OH WHAT SHE SAID!!!!
Hillary Clinton. (Photo: CNN)
Quite frankly when I heard what Hillary Clinton said on Friday night about her two baskets of people theory, I thought I was dreaming after some very bad food. But Mrs. LuLac and I dined on the greatest Pizza in the City of Wilkes Barre (Gerry’s on Carey Avenue) Friday night so it couldn’t have been that. At first I was at a loss to explain why the hell she said it. Then when I heard it was scripted, off a prompter and she wasn’t coughing between her points, I thought of my old friend, the late Jim McNulty who always lamented that current political campaigns eschew wise sages with a little gray in their hair to people who think political history began when Bill Clinton beat George Bush in 1992. Why would any political candidate, especially given Mitt Romney’s 1 per center comment try to alienate a voting block that she might have a shot at? Then I did two things. I actually read the statement and then I had a realization. Let’s start with the statement first.
"To just be grossly generalistic, you can put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? Racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, you name it."
Okay, first we got a warning. She previewed her statement by saying it was “grossly generalstic” so to me that was a type of disclaimer.
By saying you can put half of the Trump supporters in a basket of depolarbles, the only thing I question is her number. I don’t think it’s half (and she apologized for that) but it’s enough.
If you look at Face book or listen to Talk Radio you see and hear racist comments all over the place.
But to me they are coded in dog whistle language. Racist: Trump calling Clinton and other Democrats racists and taking the black vote for granted. Sexist: Comments about how Carly Fiorina looked and Clinton’s wardrobes. Homophobic: My Christianity is being threatened by the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage. I don’t know of one gay person who really gives a shit where you go to church.
Islmaphobia? You bet. Any major candidate for President, any person saying he would ban a certain group from entering the country is just that. And when Trump made those speeches, people were cheering so long and hard that if Beethoven were alive he’d have asked for ear plugs.
The definition of xenophobia is this: is the fear of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange.[1][2] Xenophobia can manifest itself in many ways involving the relations and perceptions of an ingroup towards an outgroup, including a fear of losing identity, suspicion of its activities, aggression, and desire to eliminate its presence to secure a presumed purity
"And unfortunately, there are people like that and he has lifted them up. He has given voice to their websites that used to only have 11,000 people, now have 11 million. He tweets and retweets offensive, hateful, mean-spirited rhetoric."
Clinton then said some of these people were "irredeemable" and "not America."
She described the rest of his supporters as people who are looking for change in any form because of economic anxiety and urged her supporters to empathize with them.
Now I would never put a majority of readers of this blog or some of my Facebook friends in that basket of deplorables. But the rhetoric on it is very partisan. There are posters who feel that Hillary Clinton is irredeemable. They have nothing good to say about her. Even if you try and say something reasonable, you get hammered.
Did she make a mistake by saying “half”? You bet. She should never have even brought it up (the following article will tell you why I think that) but she did.
But there is an element of truth to it. In polls taken by noted Political Scientists, it was noted that 70% of Trump supporters agree with polling statements that are deemed racist.
In South Carolina 80% of Trump supporters support the Muslim ban to the U.S.
31% support the ban of gays entering the U.S.
62% support creating a national data base of Muslims.
40% support shutting down all mosques in the U.S. Freedom of religion?
33% think the practice of Islam shall be illegal.
I get it NOW. You guys who cling to the Constitution want to bring it back the way it was.
(Public Policy polling, Feb 14-15th, 2016)
Here’s my question, if they come for the Muslims, when do they come for the Jews, the Catholics, the Baptists and YOU?????
There is an element of Trump supporters who talk about how a Clinton administration will ban the Second Amendment. People have said that her campaign is funded by the attackers of 911. How many times have people said there was blood on her hands? To people still screaming about Benghazzi, it was tragic. So were the other attacks and murders on embassies from 2001 to 2008. There were 7 separate investigations, 13 hours of testimony. 4 people died at Benghazzi. It was tragic but to blame her is like blaming “W” and Cheney for 4500 deaths in the credit card wars.
Somebody has to have the GUTS to say this. Benghazzi, 4 people died. A TRAGEDY.
Time to stop politicizing the dead. Let them rest in peace.
Then there are the Trump statements. He can call Mexicans rapists, defame an entire religion, demonize women, make fun of disabled people and you are offended by her just musing about some of his supporters? That’s rich when Hillary supporters are called elitists, Liberal no nothings, welfare queens and government moochers? Really?
Her remark about the baskets though is telling. What “basket” do you want to be in? The basket that is reasonable and tries to look at things in a rational manor or a knee jerk reaction to the change that has been going on in this country for years. Do you want to be one of those great unwashed who cheer on comments that tear down America and focus in on the most basic tenants of hate? Do you agree that all Islamics are terrorists? Do you agree that all Mexicans are rapists? Do you think that women who disagree with you are bleeding from wherever? Do you agree that a Russian dictator is a better leader than any American President? Do you agree with Mike Pence’s statement that “you can pray the gay away?
Remember friends, change is inevitable.
Growth is optional.
HILLARY’S HEALTH ISSUE
Trump's doctor. (Photo: MSNBC)
I have to say this, you should give her credit for soldiering on and being at the event. Imagine if she stayed home!!! The chants of "Lock her up, lock her up" would be deafening. And I really can't blame her for not revealing it given the crazy conspiracy theories about heart problems, brain tumors, strokes, etc. Hey if Dr. Giuliani says it, along with Google it MUST be true. In case you haven't noticed, this incredibly hot weather and air conditioned cars, planes and venues can play havoc with your immune system. Throw a tough pressure packed schedule into the mix....and people can get ill. In my office alone, three people caught summer colds and were hacking away. But I digress.
The bottom line is this: she has been more transparent about her health than Donald Trump has been about his and pretty much anything else. Oh wait no, according to his doctor, his health is "astonishing!"
Mrs. Clinton who by the way to me, seemed very tired when she made that speech on Friday. I don't know what Hillary's doctor looks like but here's Trump's M.D. who gave him a bill of health. I'll take my chances with someone who makes the effort to keep a commitment rather than one who just makes so much damn noise. And who's doctor doesn't make a one paragraph report while a Trump flunky waits in a limo.