If you have been following Hillary Clinton's campaign in the last few months, she is clearly working the "I have a vagina so vote for me" angle. This a statement that she made in Iowa in September and has continued to reiterate since:
Over Christmas, it got heated between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton when she accused The Donald of being a sexist. Trump warned her not to go there, because he surely would not hold back and Bill CLinton's record on women would be "fair game". So, in a fit of what I can only describe as demented insanity, Clinton campaign gurus decided this would be a good time to send her husband, Bill Clinton out to stump for her.
Now, I don't agree with Donald Trump much. But on this one issue, I agree with him 100%. Unlike any other candidate's spouse in my lifetime where they have been in the background and untouchable, Bill Clinton and his serial sexual predatory proclivities are fair game. As a former sitting President who was impeached for lying under oath in a case in which he was accused of sexually harassing (and some would "assaulting") a woman in which he paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to shut up, is a fair game. And if Hillary Clinton the candidate who has spent decades making sure that Bill's victims were silenced by any means possible, is going to be pursuing her "if you don't vote for me, it is because I am woman" campaign strategy, then Bill Clinton's record should certainly be fair game. At least 14 women who have accused him of sexual harassment, assault, and unwanted dropping of pants would agree.
Any questions?
Oh, and then there's this - North Korea announced that they have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. President Obama stated emphatically that "the US would not accept North Korea as a nuclear state". Well, that's telling 'em!
"Today I want to send a message to every survivor of sexual assault. Don't let anyone silence your voice. You have the right to be heard. You have the right to be believed and we're with you."It is a breathtakingly strong statement coming from Bill Clinton's wife.
"There is a big divide between survivors who do not want to seek the criminal justice system for different reasons and those who want to but are not sure that it would be responsive. So we need to do a much better job on the fairness of the response so that people feel like whichever route they go on campus or off they're going to be taken seriously, that doesn't mean that, you know, that there's no process. There has to be one."
Over Christmas, it got heated between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton when she accused The Donald of being a sexist. Trump warned her not to go there, because he surely would not hold back and Bill CLinton's record on women would be "fair game". So, in a fit of what I can only describe as demented insanity, Clinton campaign gurus decided this would be a good time to send her husband, Bill Clinton out to stump for her.
Now, I don't agree with Donald Trump much. But on this one issue, I agree with him 100%. Unlike any other candidate's spouse in my lifetime where they have been in the background and untouchable, Bill Clinton and his serial sexual predatory proclivities are fair game. As a former sitting President who was impeached for lying under oath in a case in which he was accused of sexually harassing (and some would "assaulting") a woman in which he paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to shut up, is a fair game. And if Hillary Clinton the candidate who has spent decades making sure that Bill's victims were silenced by any means possible, is going to be pursuing her "if you don't vote for me, it is because I am woman" campaign strategy, then Bill Clinton's record should certainly be fair game. At least 14 women who have accused him of sexual harassment, assault, and unwanted dropping of pants would agree.
Any questions?
Oh, and then there's this - North Korea announced that they have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. President Obama stated emphatically that "the US would not accept North Korea as a nuclear state". Well, that's telling 'em!
36 comments:
"the US would not accept North Korea as a nuclear state."
OPERATION JUCHE FREEDOM!
First, I'm going to quote something I said a few days ago.
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According to the The Guardian, Bill Clinton is going to take a higher profile role. I don't see this ending well. He was a bigger liability than asset in 2008, and even if he doesn't hang Hillary with his tongue, his charisma would only highlight how terrible a candidate she is. And one can bet an army of detectives are trying to identify and make contact with his latest paramours.
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Second, I'm going to say that barring new women coming forward (a strong possibility) Bill's infidelity isn't going to do any more damage to Hillary than it has already done. Everyone on the planet knows that Bill is a womanizer and that Hillary enabled and defended him. Trump, an often married man who loves to deride women who get in his way as ugly or on their periods, isn't ideally position to capitalize on Bill's problems.
Almost anyone else in the Republican field would have a better shot, which might explain why Hillary is dangling Bill in front of Trump while Trump is leading the field. That would make it more awkward for someone like Rubio or Cruz to go after her on the same issues down the line.
Of course, I am not stating that many Hillary supporters could be moved/persuaded to vote Republican, but some might sit out the election, which is the next best thing from a Republican standpoint.
IMHO the guy most likely to damage Hillary for supporting Bill Clinton is Bill Clinton. In 2008 he did a lot of damage to Hillary's support among blacks (black support for Hillary was initially stronger than black support for Obama) by dismissing Obama in racially inflammatory terms.
This just doesn't hold up these days: "Everyone on the planet knows that Bill is a womanizer and that Hillary enabled and defended him."
For those of us at a certain age, that is a true statement. I was talking with a friend of mine niece just yesterday, and while she knew who Hillary and Bill Clinton were, she had no idea of any of their history of graft, sordid treatment of women and unlawful behaviour. When told, she was incredulous that they were still on the political scene, much less running for President.
