Dear Hillary: How very dare you!

[pnwmom]

https://hulshofschmidt.wordpress.com/2016/08/01/dear-hillary-how-very-dare-you/

Let me be as candid and transparent as possible: I was a very strong supporter of Bernie Sanders, and until the past four weeks, held out great hope that he would become our next President. Over the course of the past month, I have had to do a great deal of reflecting and ask myself where does this seemingly irrational antipathy for Hillary Clinton come from? Why have I participated in it? After doing some research and looking hard at systemic misogyny, I have had to confront myself with the truth that I bought into a narrative about Hillary Clinton that has been produced, packaged, and perpetuated by mostly the GOP with the help of many democrats and independents.

This narrative is a 30-year-old vilification of a woman who is bright, independent, wealthy, and powerful — a woman who asks for what she wants and needs. How very dare you, Ms. Clinton? How dare you have a mind of your own? How dare you be bright and powerful? How dare you ask for what you want and need? Don’t you know these rights are still exclusively for white, Christian, cisgender, able-bodied, heterosexual men?

My research indicates that the reality — the facts (I realize facts are immaterial when talking to many Trump supporters) — are that Hillary Clinton is one of the most honest politicians tracked by the Pulitzer Prize winning fact-checking project Politifact. I would also call upon Jill Abramson’s piece in the Guardian. Most of you probably know Abramson from the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times. Abramson writes:

As an editor I’ve launched investigations into her business dealings, her fundraising, her foundation and her marriage. As a reporter my stories stretch back to Whitewater. I’m not a favorite in Hillaryland. That makes what I want to say next surprising. Hillary Clinton is fundamentally honest and trustworthy.

Members of the press, in their misguided attempt to be “balanced”, love to point out that we face a presidential contest between the two least-popular candidates ever. What they fail to do is analyze their own complicity in blindly adhering to the cartoon version of Hillary Clinton. Trump is unpopular — even with many Republicans who weakly support him — because of his stated positions. Secretary Clinton is unpopular largely because of an aggressive campaign of fictions and slander. That campaign has succeeded largely because of systemic misogyny.

SNIP

[NurseJackie]

1. A lot to read... but worth it!

[sarae]

2. Thank you.

Anyone who says sexism has nothing to do with the virulent Hillary hate isn't being honest.

Of course there are reasons to criticize her, just like any politician, but the media has taken this to a level I haven't seen before. She hasn't fought with Gold Star families, or said we need to ban Muslims, or called everyone and their mother horrible names, or done any of the million horribly offensive things her opponent has. But she's treated as bad as, if not worse, than Trump.

[apcalc]

27. Those bastards tilt everything in a negative direction with her.

At every turn, they are eager to point out what ' she did wrong'.
Quick example....Great nomination and acceptance speech? Her voice...

Never a good word to say about her....why I refuse to watch TV.

[Hortensis]

67. Yup! Gender is HUGE. HRC's favorabilities were in the plus range

when she was senator from NY and when she was SoS. They only plummeted (hugely) both times she ran to be our first female president.

When is this very well documented phenomenon ever mentioned by the MSM, though? I never saw or heard it. I looked at the favorability graphs myself.

If the media were half what they should be, her previous good ratings and the gender effect would be at least alluded to for perspective with every new favorability polling.

Also the revved up character assassination efforts surgically focused on perceptions of her trustworthiness and likability, of course--because women rate higher in both than men.

[SirBrockington]

3. I would love for the media to a least recognize Hillary was the most admired woman in the world

10 years straight.

Also, prior to 2 years of 24/7 corporate media bashing, Hillary left the state department with a 69% approval rating among the public and was constantly being asked if she'd run for president. The day she announced it was a Republican feeding frenzy to take her down that has only abated at this time while Donald Trump continues to take the headlines. Manufactured scandals and 24 hour character defamation has gotten her to this "unlikable" narrative.

[Squinch]

4. Rec. Fabulous! Here's hoping more have the same epiphany.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Honesty

[Buckeye_Democrat]

7. I'm sure that many Republicans

... will proclaim that this "proves" Politifact is part of the liberal conspiracy!

[apcalc]

28. You have a link to this great chart?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

31. I just have the image as posted. You can get a link to the image from the image. . . . nt

[BlueMTexpat]

6. Systemic misogyny has been

prevalent from the get-go in this election.

[63splitwindow]

8. I agree with your opinion with the exception of adding one word and subtracting one other.

Can you spot the changes?

Secretary Clinton is unpopular because of an aggressive campaign of fictions, mischaracterizations and slander.

[pnwmom]

10. I wouldn't disagree with either of your changes. n/t

[Roland99]

9. "Secretary Clinton is unpopular largely because of an aggressive campaign of fictions and slander."

uh...her relationship with the DLC, Wall St., etc. has a lot to do with it, too.

