Hillary Haters and the Roosevelts

Even some Democrats who agree with Hillary Clinton on every issue and consider her an effective, inspiring leader, fret that the blind, irrational hatred, that burdened her husband during his presidency and that continues to dog his wife, might impair her electability. "She is too polarizing" they say, parroting the verdict of television's Sunday morning gas bags.

It's worth recalling the historical parallels with an earlier presidential couple. "No other word than hatred will do," observed a May 1936, Harper's Magazine feature "They Hate Roosevelt" by Marquis W. Childs. "The phenomenon to which I refer goes beyond objection to policies or programs. It is a consuming personal hatred of President Roosevelt and, to an almost equal degree, of Mrs. Roosevelt."

Childs deemed this "fanatical hatred" so intense and irrational that it could only be explained as the product of "abnormal psychology." Historian William Manchester described how Roosevelt haters "abandoned themselves in orgies of presidential vilification." William Bird, curator of political history at the Smithsonian Institution said that "by 1936, the 'Roosevelt haters' had developed into a well-defined cult among the nation's business elite," their lackeys in the press and on the editorial boards and among right wing Christian theocrats led by fascist radio host Father Charles Coughlin.

"In history, this hatred may well go down as the major irony of our time," wrote Childs. "The majority of those who rail against the [Roosevelts] have to a large extent had their incomes restored and their bank balances replenished since the low point of 1933," before FDR came to power. "That is what makes the phenomenon so incredible. It is difficult to find a rational cause for this hatred."

Describing the same baffling dynamics, a bewildered contemporary magazine editor created an inventory of the most vitriolic Roosevelt haters, including the CEOs of Phillips Petroleum, National Steel, DuPont, General Foods, Monsanto Chemical and General Motors, and then recorded the tremendous growth in their stocks which had all flourished since the implementation of Roosevelt's New Deal policies.

The intense hatred of the Roosevelts was a dominant feature in the American political landscape during the decade of the 1930s and prompted efforts to impeach him and even a plot to depose him by a military coup planned by high ranking officers of Wall Street's richest corporations, including Goodyear, Bethlehem Steel, JP Morgan, and DuPont. The "vast right wing conspiracy" had its own Richard Mellon Scaife. Robert Clark, one of Wall Street's richest bankers and stock brokers pledged half of his $60 million fortune to help finance the coup. His deputy, former Commander Gerald Macguire of the American Legion, a Wall Street bond broker, equated Roosevelt's reforms to Communism and explained the purpose of the coup to a co-conspirator, "We need a fascist government in this country to save the nation from the Communists who want to tear it down and wreck everything we have built in America." The 1933 coup attempt was only averted by the courage of General Smedley Butler, the popular World War I warrior who had been tapped by Wall Street to lead the plot and who instead exposed and denounced it.

"People in power with privilege don't want to be challenged at all," Hillary told me recently as we discussed the repetitive rhythms of history. "FDR's policies rescued capitalism, thereby saving the fortunes and restoring the incomes of so many of the same people who would curse his name over the dinner table. They somehow still felt threatened because they don't like to be questioned."

"And there is something of the same going on today. If you challenge the pharmaceutical companies, the health insurance companies, if you think investment fund managers should be taxed at the same rate as nurses and firefighters, you run into this vitriolic response."

Irrational hatred was the powerful drug that intoxicated the Gingrich Congress to impeach President Bill Clinton at the time when he enjoyed 65% popularity with the American people and had steered the nation through eight years of peace and unprecedented prosperity.

Hillary's supporters should be heartened by the fact that intense hatred is often accompanied by equally strong support. Roosevelt won four landslide victories against his opponents and crafted the architecture for the most humane, successful, generous features of modern American government.

They can also take comfort in Hillary's proven ability to transform intense hatred into loyal support. I recently toured upstate New York's traditionally Republican counties which she has transformed through leadership and political acumen, into rock solid Hillary Clinton strongholds.

With a playful wink she told me, "One of my favorite pins in my political pin collection is "I Don't Like Eleanor Either." It reminds her that it's not just the president who is targeted by the haters. But "about anybody who cares about and stands up and fights for the changes that our country needs to have."

Comments

[whatsthatsound]

Okay, then, Hillary. Please start caring about and standing up and fighting for the changes that our country needs to have, already.
Here is one Hillary "hater" who could easily be mollified if she behaved like someone who really believed those words. But she doesn't.

[wedgie]

My problem with Hillary Clinton is that she continues to vote like a moderate Republican. Designating the Revolutionary Guard in Iran as a Terrorist Organization, for instance. (Which gives Bush more officially sanctioned Congressional fuel for his assault on Iran.)

Her cozy relationship with Rupert Murdoch is nothing short of nauseating. Her inability to explain her vote for the Iraq War continues to plague me. Would FDR have made that choice?

I'm sorry but if she's such a parallel to FDR, then when will we see her leading a real effort to stop Bush's continuing insanity? She hasn't got the guts for it.

