Can Clinton Run Out the Clock?

From POLITICO

Hillary Clinton’s run-out-the-clock strategy

The Democrat aims to ignore the email and Foundation controversies, seeing a shrinking calendar as her friend.

For gawd's sake, no press conferences, and no discussions with anyone who fancies him or herself a journalist:

She is not planning on sitting for another televised armchair confessional to rehash regrets about a private email server. Nor is the campaign setting up the kind of war room employed last year to discredit a book that aimed to expose a quid-pro-quo relationship between Clinton Foundation donors and State Department officials.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/hillary-clinton-trump-email-strate...
Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook

At least this is consistent with everything else she's been doing, no? Scandals right and left? Ignore them. Quip on teevee about having a pulse and letting America see what's in the Area 51 files. Running the free world is just a job - don't bother your pretty little head about it. Hillary's got things covered. Move on and go about your day.

What Clinton thinks Clinton needs to focus on is (wait for it...): FUNDRAISING. I know...that's a shocker.

According to this piece, the campaign strategy at this point is to ignore whatever bombshell releases come out, don't respond AND CERTAINLY DON'T LET HILLARY RESPOND so that she makes more gaffes about it, raise money, and let Trump keep sticking his foot in his mouth. Hillary says anything related to emails is a sham, and the campaign thinks that Americans are sick of hearing about any of it and nothing being released will stick. Smile, nod, and move forward. Here's the crux of the article:

It's a strategy borne, in part, of a belief held deeply by Hillary Clinton herself the email controversy is a fake scandal and that voters are as sick of it as the candidate herself — and by the profound weaknesses of Clinton's opponent.

Right there is an example of crossing the line from delusional into sociopathy in my book (as happens in so many areas). It's simply not a problem or a scandal or any big deal for her to run the Department of State with an eye to specifically serving those who contribute to the Foundation. It just isn't.

If it were a politician with any other surname, the media and the public would be aghast at the brazenness and the exploitation. How is it that we're acting like this is no big deal?

They had eight years to put their deflection systems in place between election cycles, and they did a masterful job, hands down. But I still don't think they can hold off EVERYTHING. I think the dam breaks in October. I don't know what happens then - I don't think she makes it all the way until November before folks notice the empress has no clothes.

We'll see.

NOTE: The Ad POLITICO is running on the article is for a Trump Gold card which has a person's name underneath "Make American Great Again." The price has been slashed from $200 to just $49. No comment.

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Ken in MN's picture

...Republican'ts will prosecute and persecute President Hillary Clinton for running the same scam that Bu$hCo ran for eight years and that Republican'ts in the House have run since 1994. And while we're all distracted by the circus sideshow, the Neocons and Neoliberals will be colluding to rob us further and blow up the world...

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I want my two dollars!

Citizen Of Earth's picture

That massive ATM machine (aka the White House) is just 70 days away now. And all the Bernistas are pre-occupied with Our Revolution activities.

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Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.

riverlover's picture

country? The best definition of corruption must be the view of those not gifted.

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Note the timing mentioned on this new arrival in my inbox, as the vultures move in for the literal kill as the favoured corporate Presidential selection is being cheated in .

I'll make it quick: the lawsuit that could take down Canadian public healthcare goes to trial in less than 3 weeks. Thousands of SumOfUs members have chipped in already to fight this, will you join them? Even a few coins will go a long way.
Donate now
Thanks for all that you do,
Angus, Emma, and the team at SumOfUs

A corporation filed a lawsuit to take down Canadian medicare that goes to trial in less than 3 weeks. If it wins, it could replace our precious public healthcare system with a US-style system -- and open the door to international private insurance companies.

We can’t allow that to happen. Will you chip in CA$1 to save public healthcare now?

Nobody has, or can claim to have, any right to gain public office in any democracy - by definition belonging to the people - and try to use some excuse of privately made agreements to unconstitutionally and illegally alter the country they've sworn to serve to a corporate-fascist-run slave state and the people they are to be of, by and for to very disposable slaves to suffer and live in their service or die miserably if replaceable/not required.

The country and government of each country belong to The People who inhabit it, not to transitory public servants or those who would destroy them and life/oxygen production on the planet for (very short-term, since minimum wage laws will be removed as well, and virtually no-one will have money to survive) maximized profits and pollution.

Vote against evil - vote non-corporate Green, for all of our lives.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Phoebe Loosinhouse's picture

American style for-profit private insurance is HELL and they (Canadians) would be the biggest, saddest fools in the world if they allow TPTB to rob them of their current system which is FAR superior. This is a textbook example of corporate profit being more important than the actual lives and welfare of citizens impacted by these evil trade pacts which rob nations and citizens of their sovereignty.

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" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "

lunachickie's picture

we're not all tied up with "Our Revolution". We're kinda busy working for Jill Stein.

Other than that? Agreed Smile

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Citizen Of Earth's picture

Thanks.

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Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.

