I was at the Take Back America conference where Hillary Clinton got booed again for her stance on Iraq. We were broadcasting at the time, so I didn't get to see the speech in person. But Jill Pike went to report from the speech live for us and her observations were backed up many other people I spoke to at the conference and the tape when I watched it for myself. There is some chance Senator Clinton wanted to get booed.
She is a very smart person and she couldn't have thought that blaming the Iraqi government for the mess in Iraq was going to play with that audience. It is an educated crowd and one that is very disaffected by our government's handling of the occupation. A conservative audience might cheer at, "it was the Iraqis' fault" line, but certainly a smart, progressive audience wouldn't.
She is already in hostile territory because she has equivocated on Iraq for her whole tenure in the Senate while Baghdad has burned. She had to know she was throwing a match on the pyre.
By the way, I understand some conservatives are arguing that the crowd booed because she made some comments in favor of the troops. That is beyond ridiculous. First, it doesn't match the facts at all, you can watch the tape here and see for yourself (the audience clearly gets agigated when she mentions the Iraqi government has failed). Second of all, there aren't three people in the country who don't support the troops. You'd have to be brain dead to believe that tired, old, stupid Republican talking point that hippy liberals are against the troops.
The whole reason progressives, moderates, centrists and a great majority of the American population is arguing for withdrawal is because we care so much about the troops. We don't want them dying for this senseless mission of George W. Bush. They didn't ask to be put in the middle fo a civil war. Bush put them there without any plan for winning or getting out. That's what we are ALL against.
So, why would Senator Clinton want to be booed? She is at a liberal conference and she would love to turn around and play the centrist by saying, "See, those crazy liberals don't like me because I am too reasonable and centrist." She must feel pretty damn comfortable with her lead in the primaries. I wouldn't be so cocky if I was her. Plus, she's wrong. It's not the liberal base that thinks we should get out of Iraq and that the real responsibility for the failure in Iraq lies with the Bush administration-- it is an overwhelming majority of the country.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has already signaled on several occasions that the Republicans in Congress will be switching directions in the fall. If Senator Clinton believes the winning strategy in the primaries or the general election is to be to the right of Mitch McConnell, I wish her a lot of luck, because I think that is foolishly wrong. Plus, I don't mean it, I don't wish her a lot of luck.
I'm so tired of her political act. I dread the idea of having to unenthusiastically support the Democratic candidate just because the Republican one is a thousand times more heinous. Did someone say Bloomberg?
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Cenk - I usually love your blogs but when it comes to Hillary, I must respectfully disagree.
There are some people who are meant to make history, and Hillary is one of those people. Rather than pick at Hillary, I wish you would take the time to thoroughly review the detailed proposals Hillary has presented to the American People at hillaryclinton.com. No candidate has been so open and detailed about her platform and her ideas make incredibly good sense. Whether its her pending legislation to instantly cover the 9 million children in this country who have no defense against infant mortality because they have no health insurance, her concrete plans to exit the fiasco of Iraq while protecting our security with uncompromising strength, her compassionate vision of shared prosperity, her insistence that NO ONE in this country be discriminated against and that each and every one of us have the right to have our own individual shot at the American Dream.
Hillary is a leader for ALL Americans, and she WILL win this election. I know I certainly will be doing everything I can to help her get back where she belongs - in the White House. So will millions of other Americans. You see, we are certain that Hillary will take this nation from the morass of despair to a new American Renaissance.
Hillary in 08 - YES!!!!!
I'm
Phil at 1:15PM on Jun 22nd 2007
2. It does strike me as a right-wing talking point. I find it akin to blaming a rape victim for dressing provocatively.
Oilfieldguy at 2:43PM on Jun 22nd 2007
3. I wish we'd get some Democrat bloggers who aren't living in New York. Cenk you are probably a centrist in the city of New York. That's what is throwing you off. However, that pretty much means you are left of the rest of the country. That's just the way it is. Bloomberg wasn't a Republican a few days ago and it'll be a miracle if Giuliani gets past his social liberalism to win the Republican ticket (which I hope he does).
This, however, does not mean that liberals are more "educated" on the issues. They just have a different take on it. The fact that you use that word shows who the real intolerant faction is. I'm sure you're educated. I just believe you're wrong about ....almost everything.
