Bill Maher: "If you hate Hillary Clinton, it is SO about YOU"

[Silent3]

Bill Maher: "You may not want Hillary Clinton for President, but there's absolutely no reason anyone has... would ever have to hate this person. You may not say she inspires you, but there's nothing hateable about Hillary Clinton. If you hate Hillary Clinton, it is so about you."

Maher was talking about right-wing Clinton hatred, but the sentiment applies pretty well here too.

[babylonsister]

1. Oye. Transcript, please, of the whole conversation? nt

[Silent3]

25. I'm not sure if, when and how soon transcripts would be available...

...I just backed up several times using my TiVo until I got that particular sequence of words correctly transcribed myself.

[Bongo Prophet]

57. This was after he made fun of her "crying" and did a mocking version of sobbing

I did not like that at all - no class by Bill.
We all know his issues with women. Oy.
Hillary supporters should watch the whole monolog before making their "final judgment"

Overall, he was not very funny, but then his monologs often fall flat, even WITH writers.
Add PJ O'rourke, who is RARELY funny, and Tony Snow, who is "laughable" but an annoying jerk - it was hard to watch.

Catherine Crier and Taibbi were good, though.
I think Catherine really "gets it" on many levels.

[LeftCoast]

2. Uh oh. Looks like Maher will be DU's new Satan for a while

LOL

[ursi]

5. we are not liking Bill Maher for his treatment of the 9-11 questioners

on his show last season ...that was so about him.

[LeftCoast]

16. Ah, well this will fit right in with the new narrative then

:)

[LoZoccolo]

48. That would be a small segment of DU which has been confined to a dungeon, lol. n/t

[Cha]

56. You mean right after John

Kerry?

[moodforaday]

58. Well, I saw him say he didn't mind

the illegal wiretaps, because he believed they made everyone safer. No link, no reference, saw it on teevee more than a year ago. But there it was.

Bill Maher is funny as hell, and I am totally aligned with his rationalist worldview, but he can also be a complete morAn. Maybe the funnybone overpowers the logic, which I suppose is okay in a comedian, but I just can't take whatever Bill Maher says seriously. At all.

ed: typo

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

3. Unless she's breast-feeding in public. (couldn't resist)

[tandot]

19. Well, it would be worth if she would breastfeed in the Olive Garden...

:evilgrin:

[AX10]

4. DU will now turn their back on him too.

[IndianaJones]

7. wasn't it Olbermann a few days ago? nt.

[AX10]

13. There are people who will stab everyone in the back who...

does not go along with the "hate Hillary/hail Obama" nonsense.

[hisownpetard]

What did he supposedly 'do'?

[IndianaJones]

46. positive comments about Clinton I guess. nt.

[LittleBlue]

42. I ignored him after I knew he was an AIPAC apologist and supported Dole in 96

I don't hate Hillary, I just think Maher has shown poor judgment. To the point where his opinion is irrelevant because he isn't intelligent enough to see through political games. He even briefly bought into the democracy thing in Iraq. What a schmuck

[ruggerson]

6. He's only saying this because he's white

kidding. Just kidding.

[gmudem]

8. Of course the reason right-wingers hate him is unknown

But liberals hate her because she has nothing to do with being a liberal and is a corporate candidate. I love Maher but he should realize that she is just a corporate warmongering DLC'er.

[SIMPLYB1980]

11. BS

[emilyg]

12. Awshuddup

[gmudem]

15. Hahaha well you got me there

Truth hurts dont it?

[cali]

18. simply delusional bullshit

Does her voting record reflect that she's a croporate tool? No. Does being associated with the DLC automatically denote one is nothing but a corporate tool? No. See Dodd, Chris. Is she a warmonger? We have no evidence of it. Yes, she voted for IWR, so did John Edwards. Yes, she voted to fund. So did Ted Kennedy.

You should realize that you're projecting. And you are full of hateful...

[wisteria]

43. To disagree on issues is one thing, but to personally hate someone is something else entirely.

If you honestly do not care for Clinton's positions on issues or where her money to run has come from, there is nothing wrong with that.It is the personal attacks directed at her that are wrong. For example, people say she is evil. But why?
Everyone who says they can't stand her should be honest and ask themselves why.

Oh, and I am not a Clinton supporter. I just see a need to analyze where the anti- Clinton hate is coming from. If is legitimate and based on facts then I see nothing wrong with finding her disagreeable. But, if it is otherwise, then, it is all about you and not her.