538

Clinton is earning 41 percent, on average, with young voters. In both 2008 and 2012, by contrast, Barack Obama won at least 60 percent of these voters, according to the American National Election Studies (ANES).

But it’s not that younger voters like Trump. Quite the opposite: Only 20 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds across the five surveys say they’ll vote for him. If that held, it would be the worst performance by a major party nominee among voters under 30 since at least 1952, according to the ANES.

Capture_0.PNG

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Anja Geitz's picture

Why Johnson is polling better than Stein?

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

Sanders supporters, and that's on top of republicans that aren't voting for Trump.

Plus, I'd say that Libertarians are more established as a 3rd party than the Greens. And Johnson & Weld, both having held major elected state offices probably have a little more name recognition, more experience running a campaign, and better infrastructure.

Do they have any deep pocket libertarians backing them? The Green Party obviously doesn't have deep pockets backing it.

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(And this makes their ticket, I submit, the most qualified ticket in the race. LOL) I will also venture one further thought - Republicans (esp. libertarian types and tea party types) are more likely to "walk" if they are displeased with their party than Democrats. Too many Democrats strike me as "sheepy" - readily herded around by their party elites no mater how much those elites shit on them.

It's funny that during all of those years on TOP, I always heard posters saying that Republicans inevitably move in lockstep with the demands of the elite of their party. I now think that this is a clear case of projection.

While I am leaning Stein, I am open to voting for Johnson. Here's why. I strongly agree with about half of his platform (personal freedom and an end to foreign adventurism) and strongly disagree with the other half (unfettered capitalism). I have no idea what Trump is going to do, and I mildly to strongly disagree with Clinton on most issues.

But here's the kicker - I think Johnson can actually win the presidency. Here is how. If he can peel off a few western states (Utah, New Mexico, and Idaho lets say), he may be able to deny either Trump or Clinton an electoral college victory. This sends the choice of president to the House. The House (according to the 12th Amendment) will chose the next president from the top three running in the general. The current House is dominated by Republicans. The House will not pick Clinton. Any Republican congressperson voting for Clinton would be primaried into oblivion. The House would then select between Trump and Johnson. Given that the Republican party elites hate Trump and that both Johnson and Weld were Republican governors, I think (and this is pure speculation on my part) the House will select Johnson to be the next president.

Finally, by voting for Johnson, to my mind I would be voting for the lesser of two goods as opposed to the lesser of two evils (your opinion may vary on this, you'll get no strong push back from me on this point). For me then, Johnson would be a pragmatic vote for the lesser good. For me, this would be doable. Given that I live in NY as opposed to a western state, my vote is probably moot.

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Anja Geitz's picture

And his stance on the TOP are a deal breaker for me. Rather go with a party that is for people, planet, and peace without profit regardless if it's not "practical".

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

to barely make him the lesser of two goods for me. But I can completely understand why you (or any other person) would find his love of unfettered capitalism (especially TPP and his praise for the gig economy) a step too far.

Like I said, I'm leaning heavily towards Stein, who is certainly the greater good.

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Raggedy Ann's picture

I've been hearing that around here. Raggedy Andy is one of those. We've decided to get both Johnson and Stein yard signs and put them up so that we advertise we are voting third party.

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

lotlizard's picture

There’s so much more room to win people over if you give them a choice and don’t come across as trying to tell them what their place on the opinion spectrum should be — as if you could possibly know all about them and their history and circumstances.

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lunachickie's picture

the polling is as bullshit as the rest of the "election" is??

We can't have some real Progressive Greenie come along to screw up everything!

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WoodsDweller's picture

run out the clock. The media will address none of these issues until the week after the election (after all we have to celebrate the First Woman President for a week). Then the media pivots and it's non-stop Clinton scandal coverage for four years.
Remember, media is a business. They just need to fill those terrifying moments between important commercial announcements from their sponsors and "Don't touch that dial!", stay tuned. They need to keep their powder dry and not cover a story before its time.

... it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

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"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

Lookout's picture

passing the TPP during the lame duck...then they will go after her. My guess anyway.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Alligator Ed's picture

even if it means denying passage of the TPP. There will be a straight Republican veto of TPP, much like the Tea Party had a straight budget veto a fews years back (thankfully their obstinacy prevented massive cuts to social programs, which they felt weren't Draconian enough).

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MsGrin's picture

I don't trust McConnell to do any right thing.

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'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

It is an arm of business, a weapon. Yes it needs to be profitable now, but just look to Keith Olbermann or Phil Donehue to see examples of highly rated figures fired for political reasons. On the flip side, look how long Glenn Beck stayed on well after he was losing money. Look to Bernie and his rise out of obscurity.... that was a horse race story that wrote itself and would have been great for ratings, but they ignored it.
Hillary is probably the most corporate friendly candidate for President ever. I doubt they will attack more than needed to show her who holds the strings.

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lotlizard's picture

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smothers_Brothers_Comedy_Hour

That degree of political freedom on the air — with artists openly bucking corporate owners and fighting censorship — seems unimaginable today.

