December 7, 2014

How Hillary Clinton turns "a crashing banality" into something "highly controversial."

On Fox News Sunday this morning, reacting to Hillary's statement about "Showing respect even for one's enemies, trying to understand and insofar as psychologically possible empathize with their perspective and point of view, helping to define the problems to determine the solutions":
George Will: The English language is not Hillary Clinton's close friend. She's just not a fluent speaker. And we're going to have a lot of experience with these — we've had it already, we're going to have a lot more going forward. She thinks — what she was saying was a crashing banality in the most artless way possible, she's saying we ought to try and understand the other guy, get inside his mind, understand his motivation. Fine, that's how you say it. Instead she had to talk about a kind of gaseous new-age rhetoric about respect and empathy and all of this. She was saying nothing particularly controversial, but she was saying it in an unfortunate way.

Brit Hume: She meant to say something uncontroversial and ended up saying something highly controversial, just as she did a few weeks ago when she said you know, don't let anybody tell you that it's businesses and corporations that create jobs....

62 comments:

rhhardin said...

she's saying we ought to try and understand the other guy

English is not George Will's friend.

Try to, not try and.

Wilbur said...

Let's play fill-in-the-blank.

I'm ready for Hillary to ________

Original Mike said...

"don't let anybody tell you that it's businesses and corporations that create jobs...."

The Commerce Department ceates jobs, doesn't it?

Fritz said...

The amnesty is creating 1000 new jobs for rubber stamping paperwork. Up to $150,000. Now that's job creation!

Michael K said...

She should just say "OODA loop" and everybody would understand.

Gasbag.

Plus, I doubt she has ever heard of Boyd.

Jupiter said...

"Showing respect even for one's enemies, trying to understand and insofar as psychologically possible empathize with their perspective and point of view, helping to define the problems to determine the solutions"

You have to wonder what the stupid cow thinks the word "enemies" means. Enemies are people who define us as the problem, and have determined that the solution is killing us. Insert Godwin here.

traditionalguy said...

Men study their enemy the better to surprise the SOB.

Hillary wants to let women voters know as a woman President she will study the enemy to make friends with them.

Once ISIL is invited to Washington they will know wemean them no harm.

Hillary wants to try Mars Attack again and being a empathetic woman she will do it right this time.

Original Mike said...

How is this different than Obama's approach to foreign policy? Isn't 6 years of failure enough for Hillary to understand the premise is flawed?

Ann Althouse said...

In casual speech, "try and understand" is a colloquial way to say: try to understand and actually understand.

Jeff said...

Jumbled verbosity happens when stupid people try to appear to be smart.

Birkel said...

Comments like these of Hillary's are why I preferred her over Obama and McCain in 2008. The opposition to Hillary and her lack of political skill would have made her less dangerous.

Instead we got Obama, the unmitigated rolling disaster.

Phil 314 said...

But she (and women) is due.

Hagar said...

"Try and ..." is wrong, even if the Brits do it too.

Anonymous said...

To George Will and all GOP supporters:

When you write or talk about Hillary, please have some consideration to use this language form:

The likely POTUS Hillary R. Clinton said ….

It is vital that you respect her path. The White House belongs to the Clintons. Get used to it.

walter said...

She seems to be taking the heat off of Biden lately.
But she has a bit of Bill's Teflon, nonetheless. I mean..how many politicos could do the "I aint no wayzz tyrreed" bit and survive.

The Drill SGT said...

Michael K said...
She should just say "OODA loop" (Observe/Orient/Decide/Analyze) and everybody would understand.


respectfully, no. I understand your point, but empathizing with the enemy doesn't really play much in any of the OODA phases. The closest I could fit it would be in the 'observe' phase, but their it's buried inside of analysis of the unfolding circumstances, e.g. what's he likely do do?

Showing respect even for one’s enemies. Trying to understand, in so far as psychologically possible, empathize with their perspective and point of view. Helping to define the problems, determine the solutions. That is what we believe in the 21st century will change — change the prospects for peace.

she's not talking about for example empathizing with Muslims, she's talking about 'feeling the pain' in ISIS, or AQ.

As Will said, it's way too touchy feely for me. When I see an enemy, all I need to feel is the recoil...

pm317 said...

When ISIS is the number one enemy, I don't know why she says things like that and gets into these types of situation where even her detractors are too tired to make hay with it.

Joe Schmoe said...

Without attribution, I would've guessed that John Kerry said that.

The Drill SGT said...

pm317 said...
When ISIS is the number one enemy, I don't know why she says things like that and gets into these types of situation where even her detractors are too tired to make hay with it.


