Should Hillary Clinton "shut up and go away"?

[TreeStarsForever]

When people say Hillary should just “shut up and go away,” I think back on this photograph:



It’s from the 3rd Presidential debate where Hillary destroyed Trump. He was humiliated on the world stage. Remember? It was the debate where Hillary quipped back:

“Well, that’s because he [Putin] would rather have a puppet as President.”

The look on Trump’s face was priceless. No one had so thoroughly deconstructed and dismantled “The Donald” to his face – in-front of millions. Maybe that’s why he still holds such a grudge against Hillary?

And guess what? Hillary was right (as usual). Putin feared Hillary after witnessing her tenure as Secretary of State. He also realized Trump was a charlatan that stupid Americans would vote for. This led to a massive Russian propaganda effort to sway the election in Trump’s favor.

Ultimately, Trump won most of the swing states by less than 1% – 80,000 total votes made Donald Trump the winner of the electoral college. This illegitimate victory has forever undermined our democracy and standing in the world – exactly what Putin wanted. A weaker America.

Twice in the last 20 years a Republican has lost the popular vote but won the electoral college. I simply can’t wait for the day a Democrat wins the electoral college but loses the popular vote. Republicans will freak out and never shut up about it.

Point is – Hillary proved during the debates that she is highly intelligent, articulate, tough, and can out-debate pretty much anyone.

Hillary warned us first and she was right about pretty much everything:

–The “deplorables.”

–Trump’s dangerous temperament:

“A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.”

–Dog-whistling to racists.

–Collusion with Russia (Trump has never been able to win a fair fight – I hope it was worth it, Donnie!)
So when I hear people say Hillary should go hide under a rock, I look back at the debates. Why? Because after watching them no one can deny that Hillary Clinton has irreplaceable wisdom and irreplaceable experience.

No one can deconstruct and dismantle Trump the way Hillary can. From his dog whistling to racists, dangerous temperament, and treason with a foreign government to steal the Presidency, Hillary calls out Trump like no one else can. I rarely see someone who is able to cut through Trump’s BS so articulately.

That’s why to this day Trump still attacks Hillary. He can’t get over it. He can’t get over the fact that she got 3 million more votes than he did (even despite Comey and Russia interfering). Deep down Trump knows he is a puppet that won because of outside forces (primarily the electoral college). On the contrary, Hillary is the rightful choice of the American people. Trump is an illegitimate President.

Imagine if Russia and the FBI had favored Hillary and hurt Trump. Imagine if a Republican had won the popular vote but lost the electoral college. Would Fox News ever get over it?

At the end of the day no woman has ever been a Presidential nominee for a major U.S. party.

No woman has ever won the popular vote by 3 million votes.

Except for former Yale graduate, lawyer, First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the United States, two-time New York Senator, and Secretary of State Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton.

Personally, I’m loving the unfiltered Hillary. We truly need her voice now and forever.

So never discount or dismiss Hillary’s wealth of knowledge and ability to dismantle and deconstruct Trump. Hillary humiliated buffoon Trump during the debates. Never forget this.

And remember – any man with this resume would have easily won the Presidency:

WATERGATE:

Youngest lawyer ever appointed to an impeachment trial. 26-year-old Yale Law graduate Hillary Rodham.

CHILDREN’S DEFENSE FUND:

Investigated African American juveniles being placed in South Carolina adult prisons, and posed as a racist housewife to expose segregation throughout schools in the South.

FIRST LADY OF ARKANSAS:

Hillary successfully reformed the entire K-12 Arkansas educational system, expanded healthcare for those in rural Arkansas, worked at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Legal Services, and co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. First female partner of the Rose Law Firm.

The joke in Arkansas was that they “hired the wrong Clinton.”

FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES:

Hillary spearheaded the Adoption and Safe Families Act, the Foster Care Independence Act, Office on Violence Against Women, the Campaign Against Teenage Pregnancy (lowering abortion and teenage pregnancy rates), and the Children’s Health Insurance Program — providing 8.9 million low-income children with healthcare access.

