Hillary Clinton clearly a highly intelligent person and also someone who closely follows scripted lines as part of “message discipline” that is the signature of major politicians. It is for that reason that I fail to understand how she can get herself even deeper into her earlier gaffe on being “dead broke” after leaving the White House. Clinton clearly wants to be portrayed as a working stiff and connect to millions of struggling Americans. However, it is falling as flat as Forbes tax rate. As we discussed, leading nonpartisan groups have derided the claim as untrue. What is interesting is that the mainstream media moved quickly past the comment. Now even mainstream outlets like ABC and CNN and Washington Post are shredding Clinton over her most recent comment that average people do not view her as part of the problem of the super rich and that “unlike a lot of people who are truly well off” she and Bill made their tens of millions from the “dint of hard work.”
The latest statement came in a Guardian interview when Clinton was asked about how “America’s glaring income inequality is certain to be a central bone of contention in the 2016 presidential election.” Clinton assured the interviewer “they don’t see me as part of the problem.” The reason is because “we pay ordinary income tax, unlike a lot of people who are truly well off, not to name names; and we’ve done it through dint of hard work.”
Bill and Hillary Clinton have reportedly made more than $100 million since leaving the White House. Most people who are working on road crews and waiting tables to put food on the table would not view Hillary Clinton’s receiving $500,000 in one week from Goldman Sachs for two speeches to be “the dint of hard work.” They would view it as the “taint of influence buying.” Likewise, as Bill Clinton was setting up a windfall of speeches, the couple used fundraiser Terry McAuliffe (now, the governor of Virginia) to secure a loan for a $1.7 million home in Chappaqua, N.Y. — one of multiple properties for the Clintons.
The Clinton camp is clearly worried about those liberals who oppose Clinton due to her support for the wars, including wars during her time as Secretary of State in Libya and Syria. However, the effort to convert her into a women of the people is alienating even the more liberal media and worse yet making her the butt of jokes. I watched as CNN, usually a favorable venue for Clinton, mocking the latest statement.
Clinton charges six figures a speech and has racked in half a million for a two speech combo. This is clearly good work if you can find it but it is not the basis for a modern Horatio Alger story. She risks looking ridiculous in this continued pitch of the common folk. Like a bad gambler at Vegas, Clinton seems unwilling to abandon the new spin despite rising losses.
In fairness to Clinton, her comment about “unlike a lot of people who are truly well off” was probably intended as a recognition that she is indeed well off but at least pays her taxes. It was intended as a new spin after the “dead broke” disaster. That is how I read it as opposed to saying that she is not well off. However, she quickly derailed again with the statement about how she is viewed by average people and how her massive fortune was the result of “hard work.” For the Clintons, who are legendary for message discipline and spin, it is a weird rhetorical rut. This comes after the disclosure of memos on reinventing her image and a meeting with the New York Times on future coverage of the presidential hopeful. The rollout is clearly hitting some self-made speed bumps.
What I find intriguing is the sensitivity of wealth in today’s politics with fantastically wealthy people like Clinton and Romney pitching their life stories to a majority of Americans who make less each year than their entertainment and vacation budgets. However, they need a narrative that will resonate with economic difficulties. Most of us would say that they should simply not try, but politicians need to show that they feel the pain of voters even if they don’t. Clinton is obviously not alone in his dilemma and this will not be the last such spin gone bad for our aspiring presidents.
P.S. I think I’ll retain Trey Gowdy to conduct the discovery phase.
Maybe we’ll find out what the meaning of the word is is.
Randyjet,
You are absolutely correct. In participating on this thread by offering my opinion, I have not personally proven the points I have presented as facts. I stand corrected. I apologize if I have offended you by assuming ideological positions in a campaign cycle, especially this early. I will only present facts in the future.
As was widely reported in the media, Hillary Clinton used a broker named “Red Bone” when she invested $1K in cattle futures, while she was home baking cookies, and removed a balance of $100K. That amount of money should have been similarly invested by Hillary and would now be worth, potentially, $3.5 Million. Hillary had no history of successfully investing as reported in the media. The media reported, decades ago, that the broker Hillary used also did business with Tyson. As reported in the media, Vince Foster was very close to the Clintons and, immediately after winning the world’s most important election and taking office in Washington, D.C., Foster committed suicide, conveniently, in the jurisdiction of the Park Service. Bill Clinton was impeached by the U.S. Congress. Multiple women have reported affairs with and sexual assault by Bill Clinton. The media have run reports that Hillary was the head of the Bill Clinton “bimbo eruption squad.” Bill Clinton had his license to practice law in Arkansas suspended for 5 years.
Many people believe that these are very negative developments. Possibly they simply carry a negative connotation.
My opinion is that these are unusual developments and unacceptable behaviors on the part of persons in the highest positions holding the public trust.
Randyjet,
Additionally, if the Clintons weren’t DAMAGED by this before now, they never will be.
That’s the real problem, isn’t it?
