HuffPost: Clinton Downs A Beer And A Bump To Impress The Cool Kids, And This Dad's Not OK With That

[seafan]

It's all beyond bizarre.

Paging Harry Reid, Pat Leahy, Chris Dodd, Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, Jimmy Carter.... please report to ER..... INCOMING.

End this now.



Clinton Downs A Beer And A Bump To Impress The Cool Kids, And This Dad's Not OK With That

By M.S. Bellows, Jr.
April 14, 2008


http://bp1.blogger.com/_7AQsWR-I_X0/SAO2gu1abTI/AAAAAAAAAJo/eVP3MXm8Vrc/s400/Clinton+drinking.jpg

As a father of daughters, I've got a big problem today with Hillary Clinton.

Let's be clear: I've got no problem with a President who occasionally chases down a slice of pizza with a cold brew or a shot of whiskey -- or both. Like most Oregonians, I'm particularly fond of our state's great microbrews and small wineries; I'm no prude about liquor (or much of anything else). And, of course, our current teetotaler President has been a disaster. (I'm put in mind of Abe Lincoln during the Civil War: when an adviser complained that the North's most successful general was drinking too much, Abe ordered a barrel of that general's favorite whiskey sent to each of his other generals.)

So if Clinton likes an (imported) Crown Royal, neat, back on the campaign plane at the end of the day, or -- without fanfare -- tips back a cool one with supporters at a pizza joint, I'm good. But that's not what she did Saturday night at Bronko's Restaurant and Lounge in Crown Point, Indiana. No: she bumped back a boilermaker to make a point about Barack Obama being "out of touch" with blue-collar voters, playing off his comment about some middle Americans being "bitter" at being ignored by Washington insiders.

Hillary Clinton is not normally a brew-and-a-bump kind of gal; she's just not. But she is a political animal, through and through -- and drinking boilermakers as a strategy for reaching Pennsylvania's working-class voters was even discussed jokingly in a segment of MSNBC's Hardball earlier this month, which Clinton's campaign staff wouldn't have missed. No: Clinton intentionally chose to do a particularly unhealthy kind of drinking -- chugging beer and whiskey at once, a combo designed to make you drunker, faster -- to increase her popularity with people she really has nothing in common with so that they'll vote for her.

Politics is politics, but it's not OK for Hillary Clinton or anyone else in public life to flaunt heavy public drinking in order to be more popular.

I'm the father of two beautiful, brilliant, creative, loving, sometimes gloriously self-confident, sometimes tragically insecure daughters, ages 12 and 14. Both are deeply engaged and opinionated about politics .... If one of my daughters, trying to win Student Body President, showed up at a keg party and got drunk in order to score points with the "populars" (ask your kid if you don't know who they are), I'd be incredibly disappointed -- and angry, and concerned. Should I feel any differently when Hillary Clinton does it?

Fortunately, my daughters already know that what Clinton did is wrong. At a supposedly irresponsible age, they know it's not cool to misuse alcohol to "fit in." Even for adults, even to win a big election, it's just. not. cool.

But Hillary Clinton -- the candidate who trumpets her experience and worldliness as predictors of her supposed good judgment -- doesn't seem to have figured that out. She's drinking in public to look cool and win votes. For the first woman with a serious shot at the White House to trumpet an unhealthy kind of drinking in order to gain publicity points, is to display either an utter tone-deafness to her role as a model for America's girls (and even adults), or a culpable willingness to ignore her moral compass in order to win. She's either inexcusably foolish or inexcusably calculating; take your pick.

Either way, she deserves to be grounded by the responsible adults in the Democratic Party, not elected Student Body President.

[tekisui]

1. Well said.

She's becoming an embarrassment and a caricature.

[Hoof Hearted]

65. Yeah dropping by for a beer for a photo op is so disgraceful, who does that?

Oh, that's right, Obama does.

[tekisui]

76. He looks a little different than the big cheering, shot taking Hillary.

And, beyond the party photo-op from Hillary, her failed attacks, caught lies and her conflicts of interest add to the caricature.

