Hillary Clinton Is An Amazingly Brave Woman

[Me.]

She had to know what she was facing and, as she always does, did it anyway. Yes she lost, she lost, she lost. But she moved the dial forward and the next woman to run might actually become president. But what I think I may admire most is, despite all the negativity that has come her way after she lost… she lost, she lost… and it was 'her fault completely, her own fault'…what I so admire is that she didn’t slink away, cowed. Now... That Takes Courage.

[JHan]

1. proud to be your first rec..

[Me.]

2. Thank You

[liquid diamond]

3. I hope she made the path to the presidency

easier for future female candidates

[sheshe2]

4. Brava Hillary

and Brava, me. Thank you.

[Me.]

6. !

[TexasTowelie]

5. K&R

[handmade34]

7. I fantasize

everyday that we collectively come to our senses and place her in the White House, where she rightfully belongs (she did win by the numbers!)

[Little Star]

8. The Electoral College failed us miserably.....

Aren't they suppose to be there to protect us from the likes of t Rump!

[Me.]

9. That Was A Huge Fail

But didn't really have anything to do with the election doncha know.

[NurseJackie]

10. Thank god she didn't wait "EIGHT OR TWELVE YEARS" (as someone recently suggested...

Thank god she didn't wait "EIGHT OR TWELVE YEARS" (as someone recently suggested she should have) to tell her story about "What Happened".

How typical that someone wants to INTERRUPT A WOMAN and try to deny her from being able to tell her story! Even though it doesn't surprise me, it still infuriates me that there are some people who are trying to SILENCE Hillary.

Why? What are they afraid of?

It's so disrespectful. People who do and say such things should be ASHAMED of themselves!

...I so admire is that she didn’t slink away...

I admire that about her too. She's not going to wait. She's not going to slink away into the corner to be forgotten. She's not going to be interrupted. She's not going to be distracted. She's not going to wait to be called on. She's not going to walk three paces behind. She's not going to be silenced. She's not going to be intimidated. She's not going to be insulted.

[Me.]

11. History (or HerStory) Will Judge Her, I Believe

With a great deal more kindness and respect than she is currently afforded.

[Hekate]

43. What you said

[StevieM]

12. The media narrative not withstanding, I think she ran a great race. She won all three debates,

she obliterated the Benghazi Committee and she forced the FBI to be open about what they were doing, thereby making it harder for them to do it again in the future.

She made it much easier for the next Democratic nominee to win, since the American people are more likely to see through their tactics next time.

[Me.]

15. +1

[Hekate]

44. +10

[lunamagica]

50. I agree. She was a great candidate

[Hortensis]

90. The media narrative lies. She ran an excellent race. As for being brave,

yes. But those who know her say she, and Bill, have always enjoyed wading into big political challenges. A kind of tough I have trouble understanding, but they have it.

[maddiemom]

94. PLUS---many, many times over!

I'm sick of the Hillary hatred. The worst that can be said of her is that she's a politician: no worse, and far better than many male politicians who rarely have to defend themselves for acting in exactly the same manner. Hillary, in fact, can NEVER defend herself without being scorned by many of her detractors. Certainly she's not allowed to reflect on, or record her reactions to the 2016 campaign. Better we elect a man who does nothing,but defend and praise himself and continually castigate others for everything that goes wrong. Aside from the usual Hannity types, ever notice how many of her detractors are younger men? I saw one on an MSNBC panel recently (BTW, I never saw or heard of him before) who I just wanted to slap silly. He was SO smug and so "humorously" contemptuous of Hillary's behavior and distinguished career, that I truly wanted to reach through the screen. The Repubs would have found any way to go after Bernie that they could think of, had he been the candidate. Certainly he wouldn't still be defending himself had he lost.

[StevieM]

96. Seriously, if Bernie had been the nominee they would have labeled him a miserable human being.

They would not have said: "He's a good man, we just have differences of opinions with him."

[LisaM]

13. She is, and I've so often kicked myself since the election for failing HER.

I don't think I was brave in confronting her foes, and I kick myself for it a lot. I wish I could be more like her, take my knocks and jump back up.

[Me.]

