No Surprise: Hillary Clinton Was Smearing Candidates Long Before Trump Entered The Picture
[guest post by Dana]
At a rally yesterday, Trump took questions from the audience. A man discussed Muslims and President Obama:
“We have a problem in this country and it’s called Muslims. We know our current president is one. You know he’s not even an American–” the man asked Trump.
Trump laughs: “We need this question? This first one?”
The man continued, “We have training camps growing where they want to kill us. That’s my question. When can we get rid of them?”
As you can imagine, Trump is being excoriated by the usual suspects for not challenging the man’s comments.
Enter Hillary Clinton, who finds Trump’s passivity in this “disturbing”:
“Donald Trump not denouncing false statements about POTUS & hateful rhetoric about Muslims is disturbing, & just plain wrong. Cut it out. -H”
She elaborated at a townhall today:
I was appalled, and as you may know, quickly put out a tweet expressing the — the great disappointment with that kind of rhetoric, and calling on him and anybody else who is seeking the highest office of the land to start behaving like a president, to show respect and to stand up for the truth. He knew or he should have known that what that man was asking was not only way out of bounds, it was untrue, and he should have, from the beginning, repudiated that kind of rhetoric, that level of hatefulness in a questioner in an audience that he was appearing before.
Let’s find out. Let’s see what he does. I think that his taking a time-out to think hard about what happened last night, what he did not call out or repudiate at the time gives him the chance to express his regret about that kind of behavior and those sorts of comments in one of his political events. I hope he does.
Contrary to Hillary’s suggestion that a conscience-stricken Trump was sitting in the corner in his timeout chair, his staff said that he cancelled an appearance at the Heritage Foundation in order to close a business deal. For Hillary, though, it was a convenient opportunity to play her hand, even though it was pretty easy to see her cards:
What they’re trying to do is create a mind-set among everybody, including Trump’s supporters, that he’s hiding. They want Trump to have to come out and respond to them. They want Trump to respond to this. That puts him on the defensive. That’s what they want. They want him to apologize. They’re bullying Trump. That’s exactly what this is right now. This is a giant combination.
Look, Republicans and Democrats joining forces, the club, the establishment, tried to bully the guy. They want him to come out and respond to what they’re saying, which they hope puts him on the defensive here. They don’t think they’re rattling him. What they want is for his supporters, which you claim you’re now a new one, they want you thinking he’s afraid to show his face today.
It’s not automatic that his numbers are gonna go up. He’s got to do what he’s always done if the numbers are gonna go up. What has he always done? He’s always doubled down. Every time one of these things happens where they expect an apology he’s done the exact opposite. He has doubled down. Trump will be finished in a week if he responds to this in an apologetic way or in any way that appears, makes it look like he is behaving in a way demanded by all of these critics: Hillary, Christie, Grahamnesty, media, you name it.
You know, it’s funny how Clinton can put on that mantle of righteous indignation with such ease and familiarity in spite of the putrid stench of hypocrisy wafting from her pores. But that’s what comes from not having a functioning moral compass and conscience:
And, take note: a professional politician always plants a tiny seed of doubt: Eh, maybe he’s not a Muslim, maybe he is, I mean, how can we really know, Steve??….
I’m not a Trump fan or supporter and I do not want him to become our next president, but in this, I wholeheartedly hope he doesn’t apologize, doesn’t fall in line, and that he doubles down. It’s a good feeling to see the MSM, the Democrats and the Republican elites all froth at the mouth as they realize Trump is beyond their control. Frankly, I’d like to see more Republican politicians resistant to these sorts of pressures, and to make their own decisions about whether and when they should apologize or whether they should retract a statement.
(Images via Twitter)
–Dana
UPDATE BY PATTERICO: I am not personally impressed by the contention that Hillary supposedly cast a lot of doubt on Obama’s Christianity in that last clip. I saw Allahpundit raise the issue twice today at Hot Air, watched the clip expecting a “for all I know” inflection — insinuating maybe Obama is a Muslim. What I saw instead was a clip where she repeatedly denounces the idea of Obama as a Muslim, ending with a “for all I know” inflection after being asked the question a second time. I can’t stand this woman and don’t give her the benefit of any doubt, but I am underwhelmed with this argument.
Hello.
Dana (86e864) — 9/18/2015 @ 6:47 pmWait, I thought being a Muslim was supposed to awesome. Why would Trump apologize for a third party accusing someone of awesomeness? I;m confused…
Gazzer (058c87) — 9/18/2015 @ 7:04 pmto “be”..