She gets there because you really can only say ISIS in polite progressive land. You can't say, NORKs, or Chinks, or Russkies or Iranians, or generic Islamics...

Ignorance is Bliss said...

The English language is not Hillary Clinton's close friend.

If I remember correctly, she didn't do so well with russian either.

glenn said...

Hillary can always plead "Boomer"

Michael said...

That hissing sound you hear is the air going out of the balloon.

Lance said...

So Clinton is this election cycle's Romney?

pm317 said...

What I meant to say with my previous comment was that ISIS is perhaps our biggest enemy now.. and she is talking about enemies (in general), respect and empathy for them and none of that applies to ISIS (in most people's mind). She should be aware of how her platitudes will apply to the current context. It is frustrating that she does not seem to think of it. She is an INTJ and she takes a lot of mental shortcuts -- what is obvious to her is not for many and certainly, her detractors will pretend that they don't get it and try to make hay.

madAsHell said...

The English language is not her friend?? How kind.

Look at the video. She was taking that comment from her notes on the podium. That was a very intentional comment....and I think it was aimed at women.

Paul said...

“What difference, at this point, does it make?” .

“Don’t let anybody tell you it’s corporations and businesses create jobs."

"Trying to understand, in so far as psychologically possible, empathize with their perspective and point of view."

"I remember landing under sniper fire."

"vast right-wing conspiracy against my husband"

I guess she needs a 'reset button'.

Duh....

The Godfather said...

OK, try this. Bill Clinton was our first Black President. Barack Obama is our first Woman President. Can we stop with the Firsts now and elect somebody because we think he/she/it can do the job properly?

Levi Starks said...

It's just like when the talking heads explain what Sarah Palin really means.

George M. Spencer said...

On August 11, 1945, Truman in a letter to the head of the General Council of Churches defended his decision to use nuclear weapons by writing:

"The only language they seem to understand is the one we have been using to bombard them...When you have to deal with a beast you have to treat him as a beast. It is most regrettable but nevertheless true."

Plain talk, good man.

Roadkill said...

HRC's propensity to say controversial things is not a problem with fluency; rather, it suggests a lack of rigor in her thinking - and it also highlights the fact that she has poor political instincts.

pm317 said...

rather, it suggests a lack of rigor in her thinking

I don't doubt that it looks like that for you but people who have actually worked with her have found her mental rigor to be beyond reproach.

richard mcenroe said...

Maybe she should sit down with Joe Biden and get some speaking tips...or Wendy Davis...or Landrieu...

richard mcenroe said...

"Barack Obama is our first Woman President."

Being Vladimir Putin's bitch does not qualify you to be a woman.

SteveR said...

She's not very good, maybe at the Rose Law Firm, but otherwise its wishful thinking and Bill's coattails. The MSM has already gone all in and nothing like watching your pocket aces getting beat by three sevens.

Martha said...

Go back and read Hillary's Wellesley 1969 commencement speech. Same sort of gobbledygook. I was there and got to hear it in person.

Steven Wilson said...

It's not enough that her claim to the nomination and the office seems to rest on her being the first woman, we are expected for the second time in eight years to accept as an article of faith that she is brilliant. Not as brilliant as Obama who we were assured has IQ that is off the charts, but by God right up there.

I still say if she hadn't married Bill Clinton she would have been lucky to rise above the level of country commissioner in a yellow dog democrat country in the formerly Yellow Dog Democrat state of West Virginia.

Like the current incumbent, there's no there there.

walter said...

If she gets that pant crease right....

David said...

Gibbertyspeak. But when you spend a lifetime lying and hiding lies, and allowing others to lie for you, perhaps you tend to lose the capacity for clear and direct expression.

Annie said...

The Clinton Foundation is taking in millions from our enemies. She represents the highest bidder. Women under those misogynist regimes, be damned.

Michael K said...

"When I see an enemy, all I need to feel is the recoil..."

Well, feeling his pain as the projectile hits would put you in touch with your inner Muslim.

Kansas City said...

What everyone is missing is that Hillary was speaking for prepared text about a subject - "smart diplomacy" -- that she has been referring to without an explanation for six years. She finally constructed a definition and it turned out to be this gibberish. Respect and empathize with your enemies. Yeah, ISIA, Al Quaeda, Syria and Russia - that's what we need to do.

Annie said...

To be more specific, she is taking millions from the same regimes who sponsor terror.....ISIS being one of them. She will not say anything to upset her benefactors.

averagejoe said...

Smrat Power!

