Thursday, March 13, 2008

Hillary "Apologizes"

Today's New York Times:
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton did something Wednesday night that she almost never does. She apologized. And once she started, she didn’t seem able to stop. […]

Her biggest apology came in response to a question about comments by her husband, Bill Clinton, after the South Carolina primary, which Obama won handily. Bill Clinton said Jesse Jackson also won South Carolina when he ran for president in 1984 and 1988, a comment many viewed as belittling Obama’s success.

”I want to put that in context. You know I am sorry if anyone was offended. It was certainly not meant in any way to be offensive,” Hillary Clinton said. ”We can be proud of both Jesse Jackson and Senator Obama.”

”Anyone who has followed my husband’s public life or my public life know very well where we have stood and what we have stood for and who we have stood with,” she said, acknowledging that whoever wins the nomination will have to heal the wounds of a bruising, historic contest.

That's an apology? Are you fucking kidding me?

Sincere apologies don't start with "I want to put that in context..." Excuses do.

She then employs the classic passive/aggressive non-apology apology. Break it down:

"You know..." Puts the responsibility squarely on the recipient. You're expected to know that the Clintons could NEVER be racist, and if you don't, that's not Hillary's problem, it's yours.

"...I am sorry if anyone was offended..." This never apologizes for what was said. It doesn't acknowledge that it was offensive coming out of Bill Clinton's mouth, only that it was offensive to some other people's ears. And that, by the way, is also their problem.

"...It was certainly not meant in any way to be offensive...” This part is true. It was meant to be a dogwhistle and a wink. It was supposed to fly over he heads of anyone who might be offended. But it's no apology.

"...We can be proud of both Jesse Jackson and Senator Obama.” I'm not sure what this means...I guess she'll give them stickers when she's President?

Finally, let me add what great people my husband and I are and how dare you question us. You must not have been paying enough attention to us. Oh, and the bruises and wounds to the party? That's all me. Hopefully the rest of you can get over it and support or forgive me.

The Fake Apologalooza then turned to the more recent offensive statements of Geraldine Ferraro:
”I certainly do repudiate it and I regret deeply that it was said. Obviously she doesn’t speak for the campaign, she doesn’t speak for any of my positions, and she has resigned from being a member of my very large finance committee.”

I don't think she regrets that it was said at all. She was happy to have central PA mull that one over for a couple days...She's sorry the wrong people paid attention she paid a price for it in the media.

And finishing with "...he has resigned from being a member of my very large finance committee.” is the not-my-fault cherry on top. Another excuse. You can either run a campaign or you can't, Senator. If your committee is too big for you to control, that's your fucking fault.

5 comments:

Deb said...

PLUS she ended a sentence on a preposition:

”Anyone who has followed my husband’s public life or my public life know very well where we have stood and what we have stood for and who we have stood with."

It's with WHOM we have stood, Mrs. Clinton. You know, people like Eliot Spitzer.

Surly Rob said...

"...he has resigned from being a member of my very large finance committee.”

but come day one, she'll be ready to run this little country. (I mean really, you think running a country is harder then a campaign!?!)

Noah said...

but come day one, she'll be ready to run this little country.

That's right, Rob. You got it spot-on. What happens the day your SecDef pulls a "Rumsfeld?"

"I am disappointed in my SecDef and regret he said that. Next?"

Can't even control the mouths of her close allies and key findraisers..how can she expect to run an entire administration??

Anonymous said...

I couldn't help but notice the part where Clinton said that if Obama wins the nomination, she expects her supporters will get behind him.

A more-loyal Democrat with her eye on the real prize of making damn sure John McCain doesn't give us The Bush Years, Part 3, would've said she will urge her supporters to get behind Obama if he wins the nomination.

Toast said...

Glad to see you're still hard at work.