14. We're All A Lot Smarter Now

And certainly more determined...all of us...including you

[Gothmog]

16. I truly admire and respect Hillary Clinton

[northoftheborder]

17. I knew that 10 years ago.

[Orsino]

18. She may have had a couple of little missteps, but the loss isn't her fault.

Her campaign was a great one by any measure, and we lost the chance at a great presidency.

[Me.]

20. Sigh

[all american girl]

55. NO, NO, NO!!!!!! Please just stop

[we can do it]

84. YES YES YES and no we won't stop.

They cheated. She won.

[all american girl]

95. I was talking about the talking point of

"she made missteps" like she's the only one

[Orsino]

116. Her missteps were probably insignificant next to the forces arrayed against her.

But no, she's not perfect, nor did she need to be.

[Lil Missy]

19. one minor correction:

she didn't lose. She won. Donald and Putin with the help of the Russian Mafia stole it from her.

[Me.]

21. Excellent Point

[Bleacher Creature]

22. As long as I live, I'll never understand how she got up on stage on 11/9 to concede.

I wanted to curl up in the fetal position and not interact with anyone else. And yet she got up there and said all the right things. I will always be in awe of her for that moment (along with countless others).

[FBaggins]

27. That was when she showed actual courage.

I don't actually agree with the OP. This (along with other times in her life) was an example of courage... but not the choice to run or stay in.

I doubt that there was a single moment during the primary or general election when she believed that there was a chance that she would lose - and therefore staying in wasn't an example of courage.

I do, however, agree that she almost certainly made it less likely that the next woman to run will have an easier time (all else being equal - which it never is).

[Me.]

42. Precisely

[TeapotInATempest]

54. +1

[ananda]

23. Clinton did not "lose."

Russian hacking and voter suppression, along
with Kremlin propaganda baiting, helped 45
steal the election.

We are so screwed!

[Iliyah]

29. Rigging, etc.

She's my President.

[niyad]

24. k and rexactly!!

[mythology]

25. No instead she has blamed Sanders

Real courage would be taking responsibility for the mistakes she made and not blaming others. Instead she did s little of the former (talking about how the campaign was operating on the wrong axis) and the blaming Sanders.

[cynatnite]

30. Um...she did take responsibility...

From her book...

"I go back over my own shortcomings and the mistakes we made. I take responsibility for all of them. You can blame the data, blame the message, blame anything you want, but I was the candidate," Clinton writes in her upcoming book, "What Happened," which was obtained by CNN.

What's insane, is that it doesn't matter what she does or says, too many will continue to vilify her even if someone asks ask her what her favorite ice cream is. The fact that she exists is just too much for some folks.

This was a bruising loss and for her to come out, talk about it, write about it takes a lot of courage.

What is she supposed to do? Hide in her bed? Never go out in public again?

[aikoaiko]

98. Let's see what comes after that part in the book.

Thats a standard line in her post-GE presentations but she sometimes follows it with "and none of those things were why I lost."

I'm open to seeing how she takes responsibility in her book.

[Me.]

33. You're It

I wondered who the first one would be

[LanternWaste]

36. Your bias seems to be interfering with accuracy.

Your bias seems to be interfering with accuracy. I get it... we often invest our sacred cows with enough imaginary light to blind us.

Accuracy would be listing her numerous reasons (including her own faults and failings) that led to her loss versus the bias of sole blame on a sacred cow as you alleged.

[all american girl]

47. You now, talking about what happened and being honest about is not blaming

and, yes I blame bernie and his supporters for the very bad behavior. We, as a party, need to look at this last primary/general and be honest about the sexism and racism that happened to Hillary and her supporters, over all. If we are honest, address the issue we will be so much stronger. We as a party, no matter who we should support, should never have to put up with this wicked behavior again. By Hillary lending her voice to the horrible behavior that her supporters had to endure, we can become better people, a better party.

[calimary]

49. Ah yes. There are always those for whom Let's-Dump-On-Hillary is the favorite indoor sport.

Won't be me. And if she's not allowed to blame him, then I will be very glad to step in and handle that job. Besides, I'm sorry to break it to you, but she happens to be right on this one. AND she HAS taken responsibility for whatever mistakes might have been made in her campaign - even though her campaign was NOT the mess that some wish to portray it as being. NO campaign is perfect, INCLUDING Bernie's. But hers was mighty enough, and effective enough, to have won the popular vote, free 'n' clear and unquestionably, AND by a substantial amount. There isn't a politician alive who wouldn't give anything for an almost three-million-vote majority over his or her opponent.

