is a drug dealer).

Because she's a feminist until it is her own husband who abuses his power by engaging in sexual relationships with women who are his subalterns. Then she becomes a woman who stands by her man.

Because she's a strong, independent woman until she needs to ride the coattails of her husband's popularity. Then she is two for the price of one.

Because long before New York City taxpayers were subsidizing Rudy Giuliani's extramarital affair, Arkansans were paying for Bill's.

Because when she says there will be no surprises about her past in this campaign, we remember all the scandals we glossed over because it was all a right-wing conspiracy, and realize how little we know about the Clintons.

Because they, the reason why heterosexuals should be banned from getting married (or at the very least should be prosecuted for breach of contract), oppose marriage for gay people.

Because they'd rather die than admit a mistake.

Because Republicans would rather run against her than against Dennis Kucinich.

Because the prospect of 16 years of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton would make us seriously consider voting for Cynthia McKinney and the Green Party. Or Ron Paul. Or Michael Bloomberg. Or whoever's on the Socialist Party line.

Because the Clintons are angry that America doesn't just roll over and elect her president the way New York rolled over and elected her senator.

Because we don't have to settle for them.

Comments

[LeoMarvin]

Hillary is one of my least favorite Democratic candidates, but I'd prefer her to any of the Republican alternatives even if they were promising tax breaks for Huffington Post readers. The people I do wish would go away are so-called progressives like yourself who are working so hard now to get the Republicans' swiftboats ready for 2008.

[cowboycliff]

There are a lot of liars in this world, but I do not consider the Clintons to be amonng them. I do not want them to go away; on the contrary, they are both brilliant political leaders. The lies made up about them, starting with the paid Arkansas state troopers and follow by the whole Whitewater absurdity and the thousands of other lies which followed are produced and promoted by a group of people (they seem to be Republicans for the most part, although I don`t wish to steriotype!) who can`t seem to fight any other way. It was Newt Ginrich who admitted to Bill Clinton that he had to fight dirty, because when he fought fair, he always lost. The disservice to this country brought about by the Bush administration, Karl Rove, Ginrich, Kenneth Star, and all the rest in their effort to destroy the opposition and win power at all costs will be remembered as the greatest betrayal of America in recent times. I love my country, I support the troops, and I find the Clinton Haters to be repulsive.

[BudP]

Because HRC piously opposes UAE control of our ports while BJC takes in hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote it. HRC piously denounces unsafe chines toys while Penn defends them. HRC piously decries mudslinging "right out of the republican playbook" even while planning a cynical and craven smear campaign against her leading rival.

[peanut]

Mr. Jenkins of London stick to subject about which you know something about. Your invitation to the Trolls to spew their hatred of the Clinton is typical of the insecure males running around in our society so fearful of the possibility of a female breaking open the "GOOD OLD BOYS CLUB" of presidential politics in the USA.
I wish people like you and others who have all their opinions wrapped up in the personal attacks would put emotions aside and try to objectively look at the candidates...not their personalities, gender,race or religion, but what each of them brings to the presidency in terms of education, intellect, experience and accomplishments.
Bill Clinton left this country better off than what he found it with lower crime rates, a budget surplus, and good relations with our friends and allies around the world. Americans knew who was calling the shots. Many Americans benefited from the policies of the Clinton team.....My friend said, AMERICA does best when all its citizens and not just the rich reap the benefits. Maybe there were some who felt left out but compared that to the present situation.
Blogs, like this one, filled with "between the line" sexism aren't really about the both Clintons, but aimed at only one...Hillary! Why are American males so afraid of a female leader? I know the response that it has nothing to do with gender, but you are only kidding yourself... be honest. It is about gender! As a professional, I have seen this happen among my own collegues. Males have a difficult time taking orders and criticisms from a female leader...even if the criticism is warranted. I don't understand the psychology of it all but it is there. It also plays out with some women..whether because of insecurity or jealousy. What an interesting dynamic!
No, I am glad that Bill Clinton was president...he wasn't perfect, but a damn better president than a husband. I don't wish the Clintons to go away.

[randyw]

I just wish the BOOSHES would all go away!!!!

[Truth789]

No way, we want the Clinton's back in office!

Times were much better.

Clinton/Clark 08'!

