We need some pithy, short answers.

[LAS14]

In this whole Comey mess, I've been confident that Hillary didn't "lie." I've been confident she told what her understanding was at the time. The main reason is why would she? At first this was based on my trust in her as an honest, ethical person, even though I didn't understand the facts. As the facts became clearer I though, "Well, of course she didn't lie. Why would she risk lying about such trivia as buried letter "c's" in 2 or 3 e-mails, or the number of servers her techs used (still don't know if they were serial or simultaneous). Responsible journalists should immediately see that. You don't say someone "lied" when they told what they believed to be the truth.

Anyway. It's been hard for me, a firm supporter to get the facts. And when I get them, they are complicated and subtle. I can see the MSM reports causing fence-sitters to waver. We need a pithy response. Or some pithy responses.

Come on DUers. There are a lot of really clever people on this site. Can someone slice the Gordian knot of public perception?

I'm waiting for CorrectRecord.org to post something. Until a genius comes up with these pithy responses, I think the campaign is probably right to stay away from the topic.

Here are a couple of links that I found helpful in gathering the facts. But sure not helpful in telling me how to talk to fence-sitters.
http://lawnewz.com/high-profile/why-hillary-clinton-will-not-be-charged-for-lying-to-congress-even-though-she-did/

http://www.factcheck.org/2016/07/revisiting-clinton-and-classified-information/

[lovemydog]

1. First, there was no criminal intent.

Second, if what she did was criminalized, thousands of federal employees would be criminals.

Third, keeping this up is what the right wing does just as they do with Benghazi and all the other bullshit they try to blame on Hillary.

Fourth, tons of republicans and former secretaries of state have done the same stuff.

Fifth, consider her policies and compare them with the republican candidate. Vote on who you think is better on those issues. Not on GOP talking points.

Sixth, I'm sick of talking about the emails - it's an 'issue' for people too silly to consider policy. I don't mean you LAS14. I'm saying that's what you should say to anyone who brings it up.

[Hekate]

2. KnR to support your efforts

It's so aggravating that the truth ends up being so much more nuanced than simple lying slogans that stick in people's heads.

Trump is the master of the lie; he's the pinnacle of American hucksterism, and it's the key to his success. The truth is he's gone bankrupt 3 or 4 times and made others pay for it. The truth is he's ruined thousands of poor schmoes who never did him any harm.

Anyway, here's a couple of DU links on Hillary's achievements that I bookmarked for later use. I hope they can help. (Some are sort of humorous.) I know it's a long list, but there's some gold in there.

10 common objections to Hillary Clinton - and how to counter them
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512245635

HRC just delivered a thorough response to trust ?s about her:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512221484

Finally, I've found a list of every one of Hillary Clinton's scandals.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512176495
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/all-the-terrible-things-hillary-clinton-has-done-in-one-big-list-2016-02-04

Hillary Clinton's Amazing Biography
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017340618

i-was-a-hillary-hater-until-i-read-her-emails/
http://www.democraticunderground.com/110741358
http://bluenationreview.com/i-was-a-hillary-hater-until-i-read-her-emails/

"You’re Rewarding 25 Years of GOP Smears"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511126361
http://thedailybanter.com/2016/01/hillary-gop-smears/

[NanceGreggs]

3. Oh, there, there.

Your concern is as touching as it is sincere.

I wouldn't bother your beautiful mind with things like fence-sitters. They're comfortable where they are - it's where they've always been, it's where they always will be.

I understand how hard it is for a firm supporter like you to "get the facts". Of course, if you actually looked for the facts, I have no doubt you'd find them rather quickly.

So here's my "pithy response": Don't worry - be happy!

And if you're NOT happy, I wouldn't be at all surprised.

[yallerdawg]

9. You sense that, too?

There has been a repeated pattern...

[Hortensis]

11. Absolutely I'm overwhelmed by Las14's concern.

I don't quite know how such a concerned citizen could have missed Comey's statements when many millions of people heard them. But here's the pithy part anyway.

