Ignorance Or Ignorance?
Posted on May 23, 2008 at 5:32 pmBoth Aunt B. and Sean Braisted remark on a recent statement by Hillary Clinton on why she remains in the race for President:
“My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know I just, I don’t understand it,” she said, dismissing the idea of dropping out.
Braisted points out the historical inaccuracies implicit in the statement. Aunt B. thinks that the implication was something else entirely.
Personally, I’m not seeing what a whole lot of others are seeing. If you watch the whole tape and imagine yourself in the Q&A, I don’t see how you can think Clinton is saying, “I’m staying in ’cause, well, you never know.”
It’s inane. I’m not saying she’s never had the thought. I’m not saying she’s never prayed to the eight pound, six ounce, newborn baby Jesus that it happen. But she was not making that reference here, she was simply saying that Bobby Kennedy was still in it in June when he got shot, which she remembers and many remember because he got shot.
You can hate on Hillary for a lot of things and there are plenty of examples of her campaign race-baiting. On this one, she’s clean.
The fact that she is apologizing, however, makes her look guilty. Yes, she is apologizing to the Kennedys, not Obama, but that will make no difference. The talk will be that she implied she was waiting for someone to ice Obama and then apologized.
One should be quick to apologize when one does something wrong or hurtful but this is just silly. If she was stupid for saying something, it wasn’t for what she said above, it was for saying she was sorry for explaining her decision in the context of history (as she understands it).
SEE ALSO:
Newscoma
Sharon Cobb
Brendan Loy
LA Times
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Times Online
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Webutante
Comments
19 Responses to “Ignorance Or Ignorance?”
Kleinhelder,
Logically, what you are saying is correct.
However, that kind of slip gives a legitimate concern for what she has been thinking about. Attitudes are important.
Remember during the campaign of 2000, when Bush & Cheney were overheard calling a reporter an asshole? Yes, they didn’t intend to be overheard; and yes, they meant what they said. I was shocked, but the story never got much play.
But the attitude of contempt for political opponents, and for the press (and by extension, for the public opinion which is informed by the press) that was expressed at that moment has continued to inform the Bush administration through the run-up to the war on Iraq; through the over-running of science by ideology, in environmental and climate-related actions; and in the partisan slanting of governmental actions in arenas where this is not welcome, such as law enforcement.
For me, a red fuse-line runs through all these issues and scandals - and it starts from the moment of that unintended open mike. A most revealing slip. Too bad no one paid much attention at the time.
Uh, Neal? 1) That incident got a lot of press. 2) It was directed at a single reporter, not the entire press. 3) That particular reporter is, or at least was, an asshole of the first water. 4) The Clinton administration was much more secretive and manipulative with the press.
And way to stay on topic.
Unguarded comments can be extremely revealing. But that does not mean that all unguarded comments are deserving of the worst possible interpretation.
ACK,
She was not just trying to point out something she remembers that happened in June once. Why would that be relevant to the campaign and her dropping out of said campaign if that were her point?
Like I said, I refuse to believe that she doesn’t know exactly what she’s doing.
She may have been thinking, given the (mostly well-deserved) vitriol aimed her way, that someone might pick HER off.
Much as I’ve elbowed my way to the front of the line to heap scorn and ridicule on Her Hillaryness, I agree totally with your assessment.
Listening to the entire video (or even 30 seconds or so on either side of the RFK remark) clearly shows Her Thighness was trying to justify her continuing presence in the race by saying, hey look, Bobby was campaigning in California in June when….
And she’s one tired woman. Look at those dead, dead eyes.
Was it secret code for a contract killing? Vince Foster? No. It was what it was, political.
See what I mean?
Given all of the things throughout history which have happened in June, Hellary mentions the assassination of Bobby Kennedy? An unusually close parallel to Obama or wishful thinking or maybe instructions to the wack job racist out there?
“You guys aren’t doing your job!”
That’s what I hear Hellary saying!
Maybe that’s just me, …. we will find out at Barak’s wake.
This is not the first time she’s mentioned this. She’s referenced RFK twice before, and in March she brought up his assassination with Time magazine. Why couldn’t she mention 1980 and 1984, which also went into the summer? 1968 should be the LAST year that any Democrat invokes, not only because of the RFK assassination but also the DNC riots. With the specter of demonstrations in Denver she should be steering clear of all 1968 references (when she was a College Republican at Wellesley, by the way).
I don’t think she actually wants somebody to ice Obama. I think she’s just totally clueless about how sensitive people rightly are about violent nutcases and Obama’s safety. Love him or hate him, Obama faces real security threats as a major black political figure.
It’s a gaffe, not a threat. But it’s a terrible gaffe.
I developed a mild dislike for Hillary during Bill’s initial campaign for Pres. It grew to a healthy dislike soon after they took office. That hasn’t changed. I had the same take on what she said as you did. Those who are offended, or angry are deluded Obama syncophants, or just plain nutcases. Take your pick.
Kleinheider, hell, you voted for Ford Jr. Your judgment does not impress me.
My speculation is that this woman had a conversation about this exact possibility with her dynastic-minded, cheating prick of a husband, or one of her flunky camp followers. And it slipped out.
Few are second to me in their dislike of Hillary and even I thought it was clear she was not suggesting that, hey, Obama might get knocked off in June.
But, I think we can all agree, that it was an incredibly stupid thing for her to say.
I thought Hillary was supposed to be the smartest woman in the world…
Once, a gaffe [for which she apologized]now tis second time…harder to overlook.
I love watching the press unfairly savage a democrat. Because now all her backers (50% of the party) know what every republican knows: that the media is biased, unfair and has the ability to manipulate the political process, wholesale, to further their candidates and agenda.
How does it feel, Hillary fans? Now multiply that times every candidate times every issue times 50 years of news and world events and you will have some inkling of how republicans feel.
Yeah, that explains how the Republicans took conrol of everything for six disasterous years.
Democrats have control now for 1.5 years, what is better? (it is the same, but more of it)
I totally agree; the scary thing is Hillary’s ever-so-quick retreat and apology.
Given all of the things throughout history which have happened in June, Hellary mentions the assassination of Bobby Kennedy?
For the love of Pizza, RFK was campaigning in earnest for president IN JUNE of 1968 . . . that was her point. I’m concerned that in only a few months this, the Left-wing flame-thrower, will be aimed in the direction of Republicans.
In sum, I agree with your assessment ACK.
I even with a then did friends on me. other things