Why Have Maher And Ariana Softened On Hillary?

I have reviewed past articles written by Ariana about Hillary. I have also listened to Maher over the past year. Both have been very critical of the Clintons. I watched Bill Maher tonight and could not believe that Bill actually defended the Clintons' tactics. I also watched Mark Green on Hardball pretending he was neutral about the Clintons and at the same time defending them. Now let's connect the dots.

Hillary will not appear on any liberal radio shows other than Air America Radio (AAR the network that I started). Both Bill and Hillary get lots of money from the Billionaire Green family. In return the Clintons have helped AAR post bankruptcy. Almost a year ago I asked Ariana if she would do a show on our Nova Radio Network. She refused and decided to do a show with Mark Green, the CEO of AAR. Ariana and Bill Maher are very close friends. It appears that the rich and famous liberal elites have put fame and fortune ahead of principle.

I recently wrote a piece praising Hillary on the Huffpo (check my archives). After the South Carolina debacle I have changed my opinion. Any objective core Democrat with a conscience has been turned off by the Clintons in SC including former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich who was in the Clinton Administration. Ariana and Maher have some explaining to do.

Comments

[JoDeeVa]

Sheldon,
I appreciate your endeavors with AAR. I always enjoy your posts and look forward to them, especially since the deleted post incident. Having gone back and forth from Edwards to Clinton/Obama and back over to Edwards, my ambivalence keeps me from casting too many stones. I'm certainly not the rich elite, but if I was..I'd do whatever it takes, $$ or softening up on any of them to make sure an electable Democrat is the nominee. Both are part of the rich elite corporamerika in it's domination of government/ election process.

The Republicans must not get further opportunity to stack the Supreme Court. I have serious doubts about whether this country would elect Obama. (for all the wrong reasons) Still, there are many people who are just not there yet and need to be to elect him. Many say they are, but there were many who said they would vote for him in NH, and didn't. With this news of his "accidently pushing the wrong button" just a few times more than seems credible, I have to consider that he didn't want to be held responsible for his vote.

Generally, that is how he has seemed to me in this campaign, vague and non-committal. With this astounding win in SC, perhaps he will be more transparent and forthcoming. I read where some are calling for him to leave the campaign trail long enough to fight/ vote against the FISA/ telecom immunity bill. Now, THAT would be impressive! For now, I will continue to support John Edwards, as I'd like to see him have more influence on the platform. He seems to have forced both Clinton and Obama a few degrees more to the left and I'd like to see that liberal shift a bit more solid.
BTW, Who will you be supporting now?

[hulkiest]

DO YOU THINK THE DEMOCRATIC FLORIDA DELEGATES SHOULD BE COUNTED? AND IF NOT, DO YOU THIN THIS WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLL ON THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS?

[hulkiest]

Do you think the Democratic Florida delegates should be counted? And if not, Do you think this will be a major factor come the November Elections?

[sonofloud]

If you look at the front page of Huffington Post right now there are 3 articles on the front page critical of Bill or Hillary Clinton.
There is not one negative article on the front page about Obama or Edwards.
I don't know what planet you are on but they have hardly turned soft on the Clintons.

[Raven]

Oh, Sheldon, Sheldon, Sheldon.

Why oh why would anyone soften their stance on one of the top Democratic candidates for President, at a time when getting a Democrat into the White House is imperative to saving our Republic?

Not so hard to figure out is it?

But you give your own sour grape away with

"Almost a year ago I asked Ariana if she would do a show on our Nova Radio Network. She refused and decided to do a show with Mark Green, the CEO of AAR. Ariana and Bill Maher are very close friends. It appears that the rich and famous liberal elites have put fame and fortune ahead of principle."

You're not doing yourself any favors harboring ill will towards those who don't appear on your network.

You only make their decision to decline seem even more sensible.

And certainly more sensible than this whining drivel.

[grendl]

Wait, you've changed your mind about Hillary following the South Carolina debacle, but say that Arianna and Bill Maher can't change their mind about her? Do people's minds have to change in accordance with your own?