[blankmw]

Mr. Jenkins -
Please don't use "we" or try to speak on my behalf.

I'm a life-long Democrat and I don't wish either Clinton would go away.

I LOVE the Clintons and I would be very, very happy to have another Clinton in the White House. You all can slather up to Kucinich or Dodd or Biden, but, they're not going to win. THey're not even going to be nominated.

If you'd rather have 8 or more years of more of this horrible, surreal, neocon Republican rule, then vote for a Democrat that has no chance of winning (like Ralph Nader before) and give your vote away and help out the repugnantkins.

I want a Democrat in the White House, and I want it NOW! I don't care if they're not perfect. ANYTHING, ANYONE DEMOCRATIC would be better than the horrible, stubborn, obnoxious, self-righteous, power-hungry monsters that are in our current administration. Wake up and vote for someone who actually could win this election.

[nypoet22]

I support Obama (and will most likely vote for him in the primary - assuming florida even has a dem primary), but the sort of backbiting reflected in this article just turns my stomach. This kind of propaganda is not right, especially in a primary. i wish we'd all focus less on taking potshots at candidates we don't support, at least long enough to ask the candidates to do something REAL for a change.

How about, for instance, we advise Senators Clinton and Obama to both step off the campaign trail and support Chris Dodd's filibuster of Bush's telecom immunity law.

[LeeFromVA]

Hopefully when she comes in 3rd or 4th in Iowa, they will go away.

[SeanGardner]

Bob Kerry, who has endorsed Hillary Clinton, has been attacked for trying to pretend his compliment of Obama, was not a smear. Here is the next controversy for the Clinton Campaign: http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2007/12/bob_kerrey_praises_barack_hussein_obama/

[PoliticalAnimal]

Thank you for saying what needed to be said.

Note To Hillary: Bush may have tried to turn American into a banana republic, but this is not Argentina yet ...

[arcaneirishholm]

Great article.

[lefilmnoir]

I'll know I've moved to a better place when I can turn on the tv & not be subjected to the following:

Bill

Hillary &/or

Gloria Allred

[dawlishgal]

I wish they would just go away because between the two of them, they have just about wiped our our lower working classes.

Her failed healthcare plan was plotted in secret by her and her cronies. She called patients "just another pressure group" or something to that effect. She didn't even try to fight back when the big corporations spent millions on those "mom and pop" commecials that told lies about her plan and managed to kill any idea of government-sponsored healthcare for almost a full generation. NOW she is accepting more $$$$$$ from those same corporations than any other candidate, including Republicans. Add in her comment to the effect that those lobbyists are just poor working slobs trying to earn a decent living, and it is pretty easy to see whose side she has ALWAYS been on. And their DLC makes sure that anybody with anything resembling a progressive idea will be shut out of nominating processes.

Then we have Bill and his NAFTA. How did either or both of think that American workers could compete fairly on HIS international labor market, when HER healthcare plan failed to give them any kind of government-sponsored health care when EVERYBODY BUT US HAS SUCH HEALTHCARE. Our workers can bust their butts increasing productivity and they do givebacks of everything from pay to benefits, and they still won't get the jobs. BECAUSE THEY DON"T HAVE GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED HEALTHCARE AND EVERY OTHER COMPETING COUNTRY HAS IT.

Why would a potential employer keep his jobs here and have to pay for workers' healthcare when he could take them elsewhere, to a place where the government takes care of paying for healthcare.

As I said, between the two of them,her failure and his success, they have destroyed our lower middleclass.

I have heard no statements of regret or of taking personal responsibility, and no comments re how (If at all) they intend to remedy the mess THEY made. I am assuming that they think nobody noticed, but everytime I hear her describe her healthcare debacle as "experience" I want to upchuck.

[oogabooga]

After 12 years of the Republican Pigfest, Clinton's presidency unwound some of the robbery of regular working people. In fact, regular people actually got the chance to make some real money, which royally pissed off the super elite on the right. And when PNAC pitched the Iraq war to Clinton, he declined. That's fact. Under Bush, the Republican rightists have succeeded in taking almost everything back that we got under Clinton. The middle class is on the ropes as a result. For those reasons and others, Hillary will win by a landslide. Get used to the idea.