2016 Postmortem

UCmeNdc

(9,600 posts) Sat Aug 20, 2016, 04:27 AM Aug 2016

Powell has 'no recollection' of Clinton email dinner conversation

Last edited Sat Aug 20, 2016, 06:44 AM - Edit history (1)

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell "has no recollection of the dinner conversation" recounted by Hillary Clinton to FBI agents, as documented by journalist Joe Conason in a forthcoming book.

Snip........

A spokeswoman for Powell's office issued a statement following the Times' story: "General Powell has no recollection of the dinner conversation. He did write former Secretary Clinton an email memo describing his use of his personal AOL email account for unclassified messages and how it vastly improved communications within the State Department."
"At the time there was no equivalent system within the Department. He used a secure State computer on his desk to manage classified information," the statement continued. "The General no longer has the email he sent to former Secretary Clinton. It may exist in State or FBI files."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/colin-powell-clinton-email-book-227200#ixzz4HrKEPWVv

Many of you missed the obvious disconnect on how Political headlined this article. I guess I should point it out.

Why did Politico go with the headline that Powell has no recollection of Clinton email dinner conversation?

Instead, Politico could have just as easily wrote "Powell confirms he recommended to Clinton that she should install a private email account", as its Headline. or something in this direction.

Instead Politico hints at a disunity between Powell and Clinton.

Just interesting what happened here.

14 replies

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Highlight:

Powell has 'no recollection' of Clinton email dinner conversation (Original Post) UCmeNdc Aug 2016 OP

The General is an elderly man, nearing eighty. MADem Aug 2016 #1

I'm not surprised... Mike Nelson Aug 2016 #2

But he does remember sending her an email about using his personal account. pnwmom Aug 2016 #3

Your point being ... what? n/t NanceGreggs Aug 2016 #4

Not my point..... Politico's point. UCmeNdc Aug 2016 #5

Your point is well taken. It definately puts a spin on the story the body of the story doesn't make. marble falls Aug 2016 #6

Many, like the NYTimes, do that a lot -- hostile header, Hortensis Aug 2016 #8

And there are a lot of talking points made from headlines. My dad was a headline only reader... marble falls Aug 2016 #10

Glad remembering makes you smile. That was when reading, Hortensis Aug 2016 #14

I knew this was coming bucolic_frolic Aug 2016 #7

Here's a report with the kind of headline you prefer thesquanderer Aug 2016 #9

They write hit piece after hit piece against Demsrule86 Aug 2016 #11

Also, I would change the headline rather than Demsrule86 Aug 2016 #12

"you've got mail." is all I remember from the dial-up days. Sunlei Aug 2016 #13

MADem

(135,425 posts)

1. The General is an elderly man, nearing eighty.

Reply to UCmeNdc (Original post)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 04:46 AM

Aug 2016

My memory ain't what it used to be, either.

Mike Nelson

(9,951 posts)

2. I'm not surprised...

Reply to UCmeNdc (Original post)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 04:59 AM

Aug 2016

...I don't recall all of my dinner conversations, either!

pnwmom

(108,973 posts)

3. But he does remember sending her an email about using his personal account.

Reply to UCmeNdc (Original post)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 05:00 AM

Aug 2016

So why does it matter if he remembers a dinner conversation or not?

He's not denying anything -- just saying he doesn't recall.

NanceGreggs

(27,813 posts)

4. Your point being ... what? n/t

Reply to UCmeNdc (Original post)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 05:08 AM

Aug 2016

UCmeNdc

(9,600 posts)

5. Not my point..... Politico's point.

Reply to NanceGreggs (Reply #4)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 06:33 AM

Aug 2016

My point being it is interesting how Politico wrote the Headline.

marble falls

(57,067 posts)

6. Your point is well taken. It definately puts a spin on the story the body of the story doesn't make.

Reply to UCmeNdc (Reply #5)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 06:50 AM

Aug 2016

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)

8. Many, like the NYTimes, do that a lot -- hostile header,

Reply to marble falls (Reply #6)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 07:07 AM

Aug 2016

followed by protecting their supposed "integrity" by enlarging with truth in the stories -- for those who read them, instead of just scanning the headers.

A few times I've scanned the headers specifically to see how hostile they were to HRC, and every time they averaged misleading in a hostile manner.

marble falls

(57,067 posts)

10. And there are a lot of talking points made from headlines. My dad was a headline only reader...

Reply to Hortensis (Reply #8)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 07:40 AM

Aug 2016

and sometimes the first paragraph. Often his dinner conversation was more unintentionally humorous for it.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)

14. Glad remembering makes you smile. That was when reading,

Reply to marble falls (Reply #10)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 08:36 AM

Aug 2016

or scanning, one good newspaper each day made one consider informed. Just imagine the pernicious effect of management spinning headers today when virtually every article has links in it and clusters of them to other articles down the right margin?

Like this. Sec. Powell agrees he gave the advice but the lead casts suspicion on...guess who?

bucolic_frolic

(43,123 posts)

7. I knew this was coming

Reply to UCmeNdc (Original post)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 07:01 AM

Aug 2016

Powell always on both sides of both parties

thesquanderer

(11,984 posts)

9. Here's a report with the kind of headline you prefer

Reply to UCmeNdc (Original post)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 07:21 AM

Aug 2016

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2016/0819/Colin-Powell-says-he-told-Hillary-Clinton-about-using-personal-email-account

The "no recollection" is the sub-head instead of the head.

But I would not be quick to classify Politico's as having an anti-Clinton bias as you seem to be implying. Disagreements are generally more newsworthy than agreements. And in the world of online journalism, probably get more clicks, which is kind of the point of a site like politico.

It would be interesting to read Powell's complete statement as he presented it to the AP, which I have not found. Then it could be more clear what he intent was, i.e. whether he issued the statement primarily to deny Conaon's dinner conversation story (which better justifies Politico's headline) or primarily to support Hillary's statements. Considering the timing, I would not be surprised if, in fact, the main point was to deny the previous day's dinner conversation report, which would then also support making it the headline. Offering general support to Hillary wouldn't be the "news" but denying the story that had just come out would be.

Demsrule86

(68,539 posts)

11. They write hit piece after hit piece against

Reply to thesquanderer (Reply #9)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 07:41 AM

Aug 2016

Democrats. He sent an email...which he admitted to because it might show up...I have no doubt he remembers the conversation but knows there is no proof. It doesn't matter because the email makes it moot...of course Politico went with the most damaging headline it could. It is well known that Politico has a bias against the left...and read their comments...you would think you were on Free Republic.

Demsrule86

(68,539 posts)

12. Also, I would change the headline rather than

Reply to UCmeNdc (Original post)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 07:44 AM

Aug 2016

continue with Politico's one which is misleading at best.

Sunlei

(22,651 posts)

13. "you've got mail." is all I remember from the dial-up days.

Reply to UCmeNdc (Original post)

Sat Aug 20, 2016, 07:59 AM

Aug 2016

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