I've loved and admired Hillary Clinton since I first started hearing about her at the start of Campaign 1992. She had me at "well, I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies..." And after that, when she declared she wasn't simply another wife "standin' by my man like Tammy Wynette", I almost flipped out. How on earth did she know and understand me so completely - while never having met me nor even being aware that I existed? I was astonished by how much I found myself relating to her, and realizing how much we had in common.

She was a new kind of woman, the same kind of woman I myself was trying to be, back then, as an accomplished professional in her own right, and then also as a working mother. That's exactly where I was, at that time, too. It was an electrifying and deeply validating realization for me. Whatever it was that I was trying to do, she was actually doing, in spades, with bells on, and with a cherry on top. And if I noticed people around me who were threatened by me and whatever small-time achievements I could claim to have made (and you better believe I DID notice!), then I can only imagine the exponentially and grotesquely larger situation that she faced from opponents who were jealous and resentful of her success. She was earthshakingly magnificent - then AND now. And she has more guts in one eyelash than trump and his entire weasely family and entourage could dream of acquiring.

She's still One Humdinger of an inspiration. To me, and to my daughter's generation, as many of them have told me.

[Me.]

59. What You Said

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[brer cat]

70. Outstanding post, Calimary!

She paved the way, and many will follow in her footsteps.

[maddiemom]

99. Exactly!

And thank you for elaborating on a few tangents I was tempted to run off on in my own post above.

[calimary]

112. I can still remember how I felt when I saw that original interview clip of her as the First Lady of

Arkansas. And she said she wasn't just another wife "standin' bah mah man like Tammy Wynette." Hit me like a thunderbolt! SHE thinks that, too? HOLY CRAP! I thought I was the only one who felt like that! I didn't measure my worth by being a supplement to my husband, or "arm candy" (yeah, sure - ME, Arm Candy? Why yes, as soon as Prince William throws Kate Middleton over, to come and carry ME away!!!), or appendage, or she-whose-place-is-walking-two-steps-behind-her-husband, or she-who-knows-her-place-is-in-either-the-kitchen-or-bedroom, or she-who-must-always-defer-to-the-Great-HIM. FUCK THAT! I didn't even take his name when we married, and he's so liberated that he actually suggested it (as he put it: "because I don't want to change my name so I don't see why you should have to change yours&quot .

That smarmy twangy Tammy Wynette song, as I've always understood it, exhorts women to stand by their man regardless of what kind of asshole or loser he is. Well, I don't think so! I don't think any woman HAS TO "stand by" her man if he's a shit, or a shit - to her. I always hated that song, not only for its message but just the music and melody and the accompaniment. I'm not a fan of country music, anyway. Don't know why, but when that soupy pedal steel guitar cranks up, it makes me want to run screaming into the night. I am lucky that I've got a good guy. He's NO asshole and NO loser. But dammit, he and I are EQUALS. And I'm not here merely to be some accessory or subservient partner. We're EQUALS. Always have been. And I sensed that from Hillary, too. Couldn't believe how someone that high-profile and back then very likely to become First Lady Of The United States would feel the same way I did. But that's who she was, and still is. That's why her presence on the national scene is SO DAMN VITAL, at least IMO.

Maybe I take it too far. But I have to admit that I find myself feeling personally insulted when I hear her being smacked around by some smart-ass - on OR off the air.

[Me.]

113. Especially When The Smart A Speaking Is A Male

[calimary]

114. Mmm-hmm.

Mansplaining. I love it.

Or, even better, as I heard on Rachel Maddow's show last night, when an excerpt of Hillary's reading from her new book was played: "man-spreading" (when the guy on the subway sits with his knees WAY wide apart, visibly taking as much space as he can, for himself) !!!!!

[Me.]

115. That Made Me Laugh When I Heard It

so true, so true......

[cynatnite]

106. THIS n/t

[lunamagica]

51. Has Sanders shown real courage by taking responsibility for the mistakes he made and has not blamed

others?