[bunnies]

2. a Bump?

That means something TOTALLY different where I come from. :evilgrin:

[LSparkle]

4. Ha ha ha ... I got it

:evilgrin:

[bunnies]

6. ...

us -----> :evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[Yael]

5. I was thinking the same thing

'Round these parts, a 'bump' is a 'line'. ;)

[Hepburn]

9. LOL....

...same thought!

[bunnies]

11. And that makes three!

:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:
:rofl:

[cbayer]

28. Four.

:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[moriah]

54. Me five?

[Jed Dilligan]

7. I've never heard it refer to anything except a line of fast stuff

crank or yayo.

[bunnies]

12. word.

More devils 'round here than I thought! :evilgrin:

[LSparkle]

22. Psst ... hey devils ...

:nuke:

[BlueStateGirl]

Same here. Something GWB might be more familiar with.

[Lochloosa]

38. Is that an offer?

:evilgrin:

[Terran]

83. Um, yeah

When I read that, I thought, She did WHAT in public?? Well, Georgie seems to have gotten away with it, so...

[hedgehog]

3. Find a video of the actual event and you'll notice she did far worse

She left her beer sitting unattended on the bar with a crowd around her. Don't we warn our daughters not to leave their drinks unattended lest they be spiked with a date rape drug?

[Voice for Peace]

19. I think that's why the SS guy* was whispering to her right before she picked it back up.

*or whoever he was.

[Beacool]

40. Who would have dared to touch her drink with all the SS around her? n/t

[KittyWampus]

81. Also, she gave in to peer pressure. She was offered a shot, declined but then changed her mind and

acquiesced when the crowd goaded her on.

[K Gardner]

8. Pretending to be a lush is no laughing matter.. I agree.

[Onlooker]

10. Is this crap for real?

This narrow judgmental garbage belongs on a website for the religious right. John Barleycorn must die!

[KittyWampus]

82. when you say NO to a shot and then go ahead and do one after be goaded into it by a bunch of guys

yes, there is a problem.

[CreekDog]

13. How big was the fish she said she'd caught?

:shrug:

and here's a picture of later that night: :puke:

[BlueStateGirl]

14. A shot and a beer is not heavy drinking. I have a pint and a shot

of Jameson nearly everynight when I am done work.

This article is bullshit.

[Jed Dilligan]

16. A pint of Jameson is my limit--I couldn't do one shot more than that

:evilgrin:

[BlueStateGirl]

20. LMAO. Remind me not to buy you a drink.

[Greyskye]

30. When you are "done work"?

Guess you just got off, eh? :evilgrin:

[BlueStateGirl]

34. "ing"... done working. And that doesn't include what I drink on the

job.

[Greyskye]

43. Heavy equipment operator?

Bartender? Cask quality control for Jameson?

I must be one of those "elite's" I keep reading about. A pint and a shot every day? My liver would divorce me.

Besides, I'm a single malt kinda guy. :evilgrin:

[BlueStateGirl]

47. Neurosurgeon. I manage a bar. I appreciate a good single

malt, two of my favs being Dalwhinnie and Balvenie. Unfortunately, I can't put them on my comp tab. For premium Irish Whiskey, the Bushmill's 1608 is lovely, as is the Jameson 18. There is also a infrequently stocked Irish Whiskey called Red Breast that I enjoy.

[Greyskye]

51. Dalwhinnie's a great choice

Haven't ever tried Balvenie that I can recall. Unless it was part of the whiskey tasting orgy that I indulged in when my divorce became final. :silly:

[BlueStateGirl]

55. If you get a chance , try the 15 year old, or 21 year old Portwood.

I only get to drink the 21 when we open a new bar. (3 or 4 times a year). It is a budget buster.

[Greyskye]

58. I'll keep those in mind

But it kind of sounds like I wouldn't be able to afford them. :rofl: Maybe if Hillary comes around here she'll buy a round for the house. ;)

[D23MIURG23]

109. I got a bottle of 21 as a grad present when I finished my BS.

Best whiskey ever.

