You don't understand, Hillary doesn't believe it's her fault she is losing

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Wed Apr-16-08 11:33 AM
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You don't understand, Hillary doesn't believe it's her fault she is losing

First, take a look at these traits:

Stabbed in the Back!

The past and future of a right-wing myth
Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006. Originally from June 2006. By Kevin Baker.

First drink, hero, from my horn:
I spiced the draught well for you
To waken your memory clearly
So that the past shall not slip your mind!

�Hagen to Siegfried
Die G�tterd�mmerung

Every state must have its enemies. Great powers must have especially monstrous foes. Above all, these foes must arise from within, for national pride does not admit that a great nation can be defeated by any outside force. That is why, though its origins are elsewhere, the stab in the back has become the sustaining myth of modern American nationalism. Since the end of World War II it has been the device by which the American right wing has both revitalized itself and repeatedly avoided responsibility for its own worst blunders. Indeed, the right has distilled its tale of betrayal into a formula: Advocate some momentarily popular but reckless policy. Deny culpability when that policy is exposed as disastrous. Blame the disaster on internal enemies who hate America. Repeat, always making sure to increase the number of internal enemies.

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The Bush administration and the Republican Party thrives on such fear mongering. Here is Rumsfeld playing the fear card:

We also should be aware that the struggle is too important � the consequences too severe � to allow a "blame America first" mentality to overwhelm the truth that our nation, though imperfect, is a force for good in the world.

Now, let's focus on the "betrayal" formula: Advocate some momentarily popular but reckless policy (pandering). Deny culpability when that policy is exposed as disastrous (failing to accept responsiblity). Blame the disaster on internal enemies who hate America (projecting). Repeat, always making sure to increase the number of internal enemies (claiming everyone is out to "get you").

This is the formula Hillary's campaign has employed. Her campaign is a case study: it's everyone else's fault that she is losing to the dangerously naive Barack Obama (read: a black man who cannot win the nomination; therefore, our country's future is at stake) :

From accusing Obama of "demagoquery" to playing the fear card, Hillary's campaign has taken a page out of the Republican playbook.

Clinton to Obama: 'Shame on you'

She has helped to perpetuate the "cult of personality" claim with constant references to Obama's campaign as "just words" without substance. Here is Paul Krugman on the subject:

I won�t try for fake evenhandedness here: most of the venom I see is coming from supporters of Mr. Obama, who want their hero or nobody. I�m not the first to point out that the Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality. We�ve already had that from the Bush administration � remember Operation Flight Suit? We really don�t want to go there again.

What�s particularly saddening is the way many Obama supporters seem happy with the application of �Clinton rules� � the term a number of observers use for the way pundits and some news organizations treat any action or statement by the Clintons, no matter how innocuous, as proof of evil intent.

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Hillary Clinton "Celestial Choirs" Barack Obama Attack

Bill Clinton:

And later, after he had run through, in great detail, the ins and outs of America�s foreign and domestic policy challenges, Clinton returned to the theme of substance versus abstraction. Hillary Clinton, he said, would be a �servant leader,� and voters had to decide whether that was more important than electing a �symbolic leader.� �You gotta decide,� he said, as if he had laid out even arguments for each.

Bill, Hillary and her surrogates have perfected a myth portraying Hillary as the victim of everything from media bias to sexism to Obama's fundraising. Hillary has been BETRAYED.

Betrayed by leading Democrats, the patriarchy, and everyone on the left:

Psychological Gang Bang of Hillary is Proof We Need a Woman President

January 11, 2008

by Marcia Pappas, President NOW - New York State

We've all witnessed scenarios where, on the playground little girls are being taunted by little boys while both girls and boys stand idle, afraid to speak up or even cheering. Or, in the workplace males tease young and older female co-workers; make obscene gestures, inappropriate comments, laughing and expecting (often correctly) that everyone will join in. Then there was that movie where Jodie Foster portrayed the true story of woman who was ganged raped in a bar while others looked on and encouraged the realization. Still others pretended the rape didn't happen. In short, gang raping of women is commonplace in our culture both physically and metaphorically.

This past week, we witnessed just such a phenomenon involving men who are afraid of a powerful woman. Hillary Clinton, in her quest for her Presidential nomination, has in fact endured infantile taunting and wildly inappropriate commentary. Indeed we have witnessed almost comical attacks by John Edwards who in turn sided with Barak Obama as both snickered at Clinton's "breakdown," which consisted of a very short dewy-eyed moment. Now John Kerry, who should certainly know better after his own "swiftboating," has joined the playground gang.

But here's the news. Every woman knows how it feels! There are those who will dismiss, defend or even shame those around them into believing that we progressives are making a mountain out of a mole hill. But that�s the game plan of the patriarchal system that has persisted for millennia. Because they can't frighten Hillary they've decided to control her with the time-old trick of patriarchal ridicule. Women, you know what I mean!

