How Can Hillary Clinton Re-Emerge?

[DonViejo]

April 10, 2017 By Taegan Goddard

Vanity Fair reports on the debate inside Clintonworld about what Hillary’s role should be for the duration of Trump’s presidency.

Said one person close to the Clintons: “She’s trying to navigate what’s appropriate. Does it look like sour grapes? Does it look like she’s positioning for something? She can’t look like a politician or someone who’s trying to position herself. Those days are over….She’s trying to resurrect her image, as well as resurrect her name.”

The central challenge for Clinton is “capitalizing on her political martyrdom without quite appearing to do so.”

Said the Clinton loyalist: “It’s a fine line because it could become easily an ‘I-told-you-so’ tour, which no one has any appetite for… If you move too quickly, you look political. You lose your stature as an elder statesman. You look like a chronic politician. If you move a bit more strategically — target your appearances, target your messages at your appearances, craft your messages appropriately for your appearances — you can keep on an elder stateswoman status. You can have an impact on the dialog where it won’t look self-serving.”

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https://politicalwire.com/2017/04/10/can-hillary-clinton-re-emerge/

[BeyondGeography]

1. She could start by ditching the handlers and figuring this stuff out on her own

You know, live a little.

[stevenleser]

6. That sounds good but in reality that doesn't work out well.

Someone at that level with the kind of scrutiny a national political figure has needs a team to navigate this stuff. The issues are complex and the possibilities of missteps are enormous.

[BeyondGeography]

9. I'm just having a campaign flashback

Agonizing over every syllable to the point where you can't say what you favorite ice cream flavor is.

Based on her last few appearances, I'm sure she'll do fine.

[sharedvalues]

37. Both right. Needs better PR operation

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/opinion/campaign-stops/donald-trump-trolled-us-all-we-should-learn-from-it.html

Scott Goodstein, former Obama social media person, tells Hillary how she could improve.

[Boomerproud]

59. If that's true she needs a new and much better team.

John Podesta? Donna Brazile? Paul Begala? et al. I wouldn't want these people arguing a traffic ticket for me.

[stevenleser]

60. Paul Begala already got a President elected, Brazile's candidate won the popular vote in 2000.

Podesta cochaired the Obama-Biden transition which went pretty smoothly.

All three can be part of any effort of mine anytime.

[pangaia]

84. Agreed.. Just do....

Stop worrying about what it looks lie.. be honest, do what you want to do, what feels right..

[Baconator]

2. It is a very fine line...

... as the 'old guard' hands over leadership.

[LonePirate]

3. I fully support an "I told you so" tour because she did. She was right all along.

Nobody has ever had so many forces - foreign and domestic - working in lockstep against them. She can say whatever she likes, whenever she wants as far as I am concerned.

[2naSalit]

4. +1

[JHan]

5. So do I

[stevenleser]

7. I agree. And by now everyone who isn't a Trump "True believer" knows she was the better choice. nt

[Kentonio]

8. And how does that help anything?

All it would achieve is to give right wing media something to fill their headlines with for 6 months and distract even more from Russia.

[GWC58]

28. Everything Hillary said about

Trump has already come to pass, not even 100 days into his administration. As far as I'm concerned she has every right to do as much "I told ya so's" as she wants! Because, in fact, she did tell us!

[RKP5637]

29. +1

[jehop61]

10. Supported her

For many years. Am a contemporary of hers. Voted for her. However, it's time to let a new class of Democrats step up and embrace the future and prepare for the next election.

[Va Lefty]

27. Well said!

[mahina]

83. I voted for her too and supported her after she won the primary,

and was very sorry to read that she does not intend to seek office again.

Every day it's heavy on my heart, thinking of how she would be leading us today.

[That Guy 888]

11. My first reaction to the headline was "shouldn't that be Why Should instead of How Can?"

A much better comment was surprisingly in the comment section:

docb Flurpy • an hour ago

How about she quit with the over analyzing politic and speak loudly for what she believes in from her experiences. She is now free... a female Will Rogers would be quite effective today. She has a wicked smart wit in small gatherings...go with it.