"In looking back at our investigations into mishandling or removal of classified information, we cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts. All the cases prosecuted involved some combination of:

* clearly intentional and willful mishandling of classified information; or

* vast quantities of materials exposed in such a way as to support an inference of intentional misconduct; or

* indications of disloyalty to the United States; or

* efforts to obstruct justice.

We do not see those things here."

James B. Comey, Director of the FBI

[SheriffBob]

4. This attack on hillary

reminds me of the "swift boaters attack against Kerry.

Same dam thing.

Let's focus on trump's incestuous ramblings about his daughter.

It doesn't get any more slimly than that.

[Cryptoad]

5. Ohhhh NO,,, EMAILS,,,,, Oh the horror of it all!,,Drink!

[Festivito]

6. The two FBI miss-marked, Comey miss-stated, MSM miss-reported emails, were really both fine.

Best i can do before going to work.

Two. Only two. miss-marked.

[LAS14]

7. Thanks all, there's some good stuff here.

I particularly liked the one about mis, mis, mis.... and the first one, about it's being aggravating that truth is so nuanced. I think that might have been a simple response to me rather than a suggestion for a pithy response, but it might suggest a lead in when talking to fence-sitters. Start with something like that and ask if they have time for the facts.

As for the Kerry swift-boating thing, that's what worries me. They didn't figure out a good way to handle it.

[sufrommich]

8. The only one I bother with:

[Darb]

10. I got one.

"Who's hosting your email, dickhead?"

[BobbyDrake]

16. I've been using "She was Secretary of State, not Secretary of the IT Department." nt

[LAS14]

12. A work in progress.

Simple answer - Of course she didn't lie. It's clear, given the kinds of facts and the stakes surrounding them that there would have been no benefit in lying. She obviously responded to the best of her knowledge. That is not lying.

Complex answers

Number of servers: I am (or, an acquaintance of mine is... etc)a programmer working for a software company,and if my IT people decided to use multiple servers for our e-mail system I almost certainly would not know it. Nor would I understand it. In the Benghazi testimony Clinton appears to not grasp the question. She does not deny the existence of multiple servers.


Lawyers examined every e-mail: "The search terms were everything you could imagine that might be related to anything, but they also went through every single e-mail." Bottom line - why would she lie about this, but, treating her as an ordinarily moral human being, Is it hard to imagine that early on the lawyers were reassuring her aids that they were "going through every single e-mail." The lawyers meant "searching." The aids heard "reading." By the time it got to Clinton, the sense was "reading."

Were there classified e-mails on the system: This is the most nuanced and complex issue and the easiest response is to reference Director Comey. "He made it clear during his testimony last week that the FBI did not believe Clinton had the sophistication to understand the classification system. " (LawNewz). Comey is underlining the subtlety and complexity of the situation. I, myself, have not yet sorted out anything but that none of them had "classified" in the heading or subject line. Some of them (2? 3? all?) had (c) in the body and Comey agrees that a busy person could overlook that. So, again, why lie? Much more believable is that she really believed that there were no classified e-mails on the system.

[LAS14]

13. Can anyone come up with a statement...

... about the number of e-mails deemed classified by "some department" without classified in the heading or subject with the (c), mis-classified by State? Using quotes from the report or subsequent statements by those directly involved? (Comey, State Department)

[Sunlei]

14. FBI website has everything on there. they spent 'thousands of hours', on several servers & devises

https://www.fbi.gov/news/news_blog

https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/statement-by-fbi-director-james-b.-comey-on-the-investigation-of-secretary-hillary-clintons-use-of-a-personal-e-mail-system

The answer to your question looks like one email (1) no department is named, but I'm not sure if anyone will go after whoever the sender was anyway.

IMO, the republican email distraction is over.

[BobbyDrake]

15. "Comey walked back everything he said the very next day." That should be enough.

If they want more detail, provide more detail about how the GOP grilled him. And how, under oath, he was forced to defend Clinton and undermined his own claims.

[ehrnst]

18. Yes!

[LexVegas]

17. Jesus Fucking Christ. nt