Gazzer (058c87) — 9/18/2015 @ 7:05 pmGreetings:
Not log ago, Hillary Clinton went after Donald Trump saying something to the effect the he should stop cherishing women, which, of course, based on her husband’s previous behavior she should certainly know something about.
11B40 (6abb5c) — 9/18/2015 @ 7:19 pmif electing Trump comes to symbolize a swift and meaningful kick to nasty nasty hillary’s potentially historic geriatric hoobastank
oh my goodness
he’ll become unstoppable among gods and men
mrs. bill herpes clinton needs to be very careful what she wishes for
putrid stench of hypocrisy wafting from her what
and now billy joe mcallister’s jumped off the tallahatchie bridge
happyfeet (831175) — 9/18/2015 @ 7:29 pmThe Donald: I may have been mistaken about Obama being a moslem but I just haven’t met many Presbyterians with the name Barack Hussein Obama, educated in a madras in the moslem country of Indonesia and who opined that the moslem call to prayer is the sweetest sound on earth, have you?
Rev. Barack Hussein Hoagie (f4eb27) — 9/18/2015 @ 7:30 pmAnd I know a sh!t load of Presbyterians.
UPDATE BY PATTERICO: I am not personally impressed by the contention that Hillary supposedly cast a lot of doubt on Obama’s Christianity in that last clip. I saw Allahpundit raise the issue twice today at Hot Air, watched the clip expecting a “for all I know” inflection — insinuating maybe Obama is a Muslim. What I saw instead was a clip where she repeatedly denounces the idea of Obama as a Muslim, ending with a “for all I know” inflection after being asked the question a second time. I can’t stand this woman and don’t give her the benefit of any doubt, but I am underwhelmed with this argument.
Patterico (fecd9b) — 9/18/2015 @ 7:37 pmI almost posted on this myself but my “I don’t care” attitude took over. I’m glad Dana did because it gives me a chance to easily tack on my unwelcome view on the subject, at the end of a post that will make most people happier anyway.
Patterico (fecd9b) — 9/18/2015 @ 7:38 pmI was about to post the following scintillating post:
Dana’s post raises the first issue, and the second one will no doubt come up in a thread about Muslim this and Muslim that. This post saves me the need to put up such a lackluster post when I obviously don’t care about any of this.
Probably just a mood I’m in.
Patterico (fecd9b) — 9/18/2015 @ 7:39 pmmuslims are cool beans at least the ones i know but hillary – Hillary! – is a gross and shriveled hateful thing what the sewers rejected what the sewers disallowed
this grips me more than woulda muddy old river or reclining buddha
happyfeet (831175) — 9/18/2015 @ 7:43 pmWhat is interesting is effendi el hassan, seems to be some sort of provocateur on these sorts of things, considering past history.
narciso (ee1f88) — 9/18/2015 @ 7:48 pmBut were in another last gasp moment, as if these things matter, when he doesn’t even make a statement.
narciso (ee1f88) — 9/18/2015 @ 7:53 pmSo Hillary! calls for candidates for the Presidency to stand up for the truth.
Gramps, the original (bc022b) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:01 pmThat’s rich. Ha.
What happened to daleyrocks?
Patterico (fecd9b) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:04 pmObama is undeniably the leader of the pro-choice party. The pro-choice doctrine is founded on selective and even variable principles that included denigration of individual dignity, debasement of human life, and, lately, congruence with a politically-motivated modulus that arbitrarily excludes diverse orientations and behaviors. The pro-choice cult is objectively a greater threat to to both civil and human rights, and is literally an unprecedented threat to “planned” human lives.
How many human beings has the Islamic State tortured, dismembered, decapitated, harvested and trafficked?
The exposure of a pro-choice cult in liberal societies was a teachable moment for the most extreme Muslims.
n.n (bfd2d2) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:08 pmHillary’s camp back in 08 was the progenitor of the whole “He is a Muslim” kerfuffle.
Gazzer (058c87) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:11 pmHow?
Patterico (fecd9b) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:15 pmThe interesting thing is legum of think progress was the head of her crack research stuff and he really came up with bubpkis.
narciso (ee1f88) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:19 pmIt began here. Symbolic heads rolled.
