Posts and commentaries about Hillary Clinton are a waste of time!

[PJMcK]

Mrs. Clinton does not hold any lever of power. She is not involved in anything to do with our government. There is nothing she can do to alter our nation's political trajectory. Rightly, wrongly or otherwise, she lost the election. Do ya'll remember that night?

Seriously, the Democratic Party will move forward. We have to. The rear-view window/navel gazing is a waste of time. While there are lessons to be learned, aren't most of them quite obvious?

Please, let's be progressive.

Thanks for reading.

[get the red out]

1. Thank you

This is absolutely true!

[PJMcK]

4. Thank you

We need to fight fiercely! Last year's battles are irrelevant to our present times.

As President Lincoln said in his Annual Message to Congress on December 1, 1862:

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we shall save our country.

Words to live by.

[SCantiGOP]

2. Agree

[TexasProgresive]

3. If they bother you, put Hillary and Clinton on ignore.

Then you won't see them.

[PJMcK]

6. Thanks but I don't stick my head in the sand

In fact, posts critical of Secretary Clinton don't "bother" me at all. But what purpose do they serve?

Progressiveness means to move forward. What positive results can be attained by criticizing last year's campaign? There are lessons learned, facts revealed and it's all history.

Our nation is in an existential crisis. We might not survive. Relitigating last year's campaign is beyond a waste of time; it's counter-productive.

Regardless, I'm glad we're all on this side of the fence.

[Quanta]

32. Sometimes we need to remove the personal component to see the big picture.

By that I mean, that we should be able to look at and discuss ALL aspects of the 2016 election in order to understand and act on moving our party forward. If we fail to critically address each and every aspect, we are doomed to either repeat the same mistakes, or allow others to continue with their malfeasance. Everything should be on the table and looked at, imho. And, this is from a Hillary voter and lifelong Democrat. I can only speak for myself, but in trying to figure out this all happened, I intend to look at all options and possibilities, and if that means getting under the hood a little bit on the logistics of the campaign, I'm all for it. Having said that, I definitely agree that we missed a golden opportunity as a nation to show American dignity and class with the election of the anus faced tangerine.

[RKP5637]

5. Well said!!! Thank you!!! n/t

[PJMcK]

7. Backatcha! (n/t)

[smirkymonkey]

8. Thank YOU!

FFS, she's a private citizen! I wish people would just drop all the Hillary talk - both sides! It's not productive and coming from the other side it's downright destructive.

[Kaleva]

9. Agree.

[PJMcK]

11. (wink) (n/t)

[MineralMan]

10. Agreed. She isn't a candidate for anything, and

has no official government position.

"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Jebus reportedly said that.

[PJMcK]

12. Part of the criticism is due to Trump's deflection

Trump, or as you rightly call him, PINO, will use any device to deflect attention from his deficits.

Really, does Mrs. Clinton have any connection to "Russia?"

PINO is an idiot.

[MineralMan]

13. Screw Trump.

Hillary Clinton is no longer a factor in anything. She's not running for office, and probably never will again. I suggest we leave her alone. She should be sitting in the White House this afternoon, but is not.

[barbtries]

14. you don't have to read any post on DU.

I just finished reading a long piece in New York magazine about Hillary and found it worth the read. Same for certain posts here. Just don't read it if you don't want to, don't tell other DUers what they should and should not do.

[PJMcK]

18. As I said above, I'm not an ostrich

Actually, my point is more of a rhetorical question, which I now pose to you:

To what purpose does it serve to continue to criticize Secretary Clinton's campaign?

Thanks, in advance, for your explanation.

Another point I made upthread: I'm glad that we're on the same side in this battle for our country.

[barbtries]

20. i have no desire to criticize her campaign.

it's the fucking republicans and russians and decades of propaganda and hateful shit that many democrats internalized that brought her down imo.

it seems as if every criticism i read like she didn't do this or she didn't do that during the campaign i find myself saying yes, she did.

anyhow, like i said. nobody has to engage. personally i will trash a thread if i don't even want to know what the comments are.

i would agree that criticizing Hillary at this point is beating a dead horse and serves no purpose at all unless it's to make her detractors feel better about themselves. but it is moot. she lost. she's supposed to be president and instead Trump is. now there's a fucking how-de-do.