**

[DonaldD]

Hilary and Mrs. Roosevelt in the same breath. Yikes. These posts are timed to boost Clinton's torpedoing nowhere ratings.
I'm the biggest male feminist I know and I don't think Hilary has advanced women whatsoever. Her sexist, anti-feminist husband's lack of respect for women boggles the mind. If she had left him, I'd cut her some slack.
It has nothing to do with hating Hilary. She's like the bionic woman - the parts look good when they're all put together, but if you take dissect them, you just might find a tin man, a scarecrow and what's a 3rd character in the Wizard of Oz - oh, the wicked witch of the West.

[MrMurder]

Eleanor used to visit good friends, nearby venture types, they were awarded one of the largest land grants West of the Missippi. Together they worked on getting women active politically, mostly behind the scenes, and setting Institutions for higher education as benefactors to Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas. Also inroads were made for helping recognize minority rights, improving education, health care, and of course Social Security.

It was during hard times for many.

WPA started nearby and gave people jobs to help with development of the region.

One of the families that was able to make through that tough time was that of Johnny Cash.

Perhaps you've heard of him.

[homovivens]

The historical perspective RFK Jr. brings to the Roosevelts dove tails nicely into Paul Krugman's thesis in his recent book, "The Conscience of a Liberal," that posits New Deal policies' redistribution of wealth as the catalyst sustaining the divisions that characterize our political landscape today.

However, Robert Kennedy Jr's segue from the Rooosevelts to Clintons is a study in non sequitur and irrelevant conclusions.

As an approach to this election cycle I think that Lincoln, not JFK (despite how often it is heard), captures the zeitgeist of this moment in history.

Camelot, JFK and Jackie, our prince and princess crowning our growing confidence and pride in the realization of the American century -- an optimism pulling down the moon -- is not where we are at now.

This is a time of uncivil war -- red and blue states or purple passion -- bound to resolve the debates born out of the Depression and Roosevelt's New Deal policies. Lincoln represents the determined uniter (though far from a unitary executive) we need -- not a naive "let's make love not war" type, but a "let's get it together, damn it!" -- a stern optimist.

I believe Obama is that kind of man: lanky and Lincolnesque; a steel-tempered uniter; tuff, tough not like a bully, more like a virtue; strong willed yet complemented and guided by an equally strong intellect; like a principle that bends but not too far; a leader who'll seek wise counsel yet knows who he is.

Obama is black enough, white enough, and gray enough (i.e., ripe and experienced enough -- here, Kennedy does comes to mind) to get the job done for every kind of American.

But it is the heart and temperament of a Lincoln that will corral the stampeding zeitgeist. How fitting for a mixed race African-American to represent the incarnation of the spirit of Lincoln.

Fusion not fission -- I hope it is so.

Bush/Clint­on/Bush/Fu­ll Stop: OBAMA

[kellymars28]

At the core of this irrational hatred lies the evil someone mentioned. We hear over and over "redistribution of wealth" like it would be a bad thing, followed by "communism" and references to Karl Marx. What's at the core of it is greed of people who hoard and don't want to share anything with anyone. And therein is the evil that lurks in America -- and pretty much everywhere else in this world. They who worship at the altar of insatiable greed and power lust aren't nice people, nor are they kind or even civil as witnessed by all those haters regurgitating Rush (hundred oxycontin a day)Limbaugh-isms on the political shows on Sunday morning and on the "news" the rest of the week. Selfish and self-serving members of the Republican party repeat the mantras of the hate mongerers like Limbaugh and O'Reilly like drunken parrots the minute a phrase like the redistribution of wealth is mentioned.

It is something that should have happened long ago. On this planet was an abundance created for everyone to share; not for a few to steal and cheat everyone else out of in order to be able to keep adding everyone else's share to their hoards.

At the root of the greedy hoarders motivation is fear. Fear =greed = hatred.

What is fear but a lack of faith? Incredible lack of faith exists in the world and it is s irrational and unecessary. There will always be an abundance to sustain everyone here.

The fearful, greedy haters focus upon the Clintons because their hoards are threatened by them because they have no faith in God.

Haters of FDR likewise were so threatened by the concept of redistribution of wealth they didn't even understand that they benefitted from FDR's programs.

The irrational haters of good people are in favor of seeing our elderly live out in the elements starving to death than get social security. Better to send $1 billion a day to Iraq to kill people than spend one dime to feed the hungry.

[Dajo]

The Right Wing media's continued fanatical and irrational hatred of Hillary Clinton only serves to re-enforce my every growing respect and support for her.

[Ono4Hoopono]

Regarding amplification of the inflammatory term, "Hillary Haters" in this blog...

From a google search on propaganda techniques:

"Name Calling:

Name calling occurs often in politics and wartime scenarios, but very seldom in advertising. It is another of the seven main techniques designated by the Institute for Propaganda Analysis. It is the use of derogatory language or words that carry a negative connotation when describing an enemy. The propaganda attempts to arouse prejudice among the public by labeling the target something that the public dislikes. Often, name calling is employed using sarcasm and ridicule, and shows up often in political cartoons or writings. When examining name calling propaganda, we should attempt to separate our feelings about the name and our feelings about the actual idea or proposal."