[musicblind]

60. thank you

Wow, that was a really nice, intelligent post. I know you don't agree with Hillary and back Obama. But thank you for being so reasonable.

[niceypoo]

32. Liberals that hate arent liberals

Hate is irrational

[Catherine Vincent]

9. He's talking to Matthews. nt

[eridani]

10. I don't hate her--I hate Mark Penn, Carville, and her defense industry backers

She'd be much better without them.

[rudy23]

14. I hate the DLC's efforts to smear the Democratic wing of the Democratic party

I strongly dislike her brand of politics, but I kind of like her when she shows her personality.

[Bread and Circus]

30. I don't blame Clinton for it, but the DLC does insult the part of the

party that actually cares about its core values.

It's kind of idiotic for them to do so.

And yet, there it is.

[jgraz]

17. Uh, no it doesn't apply here

I'm so sick of this BULLSHIT that any DUer who criticizes Hillary is the equivalent of a freeper. Do you enjoy nastiness directed at you and your candidate? Cuz you seem to be extremely good at generating it.

[Silent3]

20. Exactly what nastiness are you saying I'm "extremely good at generating"?

Example?

[jgraz]

22. Hillary supporters have been accusing DUers of "hate" since this election cycle started

It's an easy way to generate some flames, but it does nothing for you or your candidate.

[Silent3]

26. There are people here who are reasonable and civilized in their criticisms...

...and people who are venomously over-the-top. You've got a pretty low threshold of "nastiness" if you consider merely pointing out commentary like Bill Maher's as "extremely good at generating it".

[JDPriestly]

21. So, what is new. It is so about me and every other voter.

That's what democracy means. I get to hate and love the candidates. I get to vote for the candidates I love and not vote for the candidates I hate. I like Edwards. Others hate him. Yes, it's about me. And it's about them.

Does Maher think he is putting someone in their place with this comment. It's a cut-off. But it is stupid. Of course, the fact that I love pineapple and hate mango is about me. Why shouldn't it be. The fact that I hate Hillary is about me. That's the whole point. I can't stand her. She grates on my nerves. Of all people, Bill Maher with his dismissive, self-centered humor is all about Bill Ma her. That's why we like to watch him. He makes no bones about his tastes and his foibles. It's called being honest. Yes Bill, your likes and dislikes are all about you. They are part of what defines you. Same here, my likes and dislikes are all about me. They are what is authentic about me. So what's new. Get a more intelligent shtick on that one, please.

[Silent3]

24. There's like vs. dislike, and like vs. seething hatred

Maher was commenting on irrational, over-the-top seething hatred. The way you might "hate mango" doesn't cause you to run to a forum and gleefully post every bad thing about mangoes that you might have heard in the news that day, does it?

Maher's not just talking about you applying your own likes and dislikes and values to another person -- he's talking about taking something that's all twisted up inside yourself and blown out of proportion and projecting that on someone else.

[JDPriestly]

27. I don't hate anyone on earth with seething hatred.

It just isn't me. That's another way in which it's all about me. I "hate" Hillary, but if I met her, I would probably like her. I just hate the thought of her being president. I don't want to have to hear her voice, her laugh, etc. as president.

So, no, I really don't know that kind of hatred. It just is not me.

[AJH032]

23. he's 100% correct

n/t

[Bread and Circus]

28. First, I think Maher is really right... however there's a few things

at play here.

1.) I don't think people literally "hate" her the same way a Palestinian might hate an Israeli. There's "hate" and there's hate.
2.) I don't think Hillary is hateable by any good objective standard in the public square (she just never done anything that is outright cruel or inhumane).
3.) However, it's pretty much reasonable to think she has a penchant for pandering and political expediency. Even her supports should be able to admit that. It's therefore hard to trust that she will always do the "right thing" and lead the right way if her own interests are at stake. This is an unlikeable trait.
4.) On more subjective grounds, she has a voice and canter that is grating on the nerves at times, though I admit she can also be well spoken and gracious. However, it's when she is trying to "drive a point home" is when she sounds most offensive. It's not a cackle or a whine or any other "female" type insulting term. Actually, she just sounds kind of mean and abrasive. If she were a man, she would be called a dickhead or an asshole. She's a woman so she is ascribed other homologous terms. This is erroneously called mysogeny or her "woman's catch 22". Not so. Bob Dole is a good example of someone who just sounds like a dick. It's all about voice control and body language. Obviously she "found her voice" so hopefully she can continue with something less offensive. Like I said, this is subjective and a bit of an inkblot test, you see what you want to. However, some voices are pleasant and some are not. People aren't making it up when they say they don't like Clinton's voice.
5.) There may be some outright dishonest things she's done (other than the lowball slick political bullshit she has been pulling lately (and yes she is 100% responsible for what her campaing does under her leadership)) but I'm not aware of those. However, the RW has done a very good job of brainwashing its footsoldiers so I can tell you that as someone living in the real red areas of a blue state, there's a whole host of grievances they have with her that are not justified but go beyond superficial responses to her presentation. They truly believe she is just as crooked as the people of DU on the left feel about Bush. I think they are wrong.