[Maven]

15. NO, they are NOT a waste of time

Inasmuch as people keep accepting lies about her, and saying "Hillary is irrelevant" to avoid having to face the truth about those lies, THEY are missing the point. Hillary was the target of a vicious smear campaign by the Republicans, the Russians, and too many on the left. The truth was completely lost as many voters were led to believe that HILLARY WAS JUST AS BAD AS TRUMP. Think about how ludicrous that is, and yet many believed it. Some still do! Unless we put a stop to the propaganda machine that caused that to happen, we are sunk. They are already starting with Kamala Harris and other potential 2020 frontrunners. The discussion about Hillary and the way her character was assassinated with fake news and media bias IS RELEVANT and we should be talking about it. We cannot simply "move forward" from this without examining how it happened. Whether you like it or not, Hillary's campaign is central to that discussion.

[lunamagica]

17. ICAM. Well said.

[PJMcK]

19. Hillary Clinton has been a target of the right wing for decades

There hasn't been an effective counter-attack to the "vast right-wing conspiracy" aligned against Mrs. Clinton and her husband. None. It has continued unabated since before then-Governor Clinton came to national prominence. By the way, neither I nor many others have avoided facing the truth about the lies and smears against the Clintons... and the Obamas, for that matter.

How do you propose "we put a stop to the propaganda machine" utilized by the forces opposed to us Democrats? So far, nothing has stopped the right-wing media machinery. Your ideas may lead us forward.

My point in the OP was that we already know the lessons we need to learn. Mrs. Clinton-- and Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and others-- are the past of the Democratic Party. We need to surge forwards and attract new and younger leaders to our cause.

Importantly, as I wrote upthread, I'm glad that we are partners in this fight for our nation and its integrity.

[cynatnite]

24. I agree we need fresh blood...

But we shouldn't shuttle folks like Hillary, Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi into a closet somewhere. Their influence is still a necessity and will be needed to raise up the new blood, campaign and all that.

[PJMcK]

25. Agreed

Their experience, knowledge and wisdom will help guide the Democratic Party forward.

[Omaha Steve]

37. Of the three you mention

Only Nancy is in office at this time. Just saying.

[dawg]

16. Except for the fact that they will do this to all of our nominees, not just her.

Look what they did to her husband.

Look at how they never even recognized Obama as a natural-born U.S. citizen, let alone a President.

Look at how they turned John Kerry from a war hero to a traitor and a coward.

In my state, look what they did to war hero Max Cleland.

Look at how they turned Al Gore into a "compulsive liar" (while W. was hailed as a straight-shooter).

Look at how they conspired with foreign adversaries to undermine the Presidencies of Carter and Johnson.

We need to fiercely and resolutely support our own. They will demonize anyone we nominate. (Yes, even Bernie)

[cynatnite]

21. Hell no.

You can still be progressive and talk about Hillary Clinton at the same time.

Anyone who says otherwise is full of shit.

[PJMcK]

22. I haven't suggested that you can't talk about Hillary Clinton

The words of my OP speak for themselves. Mrs. Clinton is no longer relevant to our political movement except to provide lessons of what to expect in the future from Republicans, Russians and now, probably, other external forces.

I suspect I hold a higher opinion of you than what you suggest in your final sentence.

[cynatnite]

23. Hillary Clinton still has relevance despite the intention of some to make it otherwise...

She remains very influential within the Dem Party and always will to some extent considering her vast experience.

I apologize for inferring that in my post.

But she will absolutely be relevant because she will campaign for Dems in future elections.

[PJMcK]

27. As I wrote above, I agree

No apology needed. I'm tough enough. (wink) But, thanks.

The senior members of the Democratic Party will be helpful moving us forward. We need some younger leaders to come forward. People like Jason Kander and Stephanie Murphy.

[Cary]

26. We are infiltrated by people with an agenda to sow discord and discontent

This is the latest iteration.

[PJMcK]

29. I certainly hope you're not suggesting I'm sowing discord

My fellow DUer, Cary, nothing could be further from the truth. I've been a member of the Democratic Party since 1976 when I cast my first vote for Jimmy Carter. I don't think I have to prove my bonafides to you or anyone else.

My point is simply stated in my OP. Mrs. Clinton no longer has any direct influence on our politics. She no longer holds office and doesn't seem to be seeking another post. I'm certain she'll use her considerable influence to help Democrats in years to come but she's retired from elected/appointed politics.

