Hillary Clinton and the use of the word "WE"

[THUNDER HANDS]

I missed the event in real time, but I've been catching up with clips and rehashes on TV and online. All I can give is my impression of the various clips I have now seen. Two things stand out to me: the first is that finally, this race is out in the open. It's between three people: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton. The Clintons attacked tonight with a vehemence that is usually reserved to candidates who are struggling. The nature of the attacks was also deeply partisan: the assault on Obama's kind words for Reagan's transformational presidency and the scorn for his ability to respect the ideas that have emerged from the right. This was an attempt to anathematize Obama with the core Democratic base. That's now the Clintons' central strategy: to rally their core voters against the pretender to their throne.

The second is that Clinton now automatically uses the first person plural. It's not the Royal "we". It's an empirical "we":

"The facts are that he has said in the last week that he really liked the ideas of the Republicans over the last 10 to 15 years, and we can give you the exact quote. Now, I personally think they had ideas, but they were bad ideas. They were bad ideas for America. They were ideas like privatizing Social Security, like moving back from a balanced budget and a surplus to deficit and debt. And with respect to putting forth how one would pay for all of the programs that we're proposing in this campaign, I will be more than happy, Barack, to get the information, because we have searched for it."

Yes, this "we" implies a team behind a candidacy. But it also reflects the unitary thinking of the biggest power-couple in America. Obama showed - in a way never before asked of a presidential candidate - that he could take on both a major rival and the last president of his party. To win, he has to take on and defeat them both. That's a tall order.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/

[TheJizzaking]

1. True dat.

[dkf]

2. I noticed that.

I'm happy she acknowledged it.

[Konza]

3. um, no

it's because she got dinged for using the term "I" too much by the media talking heads.
She was all about "I" and "My" until New Hampshire, then Tweety and the Pinheads showed clips of her speeches contrasted to Obama and Edwards, where they focused on "us" "we" and "you" in their speeches.
Yes, it was a hit piece, but soon her speeches were all about "we".

It's all driven by the pols and talking heads.

[angie_love]

4. nope

Actually in the media it plays out that shes the candidate of "I" and Obama is the candidate of "we". It was pointed out by many talking heads so I don't think this one sticks sweety.

[stillcool]

16. ah well if the 'media' says it...

Actually several in my household picked up on it right away. Sorry sweetie. We don't watch the talking heads.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

5. Andrew Sullivan hates the Clintons and voted for Bush didn't he?

:shrug:

[THUNDER HANDS]

6. he voted Kerry last election

but, yeah, he does hate the Clintons.

He does make an astute point though. I hadn't noticed the we's before.

and his point about Obama having to take on both a rival candidate and a former president is true, regardless of what candidate you support. That's never happened in American politics before.

[TheJizzaking]

9. Even Poppy

George Herbert Walker Bush, while obviously supporting his son, acted with class and honor during the 2000 primary campaign. He wasn't out there every day trashing McCain.

Bill Clinton is acting shamefully.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sandnsea]

12. Sullivan was totally pro Kerry

He came around over time.

[chascarrillo]

15. Also a racist

He was known as the prime media advocate for The Bell Curve, and he still continues to push a genetic connection between race and intelligence. He's an asshole of the tallest order.

Right about the "we" part, but then I didn't need him to tell me that. Evs.

[ursi]

8. The Clintons feel entitled to take back the White House ...WE means them not US!

[madrchsod]

17. hillary believes she-the state knows what is best for the people

without asking what we want and need. barrack at least understands that he has to listen to the peoples wants and and needs if he is to succeed... whether or not he can translate the people`s wants and needs into action by the state is the big question.

[Barack_America]

Yup. It raised my eyebrows....n/t

[rucky]

10. In all fairness, I do it too.

Too many "I"'s makes it sound like bragging. The "we" doesn't necessarily have an antecedent, but it has a better connotation to it.

[BenDavid]

11. Andrew Sullivan the guy who loved bush...and i am to believe

his tired old ass......

[Pab Sungenis]

13. "We" are not amused.

[madrchsod]

14. interesting exchange between barrack and hillary

she clearly is upset that he is running for president. i know that she thinks it`s her destiny to be the first woman president and he thinks it`s his destiny to be the first of color. john`s kind`a odd man out

[RaleighNCDUer]

18. Nah, that wasn't a 'team' we.

It was a royal we.

And we are not amused.