As for me, I just get a bad feeling about her. I think she is smarmy, fake, calculating, and cold. Maybe Bill is right and these are my issues but I want to just be square with you all about it.

If she wins the nomination I will be sad and disappointed. I think Obama, Edwards, Biden, and Kucinich are far better people to lead the nation. I would have been happy to see any of them win it all. If she wins the Presidency I will just be glad that Bush is gone for good.

In the meanwhile, I'm going to continue to share my thoughts and feelings about Clinton and Obama in this public debate while trying to be as honest as possible with you all and myself though there's a bias with me to be sure. It's a good thing that what we write on DU doesn't matter that much, and most of the the time at all.

[joeprogressive]

36. I disagree, they really hate her viscerally

That is why she stands no chance to win GE.

[Jai4WKC08]

38. Maybe

But they'll hate Obama just as bad once the GOP gets thru with him.

You may not want to believe that because then there's no hope for a Democratic victory in November. But that doesn't mean it isn't true. Fwiw, I hope it's not true too, but I'm not convinced either way.

But that's the point, I think, of what Bill is saying. There's nothing about Hillary that's unusually "hatable." It's the people who hate who can be turned on or off like a light switch. And it's not really a right or left thing. The character flaw exists on both sides. It's just that the GOP knows how to flip that switch, and they spend more time, energy and money on flipping it on the right.

If Kerry had won the election (yes, he did, but not by enough to be sitting in the Oval Office today), he'd be just as hated as either Clinton.

[question everything]

29. After he trashed her in the beginning

taking his cue from William Kristol that she "faked" her choking moments.

[saracat]

31. Ah yes but he also is being criticised for "mocking" her tears in his monologue

and praised for devoting time to praising the messgae of John Edwards as being the "best" and focusing on his media exclusion.Poor Bill. He can't please evryone. And remember, the monologue is a "joke " folks for those that don't get it! I was rtather proud of Bill for taking this stand about Hillary!

[VotesForWomen]

33. i wouldn't have thought it possible from Maher; pleasantly surprised. nt

[joeprogressive]

34. You are soooo missing the bigger point

Bill was right. However, he isn't talking about anyone here. He is talking about the legions of Hillary haters who don't know why they hate her. I was defending her to a co-worker yesterday that was completely clueless about HRC's accomplishments.

I trash HRC on this site because whe will assuredly lose the GE. I also don't like her tactics. Most importantly, I blame her for being complicit with Iraq and Iran policies. I think she would make a great president but she has absolutely no chance to win and those that support her will be responsible for losing the POTUS just as Greens are guilty of the same in 2000.

[CyberPieHole]

39. Strangely, the same can be said about Obama and Edwards...

Edwards, is almost sure NOT to get the nomination...I mean, the guy can barely get himself arrested...Obama has more baggage than a Vuitton showroom...there is absolutely no way that Obama could get himself elected...so, as you say, all those who support Obama and Edwards "will be responsible for losing the POTUS just as...etc".:eyes:

[AGirl]

52. people are responsible for their own vote

not the outcome of any given election.

[joeprogressive]

35. BTW, it is about me for the following reason:

I have endured 7 years of Bush hell and do not one more day under Republican rule. So for very selfish reasons that involve my family I want to make sure a Democratic nominee wins the POTUS. Because HRC has no chance I will fight hard against her nomination. I don't hate her but I will fight her to make sure she doesn't blow it for our party.

[martymar64]

37. I hate her policies, not the person

Her cozying up to the Robber Barons is unforgivable. It shows that she will favor corporations over people at every turn. Furthermore, if she makes it to the WH then you can count on us staying in Iraq for the next eight years at least. We'll end up with more outsourcing, since she is the outsourcer's best friend.
If she wins, nothing will change. America is screwed.