Those are things she desperately needs to change in order to govern this nation properly!

[pnwmom]

13. What positions has she taken on the side of Wall Street and against ordinary people?

She wants to regulate the shadow banking system, a position that does NOT endear her with Wall Street. And though she wasn't among the many Democrats who voted to repeal or sign Glass Stegall, she does recognize that it didn't cause the crash of 2007-8. That was caused by unregulated derivatives. Bringing back Glass Stegall won't solve our banking problems.

And the average non-DUer doesn't even know what the DLC is, much less think that makes her a bad person.

[Roland99]

24. Uh, Gramm-Leach-Bliley was a *huge* factor leading to the Great Recession

One of the worst things Bill Clinton ever did as President was to sign that. And Larry Summers was right there pushing it along, too. One of the consequences of the DLC / Third Way that we've been forced to live with.

And it doesn't matter one iota what non-DUers think or don't think. It doesn't change the fact that her stance against Wall St and corporatizing profits and socializing losses needs to change or we'll be back in the same boat again one day.

[pnwmom]

34. Hillary didn't sign it and she isn't her husband's clone. Or Larry Summers's clone.

She has her own records as NY Senator and Obama's Secretary of State to run on.

And she doesn't have a record of "corporatizing profits and socializing losses."

[charlyvi]

47. I have one bone to pick with your statement.

Stop making Hillary responsible for what Bill did 25 years ago. They are not the same person and these are definitely not the same times. And your last sentence is confusing. "her stance AGAINST Wall St and corporatizing profits and socializing losses needs to change'. What's wrong with being against these things, as you state and as she most clearly is. Actually, that's two bones.

[Roland99]

62. I didn't bring up Glass Steagall. Was replying to that

As for her stance, her record shows no solid action against Wall St

That needs to change and ads I'm starting to see seem to address that. Finally.

[charlyvi]

64. Who mentioned Glass Steagall?

At any rate, Hillary still is not Bill.
As far as her stances go, you obviously haven't been to her website.

https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/wall-street/

Hillary’s plan will tackle dangerous risks in the financial system:

Impose a risk fee on the largest financial institutions. Big banks and financial companies would be required to pay a fee based on their size and their risk of contributing to another crisis.

Close loopholes that let banks make risky investments with taxpayer money. The Volcker Rule prohibits banks from making risky trading bets with taxpayer-backed money—one of the core protections of the post-financial crisis Wall Street reforms. However, under current law these banks can still invest billions through hedge funds, which are exempt from this rule. Hillary would close that loophole and strengthen the law.

Hold senior bankers accountable when a large bank suffers major losses. When a large bank suffers major losses with sweeping consequences, senior managers should lose some or all of their bonus compensation.

Make sure no financial firm is ever too big or too risky to be managed effectively. Hillary’s plan would give regulators more authority to force overly complex or risky firms—including banks, hedge funds and other non-bank financial institutions—to reorganize, downsize, or break apart.


There are five more bullet points but I don't want to violate fair use.

[LanternWaste]

56. Are the poor decisions you yourself make at work a consequence of your wife's actions?

Do you blame your wife for your own actions and decisions? Are the poor decisions you yourself make at work (and let's be honest-- we all make poor decisions from time to time at work) a consequence of your wife's actions?

I ask because you seem to have internalized that sentiment and projected it onto others without any objective or supporting evidence...

[Roland99]

63. Please stop putting words into my posts

[63splitwindow]

14. That sounds like the allegations of other Democrats this election cycle.

Would you not agree with the OP concerning the vile bile spewed by Rush, et al, for the past 25 years?

[Roland99]

25. Oh, I agree the witch hunt against her exists and exists big-time

The whole Ken Starr, mega-million, mega-years-long debacle is proof positive of that.

Doesn't change the fact that she's heaped a lot of rightful criticism her way, though. Hoping that we see a change in direction in that regard come January 2017!

[betsuni]

11. K&R

[NurseJackie]

12. Kick... And...

... Whenever I hear that phrase, it always reminds me of the Catherine Tate character who used that has a catch phrase.

[Bill USA]

15. this is really an excellent article. recommended! If only people read articles. it's a

Twitter World these days. If it can't be said in 140 characters - "forget it!"....

Clinton is unpopular largely because of an aggressive campaign of fictions and slander. That campaign has succeeded largely because of systemic misogyny.

