This may shock you: Hillary Clinton is fundamentally honest [View all]
Its impossible to miss the Hillary for Prison signs at Trump rallies. At one of the Democratic debates, the moderator asked Hillary Clinton whether she would drop out of the race if she were indicted over her private email server. Oh for goodness that is not going to happen, she said. Im not even going to answer that question.
Based on what I know about the emails, the idea of her being indicted or going to prison is nonsensical. Nonetheless, the belief that Clinton is dishonest and untrustworthy is pervasive. A recent New York Times-CBS poll found that 40% of Democrats say she cannot be trusted.
For decades shes been portrayed as a Lady Macbeth involved in nefarious plots, branded as a congenital liar and accused of covering up her husbands misconduct, from Arkansas to Monica Lewinsky. Some of this is sexist caricature. Some is stoked by the Hillary is a liar videos that flood Facebook feeds. Some of it she brings on herself by insisting on a perimeter or zone of privacy that she protects too fiercely. Its a natural impulse, given the level of scrutiny shes attracted, more than any male politician I can think of.
I would be dead rich, to adapt an infamous Clinton phrase, if I could bill for all the hours Ive spent covering just about every scandal that has enveloped the Clintons. As an editor Ive launched investigations into her business dealings, her fundraising, her foundation and her marriage. As a reporter my stories stretch back to Whitewater. Im not a favorite in Hillaryland. That makes what I want to say next surprising.
Hillary Clinton is fundamentally honest and trustworthy.
Its fair to expect more transparency. But its a double standard to insist on her purity.
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http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/28/hillary-clinton-honest-transparency-jill-abramson
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Really good and interesting article by a journalist who has been covering both Clintons for decades.
The article's comment section proves the point.