The unfair (I don't know her) belief on my part is that she doesn't usually speak what she believes without a political filter.

[athena]

14. You should perhaps look into why that is.

There is a reason "she doesn't usually speak what she believes without a political filter." She was much more forthcoming when she first became a political figure, but she was badly attacked for it. Before you judge her, first learn the facts. Here is a start:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/hillary-clinton-wants-to-talk-to-you-about-love-and-kindness

[That Guy 888]

38. Thanks, but I know enough about the Clintons, from non-Kremlin, non-vrwc sources.

Unfortunately Democratic Politicians get treated unfairly by our media. Just ask Howard Dean or Dennis Kucinich.

[athena]

63. Oh, so you know everything already

and have no need to read anything new. Where have I heard that before?

Welcome to ignore.

[That Guy 888]

64. Lol fine by me. If only one opinion is allowed, I welcome your ignore.

It's odd that you can't imagine anyone who is a Democratic voter but doesn't love every Democratic politician. Let me know if there's a love-piece about Manchin, I haven't been reading about him for 20 years. I doubt it would change my opinion of him, but you never know.

[JTFrog]

18. Oh for fuck's sake.

You say it's unfair but take the jab anyway. And you really need to ask the question you asked?

[RadiationTherapy]

12. How about foregoing elected office for good and becoming a critical loose-cannon?

How about writing a tell-all book about the slimy inner-workings of Washington and how to organize in order to wrench control away from the wealthiest 1% and corporations? Maybe become a high-profile radical civil rights activist? So many options.

[Txbluedog]

13. Please don't reemerge

We need the old guard to take the senior statesman route and stay in the sidelines. Her time has passed. Please go away quietly in the night.

[geek tragedy]

15. Why does she need to re-emerge?

She had her shot, just like John Kerry and Al Gore and Mitt Romney and John McCain all had their shot.

Kerry and McCain resumed their duties as Senators, while Gore and Romney lived as private citizens, with Gore picking one issue to focus on for public advocacy.

Time spent with the grandkids instead of with journalists and politicians is a good idea.

[WomenRising2017]

16. She is a strong advocate for women and children

and we could use her strong support.

Plus someone needs to strongly call out Trump, and nobody does it better than Hillary Clinton.

[geek tragedy]

17. The last thing we need is Hillary Clinton relitigating the 2016 campaign for the next 4 years.

If she wants to focus on the rights of women and children, by all means she should do that--she has the ability and credibility for such advocacy.

But leave the resisting of Trump and his agenda to the next generation of leaders, who will hopefully be more effective than she was at making the case against him.

[WomenRising2017]

55. She is the inspiration for the Resistance Movement for women

She doesn't need your advice, nor your approval.

Who exactly do you think is inspiring the next generation of leaders? I give you a hint, it's not men.

[geek tragedy]

57. Women inspire themselves. They're inspired by their daughters, their mothers,

etc etc.

Hillary was a politician, not a prophet or a deity.

[WomenRising2017]

61. Of course she's not.

But do not underestimate the millions of women who were personally insulted, and disgusted by what happened in the election.

We have all been through that. Only she did it on a national and global stage.

Hillary is a pillar of strength and inspiration.

We've all faced what she has. We've all lived what she has. Just not on the level that she did.

As Auntie Maxine said, "We're woke".

[karynnj]

70. Obama won a higher percent of the woman's vote than HRC - even in 2012

I get that HRC inspired you and many others, but not all women.

[WomenRising2017]

72. Fine, but it's women who are resisting Trump

and they overwhelmingly are disgusted by Trump.

Also, the entire Obama family stands with Hillary. I would like to think that you do as well, but that is your choice.