Journalist Michael Arnovitz points out in his article Thinking About Hillary–A Plea for Reason (I strongly recommend his piece) that propaganda around Hillary’s “dishonest” nature stems from the pablum written by conservative writer William (I can’t be concerned with facts or evidence) Safire. Safire wrote the 1996 article Blizzard of Lies in which he vilifies and demonizes Hillary as a “congenital liar” without any evidence to support his claims. (How’s that for irony?) What I find profoundly sad is how quickly and how easily I — and so many Americans — bought into this false and misogynistic narrative. This tragically illustrates how systemic sexism/misogyny is: how it is in the water we drink, the air we breathe, in every fiber we wear.

[LisaM]

19. This was the blurb that stood out to me

I know I have gone from a true supporter of Bernie Sanders to an apathetic supporter of Hillary to now an excited and enthusiastic supporter of our first female President. It’s certainly true that she isn’t as progressive a candidate as I would like. Neither was Bernie and his stand on guns. Neither is absurd long-shot Jill Stein and her strange anti-science positions. That’s the reality of American politics in 2016.

[Bill USA]

23. we have to get back the Senate AND regain a majority in the House if we want to take more

aggressive - progressive - steps to deal with the challenges we face. And of course, kill the Citizens United decision.

[demigoddess]

45. and to keep an advances by senate and president

we need a good supreme court justice.

[NBachers]

16. I've always been a Hillary supporter- but as the convention went on, I found the poison leaving me.

As virulantly anti-Republican I've been since Nixon, I still absorbed my share of the poison that's been spread about Hillary.

Even here at Democratic Underground, I often was reluctant to voice support of Hillary. The hate was that strong here.

DU is a different place now, and I'm glad for it. We've been force-fed Republican poison for so long; it's a relief to be free of it now.

[mercuryblues]

17. I think the

media has done a huge disservice to America. The decades they engaged in smearing and lying about Clinton has opened the door for trump to walk right through. Combined with the narrative during the republican primary. They propped him up as a legitimate choice to lead America. Only now are they backing off. Now that the damage is done. Republicans are entirely complicit in this. The 2 have created a monster. It has escaped the cage and running rampant through the streets setting fire to everything. yet they are still feeding it.

If Clinton wins, they have created an environment where attacking her is sport. If trump wins the country loses.

[Bill USA]

18. "Brooks made the claim that Hillary is too guarded", or too secretive. You so often hear this crap

.. whoever is saying this is promoting the fantasy that she hasn't been the target of a relentless, campaign of character assassination, slander and verbal assault by the rabid Right for more than two decades. Of course, she's guarded! These sick bastards constantly twist the meaning of anything she says. And M$M sycophants pick up the chant with enthusiasm (I guess it saves them the trouble of coming up with their own ideas to put to paper). How she has kept her cool under this constant assault - cheerfully participated in by the GOP toadies of M$M - is amazing to me. She has got to be one enormously strong individual.

[SunSeeker]

20. "That campaign has succeeded largely because of systemic misogyny."

Exactly.

[glennward]

21. I take issue with the statement "Members of the press, in their midguided attempt to be "balanced? .

I don't think they are trying to be balanced at all. If you check past videos and dig into the historical political archives you will see that they really are only trying to APPEAR to balanced. Their manifest dislike, short of hate, for the Clintons is obvious and has been for the past 30 plus years. Listen to their followup questions when questioning a winger vs the followup questions they ask a Clinton supporter or spokesperson.

They mostly favor the RW and they seldom challenge them on anything they say. Trump is making their usual behavior difficult because he is such a butt awful candidate. He doesn't even know enough to give a response to be asked a followup question that makes any sense.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

22. I think they're mainly trying to balance the hate mail they get.

[liberal N proud]

26. I present this: Hillary Clinton Is One of America's Most Honest Politicians - Mother Jones

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/08/hillary-clinton-one-americas-most-honest-politicians


How dare her?

[jcgoldie]

41. But but but...

I just don't like her cause I don't trust her!

[knightmaar]

46. Although, to be fair

It's still pretty alarming that the most honest politician is the one telling the truth about half the time.

[liberal N proud]

48. The nature of politics and pundits

The truthiness of a politician is gaged by the pundits and how they break down things said and done. When you are the most attacked politician with the longest public image facing a right wing driven media, 50% is pretty remarkable.

It's politics!

[raven mad]

29. As a Bernie supporter -

I agree with this entire article. She'll be a kick-ass President!

[ismnotwasm]

30. This is fantastic

[lillypaddle]

32. K&R n/t

[CBGLuthier]

33. I do not dislike Clinton because of smears and lies.

All my objections are based on facts and plain observations but I will not list them again. I am sure a lot of RW people believe the lies and dislike her for bogus reasons but those of us on the left who are less than enthused by this candidate have valid complaints.

[pnwmom]

35. What is your purpose in coming into this thread to speak of your dislike

and express your lack of enthusiasm?

Why must you answer a positive OP about Hillary with vague complaints?