In 1994, Hillary proclaimed on the world stage in Beijing, China:

“If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights once and for all.”

TWO-TIME NEW YORK SENATOR:

Hillary secured 20 billion in federal funds to rebuild downtown New York City after 9/11. She also secured healthcare for 9/11 First Responders and expanded access to care for the National Guard, Reservists, and their families.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE:

Passed the first-ever U.N. Resolution on gay rights (proclaiming: “human rights are gay rights and gay rights are human rights” on the world stage), and made it so trans Americans can legally change their gender on their passport. Hillary also rebuilt relations with every nation after the disastrous Bush Administration, traveling to 112 countries — more than any other Secretary of State. Our worldwide favorability rose 20% during Hillary’s tenure. Her primary focus was on women’s rights and health, bringing up issues such as forced abortion and maternal mortality rates. Hillary re-opened relations with Burma, enacted a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and killed Osama Bin Laden. She also was instrumental in putting together the Paris Climate Agreement, something Trump has since removed us from.

“I’ve been called many things by many people. Quitter is not one of them.”
~Hillary Rodham Clinton

“When you stumble, keep faith. And when you’re knocked down, get right back up, and never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on.”
~Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary has shown us that we must never give up. To always be resilient in the face of defeat.

“Onward Together!” – Hillary’s new organization that is helping train, equip, and fund progressive candidates across America.

Hillary’s smile at the end is perfect. She knew she baited him and got him good.

[delisen]

1. The most impressive politician in America:H Clinton

[2naSalit]

2. I hope she never shuts up!

[dem in texas]

27. Amen!

She would have won if she were a man. I hope she keeps speaking up for the Democratic party. Hope Obama speaks up too. Need lots of speaking up and leadership for the Dems, now is the time to size the moment against the party that supports a child molester.

[NurseJackie]

3. Someone suggested she should have waited "EIGHT OR TWELVE YEARS" to write her book...

... amazing! Can you believe that? So disrespectful. Anyone who'd suggest such a thing is revealing a lot about themselves as a person... and what they're revealing is not very flattering.

People like that are so obvious in their desire to "shut her up" or silence her, and bash a very respected Democrat.

And we now see a lot of disrespect being hurled at Kamala Harris from many of the same people who have so viciously attacked and smeared and bashed Hillary.

Coincidence? I think not.

[TexasTowelie]

33. Yes, I recall the person that made that suggestion

and that person continuing to call for unity after being dismissive to Hillary. Obvious indeed.

[NurseJackie]

41. Occasionally, I'll see posters who BASH Democrats but then claim "NO HIDDEN AGENDA" in defense...

Occasionally, I'll see posters who BASH Democrats but then claim "NO HIDDEN AGENDA" in defense of their own actions. (Honestly, it happens so often, I kinda forget who it may have been who said it last.)

Just the other day, a very clever poster had the perfect response to that "defense" ... it was a response that made me chuckle out loud.

Their response was one of agreement... with a clarifying follow-up statement which emphasized that indeed the agenda was NOT hidden at all.

That clever poster (I forget who it was) had a very valid point.

[aikoaiko]

4. Who is the guy trying to put HRC in a sleeper hold?

[blaze]

7. Role played trump leading up to debates

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/09/06/phihippe-reines-play-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-debate-prep-215581

[TreeStarsForever]

8. Ahhh! Even I didn't know that! Thanks!

[Baitball Blogger]

5. No. she shouldn't.

I see a big push to get new faces in the political ring and they feel like appearances from Hillary "sucks the oxygen from the air."

I, personally, don't want to see her run again, but I think it would be a mistake give the GOP and Putin what they want. She is smart, she is knowledgeable and they fear her enough to try to demonize her. Don't give them success with a strategy they can use on someone else.

[Cracklin Charlie]

6. We should play this every day.

And President Clinton should be sitting in the Oval Office right now!