[OrwellwasRight]

80. Yup.

Agree. We don't need to hero-worship her. We need an effective next generation of leaders, something the Democratic party has a shitty record of doing.

[JTFrog]

20. That's just offensive as hell.

So much wrong with this post. Your suggestion that Hillary shut up and spend time with the grandkids is incredibly pathetic.

Thank god she is a strong woman who just brushes that kind of shit off.

[geek tragedy]

22. She had her shot, and she blew it. Big time.

John Kerry tried to stay on center stage too long, and it got really ugly.

She should not make John Kerry's mistake.

Issue advocacy is certainly something she should do. But the general political stuff, or trying to be the face of the resistance to Trump, no effing way. She had hundreds of millions of dollars, countless volunteer hours at her disposal, the entire Democratic party and its resources to make the case against Trump, and she failed.

Win or go home, and she didn't win.

[JTFrog]

23. Yeah, once again just ignore history.

We all know she won. Just like Gore won. Just like Kerry won.

Keep on giving legitimacy to the fucking traitors and thieves that steal elections. That's been working out so well for us.

[geek tragedy]

24. She ran a poor campaign, with a poor strategy, and an ineffectual media strategy

that took hundreds of millions of dollars in donations and used them for fire kindling.

On multiple occasions she demonstrated poor political judgment and inflicted unnecessary harm to her own candidacy in the process.

Democrats need to become the party of change, and that means having new faces representing it to the public.

What matters is not whether we're fair to her, just like it wasn't important whether we were fair to John Kerry after 2004 or Al Gore after 2000.

What matters is winning, and she's not part of the equation when it comes to us winning.

This is no longer the party of the Clintons. Hillary is not part of the party's future, Bill sure as hell isn't, and for that matter neither is Chelsea.

[JTFrog]

39. That's just, like, your opinion man.

Not a very palatable one at that, but you are definitely entitled to it.

[geek tragedy]

40. Hey, maybe those sad-looking kid videos prevented a Trump blowout.

I mean that guy was so popular before Hillary insulted his supporters and brilliantly decided to ignore Michigan and Wisconsin.

personally, until she holds herself accountable by owning up to the mistakes she made, meh. She and Bill had a good run, but it's time for a new show at the theater.

[JTFrog]

62. I'd love to see her run again. Or Chelsea.

Even if it was just to piss off all the right people. Tossing people aside for such childish reasons as their last name or the fact that something was stolen from them gets us right where we are today. Meh indeed.

[geek tragedy]

65. When Chelsea has accomplishments without trading

on her family name by all means she will merit consideration.

The party needs to put forth its vision of its future, not its past.

[LanternWaste]

25. Going home after every loss we experience creates a nation of recluses.

Public service is not a one-shot event, else FDR would never have tried again after his 1920 loss as VP candidate.

Rather than win or go home, adults will often lose then try again. Going home after every loss we may experience creates a nation of recluses.

[geek tragedy]

30. the real question is, are there any people who are on the fence about Trump

or weakly supporting Trump that would be convinced to turn on him because Hillary criticized him?

Answer to me seems to be an obvious 'no,'

[GWC58]

32. Okay, I'm pissed because of the way

Hillary lost! I'm not upset with her, though. She did, regardless of what Trump says, receive almost 3 million more votes than the Manchurian candidate!

[GWC58]

31. Right on!!

[loyalsister]

42. It's what most people look forward to in their 70s

I don't understand why she and many members of congress don't want to do that.

[JTFrog]

50. I don't understand why people think they have the right to say what she should and shouldn't do.

It's not up to you. She has dedicated her entire life to this country and certainly has the right to speak to whoever she wants about whatever she wants.

Speak out and speak up! More power to this strong, courageous woman!

No reason for all the hating. That's what got us into this fucking mess to begin with. Talk about audacity.

[loyalsister]

58. I just pointed out what most people do

It seems that a lack of worship makes a person a hater in some eyes.