[niyad]

38. and, of course, your absolutely honest dislike has never been influenced by 30 years of

Last edited Thu Aug 4, 2016, 02:11 PM - Edit history (1)

rw propaganda, hatred and misogyny, not in the least.


. . . . .

Thing is, devoted Hillary haters have easy and instant access to all the reasons they despise her. Clinton’s flaws, mistakes, backroom dealings and physical shortcomings have been screamed from the rooftops for 30 years, have been drilled into her detractors like a mantra, to the point they never question their snarling ideology, whereas they freely ignore, reject, deny, minimize or are simply bored by all the far less glamorous policies, positions and wild successes she’s had, and continues to have, in their favor, to the point they will never dare change their minds, or even soften their glare. What a thing.

. . . .

http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2016/08/03/the-most-flawed-female-president-ever/

[jcgoldie]

40. Fail

Nice try but BULLSHIT.

[emulatorloo]

51. "All my objections are based on truthy Internet Memes and stuff made up by Hillary-Haters

who don't give a flying fuck about progressive change"

[betsuni]

55. "Those of us on the left ... have valid complaints."

Left and Right have different versions, but the same in the end. It's almost American folklore at this point, an urban legend repeated to many times that it seems real.

[niyad]

36. k and r, with thanks!!

[emulatorloo]

54. Fuck that 'liberals only fight for what their corporate master's allow' noise.

It is stupid and untrue, no matter how hip you feel when you say it.

[marble falls]

68. It won't be up for long.

[marble falls]

69. Enjoy that little booger for a few minutes while a jury decides and MIRT takes a long hard look at..

you.

[ffr]

39. Perfectly said! Last paragraph sums it up

[jcgoldie]

42. The paragraph you have bolded

Is just right on. The false equivalency BS about two unpopular candidates... they keep using it no matter how ridiculous Trump gets.

[Nitram]

43. We knew that all along.

I've been following Clinton for decades.

[llmart]

44. I have always said.....

that the knuckle draggers would still prefer the "black man" to a woman any day, which shows how much misogyny there still is in our country. Most of us now recognize the racism that's rampant, but there are still many, many more who can't recognize sexism/misogyny.

Roland99 is a perfect example citing her husband's record as if it's relevant to her. Here's a newsflash - women can have their own opinions and ideas that differ from their husband's.

[mountain grammy]

49. I too was a Bernie supporter and Obama in 08

But I've never been a Hillary hater. I respected the work she's done and the way she has stood up to the irrational bullshit that's been thrown at her for 30 years. That said I've never been a fan of her foreign-policy and the fact but she's had to play catch-up on important issues but I think she'll make a decent president, maybe even a great one. I'm thrilled that a woman will finally be president and definitely want her to succeed.

[world wide wally]

50. Yep

And look back to the upstart Fox News Channel which was born when Clinton became President. Their full time job was attacking Bill Clinton and Hillary was along for the ride. When she tried to implement health care reform as First Lady, Fox said "How dare a first lady (woman) stick her nose into our politics"?
Go back and check it out for yourselves. They have been sliming both Clintons and all Democrats since day one on Fox.

[Ineeda]

52. I sure wish some who "migrated" to

that other site would read (and 'get') this. I think I've lost a long-time friend because of this. Oddly, my friend is not a misogynist at all and usually admirably smart -- she just has been ensnared by the most rabid of BS followers.

[pnwmom]

57. Maybe your friend has time-traveled to that era in the future

where there is gender equity and a woman faces no special obstacles to being President. Many Hillary haters seem to have recently returned from there.

[unitedwethrive]

53. In many ways, the decades long GOP attacks have backfired.

In my circle a woman friends, we now automatically don't believe any negative story that comes out about Hillary. After all the attacks she has endured, we are much more likely to simply assume that any narrative representing her in a bad light is just more GOP propaganda.

[pnwmom]

58. Yes, that's basically where I am now. My default now is to be suspicious of any new attack. n/t

[betsuni]

61. I don't pay attention when a new fake scandal happens, just wait for the inevitable debunking.

Same with President Obama, the attacks backfired. I don't usually get emotional about politicians at all, but putting me in a position of constantly refuting all the junk thrown at Obama and defending him has made it sort of personal. I feel protective. Now Hillary. I don't want to have to be like this! Thanks a lot, GOP (and wherever else the propaganda comes from) -- trying to make everything about feelings. Bah, humbug.

[Maru Kitteh]

59. Oh THANK YOU for this post!

That article is amazing. It takes a lot of courage for someone to engage in that kind of critical introspection. I hope it will inspire more.

[treestar]

60. good read

people should not just believe what they hear but look into things more.

[LAS14]

65. K & R

[DemonGoddess]

66. K&R!