Rusty said...

Vote for the yenta in 2016!

Vet66 said...

Easy to be empathetic and "feel the pain" of those who have no respect for life or women who happen to carry life to term. They want us dead because we are infidels, non-believers, apostates. They have a fatwa out against us and take great pleasure in cutting off our heads. I feel understanding for their insanity by preparing to answer in kind should the situation arise.

damikesc said...

I don't doubt that it looks like that for you but people who have actually worked with her have found her mental rigor to be beyond reproach.

You mean people sucking up to her for a job think she's great?

I'm stunned.

Has she ever employed a non yes-man to her staff?

Unknown said...

Blogger Phil 3:14, the comment that she is due is kind of unfortunate; what is her due date?

Unknown said...

Nice sentiment (albeit ineptly phrased), but it has been widely expressed in "scientific" terms that liberals are congenitally unable to understand the perspective of bitter clingers.

Clyde said...

Silly me. When I read Hillary's words, I thought she was talking about Republicans, rather than Muslim terrorists. Yeah, I know, she has to draw a line somewhere.

Todd said...

When I read that phrase of her's my first assumption was that she was talking about the right.

pm317 said... [hush]​[hide comment]
What I meant to say with my previous comment was that ISIS is perhaps our biggest enemy now.. and she is talking about enemies (in general), respect and empathy for them and none of that applies to ISIS (in most people's mind). She should be aware of how her platitudes will apply to the current context. It is frustrating that she does not seem to think of it. She is an INTJ and she takes a lot of mental shortcuts -- what is obvious to her is not for many and certainly, her detractors will pretend that they don't get it and try to make hay.

12/7/14, 8:04 PM


Who says she is an INTJ and even if she is, why is that offered as any kind of excuse for what she says or does? Also, what you call mental shortcuts is more likely mental lapses.

She can be shrewd but don't confuse that with being highly intelligent (I did not mean to say she is stupid because she is not, she is just no genius like some are trying to make her out to be).

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

Has anyone else noticed that the Executive Branch refers to that Muslim entity as "ISIL," and exactly no one else does? I can't understand this, unless an acronym containing "the Levant" sounds less scary than one containing "Syria," which is a place we're determined not to think about -- or, worse yet, "Islamic State," which we're really determined not to think about. But, really, no one else uses "ISIL." On Sunday talk shows, you see it played out live: Administration spokesman says "ISIL," media interviewer says "ISIS." Weird.

Skeptical Voter said...

Will has it right. Hillary is "gaseous".

And the thought of Hillary as President makes ne "nauseous"

Rick M said...

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

Has anyone else noticed that the Executive Branch refers to that Muslim entity as "ISIL," and exactly no one else does?

I attribute it to Ebama stating that Al-Qaeda had been vanquished, ISIL is not directly linked to Al-Qaeda while ISIS can be linked. (In his mind, in any case)

Known Unknown said...

Oh, it's just another one of those Hillaryisms.

walter said...

I bet there was some discussion on whether they could drop the "I" or substitute with another vowel. Maybe 'SIL for for short...

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

When has Hilary! ever exhibited empathy and understanding for the views of her domestic "enemies"? She is too much like Obama, always straw-manning the Republicans and arguing against the caricature that he imagines the Right is. It's only our true, sworn, wish-us-dead enemies that he is willing to treat with soft gloves (over his nicotine stained fingers), while our allies get the back of his hand.

Why is Israel the only country he is presently considering placing sanctions on? Not Russia. Not Iran. Not the Norks. Israel.

She and her "smart power" will just continue the same policies Obama and :"Samantha Power" have employed for six years.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant = ISIL

See my post above for why Obama prefers this version with "Levant" in ISIS's acronym.

Unknown said...

She is a lawyer, right? *ducks*

ken in tx said...

"And the thought of Hillary as President makes me "nauseous"".

No, Hillary is nauseous. You are nauseated.

Clyde said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Opinh Bombay said...

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the
result of a hundred battles"

Sun Tzu
The Art Of War

If we are talking about empathy for the enemy so we can crush them and listen to the lamentations of their women and children, then I'm with Hillary. What? Oh. Never mind.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Or put in a less elevated fashion, Sgt, if knowing their culture or the Koran or whatever helps me know whether they're going to go left or right past the doorway, so I know where to shoot through the wall; or how to insult them so they pop their heads up over the parapet so I can shoot them, that's ok by me. I'm fine with that kind of sensitivity and empathy and insight. I'd be really glad to know what makes them tick so that I know what to hold at risk. loving them and what not, not so much.