Pugnacious Hillary Clinton

May 21, 2008 · Posted in Election 2008 
The Princess PugThis is the picture that keeps coming into my mind whenever I hear about Hillary Clinton’s self-proclaimed battle for the Michigan/Florida delegates. A Google search on the combined terms “hillary pugnacious” yields over 35,700 results, so I guess I’m in good company.

What she’s doing now is worse than pugnacious. How is it that we try to teach our kids to tell the truth and treat others the way we want to be treated, and then turn on cable news so that we can be treated to snippets like this:

The men and women who knew their Constitutional right to vote meant little when poll taxes and literacy tests, violence, and intimidation made it impossible to exercise their right, so they marched and protested, faced dogs and tear gas, knelt down on that bridge in Selma to pray and were beaten within an inch of their lives.

Yes, Hillary Clinton is now equating herself with abolitionists, suffragettes, and civil rights leaders. The woman who made an agreement with regard to the Michigan and Florida delegations, yet left her name on the ballot in Michigan when the other leading candidates removed theirs, now has the unmitigated gall to stand before voters in these states and claim equality with abolitionists and civil rights leaders?

While she gives lofty speeches about the foundation of democracy, she is willing to exclude 237,762 voters who chose to vote “uncommitted” in Michigan, and countless others who demonstrated their uncommittedness by not casting a ballot at all.

In Florida, many Democrats simply stayed home. I know this because I had conversations with friends in Florida where I encouraged them to go vote because I’d heard rumors there would be efforts to seat their delegations later. (These voters, by the way, were Hillary voters).

Yet, in her arrogant, pugnacious, incredibly dishonest fashion, she stands before the Florida voters and dares to compare the self-created problems of the Florida and Michigan delegations to the recent debacle in Zimbabwe?

Further, she suggests that because there has been no resolution to the question of seating those delegations, the Democrats are hurt because “We have allowed ours to go on” while the Republicans wrapped their primaries up early.

EXCUSE ME? WHO has “allowed” the Democrats to go on? WHO stood before the Kentucky voters just last night and said she was in it until the end? WHO has dug herself deeper and deeper into debt, and is now digging deeper and deeper into division, claiming that EVERY VOTE HAS TO BE COUNTED?

To be clear here, the only way that Hillary Clinton gets to her specious claim that she’s ahead in the popular vote (despite Nancy Pelosi’s reiteration that the currency of the realm at the DNCC is delegates and only delegates) is to exclude the caucus states and credit ZERO VOTES in Michigan to Barack Obama.

Let me summarize the arguments that have spilled from Hillary and Bill Clinton’s lying mouths about these delegates and I’ll leave it to you to decide if these are representative of someone who purports to call themselves a Democrat, if they’re representative of a LEADER, if they’re intended to serve voters or serve Hillary, if they’re worthy of giving her even ONE IOTA of credibility within the party. I have my opinion. Let’s hear yours, after the highlights:

  • “It’s clear this election [Michigan is] having is not going to count for anything.” - Link
  • “And we believe the DNC’s rules and its calendar provide the necessary structure to respect and honor that role. Thus, we will be signing the pledge to adhere to the DNC approved nominating calendar.” - Link
  • “More people voted for me.” - Link
  • “If we were under the Republican system, which is more like the Electoral College, she’d have a 300-delegate lead here,” he said. “I mean, Senator McCain is already the nominee because they chose a system to produce that result, and we don’t have a nominee here, because the Democrats chose a system that prevents that result.” - Link
  • The people of Michigan must be counted and their voices finally heard. What the people of Michigan need now is just action, not just words. - Link
  • “I’m more electable” - Link
  • “I’ll exercise the nuclear option” - Link

There are many more, but these are representative of the talking points. I’ve listed other examples of similar comments here.

Is this REALLY leadership?

Sphere: Related Content

Comments

  • Betsy,

    On the Constitution, you're referring to Hillary Clinton, yes? Because Obama has mentioned the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, many times over, particularly in the context of warrantless wiretaps and signing statements.

    Hillary Clinton cannot claim the popular vote and be taken seriously, simply because of the caucus states and her specious claim that Michigan uncommitted votes should not go to Obama. It was publicly known that the Michigan voters for Obama encouraged and even mounted a calling campaign to encourage Obama voters to vote "uncommitted" in case there was an effort to seat their delegation.

    Your suggestion of her becoming a Lieberman chills me, and at the same time, concerns me because it could happen, if she figured out how to retire her debt.

    Thanks for your comment!
  • betsy
    I appreciate the original post. It puts into coherent paragraphs what I more often sputter about before becoming virtually speechless.