[blossomstar]

46. true that. I thought the same thing.

[jettison]

56. I don't care for Hillary

... but I agree. Lame article. Burried for reaching. All politicians kiss babies, go bowling, whatever, to try to appear to be in touch with "the common man". Hillary has probably been building her drinking tolerance with boilermakers for months now, ever since she realized that she was going to lose the election. "Sweet, sweet liquor eases the pain."

[MagickMuffin]

15. She also likes to chug em down with McCaineyBush

I heard she can drink him under the table.

[The River]

17. It Could Not Be "Calculating"

Calculating would require math skills and "numbers".
They can't even comprehend simple percentages.
If they did, they would know it's all ready over for H.R.H. H.R.C.

I think it was just political wh*ring

[Arrowhead2k1]

18. Hillary setting a bad example for our children.

bahahaha.

[1776Forever]

21. Was she doing it to impress middle-aged men?

It doesn't really show me anything but a photo opportunity that never went anywhere but pull her down in my book. I don't think many women especially her age thought it was very smart of her to do.

Although we know about the vodka drinking contest she had with McCain a few years ago. Seems she likes her alcohol a little too much.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/29/washington/29rivals.html?pagewanted=print

July 29, 2006
2008 May Test Clinton’s Bond With McCain
By ANNE E. KORNBLUT

WASHINGTON, July 28 — Two summers ago, on a Congressional trip to Estonia, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton astonished her traveling companions by suggesting that the group do what one does in the Baltics: hold a vodka-drinking contest.

Delighted, the leader of the delegation, Senator John McCain, quickly agreed. The after-dinner drinks went so well — memories are a bit hazy on who drank how much — that Mr. McCain, an Arizona Republican, later told people how unexpectedly engaging he found Mrs. Clinton to be. “One of the guys” was the way he described Mrs. Clinton, a New York Democrat, to some Republican colleagues.

Mrs. Clinton and Mr. McCain went on to develop an amiable if professionally calculated relationship. They took more official trips together, including to Iraq. They worked together on the Senate Armed Services Committee and on the issue of global warming. They made a joint appearance last year on “Meet the Press,” interacting so congenially that the moderator, Tim Russert, joked about their forming a “fusion ticket.”

[goldcanyonaz]

23. She's of age, who the fuck cares.

[ecstatic]

24. Like a surreal scene from Girls gone wild: Silver Edition nt

[TheDonkey]

49. :::PUKE!!!:::

:rofl:

[hisownpetard]

59. Yeah - just puh-leeze don't let her go to New Orleans during Mardi Gras!!!!

[MoJoWorkin]

25. I am sure he will be called "sexist" now for his comments.

I am a woman, mother, and grandmother who made the very same arguments when the pics first came out. I said at that time I thought a lot of mothers would be disapproving due to the "role model" aspect of the former First Lady, and possible first woman President acting in such an manner. I also said I have a drink on occasion myself, and I didn't mind her drinking at an official function, etc.--but this was quite different.

I thought maybe it was just my Midwestern values showing.

I am happy to see that some fathers also don't like it, either.

[TexanDem]

26. kudos to dad! We MUST set positive examples to our children!

If Hillary wants to have the honor of being the first woman president and thereby a heroine to impressionable young girls, her lack of judgment to portray herself as a "good sport bar fly," especially when it's obvious it's just to garner favor, is dispicable. I have two granddaughters -- ages 12 and 3; and I can say proudly that is not the example of character that their parents are setting for them.

[musicblind]

27. Hmm

where i'm from... a bump usually refers to doing coke??? and not the cola ...

[TragedyandHope]

29. Hillary knows exactly what she's doing

She knows she's pandering with what she imagines will appeal to a certain demographic. She also knows that these kinds of antics will lose her some respect and some voters. I suppose she has calculated that the trade-off will end up balancing out in her favor. We'll see how that works out.

I had a similar conversation about Hillary as a role-model the other day.

[Raine]

31. Setting a bad example

plus obvious pandering to what she thinks will appeal to the "common" man.