[TreeStarsForever]

9. 3 million more votes!!

Never forget!!

[Nitram]

10. Hell, no!

[TreeStarsForever]

12. Agreed.

[Aristus]

11. NEVER!

And anyone who thinks she should ought to take his/her own advice...

[ProfessorGAC]

13. I She Still An American?

If yes, then she has the same right to speak her mind as anyone else.

The only difference between me and her is that if she says something, it's news. I'm not famous. She is, so it's just logical that her words get attention.

And, as someone else said, what does that even mean? Shut up, why? Go away? To where. She lives here.

[lunamagica]

14. No, she should not go away! Wonderful post. Welcome to the board!

[dlk]

15. Powerful, Talented Women Have Always Been Feared

Misogynists love nothing better than to take out a strong, talented woman. They will never stop going after Hillary because they fear her and what she is capable of accomplishing. It's fear that underlies sexism and misogyny.

[2naSalit]

20. +1

[Roland99]

16. If I were her, I would be tweeting and prodding him every day

[Baconator]

60. ... And Trump would send flowers every day out of gratitude...

[Roland99]

67. Heh

[ffr]

17. It's a weak argument anyway, that she should blah, blah, blah.

She's always been in the public spotlight and there still is this wonderful organization called the Clinton Foundation. She's going to continue serving and helping people out. It's inevitable that she'll be speaking out for good causes and sometimes that means speaking out against those in the world who promote oppression.

And the Clinton's are fighters. Thank goodness for that!

[karynnj]

18. She should continue to speak out in a strong voice. She has an exceptional resume,but you inflate it

Hillary Clinton was a very important advocate for CHIP and she persuaded Bill Clinton to include funding for it in his budget, but the person who SPEARHEADED CHIP was Ted Kennedy. In the aftermath of the failure of the Clinton healthcare bill, there were many efforts to do something less comprehensive One of them was a bill Kennedy wrote that was a precursor bill that was a national program to provide health insurance for children in families with income above the level at which they qualified for Medicaid but below the level where they could reasonably afford health insurance. CHIP had a sliding scale for the cost to the family whose kids were insured that was based on income. The program was based on a Massachusetts bill that used the tobacco settlement to do the same thing on a state level.

In 1997, Kennedy was able to enlist Orrin Hatch, who both hated tobacco use and was then open to funding children's insurance ( unlike in 2017!). To get Hatch the program was changed to allow each state to design their own version, rather than one national version. That and many other changes enumerated in Hatch's Senate speech when it was introduced when he argued that it was very different from the original Kennedy bill. Nick Littlefield, who worked for Ted Kennedy on this and was the healthcare advisor for Clinton in 2008 (and Kerry in 2004) wrote a fascinating book in 2015 that went through the entire process on this that I would recommend highly - Lion of the Senate.

The Paris Climate Accord was the culmination of decades of work - and Clinton was not particularly "instrumental". The Copenhagen summit was not very successful. When John Kerry spoke to Obama about becoming SoS, he told Obama that he wanted climate change to be a signature issue as women and children issues were Clinton's and was told that after Copenhagen, there was little chance of a diplomatic breakthrough. Kerry, who was involved in climate summits since Rio in 1992 had the connections and the passion on this issue that Clinton really did not have. It was Kerry who was responsible for the US/China pact, which was followed by intensive efforts at the interim Lima conference and by using every resource possible to enlist the other third world countries. Kerry was instrumental in the design with countries making different commitments and in getting the unanimous vote in Paris.

Here is what the New York Times said:

Since becoming secretary of state more than three years ago, John Kerry has been a man on a mission — multiple missions, in fact — relentlessly traveling the globe in search of diplomatic solutions to the world’s toughest problems.

His efforts have been daring and, at times, quixotic. He was no more successful than his predecessors in securing a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. But without his persistence, the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 and last December’s global climate change agreement in Paris would almost certainly have been unattainable.
. . .
. . .there has been something honorable, even heroic, about the persistence, hard work and faith in diplomacy that this decorated Vietnam veteran and former head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has brought to his search for peaceful solutions.