    A couple of thoughts that might be worth considering.

    On Wednesday, I heard Rachel Maddow on Air America assert that there was a circumstance under which HRC would be able to claim the popular vote, force (?) the inclusion of Florida and Michigan, and become the nominee. The only way Obama can stop her, said Maddow, is to obtain commitments from a certain number of superdelegates.

    My specifics are lousy. I want mostly to convey that smart people who understand the whole thing believe she can do it. Of course, I am appalled.

    The other notion I have is this: Hillary may decide to copy Lieberman and run as an Independent. She would no doubt receive enough votes to ensure McCain wins. Of course, I am appalled.

    I used to be impressed by her doggedness, but it didn’t take long to notice what drives her. It is not her commitment to her country’s well being. Her commitments lie elsewhere, and they all begin with the letter “I.”

    Oh, and I wish somebody who wants to be president would now and then mention the Constitution. It would help me sleep better.
  • dotlizard,

    I think that probably overstates it, though it is sometimes difficult to discern the difference between the moderate GOP and the conservative Democrats. I think she was working toward gaining appeal with the conservative voters in KY and WV when she did the O'Reilly interview. As to his fawning, that seems more likely to be the desire on the part of the GOP to have Hillary Clinton as their candidate.

    Before yesterday, I would have assumed that her tactics were intended to be a play for the VP slot. Now I just think she's bent on causing as much destruction as possible for the reason that Jeff suggests: 2012.

    I believe she will do what she can to help Obama fail in order to position herself for 2012. I also believe she'll fail.

    sphynx,

    Your comment, particularly your comment about feeling used by Clinton gives me hope that the newest effort of Clinton's to destroy a good man for her own gain will fail. Let's hope they fail without pulling the party along.
  • after reading @baratunde's post & exchanging a tweet, i've formed a new working hypothesis and he's confirmed it: Hillary has converted to the GOP, and is on a political suicide mission to destroy the Democratic party from within. when we say she's positioning herself for 2012, we are talking about the Republican ticket -- McCain having by that point aged out of contention.

    Case in point - did you see the interview BillO had with Hillary? He was positively fawning over her. Asking these pseudo-tough questions that were artfully designed to allow her to shine, thereby giving her a great introduction to her future supporters.

    alright i'm probably paranoid, over-reacting, and being snarky. but if i hear that woman comparing her manipulative, dishonest, sneaky political strategy to the civil rights movement one more time my head WILL explode.
  • Sphynx
    Hillary would have a great leg to stand on in regards to Michigan and Florida if not for the fact that she agreed to exclude them up until the moment she realized she was losing.

    The only people who are pushing for Michigan/Florida inclusion are hard-core Hillary supporters, because it's the only chance she has left. As a Floridian, it disgusts me that she is using me like that. As a Floridian, nothing made me convert to OBama faster than her trying to get my delegate vote without using the proper channels to get it.
  • Jeff,

    Look up the term 'pugnacious'. You'll see that it refers to personality, not dogs, though the word was likely derived from the character of a pug.

    And Jeff, it's no surprise that she's angling for 2012. The problem is that she's positioned herself as a complete liar and cheat. You think that's going to play well in 2012? Why? Do liars have vintage years? After the last 8 years of lying, cheating, Bush and Cheney, I'm not likely to exchange them for more lies.

    Unlike many pundits, I think putting her on the ticket as VP would require Obama to don a bulletproof jacket whenever he was within 50 feet of her. She is a megalomaniacal woman, drunk on her own delusion of power.

    She has a choice and many options right now. The only question is how far she will go and how low she will stoop to squander them.

    I was a supporter of hers once. No longer. Her lie after lie after lie after lie to people who deserve better than that convinced me.

    That, and the "obliterate Iran" statement, which sounded like a Republican in Democrat's clothing.

    Mostly though, it was the incessant lies.
  • Jeff
    Oh, nice. Real mature - and not at all sexist - comparing Hillary Clinton to a female dog. Is that really leadership? I see Obama types denouncing left and right the "old politics", and then I see stuff like this. Here's what we're gonna do:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUyce6224Mk

    That's right. Be immature, sulk, and see what it gets you. Better to do it right than do it soon.
  • omg i am so furious i could just spit right now. who the hell does she think she is and how DARE she invoke the civil rights movement like it applies to her calculated, deliberate decisions to go AGAINST HER PARTY and leave her name on those ballots? she has done everything in her power to tear the Democratic party apart. sometimes i wonder when she converted over to the GOP, ya know?
blog comments powered by Disqus