[mcar]

45. MSM seems to think John McCain is just peachy

Since he's on the shows all the time.

I don't think her speaking out will stop the many vocal Dems from doing their part. Why would we want to shut our senior States people down?

[geek tragedy]

46. John McCain remained a US Senator, just like John Kerry did after he lost.

There isn't a person alive in the United States who will think "I wasn't sure about supporting President Trump's re-election until Hillary came along and criticized him."

Defeated nominees have a role, but it's as part of the chorus, not as a soloist.

[nini]

85. Because she can have a damn voice if she wants to

You can choose to dismiss her but what she did to motivate a renewed sense for women is priceless.

Let us know forget the women who marched on DC, made millions of phones calls etc.. because of her influence.

[PoliticAverse]

19. "capitalizing on her political martyrdom without quite appearing to do so."

Last edited Mon Apr 10, 2017, 02:47 PM - Edit history (1)

This reminds me of the line:
"The most important thing is sincerity, if you can fake that you've got it made".

[stevenleser]

74. That statement reflects the author of the articles opinion.

It's not what anyone on the Clinton team said

[davsand]

21. I think her ideal position is "Former candidate."

She served her time, she has the battle scars to prove it (along with the t-shirts!) It's OK to sit one out. Seriously. You've earned the right.



Laura

[ananda]

26. I can see her as a great advocate..

.. for women's healthcare rights.

[loyalsister]

43. UBI absolutely!

Send kids whose families were damaged by mass incarceration to college, and compensate people who lived it.

[ismnotwasm]

34. I don't know. I'm loving the new "fuck you" Hillary a lot

And if she comes out and just says it to a few people m life will have reached another peak.

[DefenseLawyer]

35. She should give a Shermanesque statement

Then she can say and do whatever she wants.

[Lucinda]

36. She already has. She was brilliant in the Women in the World Summit interview.

She is writing a postmortem on the election, and plans to help young women get elected. She is speaking out as she feels that she needs to, and that is fine with me...

[pansypoo53219]

44. we have to stop CHEATING.

[HeartachesNhangovers]

47. She should make a clear statement about

her intentions. If she intends to seek the 2020 presidential nomination, she should say so. If not, she should say that. At this point, "I'm not sure" or "I haven't decided" doesn't cut it. The time for coyness, focus groups and polling is over.

[Warren DeMontague]

48. Al Gore provides an excellent model for how to become an important global issue advocate.

On a planet where millions of women can't drive or vote or even leave the house unsupervised, there is definitely a need for someone like Hillary Clinton to work for the rights of women worldwide.

Seems a logical next step.

[Worktodo]

49. No just no

It's evident from the article that these handlers think it's just a matter of "explaining". Well, when you have to explain things, it's already done. No place was that more evident than here on DU where people like me were still having to "explain" Hillary even a week before the election. There was a popularity gap there. Even her endorsing a candidate runs the risk that they are labeled an "establishment" candidate given the damage done to the DNC during the primary. That's awful but it's reality and reality is what wins elections.

[stevenleser]

75. Yes, just yes.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from her.

[romanic]

51. She can continue to speak for issues that are dear to her.

But to re-emerge for another shot at the presidency is absurd. Like someone said, she had her chance and she fell way short. Time to move on.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

52. Geek Tragedy has it right.

She lost the election. That she actually won the popular vote is irrelevant given the stupid Electoral College.

She doesn't need to re-emerge from anywhere, although it is perfectly appropriate for her to get out there and speak up for the causes she most cares about.

She should absolutely NOT run in 2020, if for no other reason than, as has been pointed out over and over, we need to let a new, younger generation come to power.

To me a huge problem with the 2016 campaign was that the three finalists (Bernie, Donald, and Hillary) were all a generation older than the out-going President, Barack Obama, and I thought that no matter which one of them eventually entered the Oval Office, it would be a mistake. Yes, Hillary would have been infinitely better than Donald, but I hope that someone at least thirty years younger than the current Oval Office occupant moves in some four years from now.