Shows you the power of silence. By not hearing about this in her short life thus far (yet going on her 3rd Presidential election where she can vote) she would vote for the b.s. that these two are selling in ignorance. Her vote would cancel mine out, as they say.
I don't believe the old method of claiming it's a right wing conspiracy or it's just about sex, is going to make it any more. Thank God for the internets and crazy right-wing bloggers!
Bev -
In NYC news, apparently Governor Cuomo wants to completely gut and renovate Penn Station.
The development will transform a large post office next door into a ticket hall and concourse which will bring much-needed light, space, and additional services to the travel experience. Although there have been plenty of proposals for revamping the station over the years, the biggest problem is that the event arena Madison Square Garden sits on top of it. Using the Farley Post Office next door (an older idea, actually, that Cuomo’s revived) opens up so many more possibilities.
The cost: $3 billion. The new name: Empire Station Complex.
I decided to come up with a logo. :-)
Patriot,
For a solid year Clinton/Lewinsky was the all the media (conservative and liberal talked about) and it was often discussed the rest of his term. Schools had to stop putting newspapers and magazines on display to keep kids from asking awkward questions (I thank God I didn't have kids back then).
Furthermore, the affair has been immortalized in countless songs/tv shows/comedy routines and what have you.
The scandal was the Kardassian of its day. A lucky few could/can miss it, but most were/are all too aware.
I don't think silence is an issue, but from a pop culture/news perspective there have been fresher fish to fry.
I do think its telling that while the public rallied around the Clintons back when the scandal happened, nobody with a rep for cheating on their spouse (with the exception of Trump) has come within a stone's throw of winning office post-Clinton.
The best way to harm Clinton is probably to show off evidence that he hasn't changed and that the public would have to go through another XXX soap opera if Hillary won office.
Bev, On Obama's Korea statement, "it depends on what 'nuclear state' means." Of course, it also "depends on what 'accept' means."
On Clinton v. Trump, I think it's hilarious. Clinton is the political equivalent of Bill Cosby and Trump has had no problems pointing that out. Bad move by Clinton if she thought this was going to help her with women.
Scott, That's hilarious! Nicely done! :)
Anthony, I do think this hurts Hillary, and the reason is that it makes her look pathetic, and that never looks good. It may not be quantifiable in polls like a scandal, but it is the sort of thing that makes people just not like her. And that's vital in politics.
Well, Obama will stamp his foot and say, "For Shame!" to the North Koreans." That'll teach'em.
Everyone talks like Bill Clinton is the consummate politician of the age, I disagree with that, he may have been in another time and place, but I have a feeling he has met his (and his wife's) match in Trump. I'm not a big fan of Trump either, however he isn't stupid and he isn't afraid of the Clintons. I suspect he has as many influential friends as they do. The way Hillary went after Bill's accusers is starting to resonate with even the libs...
Critch, I think the key that the Clintons have missed is that Trump is as shameless as they are, and he's not worried about winning, so he has fewer boundaries. It's like fighting with a tarbaby or a heckler.
In other words, Mrs. Clinton is saying that we need to provide justice for those who do not seek justice. I'd ask how she proposes to do that, but I already know exactly how. By establishing kangaroo sex courts on college campuses and ejecting any men who stumble in Title IX cross hairs.
Critch,
I agree the Clintons have met their match in Trump, but I also think that in both cases their mouths and their records are their most formidiable opponents.
Anthony, hard as it is to believe, Millennials really don't know much about Bill Clinton's sexcapades. All they know about is Monica Lewinsky and, for many of them, it was the first time they'd heard of a blow job, which pretty much overshadows any other detail. The names Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones, and Kathleen Willey mean nothing to them, much less the lesser-known Clinton accusers.
As far as most Millennials know, Bill had one consensual affair that his wife forgave him for. Obviously, their impression is wildly at odds with reality. If they viewed Bill as the überbro that he is, and Hillary as his enabler, combined with the much more severe sexual politics of today, the Clintons wouldn't stand a chance in this race.
tryanmax, I would add this, however. The Millennial women I know think of Clinton as a sleazeball, whether they know the details or not, and they see Hillary as a retread from the past who does not interest them and does not know them. I think she will do very, very poorly among Millennials.
piggybacking on Andrew; it is worth remembering many of us millennials grew up hearing Clinton sex jokes. In fact, for some of us, Clinton sex jokes may have been the first sex jokes we ever heard.
The thing about Millennials is that they all have those darn smart phones, I've noticed that when I mention something around them they never heard abouit, they immediately research it on the internet...they may know more than we give them credit for.
The polls I have seen indicate that younger voters of either gender aren't big Clinton fans. I suspect her biggest problem with them is her utter lack of sincerity.