Pundits want to know what happened in New Hampshire. Why didn't the polls see it coming? How could they have gotten it so wrong? Well, aside from the thousands of women and progressive men who made calls from their homes, dropped literature, and held house parties for undecided voters, the truth of the matter is�women get it! That�s why, when women in New Hampshire could vote in private, they came out in droves for Hillary. They'd seen more Hillary bashing than had Iowa's women, and the polls stopped too early to measure their collective reaction. What happened is that women stood up and said "We're fed up and we're not going to take it anymore! We won't sit idly by and watch, while you gang bang one of us." One woman told me she didn't even want to vote for Hillary because she feared that her campaign would be the most dreadful blood bath in the history of politics. I asked her �if Hillary is willing to stick her neck out for us, should we not be brave enough to stand strong behind her?� She agreed and said of course she would vote for Hillary.

We have waited a long time to see our first truly viable women presidential candidate. And what we see now during the debates is what women and girls have experienced from time immemorial. But it seems John's recent alliance with Barak sent a clear message to women everywhere. The message is that if a woman gets too powerful, she can count on the good ole boys ganging up on her. Hillary is a powerful, strong and intelligent woman and she deserves our support. Let us remember what we as women's rights supporters, are charged to do: SUPPORT WOMEN!

And I, your writer,certainly speak from the belly of the beast. I was in Iowa for ten days with other feminist leaders, donating our personal time and money to help with Hillary's campaign. And in spite of our shortfall in Iowa, we did make a difference. Our efforts gave Hillary second place in the precinct we walked. Let me tell you why.

Our job on caucus night was to transport eight women from a nursing home to their caucus site. These were eighty-to-ninety-year-old women who came out in the cold weather and climbed into our vans to stand for Hillary. As we talked with glee about the possibility of our first women president, we were overjoyed to hear stories of their dedication to making it happen. One woman said "I never thought I would live long enough to see a woman president." Another woman said "It's about time; we need to have a woman as our President." These were women who were born around the time that women won the right to vote. They'd heard first-hand stories of that struggle from their mothers and grandmothers. They fought long and hard to see a day when they could have their own credit cards, own their own homes and be in control of their own bodies. They remember all too well when it was legal for a man to beat and/or rape his wife because she was HIS property. They remember when �rape� was ignored by people in the community and law enforcement officials. �She must have done something to deserve it� was common language in those days. Today we still see variations on this same behavior, more subtle perhaps, through success of our efforts, but nonetheless still abusive.

Now those senior citizens we transported stood tall for Hillary, and want us all to know that to have a woman president is to send a clear message to little girls everywhere: "Yes, you can do great things and even become President of the United States." Those senior citizens really get it!

So let's not let young women and little girls down, whether it's on the playground, in the workplace, or in the political arena. Young women need role models. They need to know they can be powerful and control their own lives. By putting Hillary in the Oval Office we send that message loud and clear for all to hear. Little girls everywhere need to know that to be important they don't have to emulate Brittany Spears or other similarly-exploited women. We can do it!

Think about the legacy we'll leave behind when we support Hillary Clinton for President of the United States. Let�s put a stop to the psychological �gang banging� of women and girls. Let's stand up and be counted by way of the hard-won votes we can now cast!

Marcia A. Pappas, President, NOW New York State

Hillary didn't denounce Pappas' despicable statement probably because she really believes herself to be a victim. She has been betrayed. She believes it, and Bill believes it:

A number of prominent Barack Obama supporters and neutral observers have criticized Clinton�s vocal role on his wife�s behalf. John Kerry told National Journal that �being an ex-president does not give you license to abuse the truth.�

�Did you notice he didn�t specify?� Clinton said when asked about the comment. �They never do. They hurl these charges, but nothing gets specified. I'm not taking the bait today. I did what I could to help Senator Kerry every time he needed me, and every time he asked me. He can support whomever he wants for whatever reason he wants. But there's nothing for me to respond to.�

There was a time when Bill Clinton's patriotism was challenged

Marcia Pappas, Kennedy-Basher, Heads to Ohio for Clinton

Erica Jong jumps at every opportunity to portray Hillary as a victim:

Hillary vs. the Patriarchy

<...>

You will point to Hillary's complicity. You will quote crazy-like-a-fox Ann Coulter, who claims to be voting for her.

You will also quote left-wing bloggers who love Barack Obama, and MoveOn.org peaceniks (I am one) who see no evil in him (nor do I). But I see little experience either. Obama is smart and attractive. Maybe he'll be president someday.

He was lucky enough not to be in the Senate when the Iraq war resolution was floated after then-Secretary of State Colin Powell lied about WMDs. That was the true tragedy of race: a black man lying for a corrupt white administration that was using him as a token, much as they use Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice now.

Obama is also a token -- of our incomplete progress toward an interracial society. I have nothing against him except his inexperience. Many black voters agree. They understand tokenism and condescension.