Even as President Obama sought to keep America out of new military entanglements, Mr. Kerry has been determined to keep the nation engaged diplomatically and lead the world toward constructive results, despite times when the problems seem intractable. At 72, he is unlikely to run for office again, which gives him a certain freedom to swing for the diplomatic fences, although it may end in failure.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/opinion/americas-mr-diplomacy.html?ref=opinion&_r=0


Clinton has an amazing resume, but she did not "spearhead" CHIP, this is Ted Kennedy's biggest achievement and it should not be taken away from him. Similarly, combatting climate change was a passion for both John Kerry and Al Gore and both of them played unique roles on this issue. ( and they are both still working on this - here's a nice joint discussion they had - https://news.yale.edu/2017/10/09/watch-livestream-vice-president-al-gore-kerry-conversation )

When Clinton was the nominee, she overstated her role on both the Iran deal and climate change - claiming the lion share of credit for two of Obama's biggest foreign policy achievements. She did tighten the Iran sanctions that brought Iran to the table, but Kerry spent a year and a half negotiating the deal working with others including Secretary Moniz. On climate change, it was Kerry reaching out to the Chinese climate change negotiators who he had known for years looking to find common ground, not - the US chasing down the Chinese at the airport - as described in one debate. I may be wrong, but I would bet that history will call these two accomplishments the most important of Obama's Presidency and - as the NYT did - credit Kerry making these happen.

[TreeStarsForever]

43. So you take issue with the word "spearheaded"...

Ok?

But that doesn't change the big-picture point of my post: Hillary's experience should never be discounted.

Also -- of the numerous accomplishments I listed, you seem to only dispute her role in three of them. Three out of how many?

PS: You have no idea what happened behind the scenes in regards to CHIP, the Climate Accord, or the Iran deal. Hillary was fixing our tarnished reputation after George Dubya Bush. I believe Hillary helped lay the groundwork for both the Climate Accord and the Iran deal, especially considering we were coming off of George Bush. Kerry was able to hit the ground running because Hillary cleaned up Bush's mess and got the ball rolling for us. If Hillary hadn't cleaned up our reputation after Bush, Kerry would have been screwed.

As for CHIP. Well, without Hillary advocating for universal healthcare, would we have compromised on CHIP? I guess we'll never know. All we know is that without Hillary advocating for CHIP with Bill, it wouldn't have happened. That's pretty instrumental. Also -- Hillary's work on universal healthcare paved the way for CHIP.

Now... did Kennedy pay a more instrumental role than Hillary? Yes. But Hillary played an instrumental role, too. It's not either/or. They were both instrumental. More so Kennedy. But Hillary was as well. Period.

[karynnj]

48. History will tell

Note that AL Gore says the Paris Accord would not have happened without Kerry.

As you said, I questoned only 3 things. Things I actually do know at least as much as you. The Littlefield book explains in detail the CHIP legislation. It credits Clinton for her role. There is no reason to claim she spearheaded it. That has a meaning and it is not true.

As to Iran negotiations and The Paris Accord, those were both really tough goals that Kerry worked tirelessly on. Neither included much Clinton work. I watched Obama speak on the Iran deal thanking many many people involved, Clinton was not mentioned.

As you said, she did a great job repairing frayed relations. I suspect a lot of improvement started the moment Obama won, but it was Clinton who spoke to many allies. I think a bigger reason Kerry started out running was he had 28 years on the SFRC and an interest in diplomacy going back to childhood.

Is there anything you are wiling to credit Obama, Kerry, other people for leading?

[JHan]

64. Re Chip I've no problem with the slant that she played a critical part in getting it done.

is "Spearheaded" a bit much, I dunno.