Entertainers criticizing the War of Our Terrorists Versus Our Other Terrorists (WOOTVOOT) in prime time today? Unthinkable.

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isn't gonna be enough to derail her campaign. Not with Trump as the only alternative, and the media all in for her. Currently they are on the "Trump is a Soviet Russian Agent" jag, and there will be more Trump scandals and rumors to come I'm sure. A virtually endless supply of them.

And I mean, Hillary is doing photo ops with actual Movie Stars! What's a little CGI graft compared to being able to smooch with Leonard Di Caprio? No contest. Who cares about emails when your opponent is a racist, misogynist, Putin-loving, mobbed-up billionaire with a ridiculous hair-do?

And plus, she's strong on defense. Yes she is.

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native

Lily O Lady's picture

Jimmy Kimmel? She was just too, too cute! /snark

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Shahryar's picture

as some of us remember (and others have read) there was this period of music called rock n' roll, which combined hillbilly and r&b. It was wild, it was popular, it was wildly popular! But the executives of the record companies didn't like the unpredictability of the stars so they created their own. That era, in between Elvis and the Beatles, was filled with what we call "Bobbies". Bobby Vee, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Rydell....

Well, thanks to the Clinton campaign I now see that this is the era of the Justins. Bieber, Timberlake....not much different from the previous pop wasteland.

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lotlizard's picture

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby
Why are you so slow?
Now, don't you know that love may pass you by
In less than it takes to wink an eye?

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby
Come kiss me or I'll die
If you were made of iron you would rust
Now put your arms around me or I'll bust

You'll make me cry, Bobby
Shy Bobby
Try a little hard to start
You'll find a way, Bobby
Say, Bobby
Everything that's in your heart

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby
When we're old and gray
It doesn't really matter who caught who
As long as we're together each day through

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby
I love you

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And now Trump is screaming about how the Clinton Foundation is a criminal enterprise. This is the surest way to discredit the argument. You have to applaud their thoroughness in all the ways we are and have been played.

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Anja Geitz's picture

I hadn't considered but would make perfect sense. Give it the Trump or right wing smear and no one on the left is listening. Real life example? A recent conversation with a journalism professor (retired?) who said he had no idea about the media collusion that was revealed in the #DNCLeaks. It was gobsmacking.

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

I usually Like Chris Hayes for his intelligent commentary. Last night on MSNBC, he suddenly forgot all his political knowledge and couldn't understand why the Clinton Foundation - State Department connection was corrupt. Like he never heard of "pay to play."

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"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

Phoebe Loosinhouse's picture

Looks like they gave all the smart people "dumb" pills.

Upton Sinclair quote.

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" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "

Alligator Ed's picture

but they will certainly know who is likely to play in the world series or who Jennifer Lopez is dating now. They will sheepishly say to all the scandal, Red or Blue; then get in line following in line, saying "baa, baa, baa"--pushing a lever with out realizing that they soon will be mutton chops.

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josb's picture

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sojourns's picture

and focus upon trashing Trump's own personal Hindenburg as if he needed any help. She'd absolutely crack if she held a bona fide press conference. Perhaps she'll stroke out at the inauguration with her hand on the Bible.

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"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage

Bollox Ref's picture

Which proves her mental faculties are up to scratch, because we all know that opening a pickle jar requires Mensa capabilities.

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

Anja Geitz's picture

I wasn't aware that people who suffer neurological afflictions were unable to open pickle jars?

Pretty low bar for the mental rigors the POTUS is expected to perform 24/7, if you ask me.

Yeah I get it. A little tongue in cheek gag so that everyone can all laugh at the Idiots who are actually concerned, eh? I guess this will give us all plenty of time to put together an epic "I told you so" to the real idiots when she implodes.

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

Anja Geitz's picture

How terrible a person am I that I laughed at the last part of that?

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

lunachickie's picture

rubbing our noses in it. The question they pose (Can She Run Out the Clock?) tacitly implies there's a reason to do so to begin with.

Now, why would you have to hide from the people you want to serve?

I mean, what the actual fuck, people? Forget pitchforks and storming "the Castle", it's best we start with storming the Mouthpieces, with their propaganda and their hubris. They're the ones actually selling this bullshit....

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MsGrin's picture

I posed it as a question, POLITICO just announced that it is her strategy. I'm suspecting that's a BAD assumption for her.

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'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

lunachickie's picture

The correct thing for Politico to have done, at least IMO--would be to A) do it as you did, by posing it as a question or B) not reporting it at all.

That they did report this helps SELL her "strategy", which as far as I'm concerned, makes them just as complicit in helping her perpetuate it. The reader is left to feel "helpless--look, the media even accepts it, so nothing can be done to change it", and that's a load of bullshit.

Is it a bad assumption for her? Well yeah, it should be, but I don't see any of us stopping her. Somebody has to stop her.

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Her campaign is just a series of fundraisers with a day or two to rest in between. She doesn't appear in public any more than she appears at press conferences. Things have to be scripted for her, with someone close by to prompt her.

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