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Yesterday, Bill Clinton’s stumping for his wife in New Hampshire took on an angry tone, and his attacks on Bernie Sanders became very antagonistic. In doing so, he clarified for all of us that the era of Clinton as a liberal hero are coming to a conclusive end.
 
   Accusing Sanders of fiscal ineptitude, blatant hypocrisy, and of encouraging “vicious trolling and attacks” online, Clinton went as dark as any Republican, and with just as much dignity. Exaggerating the fault of the DNC data breach earlier in the campaign, Clinton suggested that Sanders campaign looted information and then feigned innocence. Never mind that the individual responsible was recommended by the DNC and summarily fired by the Sanders campaign. Clinton was as “fair and balanced” as Bill O’Reilly in his comments, a far cry from the erudite champion of Democrats we once thought he was.
 
Of course, Bill Clinton was just part of the chorus. Madeleine Albright and Gloria Steinem, of all people, made accusations of sexism and hormonal determinism against Sanders’ supporters just days earlier. Albright, Clinton’s former Secretary of State, said “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other,” and complained that some young women “don’t understand the importance of why young women have to support Hillary Clinton.” The supposition that ONLY Hillary Clinton should be the first woman President is questionable, to say the least, but the transparent shaming intended to bully young women supporting Sanders to reconsider their choice is Megyn-Kelly-style rhetoric.
 
   Not to be outdone, Steinem, appearing on Real Time with Bill Maher, said young women supporting Bernie Sanders are “thinking, where are the boys? The boys are with Bernie…”

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Hillary and her big name supporters have not only brought the campaign down to Republican strategy levels, but they’ve ruined the reputations of three heretofore well-respected liberal public figures. Yes, ruined.

Gloria Steinem sort of walked that back, but I read her “my remarks were misinterpreted” statement as a typical non-apology “I’m sorry that you were offended” rather than, “I really fucked up and I would like to retract what I said.” But I know that she wasn’t speaking to me, so I leave it to others to decide.

But this, from the author, has been bouncing around in my head this weekend, too:

The supposition that ONLY Hillary Clinton should be the first woman President is questionable, to say the least, but the transparent shaming intended to bully young women supporting Sanders to reconsider their choice is Megyn-Kelly-style rhetoric.

There’s much more at the link.

(via wilwheaton)

(via wilwheaton)