[Cary]

30. Nope. Not referring necessarily to DU even. Sorry if it came off that way.

I'm referring to report of Russian trolls, among other things.

[Cary]

31. I was agreeing with you actually.

Sorry for not making it clear.

[Still In Wisconsin]

35. Exactly...they WANT us to go on and on and on about Hillary

so that we never get to things like combating voter suppression, registering new Democrats, recruiting better candidates, and crafting a coherent message.

It is really NOT ABOUT HILLARY. It's about ELECTING DEMOCRATS!

[NBachers]

28. Sorry - can't rec this one - big time.

[Still In Wisconsin]

33. The endless discussion of Hillary plays into the cons' hands...they WANT the discussion

to be about Hillary. IMO what we DO need to focus on is building a stronger Democratic apparatus from the ground up, starting at the local level. Of course Hillary Clinton has a role to play in this- as do Bill, Gore, Kerry, and many many others, including (of course) President Obama. But if the conversation is about Hillary every time the Democratic Party comes up, we WILL lose.

[Eliot Rosewater]

34. Progressive? No thanks, I will be LIBERAL

[LonePirate]

36. The posts are largely created by trolls from the right and the so-far-left-they're-on-the-right.

You almost never see posts such as "Here's how to improve Hillary's tax plan" or whatever other plan has some improvement that can be made. Instead, it's always the same bs about emails or character or conspiracies or the DNC.

She was a very competent applicant for the most stressful job on the planet. It took the entire US media, the richest, most corrupt and most ignorant political party in the country, the most unqualified candidate of my lifetime as well as foreign interference to bring her down - and even then only via a flaw in our republic's electoral system.

I, for one, have had enough of the baseless anti-Hillary posts around here.

[FakeNoose]

38. Unfortunate choice of words, but I get you

PJMcK we haven't met in person but I've read a few of your postings. I believe that you're sincere, intelligent, and just as broken-hearted as the rest of us that Hillary Clinton is NOT our 45th President. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, because calling her a "waste of time" sounds meaner/angrier than you really meant to sound. People are taking it the wrong way and now they're jumping down your throat.

It happens! But as much as you and I respect and admire Hillary, we need to move on. It's no longer 2016 and whether we like it or not, 2018 is right around the corner. We all agree on that. Hillary (or her close friends) may be reading this post and we don't want her to get the wrong vibe here.

There's much work to do and we all need to be pointing forward. DU is such a great sounding board and we need to remember that we're all friends here.

[PJMcK]

39. Thank you for your thoughtfulness

In fact, FakeNoose, I think we actually agree. My statement that commentaries about Hillary Clinton are a waste of time is clearly reflected in your own words, "But as much as you and I respect and admire Hillary, we need to move on."

Never have I thought that Hillary Clinton was a waste of time. In 1992, I actually wondered why we weren't voting for her instead of Bill! Over the years, I met Mrs. Clinton twice and each time she was gracious, funny, smart and engaging. I've financially supported and respected her politics and, more importantly, her intelligence. As a New Yorker, she got my vote twice and I'm deeply grateful for her Senatorial representation. In my experience, she was the most prepared person in my lifetime to be president.

November 8, 2016 stunned me.

It's time for all of us Democrats, Liberals and Progressives to resist the Republican/Right Wing/GOP cabal. We need to support the new legion of people willing to fight for us. People like Jason Kander, Stephanie Murphy, Tulsi Gabbard and Maggie Hassan. We need new blood that speaks to all Americans with truth, conviction and sincerity.

[CBHagman]

40. What's with all the haste to nullify the First Amendment and disappear Hillary Clinton?

It was bad enough when boors with a high opinion of their own opinions peremptorily declared, in less than elegant terms, that Hillary Clinton ought to keep silence and conceal herself, but now it's on DU.

Hillary Clinton received more votes than any president save Barack Obama, and like Al Gore and John Kerry before her, endured character assassination, except in her case it was years-long instead of months-long. Believe me, this topic isn't exhausted, not by a long shot.

Moreover, we have an unstable, corrupt, and possibly traitorous figure installed in the White House despite the will of the majority of the electorate, and if anything our right to vote is even more vulnerable.

So no silencing, no disappearing, no banning.