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Jong must be sensing Hillary's predicament, but she cannot let go of her bizarre bias. Hillary is a beaver, Obama is a stallion (it's more fear, for Hillary's sake):

Why am I so afraid that the Democratic Party is shooting itself in the foot?

The Dems are far from perfect--in any time--but here we are in what has to be a Democratic year and it looks again like we are self-destructing.

We have two great candidates--one a hard working, never give up eager beaver, and one an inspiring, heart-leapingly brilliant stallion. Both have their merits. Both care for what Democrats are best at caring for--working people, children's and women's rights, financial realism.

Both acknowledge the health care crisis, the environmental depredations of the GOP, the huge lurking menace of a war that costs 12 billion dollars a day and gives us nothing--unless we are war profiteers or blow-yourself-up fundamentalists. Both are poised to take back the country from the plutocrats and their endless tax cuts for each other.

Note to Jong: Hillary is not losing because of sexism.

Last weekend Hillary launched bitter-gate. This was supposed to be a triumphant moment, casting Obama as an enemy of the people. Her attempt failed miserably.

In fact, Hillary's divisive campaign has hurt her much more than Obama:

*** Backlash? Two polls in major papers today will set the CW that the Clinton campaign will struggle with: that the attacks on Obama -- while softening up Obama -- have done as much, if not more, damage to Clinton. And that damage doesn't do anything to make the case she's somehow more electable than Obama. Per the Washington Post/ABC survey, Clinton�s unfavorability score is 54%, which is up 14 points since January; Obama�s, by comparison is 39%. Also, 58% say she�s not honest and not trustworthy. What�s more, Obama leads McCain by five points, while Clinton trails the Arizona senator by three. In addition, new ]link:www.latimes.com/news/la-na-poll16apr16,0,3742136.story?track=ntothtml|LA Times/Bloomberg polls] -- which show Obama ahead by five points in Indiana and 13 points in North Carolina, yet trailing Clinton by five in Pennsylvania -- has some similar findings. �Clinton also suffers from being seen as less admirable than Obama. Even in Pennsylvania, 47% of Democrats said he had more honesty and integrity, compared with 26% who thought that of Clinton.� This is the box Clinton's been in ever since Obama took the lead in this race: If she attacks, she raises her negatives almost as fast (if not faster) than she raises Obama's. These new poll numbers from the Post and Times indicate Clinton cannot be overly aggressive tonight and that could mean there's little chance of a knockout blow by her of him.

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(emphasis added)

It's important to note that no one drove Hillary to this point, she freely and opportunistically engages RW-style attacks.

Still, she doesn't believe her problems are her fault. It's the Democratic Party's fault:

Clinton Expresses Frustration with the Democratic Party

April 10, 2008 4:56 PM

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., vented frustration that the Democratic Party has failure to come to a resolution about how to handle the convention delegations in Florida and Michigan.

"I really don�t understand why the Republican Party very clearly decided what they were going to do, and the Democratic Party can�t decide," Clinton said going further than she has in the past in her critique.

Senator Clinton then turned on her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., saying "he doesn�t want the votes to count. Senator Obama has been very very clear - do not count those votes or come up with some kind of resolution which disenfranchises people."

An exasperated Senator Clinton burst into a fit of laughter, after being asked twice about the Colombia trade deal and a possible conflict of interest with her differing opinions she has with her husband. When asked if there was a conflict of interest specifically with her husband receiving $800,000 for speaking engagements ostensibly in support of the trade deal and Clinton giving her own money to her own campaign, Clinton burst out laughing. "And how many angels dance on the head of a pin. I have really, nothing to, I mean how do you answer that. I am against the Colombia free trade deal. It doesn�t matter who talks to me. It doesn�t matter any circumstances I�ve been against it I am against it I will be against it."

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What next, question the legitimacy of the nomination:

GRANTHAM, Pa. � Hillary Rodham Clinton rejected the idea of a backroom compromise deal between the candidates to resolve Florida's Democratic delegate mess, insisting a solution must come from the national Democratic Party.

And failing to give Florida and Michigan a voice in the presidential nomination would leave the legitimacy of the nomination in question, the New York senator said.

In an exclusive interview with the St. Petersburg Times, Clinton offered her most extensive remarks on the delegate problem and pushed back at the Democratic National Committee's philosophy of having the campaigns approve a settlement.

"I don't think it's up to Sen. (Barack) Obama or me to dictate any resolution. I think it's up to the DNC to decide how to proceed, and I would hope that it would do so recognizing what's at stake,'' Clinton said in the interview late Sunday. "It would be tragic if we came out of this process ignoring the will of 1.7-million Floridians, setting us up for a very unhappy electorate in the fall, giving Republicans this incredible argument they could make against us."

Poor Hillary, it's not working out the way she thought it inevitably would.

The Trouble With Brand Hillary

Hillary turns out to be proned to lying, and her tactics are despicable. Maybe after this campaign is over, she can do some self-reflecting. The story about her run for president is already written.

More Hillary moments