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http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/18/politics/hillary-clinton-young-voters-millennials/index.html
The 68-year old former secretary of state has Democratic establishment backing, key union endorsements and strong support from seniors, yet has thus far been unable to crack the code with millennials and GenXers. In Iowa and New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders, her 74-year old primary opponent, is winning nearly 60% of voters under 45 years old. Sanders is beating Clinton 41%-35% among Democratic millennials, according to The Harvard Institute of Politics' annual survey of millennials, released last week. And among all age groups, she's running neck-and-neck in some head-to-head polls against the pair of 44-year-old GOP senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.
It's a sticking point for the otherwise dominant Democrat. In 2008, Clinton's campaign lost the youth vote to then-Sen. Barack Obama and eventually lost the Democratic nomination. While she is on far more stable footing this time around, the concern among some Democrats supporting Clinton is that the deficit with young voters may be more emblematic of a wider enthusiasm problem that could hurt her in the general election.
Anthony - I agree. For the first time, here is someone who is not afraid of the Clintons and their political war machine. Because there are no deep dark secrets that they can use to blackmail or exploit him or his character. Pretty much every sordid detail of Trump's life has been played out in breathtaking detail for the last 30 years on the pages of NY Daily News and NY Post for all the world to see. Bankruptcies, divorces, marriages, divorces, bankruptcies, marriages, divorces, marriage, more bankruptcies etc.
The reason that Millenials have not heard of Clinton's sexcapades is because the MSM went "old-school" in protecting his "legacy". Much like my generation never heard about Roosevelt or Kennedy or Eisenhower. But more likely the MSM and supporters have squelched the sordid details is because having to face the rather of Hillary far outweighed the truth...
Critch,
I've noticed that when I mention something around them they never heard about, they immediately research it on the internet
That's the thing, though. They have to hear about it first. I agree with Andrew, Millennials are as sick of the Clintons as they are the Bushes. And they are deeply skeptical, so they are actually receptive to negative info about them. But there is a lot they have never heard, either because the grown-ups were trying to hide back in the 90s, or they were distracted by the salaciousness, or they were more interested in Titanic at the time. If Millennials really knew the details of Bill's past, especially given the current sexual politics, Hillary wouldn't even be in the 2016 race.
Critch/Tryanmax - But talking about "one's chicken coming home to roost", the Clintons have met their match in Millenials too. The youngin's are the ones leading the charge in the "War On Women" battle through redefining what "sexual harassment" and "rape" is to them. Yesterday (as in Wed.), the terms is being defined so broadly so to include unwanted/unasked for/un-mutually agreed-to shoulder massages. With that definition, Joe Biden is a serial sexual abuser of women and young girls. Imagine what info is going to come out about Clinton.
Yes, times have changed in the last 8 years since Hillary ran for President. It's a brave new world where information and people just can't be disappeared because you have sent your friends to fan out with jobs in the media, lobbying, fundraising, policy wonking/punditry. And emails are forever...
Two of my sons are Millennials, they both like Rand Paul or Rubio over anyone else...they and their friends view Hillary with distaste. They actually like Bernie, in that he's not a crook, but they both view him as a dinosaur.
Andrew that's pretty harsh on the old girl: "The Millennial women I know think of Clinton as a sleazeball, whether they know the details or not, and they see Hillary as a retread from the past who does not interest them and does not know them."
A "retard?!".....come on she.....oh...wait a minute. Retread....sorry
Well, she supports raped women if they are in the right party:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/429278/hillary-heckled-rape-survivor-asks-her-tough-questions-about-bill
BTW, Off Topic...
There will be a film review tonight: SPECTRE.
However, I will not be around for a few days, sadly. I need to have some surgery. Apparently, I don't have a heart, so they want to implant one. Damn wizard.
Seriously though, I am having some surgery and will be out for the weekend at least. It could be a little longer, but I doubt it. We'll see. :)
Oh, wow, surgery to put in a heart? Hmmm, but your a conservative...what good would it do? ;-D
Seriously, hope you are better soon! We will keep the blog-fires burning until your return. Be well and don't push yourself.
I don't know, Bev. According to liberals, I've never had one! I guess we'll see. LOL!
Seriously though, thanks. They're going to put a wire in my heart. :/ I'm not sure what the effects of this will be in terms of tiredness and the such. But it doesn't sound like it should be too bad. I can't shower for a while though and that will stink... pun intended.
Get well soon, AP! May your doctors all be of the persuasion Reagan's were on the day he was shot.
May not be a post tonight. Updated my Mac to El Capitan and now my Mac's safari keeps crashing.
Thanks Eric! I'm told this shouldn't be a problem and should help... we'll see.
Good luck and God speed with your surgery, Andrew!
May you be better, stronger, and faster than you were before!
Good luck Andrew.
Good luck Andrew, get well soon....
Good luck, Andrew! Be safe!
- Daniel
I'm alive! :-) Should be leaving the hospital today. Thanks for the well wishes.
So glad to hear it went well! You aren't feeling newly "liberal"-ish are you?
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