This is war for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party right now. It's bound to get ugly as the current scenario is any PC zealots worst nightmare, a woman and a black man running in the same race.

I find it a bit heartening that both are acting just as desperately and badly in this race as any white male, a sure sign that we are all, at the very core, dating back to that very first split of a single cell floating about the primordial soup, one and the same.

[Aanya]

In case some of you have forgotton, we don't have the luxury of making this decision by ourselves. Who ever is the Democratic nominee, has to be the person we support. The alternative is 4 more Bush years! I don't see a lick of an improvement in any of the rethugs. The Clintons and the Obamas are under incredible pressure, and no one is able to keep their "cool" right now! Give them a break, and support all of them!

[Nommo]

I think that we are all just a bit tired of the whole affair. How long has this been going on ane we are still in January. November is a long way off and how long can the candidates themselves keep up the drama? Hell, by the time they are elected, if that is going to happen at all, they will be burnt to a crisp and not useful for much of anything at all.

Time for a candidate break, time for a long vacation for the electorate, which is as dumb as a rock anyway.

[larry278]

Let's see what Mr Soros says & does. He is a bold billionarie who survives & thrives in chaotic times. Greeks & others who venture into the internationatial scene are thrivers, not just survivors. Since I don't have Ms Huffington's wit-I'll let her speak for herself. Mr Maher is a bit of a wit too.
I will wait for Ms Huffington's words & learn from them. I'd like to survive this recession with some kind of currency that can hold its value that is accepted in the spot market.
Always avoid places where Greeks don't prosper.

[Crowhaul]

Their 'softening', as well as that of others, is not surprising. No matter how visceral a reaction we may have to any given candidate now, the closer we get to the general elections the more our collective stances will soften. Why? Because we recognize the agenda that supercedes all others: remove the Repugs from power. Plain and simple.

[JacktheBlogger]

Why can't all of you accept a simple fact - Bill Maher and Arianna Huffington have watched how the campaign, debates, caucuses, primaries, et al. have played out and concluded that based on the evidence - Hillary Clinton is the most qualified and viable Democratic candidate of the three remaining in the race!

If the New York Times editorial board can be objective about it, why not the rest of America? Get over it, you Clinton haters!

[vsign]

Thank you President Clinton for becoming involved and making us think - THINK!

Barack Obama's whole announcement to run as a candidate in the presidential race was and is playing the race card!! But no one calls Obama on it. When Barack says, "I will get the people who voted for her. Now the question is, could she get the people who voted for me?" Does anyone else think this statement is racial????

Playing the race card is working for Obama! We are the stupid voters who don't question Obama on anything beyond his race. He can't be criticized, can he, because he is part-black. So all the white people who vote for him think by voting for him, they are beyond race. Not true - the opposite!

Obama is a scarey candidate because his playing of the race card makes us all dumber as voters. Question everything! Decide who among the candidates IS who they say they are.

[urbanrevolt]

What I find remarkable is how the Clintons have gone after the people who voted them into the white house twice... For hating them.

Either they did something really terrible in office, or these people DON'T hate them, they just don't think they are the best. The hatred thing is just a way to whip up the rage against his old friends and allies.
I don't hate them, but every time they accuse us of hating them, they get closer to the truth, and I wish we had a party that represented the Urban Americans.

[Henry]

The redolence of "4 more years" with Hilary continuing the Bushwa brand of ugliness scares me to death. The partnership between slick Willie and Pappy has the same appearance as a fix. It is not American for a simple objection. But maybe I am wrong, maybe this is what America has turned into.
I'm still waiting for the Huffington explaination of her Gingrich years! Now those would be some dots to connect.

[MadMadWorld]

Because Obama's vetting is turning up - Bush redux like "I pushed the wrong button by mistake", not once, not twice, but several times on substantial State Senate bills.

Then there's the whining for being confronted with his own words and none voting record, normal politics.

There's also the poor debate performances and let's not forget the ECONOMY is tanking and the RICH want someone who knows WTF they are doing economically.

Just possible reasons.