'The AP’s Beth Fouhy concluded, "While Kennedy is widely viewed as the driving force behind the program, by all accounts the former first lady’s pressure was crucial." She quoted Nick Littlefield, who had been a senior health adviser to Kennedy, as saying, "we relied on her, worked with her and she was pivotal in encouraging the White House to do it."

The AP’s assessment is backed up by others we consulted. Adam Clymer, former chief Washington correspondent for the New York Times, covered the legislative maneuvering and also wrote about it in a 1999 book, "Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography." Clymer wrote that Kennedy "worked with" Hillary Clinton to get White House support for a Senate measure to grant $24 billion for the new program, rather than the $16 billion approved by the House. "With strong administration support, the $24 billion stayed in," he wrote. Then, when the bill finally passed, Kennedy "credited the President, the First Lady, [Senate Democratic Leader Tom] Daschle, Marian Wright Edelman, head of the Children’s Defense Fun, and Hatch. …"

Other accounts at the time the legislation was passed and since give Clinton substantial credit. The pro-Republican Washington Times newspaper credited (or perhaps more accurately, blamed) Hillary Clinton for the program in a 1997 article. The paper said it had obtained documents from 1993 showing that the White House "plotted" to push a "Kids First" insurance program if Mrs. Clinton’s universal health care proposal failed.

Washington Times, Aug. 6, 1997: The plan signed into law yesterday by Mr. Clinton and pushed by the first lady is a duplicate of the 4-year-old health care task force idea, except that it is paid for by a 15-cent tax on cigarettes. One of the co-authors of the plan, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, credited Mrs. Clinton for her "invaluable help, both in the fashioning and the shaping of the program."

Years later, when Clinton was first running for the Senate, Kennedy’s aide Littlefield was still giving her credit. The New York Times quoted him as saying, ”She was a one-woman army inside the White House to get this done.” He said that when President Clinton himself was showing reluctance to back the new legislation out of fear it would upset a budget deal with Republicans, "We went to Mrs. Clinton and said, ‘You’ve got to get the president to come around on this thing,’ " and she did.

More Than Just Legislating

Moreover, Hillary Clinton took a major role in translating the new law into action. The program leaves to the states the job of setting up coverage and getting children enrolled, a task that continues to be a struggle to this day. In February 1999, after 47 states had set up SCHIP programs, the Clintons launched a drive to "Insure Kids Now." Hillary took the lead, speaking first before her husband in an East Room event at the White House.

etc etc http://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/giving-hillary-credit-for-schip/

[IADEMO2004]

19. Hell no! and I'm going to name my pickup "Hillary"

Beat up less than perfect but still very good to have around. Definitely a keeper.

[Lithos]

21. She needs to continue her transition to the elder statesman

She should never shut up - that smacks way too much of sexism given that I hear this phrase directed primarily towards women.

Yes, she is done running for office, yet her days as a voice and mentor are just beginning. "Onward Together!" is the mechanism of course by which I speak.

L-

[KPN]

22. No. Well, only to the extent that Bernie should shut up.

[spooky3]

23. I hope she does whatever she pleases.

[yurbud]

24. so will the rest of us.

[rurallib]

25. She is THE real life hero to millions of women and especially young girls

They believe in her as they should.

She should speak out more.

[iluvtennis]

26. Hell No! She has DESERVED the right to say whatever she wants.

[Beartracks]

28. No. Next question.

We'd be poorer for it.

=========

[Gothmog]

29. NO

She has an important voice

[riversedge]

30. Of course NOT!

[Leith]

31. I Like and I Want to Hear More from HRC

She's intelligent, knowledgeable, and she can get chumpy's goat like no other.

[bullwinkle428]

32. "NO PUPPET, NO PUPPET, YOU'RE THE PUPPET!!!" was the best moment

from all of the debates!

Meat Goblin exposed in all of his sputtery-ness for the world to see!

[MontanaMama]

34. No she should not.

Our first woman president had the election stolen from her. Folks that want her to go away probably don’t want to be reminded of that.

[TreeStarsForever]

46. I hope more people start saying it like it is:

the election was STOLEN.

