Hillary, don’t you dare apologize. You ran a fierce campaign centering people of color, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, families and immigrants – all of whom are woefully underrepresented in government …and on Sunday talk shows. You didn’t let us down. America let you down. From the launch of your first campaign video, you showcased the best of us, of all stripe, striving together in a picture of what today’s America actually looks like. This is the America that I want to live in. Your campaign was something to be proud of. Did you make mistakes? Sure. It is also true that you were excoriated for that which every man is excused. And you did plenty right. In 2016, you became the first woman presidential nominee of a major party and got more votes than any. white. man. in. history. (Just as in 2008, you got more votes than anyone in primary history.) Mistakes don’t yield such results.
When have we ever heard of any presidential candidate daring to offer an eloquent, full-throated defense of Roe v Wade and women’s right to autonomy and full equality, centering people of color and people with disabilities, taking on the opiod epidemic, the need for criminal justice reform, immigration reform and resolving student debt? Yours was a progressive, forward-thinking bold campaign and yes, the economy was your number one issue. You offered sensible policies that would actually work.
Anyone saying you were a weak candidate lives in denial. You faced the most vicious media onslaught I have yet seen leveled at anyone. The way you stood up taught me to stand up. You won the popular vote by three million despite a primary opponent wrongly smearing your character, serving up ammunition that opponent Trump used word for word in the general election. You also had to fight past Facebook’s fake news seen by millions, persistent GOP smear, a rogue FBI director and Russian hacking.
By your very existence, Secretary Clinton, and because you breathe, you seemed to be picking a fight with cynical, click bait driven media operatives who print ink by the barrel. They’ll never forgive you for not breaking. Even now that you have declared your political career over, they wish to silence you. The upcoming release of your book, What Happened, has caused many heads to explode. How much insecure drivel have I read from male pundits worrying about everyone else’s perspective and feelings but yours. Your side of the story, your insights from this campaign and advice to all of us who choose to stand up and fight going forward will be valuable. It must not be driven underground.
As Jill Filipovic correctly pointed out, 14 months ahead of the midterms, there will never be a better opportunity. Furthermore, we will never get equal or quality representation as long as we keep sweeping these issues under the rug. If and when Senators Kamala Harris or Kirsten Gillibrand step to the plate, they will be smeared and wrecked the same way – attempts to undermine them have already begun on both the Left and Right.
Secretary Clinton, you have every right, just like your under-represented 65.8 million voters have every right to a voice, to speak the truth and even rub the culprit’s noses in their untoward behavior, if necessary.
And it is certainly not your fault that a corporate owned media set its sights on taking you down. I haven’t been able to get a decent night’s sleep with the erratic Mr. “Grab ‘Em By The P*ssy” in office, but it’s also not your responsibility that so many were willing to buy into a boastful con man, abetted by $2 billion dollars of free advertising courtesy profit-driven network execs. So when the DaBoyz of either “Party” or complicit gals want to tell you to STFU, I say let them heed their own advice.
Hillary, you have your say and certainly, take responsibility all you want – but don’t you bloody dare apologize to us. You showed up every day.
I couldn’t be more proud of you.
11 Comments
All of this!!!!
Hillary’s opposition (in both the USA and Russia) engaged in criminal behavior to keep her out of office. When she blames herself or apologizes for what happened, I hear something very similar to a woman telling herself she wouldn’t have been attacked by a predatory male if only she’d been wearing a less revealing outfit, if only she had chosen a different route home, if only she hadn’t been carrying a purse.
Amen, Jen.
Thank you, Anita, for this article which is so welcome and true!
I called the Washington Post up Friday last week about an article they wrote undermining the new media platform which is pro-Hillary, Verrit. I told this person that not only I, but millions of Hillary’s supporters are sick, tired and very angry that the media is at it again finding any excuse to attack her or anything entity that is supportive of her. Enough!
Hillary did not let us down and she should NEVER believe that she did. I was proud to vote for her for the 3rd time and lost friends who supported sanders and who were angry that I was supporting an “establishment” candidate. What the heck is sanders?! He pretends to be an outsider to compensate for his total lack of ability to work with others to achieve the legislative goals he has. It’s everyone else’s fault that sanders achieved nothing of substance despite being in Congress for 30 years. Plus, he offers ideas which are not even feasible even if he could garner support in Congress. I’m sick of him too! He should shut up and sit down because he talks and says nothing. We need Hillary now more than ever because of trump, sanders and all of the men in power who want to destroy her, so that they can feel secure that they and only they can be president of the U.S.
In light of just how frightened the boys’ club is Hillary the more we should push back and not lose ground. The more we should speak out, as Anita and other bloggers do in defense of Hillary and in the desire to get the truth out to the public about who is really the problem and threat to our country…it sure as hell is NOT Hillary. We cannot let her down in our commitment to not allow them to attack her without responding right back. We don’t want all she has done and continues to do to better the lives of Americans and people around the world to be in vain. We just cannot let that happen.
Thank you, Kathleen. Appreciate your dedication.
She seems to be the only Dem with enough guts to call out Bernie and his cult: join the party or go away! The party can never unite with all the gaslighting coming from them.
Thank you Anita! My head is nearly exploding from the stupid misogynistic comments by pundits, media, some dems, etc. The way Hillary has been treated is just appalling and I wish people could see just how sexist they are. Hillary has every right to speak out.
Yes, Michele — their denial of her truth is in direct proportion to their denial of their culpability. Pence, Kushner, Ivanka, Reince and more have all been using private email in their official capacities in the Trump Administration. Media interest = zippo.
I agree with you. Hillary will go down in history as someone that women and girls can look up to and be proud of. Unfortunately, our society was just not ready for a woman president. But maybe putin etc would have made mince meat out of anyone running aggainst them as they cheated to make sure they won.
Trump, Assange, Putin, Comey, the GOP cabal of Chaffetz, Gowdy et al, many male pundits, their bosses and complicit females are TERRIFIED of the skills set Hillary brings to the table. That would explode the patriarchy but good.
EVERY PERSON WHO VOTED FOR HILLARY SHOULD BUY HER BOOK!!
I’ll second that, Lori. It really is a great read.
(Besides which, selling 65.8 million copies would make so many heads explode!) 🙂