[RiverStone]

101. Obvious pandering and poor planning

Gawd, what idiots are advising her?

[cbayer]

32. This is just stupid.

A single shot and a beer does not constitute heavy drinking in my book. They go to a pizza parlor, they eat pizza. They go to a bowling alley, they throw a ball. What kind of puritanical BS is this.

He compares her to his 12 and 14 year old daughters? Talks about grounding her? Compares her to someone running for Student Body President?

She's a grown-up and she's not an alcoholic. Give me a break. She was pandering, no doubt about it, but this kind of moral outrage makes my skin crawl.

[wrando]

33. crack

well liquor is legal unlike cocaine

heres to ya

bill from ct

[Zhade]

35. A concern, for sure, but I'm more disgusted with her constant proven lying.

NT!

[Cha]

36. Good for M.S. Bellows, Jr.!

There were some DUers pointing out hilary's

"drinking" here on Saturday

night and were roundly chastised for going there..

well, this man with daughers at a vulnerable age

has pointed out exactly why hilary

should not have gone there.



She's such a wanker.

[nichomachus]

37. Well-bred women do not drink shots of whiskey in public

They carry a pint in their purse, and drink it in the ladies' room stall.

[Vinca]

41. But she was trying to show her connection to the average guy. . .

with Crown Royal.:rofl:

[nichomachus]

45. Well, that is what the average guy drinks

when he's trying to act all elitist and everything

Now, if she had asked for a Maker's Mark . . .

[LiberalLovinLug]

99. Its imported whiskey....eh

Crown Royal

as in: Queen of the Commonwealth

as in: Canadian whiskey

What's she doing, putting good ole American whiskey workers out of a job by promoting imported products?



Not that I disapprove of the choice, having had a few shots myself up here in the Great White North eh.

[Cha]

42. It's a stupid thing to do..but when has hilary

showed a modicum of intelligence?

[LisaM]

39. What a load of crap

One boilermaker does not constitute heavy drinking. I know people like this guy. His kids will most likely be getting drunk on their friends parents' unlocked liquor cabinets well before they are eighteen.

[Beacool]

44. Talk about fake outrage!!!

The woman has one shot and a beer and she's now corrupting the youth of the nation?????

Unbelievable bullshit........

BTW, Hillary can drink and hold her liquor (go ask McCain who won the vodka contest in Estonia). Besides, Obama was seen drinking a beer recently, didn't see anything wrong with that either.

[burythehatchet]

50. tell her she'll never beacool, she's an ill-natured nerd.

[nichomachus]

53. You're partly right

Trying to be cool only works if you can carry it off. If you can't do it, don't try. It's like bowing to people when you're doing business in Japan. That's a very complicated process of who bows when and how deeply you bow. The best advice is, if you're not absolutely sure, don't try it, you'll get it wrong.

Speaking foreign languages is hard and, again, if you're not sure of what you're saying, don't do it. In Cambodia, there is only a slight difference in pronunciation between "Please help me" and "Fuck me hard." You want to be really careful of that one.

It's the same thing on the campaign trail. If you can't be cool, don't try it. You won't look cool and you'll open yourself to criticism. There's a fine line between being a good sport about something and looking stupid. Political instinct is when you know where that line is.

[Beacool]

64. Actually, she's not ill natured and she's very funny when not in public.

[nichomachus]

105. That's too bad

Getting elected is about how you behave when you are in public. If you can't put on a good public face, you have an uphill battle.

But, beyond that, you need to look at what you just wrote. You're saying that the Hillary we see on the campaign trail isn't authentic -- she's not being herself. That's one of the criticism's against her.

[VotesForWomen]

107. right, and we want a president who's 'cool.' jeezus. nt

[catgirl]

72. When she uses it as a publicity stunt, then yes

she is setting a very bad example. Doing a shot, followed by a chaser to
look cool reminds me of high school and college kids trying to fit in. That's
exactly what Hillary is doing here, and she looks stupid for it.