Hillary is smart. She knows the far left liberals (including bloggers and Air America listeners) will lose her the general election. Smart to get booed them. Very smart.
Mel at 4:23PM on Jun 22nd 2007
4. Clinton certainly knew she was going to be booed -- she was booed before the same group last year. And she certainly knew that if she was booed it would be shown on television. She could have avoided it by not showing up. While none of those facts absolutely proves that Clinton was actually hoping for her own "Sister Souljah" moment, at the very least it suggests that Clinton figured any booing would not be to her her chances with voters in general.
I think Clinton understands that her Iraqi vote and her subsequent pointed refusal to apologize for it ala Edwards will cost her the primary votes of the most vociferous war opponents. Apparently she calculates that she doesn't need those votes to win the nomination and those votes will come back to her in November when the only alternative is a Republican. She is probably right on both counts.
Oilfieldguy, I don't see how any of this amounts to a rught wing talking point -- it's just basic politics. And I certainly don't get that weird rape analogy -- the "provocation" for rape exists entirely in the rapist's mind, whereas the provocation for the booing was the very real actions taking by Clinton in the Senate and on the campaign trail.
For the record, by the way, though I am no fan of Clinton's and share Take Back America's views on Iraq, I think the booing was graceless and dumb. The organization invited Clinton to speak and her acceptance of the invitation was a sign of respect -- she in turn was entitled to respect from the audience.
richter at 3:38PM on Jun 22nd 2007
5. It seems to me that anybody with the 'balls' to tell people the truth is not about to win the 'hearts and minds' of the voters.
Politics, the science of government, has devolved into this 'carnivale macabre' that is beyond reason.
Poor Hillary is stuck in this 'patchwork of decadent and whimsical fabrics' that is what has become 'reality' in the mind of the trancendental voter.
Of course I could be wrong... perhaps Hillary is simply as idiotic and narcissistic as most Americans feel that they have the 'freedom' to be.
Oh... what's the point.............
pboyfloyd at 3:47PM on Jun 22nd 2007
6. Mel writes: "Hillary is smart. She knows the far left liberals (including bloggers and Air America listeners) will lose her the general election. Smart to get booed them. Very smart."
Mel, right on!!!! And kids, isn't it about time we got someone SMART in the White House instead of a pet dog for the wealthy, Big Pharma, and Big Oil.
Phil at 6:19PM on Jun 22nd 2007
7. Hillary Wallace knows that Irag is done deal regardless of who is elected. It was decided when she Voted to go there. She is power hungry & not a fool. Her stand on this will not be a deal breaker for her. Her followers are mostly blind anyway!
TimeWatchr at 7:39PM on Jun 23rd 2007
8. Let me get this straight. A conservative audience might cheer at "it was the Iraqi's fault" line but certainly a smart, progressive audience wouldn't. Hmmm, I guess you think all conservatives are stupid and all progressive are smart. And I am sure you count yourself as progressive and smart. So let me rephrase this again, anyone who is a Republican is stupid and anyone who is a Democrat is smart. Your elitism just drips from your writing. As a conservative I guess I am luck that I am literate enough to even read your brilliant prose. I guess your new motto will be "Conservatives, so stupid even a caveman can be one." Does that about cover it?
Michael Tefft at 5:39PM on Jun 24th 2007
9. Hillary has got my vote!!!
tori at 1:10PM on Jun 25th 2007
10. Michael Tefft,
Don't take it so seriously. Liberals (although Cenk doesn't really qualify) like to insult and make jokes about the intelligence of their political enemies. Conservatives like to make jokes about killing their political enemies or about how "sissified" they are. It's why Conservatives love Ann Coulter so much. She's always ready with a crack about rat poison in someone's creme brulee or murdering Bill Clinton. Or about how much of a fag/got some Democratic candidate is. The next time you feel hurt because some Democrat is insulting your intelligence, just pretend instead that he's calling you queer or making some "cross-hairs" joke. That'll remove the sting.
lil_turk at 4:55AM on Jun 27th 2007
11. look dont anybody remmeber 9 11 i guess not and why would anybody want a women to help run this place when she cant even control her leg chaseing husband please,,,who cant even keep his pants up,,i can see us going to crap cause off them two in the white house
kathy at 7:36PM on Jun 28th 2007
12. "smart and progressive audience?" Give me a break!!
B. C. Kennedy at 4:11PM on Jul 5th 2007