Editorials & Other Articles

Bill USA

(6,436 posts) Tue Jul 12, 2016, 06:04 PM Jul 2016

Understanding Hillary - Why the Clinton America sees isn’t the Clinton colleagues know - Ezra Klein

http://www.vox.com/a/hillary-clinton-interview/the-gap-listener-leadership-quality

I’ve come to call it “the Gap.” There is the Hillary Clinton I watch on the nightly news and that I read described in the press. She is careful, calculated, cautious. Her speeches can sound like executive summaries from a committee report, the product of too many authors, too many voices, and too much fear of offense.

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And then there is the Hillary Clinton described to me by people who have worked with her, people I admire, people who understand Washington in ways I never will. Their Hillary Clinton is spoken of in superlatives: brilliant, funny, thoughtful, effective. She inspires a rare loyalty in ex-staff, and an unusual protectiveness even among former foes.

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Her explanation for the Gap is simple enough. “There’s a lot of behavioral science that if you attack someone endlessly — even if none of what you say is true — the very fact of attacking that person raises doubts and creates a negative perspective,” she says. “As someone Exhibit A on that — since it has been a long time that I’ve been in that position — I get that.”

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The answers startled me in their consistency. Every single person brought up, in some way or another, the exact same quality they feel leads Clinton to excel in governance and struggle in campaigns. On the one hand, that makes my job as a reporter easy. There actually is an answer to the question. On the other hand, it makes my job as a writer harder: It isn’t a very satisfying answer to the question, at least not when you first hear it.

Hillary Clinton, they said over and over again, listens.
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I certainly admire Ezra Klein. But I still think the answer is the effectiveness of disinformation and the Big Lie. But the disinformation assault on Hillary has been as successful as it has been in large part because of the active participation of the sycophantic M$M who consistently treat the Big Lie as if it's a Given Truth. Also, of course, you need a large segment of the public to be too lazy to think critically ... or just to think! .. for the Big Lies to work. We certainly know how to market a product in the U.S. The GOP has been successfully marketing Big Lies about the Clintons for decades.

6 replies

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Understanding Hillary - Why the Clinton America sees isn’t the Clinton colleagues know - Ezra Klein (Original Post) Bill USA Jul 2016 OP

Agreed. stopbush Jul 2016 #1

agree konnie Jul 2016 #2

yeah, I have thought that too. She is smart, very competent and this really bothers people at the Bill USA Jul 2016 #3

She is the real deal, Wellstone ruled Jul 2016 #4

She's not so great at campaign speeches but really really good one on one Fast Walker 52 Jul 2016 #5

I know someone who met Hillary while in Washington shrike Jul 2016 #6

stopbush

(24,396 posts)

1. Agreed.

Reply to Bill USA (Original post)

Tue Jul 12, 2016, 06:13 PM

Jul 2016

konnie

(44 posts)

2. agree

Reply to Bill USA (Original post)

Tue Jul 12, 2016, 06:52 PM

Jul 2016

Back in the 90's when my father was alive, he was a big fan of Hillary. (Even more so than Bill) His explanation was "She is the smartest person in any room she is in". And that is the root of the problem. The powers that be - in business, the media, in politics have never been able to handle that. Her graduation speech put her in the national spotlight - and while women and progressives praised her passion, the male mainstream became immediately threatened. When she appeared on the political scene smart capable out spoken women were a new phenomenon for old southern boys. so the trash talk that came from Arkansas followed her to Washington. There the daily poison by limpballs and the meme established by old white guys in board rooms cemented forever the #1 talking point.

Anyone who has been bombarded for 30+ years like she has and is still standing is worth our vote. And i'm a Bernie Sanders voter.

I am praying we get a glimpse of the real Hillary at some point. She will always be guarded. As would anyone who has had to protect her soul from limpuglicants.

If anyone thought the wingnuts would have used every bow in their quiver against Obama, will be shocked to see what those troglodytes are going to throw at her.

Bill USA

(6,436 posts)

3. yeah, I have thought that too. She is smart, very competent and this really bothers people at the

Reply to konnie (Reply #2)

Tue Jul 12, 2016, 07:24 PM

Jul 2016

opposite end of the scale. Then, being a woman makes it even "worse"..."Gull darn, what's the world comin to?"

I never could have stood up to being hounded by a pack of snapping wild dogs for thirty years like she has. She's got more stones than most people --- ANOTHER thing for them to hate her for!

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)

4. She is the real deal,

Reply to Bill USA (Reply #3)

Tue Jul 12, 2016, 07:33 PM

Jul 2016

like some one posted earlier,she is the smartest most pleasent person in the room.

Fast Walker 52

(7,723 posts)

5. She's not so great at campaign speeches but really really good one on one

Reply to Bill USA (Original post)

Wed Jul 13, 2016, 08:27 AM

Jul 2016

I sure hope she can overcome this issue.

In interviews, I've heard her be very charming, likeable and personable.

shrike

(3,817 posts)

6. I know someone who met Hillary while in Washington

Reply to Bill USA (Original post)

Wed Jul 13, 2016, 01:11 PM

Jul 2016

He was shocked at how different she is in person. Extremely likeable, very smart, very impressive. Her good qualities just don't come across on camera, was his opinion.

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