[LiberalLovinLug]

102. No problem with the boilmaker here

Its more the blatant and over the top transparency of the political opportunism. You expect every politician to play-act, (hold babies, put on hard hats, etc...) Obama did it when he had a beer with cameras rolling. Just like Kerry tried to do with his little hunting expedition in '04.

The problem is that she used it as an attack on her opponent. (You know, the one who is going to most likely lead the Democrats into the GE). To keep the "bitter" story alive, and paint her, the one who grew up in a far more 'elite' atmosphere than Obama, as "one of the people". Pathetically disingenuous.

[BlackVelvet04]

48. What a hypocrite....

Obama downed a beer while doing what could only jokingly be referred to as bowling.

[quickesst]

52. Obama.....

drank a beer in a sports bar, you know, where all the retired people gather, so that was ok. HRC doing a shot and a beer "To Impress The Cool Kids", is just made-up bullshit, or willful lying, take your choice. If Obama is such a wunderkid miracle worker, why do his supporters have to make shit up to bolster him? Why can't truth and the facts be enough for them? Obama supporters are doing to HRC what the repugs have been doing for years, and they think they're different, that because it's them, the same garbage somehow smells good. That they cannot recognize the bizarre resemblance should come as no surprise, and shows that republicans are not the only ones vulnerable to empty words wrapped in glitter. If he is elected president, I hope he turns out to be a good one. Noone can tell at this point, but there is around a fifty-fifty chance he will be. I'd simply rather wager on a proven winner. Thanks.
quickesst

[futureliveshere]

78. Ummm.. for HRC to be a proven winner, she has to WIN the nomination, which looks impossible now.

How do you reconcile to that?

[SammyWinstonJack]

87. ...

:thumbsup:

[BenDavid]

57. in the picture is there an under age child present? NO!

Did hrc say or encourage teen drinking? No.....

gee, did this person have this rant when obigot drank and the media reported it? NO......

[madmom]

60. Ok so now Hillary can only drink "women" drinks, give it a fucking break already, oops that

was not a "lady-like" thing to say. What a crock!

[Mithreal]

61. First time I have ever been glad most 'drugs' are illegal

Social drinking, yeah, I get it, she is not a perfect role model, but she is an adult. If the Senator became drunk that would be somewhat different. Women shouldn't be held to higher standards then men either. Remember in Vegas they held caucuses in casinos. Alcohol and gambling are legal but potentially morally questionable if not outrightly so. We have former drunkards and hardcore drug user(s) in the executive branch right now for goodness sake. Social drinking in the democratic party is still allowed, it seems silly to attack any of our candidates for such relatively innocent behavior.

If this were the worst a child sees on the news or the internet, then I count them very lucky. If my child were more concerned about the Senator's social drinking 'problem' then the crimes and murder that our current President has engineered then I would be worried about that child.

[AZ Criminal JD]

62. Keep your silly judgments to yourself.

You are using your daughters as some sort of shield to promote your version of how we should socialize. Pathetic.

[bigtree]

63. Obama did the same, guzzling beer

this 'dad' has a double standard

[Hoof Hearted]

66. along with most of the posters on this thread, who know damn well Obama did the same Beer-OP

[LiberalLovinLug]

103. The difference

is that one is a staged campaign photo-op, like hundreds we see from EVERY politician.

And the other is a crafted attack to keep the MSM 'is Obama an elitist?' spectacle alive, and contrastingly paint her as just 'a good ole boy'. Do you really think that that bar was on her itinerary before they dug out that Obama speech?

It would almost be acceptable, these dirty politics, if she were running neck and neck with Obama. The fact that she continues to harm the Democrat's obvious future nominee is unforgivable.

[nichomachus]

85. Obama sipped the beer -- which is what she should have done

In fact, I believe the news story referred to him as "nursing" a beer, which would imply taking a few sips and then putting it aside for a while. Had Hillary done the same thing, there would have been no story. As usual, she overreached. This has been the story of her campaign -- trying too hard and still missing the mark.

[AZ Criminal JD]

104. Who put you in charge of telling us how to drink?

[Catherine Vincent]

67. Huff Post is nothing but shit in their anti-Clinton crap.

Lame.