[calimary]

60. Bingo!

An excellent and MOST reasonable question.

[lunamagica]

61. Thanks! I wonder why Mythology hasn't responded?

[ehrnst]

62. +1000. (nt)

[Amimnoch]

91. heh, I don't think the Independent believes he made any.

The surrogates sure won't own up to any.

[sheshe2]

75. Yes she did. nt

[radical noodle]

76. Have you read the book? n/t

[maddiemom]

100. Who needs to read it?

The Hillary haters would find the same reasons for criticizing her writing it whether they read it or not.

[radical noodle]

107. I suppose so

but there seems to be some idea that the book is about bashing Sanders. I'm sure it is not. I can't wait to read it.

[Amimnoch]

89. Where the blame fits.. wear it. nt.

[redstatebluegirl]

26. Proud to have supported this strong wise woman and our Democratic nominee.

[H2O Man]

28. Recommended.

[Me.]

35. Thank you

[iluvtennis]

31. But the thing is, Hillary wasn't given a fair fight- there was Russian interference - it'll b proven

[StevieM]

34. Our own FBI's conduct was more shameful than the Russians were. (eom)

[Me.]

58. It Was Shameful

But more...don't know considering the info that has come put about FB today and how greatly they helped the Russians give aid and comfort to 45. I suggest Zuckerberg not even attempt to run for Pres.

[maddiemom]

102. There is no way in our electoral system to redress the legitimate grievance, sadly.

[iluvtennis]

104. As we are now i the world of cyber and the internet, and digital voting and vote counting machine,

US needs to update the electoral system accordingly. This will happen again and we have to have a way to remediate to maintain fair elections

[Me.]

110. Paper Ballots

Hand counted...unless you're in a certain district in Wisconsin

[iluvtennis]

111. ++++ Agree. Paper ballots and all hand counted like they did in France this year.

[planetc]

32. Unless, of course, she won, she won, she won.

[Hekate]

37. Eloquently stated

Thank you

[mcar]

38. K&R

[Maven]

39. K&R

[NBachers]

40. I'll vote for her if she runs again; I don't want to hear any fucking shit about it either.

[iluvtennis]

45. And I would do it in a heartbeat as well.

[all american girl]

48. A big ME THREE!!!!!

[onetexan]

86. +4

[Amimnoch]

92. I would too, but I really don't see that happening.

Hillary Clinton is a paragon that puts the interests of the Democratic Party, and the economic and social issues of the Democratic party above personal interests.

I see her being a major force behind an actual Democratic Party candidate the next cycle, and energizing force in getting Democratic Party Senators and Representatives elected.

I'm also hopeful that the next Democratic Party candidate gives her strong consideration as a VP pick.

[The Polack MSgt]

41. K&R

She is a bad ass

[Lucinda]

46. We are lucky to have her...and it saddens me to think about what we've lost

[MrsCoffee]

52. Nevertheless, she persisted.

[Me.]

57. I Meant To Say That But Forgot It When Writing

[lunamagica]

53. Thank you! I agree with you on everything, except that I believe she won, she won, she won

Hillary is such an exceptional woman. Brilliant, wise, compassionate and so, so strong. I've always admired her, and if anything, my admiration has grown stronger after last November. It5's a real tragedy for this country she's not our POTUS.

Again, thank you for this thread!

[Madam45for2923]

56. One of the areas where I think she is superhuman and brilliant is her over-sized resilience!

She must have great Emotional Quotient.

I admire this quality so much. I want it.

[brer cat]

72. Great point, Madam.

We saw it so many times, and I was in awe.

[ehrnst]

63. She won. She won't go away. She won't shut up. That drives her detractors mad. (nt)

[Meowmee]

64. Agree she is very brave

However she actually won the election by about 3 mil and the narrow electoral college flip states and a few others were fraudulent, hacked etc.

[Me.]

65. I Do Know She Won

My saying she lost is a reflection of the feedback certain quarters have been slinging at her. You and I both know she's a winner.

[Meowmee]

67. Oh

Oops sorry I wasn't sure. I'm so sick of people ignoring that on tv etc. 😊😹

[Me.]

68. Rest Easy

we all know the truth...