[Egnever]

35. She should talk as much as she likes.

That said if the picture of her holding a Mueller time t shirt is real I did not find it helpful.

[GallopingGhost]

36. Helll no, she

should not shup up. Her voice should get louder.

It is infuriating when people like McCain have the nerve to say things like she needs to get over it and move on. That would be true IF it had been a normal, free election that she lost fair and square. Not the case. Trump is in the WH because of Russia, and every GOP'er knows it, including McCain.

[-Steph-]

37. I value her words. I detest when I hear people imply that she's irrelevant or should remain silent.

If she ran for President in 2020, I would gladly vote for her again.

[BobTheSubgenius]

38. I agree with President Obama.

Difficult metrics and a little hyperbole aside, HRC might well have been the most prepared and qualified Presidential candidate ever.

[Guilded Lilly]

39. I get so boiling mad when I see the clips of this...I can barely function in a civil manner...

nor find civil words to respond to the sheer vile dripping disgust I intensely feel for every ignorant, outrageously STUPID twisted hate riddled human being who supported any part of the billious Cretin and his fucked pathological lying out his ass agenda and that includes any professional news media or journalists who allowed this bullshit to happen UNCHALLENGED every single f’n day.

Hillary should never shut up, and nor should those millions upon millions of us who rage against what these foul and vile people stand for and try to destroy with every stinking word they spew in an intelligent, decent society.

In a word...
No.

[TarponSnook]

53. We need for not only Hillary to beat the drum loudly but

I wish Obama would publicly take off the mittens with these deplorable bunch. Again I yell "Time to take off the gloves! Time to go low!" Yell " Treasonous MF must go to JAIL!". I am so PO with having our Democratic party screwed out of two presidencies! Unless we have strong courageous leaders willing to be politically incorrect the repugs will screw us again. Stop being politically nice. Get big money out of politics!

[triron]

56. The media makes outlandish excuses for what they did (and still do!)

I am outraged. Trump is a despicable human being that should be in prison not anywhere near the WH!

[MikeydaDog]

40. Her voice is always point on, a bit of fresh air, strong and righteous. I want her to always speak.

[samnsara]

42. oh hell no!!!! she needs to be the voice of the womens movement..

..loud and clear!

[brer cat]

44. Absolutely not!

[Stinky The Clown]

45. In answer to your question: NO

The words "eminently qualified to be President" are inadequate to describe her.

[Hamlette]

47. Yes

but only if she wants to

She deserves to do whatever the hell she wants to do.

[triron]

49. No that person be name Donald Trump.

Hillary is rightful POTUS

[pnwmom]

50. Who is the man in the photo and what is he doing?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

55. Philippe Reines

He was her debate coach among other things.

[pnwmom]

57. Okay. He did a great job!

[egduj]

51. I wish she was president right now.

[pressbox69]

52. NO!

In a very short time she will be known as the woman who shattered the glass ceiling by three million votes. The only reason the mobster that ran against her is POTUS is because Putin fixed it for him. Besides all that the republiklans hate her. That alone makes her like a red hot poker that should be shoved high and hard up the GOP elephants back side until it and it's voters scream for mercy.

[onecaliberal]

58. Not only no, but hell no. She deserves to do whatever the helm she wants. The presidency

was literally taken from her.

[Baconator]

61. ... By her opponent who had more points that mattered than she did...

[WyLoochka]

62. She should do whatever she likes

I'm listening to What Happened. Don't have much time to read so listen to books while I run.

People who don't want to read it, or see her out and about, should just go about their business.

[trueblue2007]

63. HILLARY SHOULD NEVER SHUT UP.

[JHan]

65. I wish the people always telling this woman to shut up..

Last edited Wed Dec 6, 2017, 07:58 AM - Edit history (2)

would shut the fuck up themselves.

They're fucking tiring.....


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[oasis]

66. She's a reminder to voters who chose chaos over sanity in government.

I'mWithHer