[Imagevision]

68. As the saying goes: there comes a time when you start drinking or... you stop drinking

Hillary looks like she could use a hit or two right now especially with bill running around doing his own thing to regain the WH.

[AX10]

69. This is why they are called the nutroots!

They are now trying to make an issue out of a this? :eyes:

[zulchzulu]

70. I can't wait to see her cry in her beer when she drops out

:rofl:

[ORDem]

71. Well, it was her typical pandering, but she really didn't drink a boilermaker.

Only boilermaker I've ever had or seen anyone drink is the one where you drop the shot (glass and all) in the beer mug and chug the combo (trying not to swallow the shot glass of course). I only saw her take one pull on the beer and sip the shot. Did she actually finish them both?

[nichomachus]

84. No, that's not right

A boilermaker is a shot with a beer chaser. What you're referring to is called a "depth charge," which is a version of a boilermaker.

Yes, she did turn the shotglass bottom-up

[indimuse]

73. It's alright..It's alright ..It's alright..............COCAIN! and a Blunt...Obama..

STFU!!! RW nonsense!!!!!

[rodeodance]

74. WHEN IS GOING TO BE OUTRAGED ABOUT OBAMA DRINKING BEER???????

[taterguy]

75. If Hillary makes your kids drink then you're not a very good parent.

I wasn't supporting Hillary until I saw this thread.

I might vote for her just to spite folks who think that "protecting" children is a good excuse to restrain behavior that adults enjoy.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

77. Yikes. Big, tough, "father knows best" Daddy lectures the naughty girl, Hillary.

:scared: of that sanctimonious tone.

When he says he would disapprove of "my daughters" drinking so of course why should he feel any different about Sen. Clinton,(a grown woman who's probably older than him) it gave me the heebie jeebies. Try as he might to equate them, Sen. Clinton does not "belong" to him, he has no say in what she does. Seems he's a bit frustrated by that fact.

What IS it about this paternalistic streak that so many men are projecting at Sen. Clinton? As if none of us ladies ever should be without the guidance and discipline from father figures...She deserves to be GROUNDED? Really?

Creepy, weird.

[Lilith Velkor]

108. I feel bad for his daughters

Adolescence is tough enough *without* having a sexist jerk for a father.

[Name removed]

79. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

80. Your remark is demeaning. The dad in the article better hope his daughters end up far away

from you.

[kevinmc]

88. I would be more worried about them being interns and Clinton roaming the White House ....n/t

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

90. It's all about sex, for you, when speaking of women.

Charming.

What will your next sexual innuendo be when discussing Sen. Clinton?

I'm sure you're loads of fun at the strip joint.

[kevinmc]

91. Lighten up .... Don't want you falling off your "High Horse". n/t

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

93. Yay, a non sexual innunendo post!

:applause: I knew you had it in you!

[kevinmc]

95. You'r welcome... now we need to work on keeping Bill Clinton out of the White House. .n/t

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

96. Or young women away from you!

on edit: Mr. Lapdance.

:hi:

[kevinmc]

97. I do all right and all are legal age ..... thanks for asking. n/t

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

98. LOL.

I'm sure you offer much in the way of something. :shrug:

:-)

[Why Syzygy]

86. I choose foolishly calculating.

It did give one an odd feel.

[Jamastiene]

89. I like a woman who can drink liquor.

Big deal. So what? Woop-de-do. Hillary drank a shot. I fail to see scandal here. :shrug:

[indio55555]

92. Rap video is next......

OG Hillabi&%ch and Billy Bob in stores 4/22/08.

[GoldieAZ49]

94. Dad needs to grow up nt

He is setting a whinyass example for his kids, he is their role model

[Pisces]

100. She is no example for my 2 daughters either.

[VotesForWomen]

106. golly; a politician did something political. O would never do that. he's 'different.' jeezus christ,

and O folks wonder why people call them cultists.

[Depressed Since 2000]

110. I saw her take a sip of the shot. She didn't down it. She showed how to drink responsibly.