[RKP5637]

79. I agree that we need a younger generation moving into politics and in no way do I mean that

to detract from those in your post. I too just think it's time for new younger faces.

[nini]

86. Yep..sit down and shut up woman!

JFC she is can whatever the hell she wants just like the men before her did.

[Solly Mack]

53. I don't think of her as a martyr. I don't like the passage "her political martyrdom".

Hillary Clinton is a strong woman. Yes, she suffered an almost inexplicable defeat. Well, it can be explained but Damn, Cricket, mother of Solly Mack, how fucking stupid can people be?

Her image doesn't need resurrecting. Hillary Clinton is strong and intelligent. She's a fighter. Regardless of how anyone feels about her - she has those qualities. There is a strength to her that doesn't need other people defining who she is and what she can do.


And, frankly, an "I told-you-so" tour is exactly what some people deserve. Whether they like it or not, some people deserve to be told - I told you so, you self-serving, short-sighted, globule of festering and terminal stupidity.


(Yes, my mother was nicknamed Cricket)

[stevenleser]

76. Yep, am fully on board with an "I told you so" tour.

The folks who voted for this incompetent, non-curious malingerer need to have their terrible choice pointed out in stark terms over and over again.

[Deb]

54. I so wish she could educate TV viewers on how govt should

and the world really does work.

[Tatiana]

56. I would really love for her to play a significant role in the opposition/Resistance.

Call it the "Miss Me, Yet?" tour or whatever. Travel to blue/midwestern states and help us re-build this party in places like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kansas, and Iowa. Ask people what they can do for their country and suggest ways in which they can help.

I think this also represents an opportunity for Hillary to rehabilitate her image among the duped stay-homers or third-party voters. She could very well be the next Democratic nominee for the Supreme Court.

She's also a valuable weapon we can use against Trump. He is so insecure and jealous of her (and all competent women, in general).

[WomenRising2017]

68. Or maybe people who echo these thoughts need to go away.

[Cha]

67. this is anonymous bullshit.. Hillary's doing great..

Or hasn't anyone noticed.

Clinton, Democrats See Hypocrisy in Trump’s Syria Posture
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-04-07/clinton-democrats-see-hypocrisy-in-trumps-syria-posture

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Many People want to hear what Hillary has to Shine the Light on

[greymattermom]

69. How about as a foreign policy expert?

She knows a lot about that.

[Chitown Kev]

71. Don't run for office...be unfiltered...enjoy your golden years and your grandchildren

speak when you want to and when you don't want to...don't

[WomenRising2017]

73. Or,

She can do whatever she wants.

[Thomas Hurt]

77. If she re-emerges too early

before Trump has a chance to complete his self immolation. She serves as a MAJOR distraction.

Perceived or not, she shows a sign of coming back and the fn GoP will resurrect email/benghazi and whatever else they can pull out of their asses, quicker than Christ arose.

[doc03]

78. I voted for her wish she won but

she ran twice and now we are stuck with tRump. Her time has passed same goes for Sanders. We need new blood desperately.

[Doreen]

81. I personally think Hillary ran a good campaign.

She lost due to lies and hacking and a corrupt electoral college. I however would probably not vote for her again. I think we need fresh candidates that are more than likely make decisions in line with the current world issues and not be as stuck in what was done in the past. I also thinks she should stay in politics and maybe get elected for some position or put into some position by the next Democratic president but not as high as she was last time. We need he in a position that she can work with the general public on many issues not just one.

[0rganism]

82. personally i'd like to see her leading voter outreach and candidate recruiting efforts

in addition to what she already has going, of course -- haven't really kept up with her activities since November

i hope she continues pushing forward and contributing, making her presence felt, but probably not in the political foreground since that motivates a whole system of damn-near mechanized anti-Clinton backlash.

[Gothmog]

87. I will support Hillary Clinton if she decides to run again