This goes on, it is widely publicized and there are no consequences.
I’m beginning to think the Founders and the Constitution were never intended to be taken seriously…that America was just a free-for-all leading to the survival of the fittest. The Preamble is a joke and the Constitution is “interpreted.”
Randyjet,
Let’s see. Bill Clinton was impeached by the Congress of the United States and had his license to practice law revoked by the State of Arkansas. It has been widely documented that Hillary ran his “Bimbo” suppression unit and had a relationship with the broker “Red Bone” and Tyson Chicken when she turned $1K into $100K. The Clintons were investigated at length for Whitewater. All of the Clinton women have had their stories published for many decades.
This is reiteration for an election cycle.
Do you seriously perceive this as new and unknown?
John, once again you miss the whole point. WHAT illegal acts were either Clinton convicted of or even indicted for? I guess your standard is the accusation is enough, and facts and trial are unnecessary. Let me know when you have some facts and convictions and PROOF. So far all I have seen is schoolyard gossip. I guess you haven’t graduated yet or have regressed.
By the way. Clinton agreed to the suspension of his license for allowing his attorney to make a false statement on his behalf and not correcting him at the time. As the judge observed at the time, most people would not have gotten into trouble over that, but since Clinton is a lawyer, he was held to the higher standard of needing to correct his attorney immediately.
randyjet – Clinton agrees to give up his law license for 5 years because of a mistake his attorney made? Pleasse!!!!
in addition, auctioning off several pardons netted them quite a large chunk of cash
nick, I think that the multiple voting on the part of Walkers supporters did the trick more than his political program. To John and jeff, normally I don’t respond to such crap, but in this case since this is a legal blog, I have to warn you that you are courting a libel action, but since the Clinton’s are public figures, you can probably get away with slander and libel to your hearts content. The fact though is that if you do that to somebody who is not a public figure, you will find yourself on the losing end of a lawsuit.
To reiterate, Hill took a $100K bribe from Tyson in 1978. She invested $1k and cleared $100K in cattle futures using her and Tyson’s mutual broker, “Red Bone.”. If she had continued with her investing style and been similarly successful, she should have much more than the simple annual return calculus of $3.5 Million – just by reinvesting that one bribe unrelated to other bribes and income.
Holy geez!
Exactly what kind of “working” does Hill do?
P.S. You mention Chelsea. That’s sad. I mean all that corruption and White Water and Vince Foster and what happened when Bill was expelled from Oxford, rape? What a proud family, huh? What’s Monica’s family like…and Juanita Broaddrick’s, and Gennifer Flowers’ and Dolly Kyle Browning’s and Elizabeth Ward Gracen’s and Paula Jones’, etc., et. al.
Paul, Hate cause people to act against their own self interest. Brooklyn College, A PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDED BY TAXPAYERS, just turned down a $10 million dollar gift from the Koch Brothers.
It’s akin to how the Clinton haters helped him.
Perhaps it was collusion that helped him win. Without all that dark money who knows.
Paul, WDS is a weird virus in Wi. Walker Derangement Syndrome helped him get 200k MORE votes in a recall. Maybe 400k this next time. 3 elections in 4 years. But the deranged are unbowed. Hate seldom wins. In Walker’s case, it has helped him.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2014/06/24/ar-republican-hillary-would-get-shot.html
The John Doe investigation is far from over. Randa’s decision has been stayed. Walker should be careful wha he wishes for. This is an excellent article, worth reading.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/gov-scott-walker-and-his-allies-should-be-careful-what-they-wish-for-b99296055z1-264053131.html?ipad=y
Oh, I forgot that goofy, Rick Perry. He had some major memory problems.
SWM, exactly and with an even bigger win this time.
Paul C, The candidates were crazy except for Romney, and he had the unlikability problem. Gingrich, Paul and Santorum………
“SWMNobody needs to mention them.” I guess they are that bad. Jeb Bush is probably the best of the bad lot, and he is probably too liberal to be nominated.
Nick, Many here thought Obama would lose to the unnamed republican candidate. Once those crazy republlcan primaries got rolling, Obama looked better and better. It will happen again.
SWM – hard to fight ‘hope and change’ which means absolutely nothing. And every time Obama was attacked he or his surrogates played the race card. They have played it so much nobody believes it anymore.
SWM Nobody needs to mention them. Every time the subject is Hillary you do the Stepford duopoly chant, “Well, those other guys suck even more.” You have covered that quite well. Kudos.
Annie, They never mention any of the current crop of flawed republican candidates. How about that honest Chris Christie? Paul Ryan? Crook Scott Walker?Jeb Bush? Romney? Ted Cruz? Rand Paul? Of course they are all men.
SWM – Scott Walker has had not one but two judges who have stopped the investigation into his dealings. The prosecutors (Democrats) have sour grapes and are releasing info to make him look bad.
And what does being a man or a woman have to do with anything. Obama is man enough to wear mom jeans, what does that make him?
Like Bush.