Gazzer (058c87) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:21 pmhttp://dailycaller.com/2015/09/18/hillary-slams-trump-for-not-denouncing-obama-muslim-question-but-what-she-did-in-2008-was-worse-photos/
My attitude about Trump vs. Hillary is “One of them is going to lose”. As long as it doesn’t spill over onto the rest of the GOP lineup. That would be the meaningful damage.
As for Obama being a Muslim … maybe about as much as he is a Christian. Seriously, not snark. I imagine he wants to honor both his paternal and maternal heritage without a deep faith in either religion.
nk (dbc370) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:25 pmWell he did say the Muslim call to prayer was the sweetest sound ever. Prolly apart from the door closing after Moochelle…
Gazzer (058c87) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:31 pmObama’s god is Obama.
kishnevi (31ba4e) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:32 pmAnd I suspect similar statements apply to Hillary and Donald.
I think Hillary! worships whatever focus groups best at that instant.
Gazzer (058c87) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:34 pm#2
Rush was making that point today. It may be inaccurate but why is it HATEFUL to say he’s a Muslim? What if someone had said he’s a Catholic, Mormon etc?
Gerald A (949d7d) — 9/18/2015 @ 8:40 pmWhat did happen to Daley and elissa? Inoticed that a few weeks back.
On that question/questioner, I think it was a plant and Trump was a moron for not simply giving a snort and saying “next question, please”
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 9/18/2015 @ 9:02 pmColonel, he could have said, “Of course we know he is a Christian. He went to the black separatist Jeremiah (God d*mn America) Wright’s church for over 20 years.”
Gazzer (058c87) — 9/18/2015 @ 9:05 pmWell, I hope this post isn’t lackluster! Anyway, I haven’t read Allahpundit’s post, but mostly what interests me in this story is the strategies at play, and how the Republican guard is essentially working with Hillary and the MSM to move the stubborn impediment out of the way. Strange bedfellows and all that. He’s really causing a mess. And they’re getting tired of this and yet still can’t quite figure out how to successfully take him out. The whole Hillary-pot-meet-kettle is pretty typical for her.
Dana (86e864) — 9/18/2015 @ 9:17 pmWell he kind of did that, ‘ this is your first question, we’ll find this had little impact like all his other faux pas that were meant to be fatal.
narciso (ee1f88) — 9/18/2015 @ 9:26 pmCol. Haiku @ 25,
That was my first thought, too, and in fact, originally suggested it in the post (but took it out because of length and I couldn’t find a place for it to fit). But yes, a plant.
Strange that the first question was that, but also the crude commentary was so exaggerated and extreme, it sounded forced and disjointed. Intentionally jarring. Effectively so.
I also noticed that the Huffington Post wrote Trump’s comment without a question mark: We need this question. vs. We need this question? It gives it an entirely different meaning.
Dana (86e864) — 9/18/2015 @ 9:32 pmThis smells like something Rove would cook up with the chamber of crimalein commerce.
mg (31009b) — 9/18/2015 @ 10:10 pmIn 2008, Hillary’s campaign leaked the Obama is a Muslim story.
DRJ (521990) — 9/19/2015 @ 6:18 amSigh. But that was different, DRJ.
Remember the title of Hitchen’s book about the Clintons?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_One_Left_to_Lie_To
Apparently that is never true in our nation today.
Simon Jester (28a3da) — 9/19/2015 @ 6:49 amAnd he has a good rejoinder, ignoring the squirrels.
narciso (ee1f88) — 9/19/2015 @ 8:51 amhmmm
pepsi if you remember went down on its knees for obama in the most sloppy and servile way possible
coke didn’t
happyfeet (831175) — 9/19/2015 @ 9:14 amAhmed’s clock looked more like a bomb than a pop tart looks like a gun.
JD (3b5483) — 9/19/2015 @ 9:41 amIt’s perfectly acceptable to suspend a student for having a confederate flag on their tshirt, or on their truck, in the south.
JD (3b5483) — 9/19/2015 @ 10:24 amJD, did you see this? I don’t think the young man built the clock.
http://blogs.artvoice.com/techvoice/2015/09/17/reverse-engineering-ahmed-mohameds-clock-and-ourselves/
I think that was why he was odd about it.
Sigh.
Narrative again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKjPI6no5ng
Simon Jester (c8876d) — 9/19/2015 @ 10:35 amWhen it comes to The One, telling the truth no matter how true it is and no matter who you are is now considered smearing.
But at this point Obama loves it. It covers for his complete and utter incompetence and failure.
Bugg (fa64ec) — 9/19/2015 @ 7:36 pm