Quoted from:
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/proptech.htm

I urge everyone to do yourself a favor and educate yourself on these techniques, and search the web for others, as there are many. Search "propaganda techniques" and "rhetoric techniques­." There is plenty of information out there, but we still fall prey to it, and our democracy suffers.

[charlesrfd2003]

There is something in the core of American culture that is really evil. This core is the thing that allowed some penniless pioneers to amass some of the great fortunes. It is the thing that allowed the Cherokee to lose their lands. It is the thing that brought Africans to our shores. It is the thing that led to the Civil War. That thing is what gives certain groups of people very great massive power. You see it in racist statements such as "Welfare Queens", "Communist", "Liberrr..­aal", and other such words. The power groups stir up fear so as to divide the people. They know that if the people were united they would not be able to dictate.

In Hilary they have two things. First, they really fear her. She can unite the rest of us against them because to some she has charisma and they cannot buy or control her. Second, she is a focal point that if they can destroy her, they can keep their power and validate themselves. Thus, they demonize her.

FDR really scared the very rich. They never forgave him for many things including Social Security. When I was a boy fifty years ago, I lived in Orange County California where I read the Orange County Register. To that publisher paper any tax was a immoral sin and probably was illegal according to the Constitution.

When you are arguing with these evil people and they are evil, you are really trying to reach the larger audience that these evil people are trying to reach. If you reach the others, you defeat them.

John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy had the power like FDR and the Clintons to move the masses. The effect of Kennedy brothers deaths was to silence them.

Remember if they can beat a poor man to death in secret prisons and if they can kill thousands of civilians and refuse to even count them, they will stop at nothing. Ridicule is their first WMD not their last.

[Amberlass]

The Republicians are so afraid that if Hillary Clinton does win the nomination, then the election, she will do such a fantastic job as president, she will be able to show them up for what they are,which is nothing.

[dsigeorge]

Haters vote too. Please take some time to check into her past and her voting record. She is a wishy-washy panderer who will do anything it takes to get and keep power. Voting for her will help assure a the election of any of the republicans.

[57basque]

The thoughts of Karl Marx has yet to be tried by any nation.
I am waiting for the day when the cash is spread out to the people who have stood for Peace in these complexed times as Isaiah 23:17-18 says they will be. Then we can have that big party of Isaiah 25 after the kings are thrown in jail as Isaiah 24:21-24 states they will be.

[Cara07]

Mr. Kennedy: I am not a "hater" of the Clintons, and I am surprised by your blog. Bill Clinton was the one who secretly dismissed the weapons inspectors from Iraq back in the 90's, on the lie that Sadaam was being uncooperative with the inspectors. He then bombed the hell out of Iraq because of "WMD," which the inspectors had already gotten rid of. He then starved the Iraqi people for 10 years by sanctions; all of which is sickening. In the affair with Monica and others, I would have respected Bill if he had admitted he did the things he was accused of and did not abuse his Presidential powers to scare into silence those who reported on the matters and also use American tax dollars to set up funds to pay them to keep quiet. As far as Mrs. Clinton being a "strong" woman, I can't see it. Mr. Clinton signed NAFTA,and it has been disastrous for my family, as well as millions here in the US and Mexico. I read in Vanity Fair that Hillary was a player in Bill's Presidential decisions, and I think Bill will be a player in her decisions if she is elected President. I cannot stand the thought of another four years of the Clintons. No More Clintons, No More Bushes! I don't think Hillary will change much for us. Mr. Clinton was elected on his promise of universal health care, and he assigned Hillary to that job. She had many years as First Lady to change our health care policy, but instead kept the status quo of corporations as the middlemen. As a Senator she had many years to speak out against "unfair" trade agreements, the Patriot Act,the war in Iraq and to speak out against the Bush administration's threats to Iran; but, instead has stated, "Iran is still on the table." None of this shows strength to me. No, I don't hate her, I want new leadership. Unfortunately, I don't think Dennis Kucinich, my choice for President, has a chance since he is not funded by leading US corportions.

[revkarl]

Doesn't this irrational hatred simply bear out that right-wing extremists very commonly operate from a mentality and emotionality sorely lacking in kindness, tolerance, and fairness? I had feelings of dislike for Nixon, worse with Reagan, can't-get-­worse-but-­it-did with Bush II. But I don't see myself or fellow progressives descending to the depths of visciousness that spokespersons on the right routinely and regularly revel in. That they do is probably best explained as an indication of how little they have going for them rationally and morally. So what is so surprising or mystifying as to why they resort so readily to ad hominem character assassination and vilification?

[jacknab]

My father was an FDR hater, while my mother loved him much to his discomfort. I never could figure out why until one day he told me about the time he applied to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol--he was a motorcycle policeman in Blackwell, OK at the time. They turned him down and believed it was because his father was active in the Democratic party and the Highway patrol had been creeated by a Republician administration, though he had no proof. From that day forward he became an irrational FDR hater.
He later left the Blackwell police force and became a pilot, eventually becoming the executive pilot for an oil company in Texas founded by the childhood friend of Clint Murcheson--another oilman who use to pay for J. Edgar Hoover's vacations in Southern California. He ended up making a hell of a lot more than if he had gotten a job with the Highway. The way I see it, he should have been grateful to FDR and his father.