[Progressive dog]

66. Yes she is nt

[judesedit]

69. Sorry me. Hillary won won won. Another stolen election. The only way

the thugs get in there. Poor us. We have to deal with their underhanded methods of vote purging, gerrymandering, suppression, intimidation, non-traceable electronic voting machines, lies, lies, and more lies, etc, etc, etc. Come out in droves to vote in primary please. We can do it! Stay focused. Don't listen to the trolls and bots infiltrating this site trying to divide us.

[William769]

71. Yes she is.

I don't care what anyone says, she did shatter that glass ceiling.

[sheshe2]

80. Yes she did.

This is the result.

This Year, There Are Already 11,000 Women Talking About Running For Office



Come mid-term elections in 2018 women won't just be sitting around waiting for the world to change, thank you very much. Far from it. According to the Washington Post, more than 11,000 women have reached out to Emily’s List this year saying they're interested in running for office.

“This is unprecedented,” Stephanie Schriock, president of the progressive organization dedicated to electing Democratic women to office, told the paper. In all of 2016, approximately 900 women in total spoke with the group about running for office. Now, less than four months into 2017, more than 12 times that amount have reached out to explore the possibility.

More http://www.refinery29.com/2017/04/151178/women-running-for-political-office-2018

I posted this here, https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029569642

You misogynist pieces of shit. We Woke. We are strong. She broke that ceiling and we are flying free now. No stopping us, the ceiling is open and we will fly. We will soar.

[Me.]

81. So Encouraging

[sheshe2]

83. Follow to my OP!

We rock!

[Ligyron]

105. We need a lot more females in office that's for sure.

Less war, more cooperation among other things.

That testosterone is a poison sometime. I ought to know, I'm a victim myself, lol.

[brer cat]

73. Thanks, me.

She is amazing, and the women who will follow in her footsteps will be forever grateful to her for blazing that path. #strongertogether hasn't ended.

[Me.]

82. "#strongertogether hasn't ended"

[democratisphere]

77. The un-president that acts VERY PRESIDENTIAL.

[madamesilverspurs]

78. One thing that will never be said

of Trump, he will never be thought of as amazingly brave about anything.

She has him beat on that, too.


.

[BigmanPigman]

79. It is NOT her fault! And she DID WINTHE POPULAR VOTE! Never forget that!

If it hadn't been for Comey our entire world would be completely different right now!

[maddiemom]

108. BUT....

Her winning numbers came from liberal, often more educated "flakes from the west coast" Those voters need a "handicap" to be fair to the "flyover country" voters who may be more conservative and often less educationally advantaged. As a native of Pennsylvania who lived for some years in several southern Appalachian states, I've heard PA , which went for Trump in 2016, described as "Pennsyltuckey" or Pittsburgh and Philly with Alabama in between, I know there are liberal and intelligent voters in every state (and some very good people of all persuasions). As a retired teacher I know that education is no longer held in as high a regard by many of the less affluent voters as it was in the Fifties and Sixties when I grew up. This is a generalization, I realize. Nonetheless, a lot changed somewhere in the Seventies. Those who grew up in the Depression were often deprived of the education many would have liked, and they valued it. In the prosperous post WW II decades, much of that value was lost. In the late Sixties and Seventies, many kids used to tell their teachers, " I can graduate fro H.S. and get a job in the (mills, mines or whatever) and make more than you! Add to that the increasingly prohibitive costs of higher education, debt incurred, and outsourcing..what are those who grew up in the last few decades to do? I can't really blame their attitudes when a huckster like Trump comes along, even though those of his ilk are responsible for the lack of good jobs today.

[Me.]

109. Actually...According To Research

The core of her supporters earn less per annum than 45 supporters

[Honeycombe8]

85. I don't think she did lose. nt

[ehrnst]

87. Courage that is very, very threatening to many. (nt)

[Amimnoch]

88. Love her. A real, and long time devoted Democrat! nt.

[stonecutter357]

93. K&R

[haveahart]

97. I cried at her loss and ours. But I think Karma is being kind to her and protecting her.

That is my solace.

[Justice]

101. Thank you. Great Post.

[samnsara]

103. and thats why she will always be my Madam President!

...she earned that title...