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OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 7/29/16

What does the Virulent Hatred of Hillary Clinton Really Mean for Our Democracy in the Long Term?

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Hillary Clinton war candidate

The level of hatred and hostility towards Hillary Clinton is staggering. This is not just "nattering nabobs of negativity": what is occurring now is more like verifiable vitriolic vehemence that is unprecedented in my lifetime.

I think back to my youth and young adulthood, and remember the hatred for Lyndon Johnson for perpetuating the Vietnam War, or for Kissinger for bombing Cambodia, or for Nixon for Watergate lying, or the vast antipathy and contempt for George Bush II for his grudge matches in the Middle East coupled with the almost universal anger towards Rumsfeld, Cheney and Halliburton for their thinly veiled profiteering in the Foreign Policy arena: none of these were at the level of hostility towards the Democratic nominee, despite the smooth words of the soothsayers, which have no effect on those recalcitrant citizens of whom I will shortly be quoting in this article.

It goes without saying that in our history as a nation that we have never had two candidates who are more disliked by more Americans than these two, but the hatred and anger towards Hillary is something unprecedented. Some of this derives from memories of how the Clintons advanced the corporate plutocracy in which we live; much of it is economic at the core: stifled anger about the Wall Street Bailout and other debacles for which Americans will be paying for many decades to come; much of the vehemence derives quite justifiably from the perception that Hillary commandeered and manipulated the primary election results in several states that were pivotal in the primaries, and then nobody seemed to care, particularly the news media who should have written about these hijackings of the electoral process, the law enforcement officials who should have investigated the purging and vote flipping that occurred, and then appropriately taken action, and the candidate who suffered the injury more than anyone, Bernie Sanders, who seemed to prefer expedient silence rather than rocking the boat by making a serious issue of documented primary fraud. Clinton has come to symbolize the corporate plutocracy and kleptocracy run amok, in both the domestic and international contexts.

All of this quickly has eroded then knocked over the structure of our Democracy. Even when we hunt for them, we will have difficulty finding the remaining original cornerstones, other than reading the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, as if they were some tattered ancient out of date newspaper. I grieve to have to say that.

America, the melting pot, seems to be boiling over with hatred toward minorities, the rich and Wall Street, to Muslims, toward police for unjustified shootings, to anyone who is different, and, most recently towards the Democratic candidate for President. I really don't see a case that the Republicans are actively fanning the flames for such hatred, other than bringing out the facts from time to time about what happened in Benghazi, and what really went on with the thousands of emails when she was at the helm of the State Department, etc. Yes, it is true that the Congressional hearings in the House Justice Committee and the investigations by the FBI into Clinton Foundation are all proceeding and more may be revealed in the near future.

I am a member of some 800 Facebook groups, some of which obsessively discuss nothing but Hillary's failings, the evidence against her, election fraud, etc. Information spreads rapidly, and generally, the citizenry is far more informed and educated about what would have been minor or even entirely unnoticed and not discussed in most prior elections, something we ultimately should thank Facebook for allowing the growth of.

Many of the reactions of many members are knee jerk and very quick in their hostility, but the anger is almost palpable throughout hundreds of these groups.

Just for example, and there are dozens more, here is the opening statement from Justin Vann in his group, Never Hillary:
"All are welcome here, as long as you do not support HRC. We're fed up with the lying and cheating of the corrupt establishment, especially the DNC and Clinton mafia. An HRC presidency is the worst possible outcome for the 2016 election and we will do anything to ensure that she ends up in prison where she belongs.

Here is another: from Progressives against Hillary, No More Corporate Democrats, by Debbie Lusignan of the University of Massachusetts:

This group is about objectively exposing Hillary Clinton's actual public record (and all corporate/military industrial representatives masquerading as democrats. It is my firm belief that if the public is aware of the actual actions and history of Hillary's record, they would be appalled at supporting her for the 2016 Presidential nomination. I highly encourage people participating in the group to stick to the facts of her record and refrain from personal attacks which will do nothing to help inform the public on the reality of Clinton's record. I would point out to her defenders; exposing her record and actions is not a personal attack. If what you read upsets you, remember that this page is only about reporting her political ties and how she has governed as Senator and SOS.

Democrats must stop enabling politicians who meet or exceed the betrayals of the Republican party, out of fear that a politician with a R after their name will win. It has come to the point where this is a coward's rationalization to avoid addressing the real issue we face: a corporately dictated political system where big money buys politicians of each party and we no longer hold any power within our own government. It is time to stop playing by their rules, voting for their choices, and abdicating our power out of despair and fear.

>>>

A few weeks ago I wrote a series of articles about the idea that Bernie Sanders would make a good Vice President and this was the only way Trump could be defeated. This article , and it sparked thousands of responses, ranging from "I would never vote for her even if "God-Jesus Christ-or-the Dalai Lama" were her running mate or to hoping to see Clinton in prison, and particularly, the desperate shift to wanting to get behind the Green or Libertarian candidate, which I understand of course but find to be a childish adolescent response akin to taking my toys and going home to play which doesn't recognize that such a vote would be thrown away in a meaningless idealistic gesture.

However, I don't believe at all that we as Americans should have to choose between the least of two evils. In the comments that follow, remember that we are taking the pulse of the American public in a way, and these are honest and sincere sentiments, which, when viewed in toto, are surprising in the aggregate. Here are some of the responses, and the most eloquent and articulate of which came from signers of the moveon.org petition I wrote asking the New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, to redo the New York Primary by Federal Court order, based on the unprecedented and egregious levels of civil rights violations in the 330,000 people who were purged from voting rolls:

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Early in the 2016 Primary campaign, I started a Facebook group: Bernie Sanders: Advice and Strategies to Help Him Win! As the primary season advanced, we shifted the focus to advancing Bernie's legislation in the Senate, particularly the (more...)
 

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