May 23, 2008
Hillary: "You know, he could always get shot..."
filed under: Stuff to be pissed off aboutUPDATE:
In deference to (a) those who would rather not see an anti-Hillary screed while they wait patiently for an update; (b) the fact that I've cooled off about Hillary's RFK gaffe (not that I think it was a reasonable comment, just that I've relaxed about it); and (c) the need for future unity in the Democratic party, I've moved said anti-Hillary screed below the fold.
Anyway, she's been totally outdone by Liz Trotta at Fox:
No, of course that's not what she really said.
But that's what she meant.
I've resisted the anger against Hillary that has engulfed the progressive left, but I'm done.
Sheesh.
UPDATE:
Two further points:
Point the First. What I think this comment reveals about Hillary is: she is staying in this because it's a long time until the convention and, you know, anything can happen. Obama could have a love child come forward. Michelle could have a lesbian lover come forward. A bank somewhere could find a cancelled check from Tony Rezko to Barack Obama for one meeellion dollars with a Memo line that reads "in exchange for doing everything I ask you for." Obama could end a speech with "Allahu Akbar" instead of "God Bless America." It's a couple months - anything could happen.
Including, Obama could get shot.
I really do believe that is something she believes, and is part of why she's in this race. Not that she *wants* him to get shot, but she *does* want the other stuff to happen, and hey, you never know.
Point the Second. Thank you, Hillary.
Why?
As of this afternoon, I was pondering the question of a running mate for Obama. It's clear that choosing Hillary was, by most metrics, a bad choice. She counteracts his message of change. She undercuts his pure and consistent opposition to the war, and to escalation with Iran. She's a hugely divisive figure who, despite her popularity in Appalachia, probably brings as many negatives as she does positives.
BUT: he had to take her anyway. Period. The end. As of 3pm today, there was no way for Obama to pick any other running mate without bucking the narrative that everyone is, consciously or not, rooting for. It was simply what had to happen.
Guess what: it's not anymore.
Posted by rjt at May 23, 2008 08:50 PMyeah yeah yeah. Post some Miley Cyrus photos. I'm over this election thing.
Sincerely,
John McCain
RJ--Gotta disagree with you on this one. and I voted for Obama here in CA, so I'm not even in support of Hillary. But I do NOT think her intent in mentioning RFK was that she hopes Obama is shot. that a biiiiiiiiig stretch.
Posted by: Meredith Charles at May 24, 2008 12:35 PMDisagreement from here, too, kiddo. You have reached the point where you can see her only through a very particular (and fairly hostile) lens, possibly helped in that direction by the obsessive negativity toward Hillary that is so intense and widespread in the media that it's truly hard not to find it anti-female (especially by those of us who have lived that reality through a time when it was just too ordinary to be noticed). And there are quite a lot of bright people who think she should stick it out and find all the support that is out there for her, whatever might be the use of knowing exactly how much support that is, and where. Plus, there are a great many people who continue to see the two of them on the same ticket as the best choice for the country--it just might be possible to combine vision and practicality, a new direction plus some real savvy about how things are done in the often dirty world of politics, which even a "savior" of newness will have to navigate.
Posted by: Procrastimom at May 24, 2008 06:29 PMFirst of all - Meredith Charles?!!! HI!! How the heck are you?
Second - I never said she hopes Obama gets shot. In fact, I specifically said she doesn't - or meant to say so. I was a little tipsy after a barbecue-and-bourbon evening when I wrote this, so I'll have to re-read.
She does want *something* to happen to derail him. And in the back of her head, I think, is "hey, it's a big scary world, anything can happen."
The RFK reference isn't even a sensible answer to the question - in 1968, the first primary vote was on May 7 (a day near and dear to my heart, four years later) - only four weeks before he was murdered. So it's an invalid example of why it's okay to drag the primary process into June. It *is*, however, an excellent example of "anything can happen." Which, I think, is why it was on her mind.
In the clip she looks exceedingly tired, and depressed, and after she says the RFK thing she pauses uncharacteristically - which I took as possibly a personal moment of thinking "ho boy, did I just say that?" I don't think it was malicious. I don't think she wishes ill - really - for Barack Obama. I do think it was a gaffe of seismic proportions.
Re: anything anti-Hillary being anti-woman or anti-feminist, I simply refuse to accept it. The problems I have with Hillary have nothing to do with her gender and everything to do with how she and her team have chosen to play this game. It's been bare-knuckle to a fault, it has been tasteless in the frequent playing of the race card, both subtly and not-so... I don't approve of a major Democrat playing the game the way they have chosen to play it. I am heartbroken to feel that this extends - even more than to her - to Bill, the first politician I took a personal stake in.
Posted by: rjt at May 24, 2008 08:05 PMthe thing about trotta and pundits of her "ilk" is they do not understand the idea of recanting or being truly regretful for anything they say. she is just a member of that club whose ghastly calling is to say shitty things about people, irrespective of whether or not she is informed enough to actually warrant being asked her opinion. waterboarding is too good for her, she should get the rape room...
i'd like to apologize for my lame attempt at humor just now. while I still believe in ms. trotta's smiting by a vengeful god, I in no way meant to suggest that we waterboard anymore, nor do we endorse torture. there, all better.