Hillary: 'I'm ready to come out of the woods'

[JHan]

255. Yes, mistakes were made.

....but the weight given to mistakes is what I look at. A blown up story was used to characterize Clinton as "lesser of the two evils" and as "flawed" as Trump. In light of that, it was only too easy for disinformation and propaganda to work. Coverage of Clinton was the very definition of insanity, despite claims of preferential treatment - of course Clinton has her allies in the press, every powerful politician does.

"Flawed" was the tell because no one is perfect, it's a nonsense observation. We're all "flawed" yet we heard that refrain over and over.

MLK was flawed, so was Ghandi, so too Kennedy and LBJ, and Lincoln. "Flawed" is a ruse to deny an individual their greatness.

And I say this as a strong reformed HRC skeptic - To get away from negative press from Hillary requires tremendous effort and actual research. Bad press about Clinton harangues and follows you when you don't want it to - you could be perusing youtube videos, standing in line in a super market and glancing at the newspaper rack and there it is , you could just be looking up politics online or watching cable news, and it's there - all the swiftboat codes "flawed", "liar", "cold", etc. I had to take the time to look at investigatory conclusions of all the "scandals", read biographies, read what those who've worked with her - friend and foe alike- had to say about her, read little known stories where she helped people, or where her advice was invaluable and take the time to read up on her voting record. I read the good and the bad. I understood finally how successfully the GOP has been in tarnishing democrats* since they lost the culture wars.

And in 2016, by equating her with Trump, the media immediately normalized his heinousness. They were seen as the same -, emails, benghazi, etc etc . Perfection was expected, while her opponent only had to not behave like a toddler for 45 minutes to get a passing grade. Of course this would affect enthusiasm, the claim was made outright that the choice was between two turds.. and many on the left were complicit in these characterizations and rhetorical blunders, harming themselves and their future in the process.

Republicans tried the same thing with Obama, calling him and Michelle "divisive" , and "polarizing". Obama had enough charm and grace to counter it. Bill Clinton, another one they tried to tar, had great flaws, but was also a great president. Obama and Clinton both exemplified political smarts, the art of compromise, thus the attacks. The tragedy is when liberals themselves partake in the tarring and feathering of their best and brightest.

Of course when our leaders make mistakes and stumble we should point it out, but what we shouldn't do is buy wholesale the attempts on the right to slander our own.