[indimuse]

40. the hate here is way over the top!

:kick:

[krabigirl]

41. I agree with him. I don't get the hate. Dislike her platform, fine. But hating her?

[mod mom]

44. The posts I've read here don't hate her but HER POLICIES!

[MollieBradford]

50. no way

most of the haters have no idea what her policies are.

[JAbuchan08]

55. I don't really care what her policies are..

Her past record and present hawkish foreign policy stances disqualify her out right. I don't need to know what her political wishlist is to know that.

[Ishoutandscream2]

45. I'm certainly not supporting Hillary in the primary

But the hatred from the right wing is purely pathelogical, in my opinion. They hate her, but they can't give you a rational answer on WHY they hate her. It's "she's a bitch" or "she's a socialist" type of answer.

[karynnj]

47. No, but you can hate some of her actions.

Just as moms always tell kids, you hate (the bad thing some one did), not the person. From what I heard from a few DU JK people who briefly met her at TBA last year, I assume if I met her, I would like her - though I would still not support her.

[bvar22]

49. Please watch the show!

The OP is a classic example of a partisan supporter cherry picking a single sentence out of context in order to further a partisan agenda. This method is a common practice in producing propaganda.

Bill Maher is NOT a Hillary supporter, and spent much more time critical of Hillary.

It appears to me that Maher is an Edwards supporter.

I am very critical of Hillary for her ties to the DLC, Corporate Money, AIPAC, War Profiteers, and ultra-slimey Campaign marketeers.
I am NOT a HATER, and object to tactics of the partisan Hillary crowd branding anyone critical of Hillary as a "hater".

The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[Guaranteed]

51. He's referring to the Repukes. They don't have a good reason to hate her.

But real Democrats sure do.

[spooky3]

53. good for him for speaking out

[Kucinich4America]

54. Bill Maher lost me when he became a gatekeeper for the 9-11 coverup

bowed down to the mighty AOL Time Warner, obviously.

[Silent3]

59. What BS

Yes, the ONLY, only reason one could POSSIBLY have for not buying into a lot of the nuttiness that springs forth from the so-called "truth movement" is because one has "sold out" to one's corporate masters.

And the nerve of Bill Maher for not supporting the free speech rights of loud and obnoxious audience members to interrupt his show!

Of course, somehow I arrive at pretty much the same opinion about 9/11 as Bill Maher, without getting a juicy payout from any corporate master. Damn, I should have held out for my cut!

Guess that means I'm just a "dupe". :eyes:

It's hardly like I love or trust the Bush administration. I'd even be willing to believe, given sufficient evidence (by people who understand the difference between evidence and railing about some supposed anomaly and following up with a leading question), that Bush conveniently looked the other way, or even arranged to have the incident happen -- but flying planes into buildings pretty much would do the trick for setting up everything that followed -- Iraq War, Patriot Act, etc.

What's so stupid about a lot of "truther" stuff is complete lack of any good reason to go to the crazy extent of secretly rigging fully occupied buildings for demolition, substituting drones for planes and having to do all of the extra manipulations of flight records and passenger manifests -- and all to no apparent useful end. Do you think that those buildings absolutely had to be guaranteed to collapse before the country would have been in shock, and Bush would have had the pretext for everything that followed? Do you think that the risk of being discovered, or revealed by a whistle blower, in pulling off intricately elaborate conspiracies would be worth the incredibly questionable gains from doing that?

[musicblind]

61. EXACTLY!

You said it very well. This "9-11 cover up" stuff is BS and makes me fume at how foolish people are and how paranoid. Bill Maher had EVERY RIGHT to kick those people out of his show. They were interrupting HIS SHOW. If they want to stand in a public place on a public street corner and spout their self serving lies then so be it (and I will fight tooth and nail for their right to do this). However, Bill Maher and HBO were having a live program called "Real Time With Bill Maher" not "Real Time With Raving Lunatics". It is Bill Maher's show, it is premium cable (NOT BROADCAST) which means that HBO owns that program medium rather than the air waves owned by the public. HBO has a right to decide what goes over the cable lines for its network. Good for Bill Maher to stand up to HIS rights and to protect HIS forum. I have looked at all of the information regarding this cover up and there is just NOTHING there. None of it holds water with me... and I would LOVE to believe this happened; it would be one more reason to hate Bush. However, it did not happen, and though Bush would probably do such a thing if he thought it would get him what he desired.... the facts mean that this story is over.