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Iowa Town Hall: Who questioned Hillary about "dishonesty", and why?
The toughest question anyone was asked last night arguably went to Hillary. A young man asked her why her supporters seemed less enthusiastic than Bernie's, and remarked that some of his friends think she's dishonest.
At least one political media report (at http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/266990-young-voter-tells-clinton-my-friends-think-youre) provides the questioner's name.
Does anyone have any evidence on whether this questioner may have been a "plant", and, if so, who may have planted him?
In any case, it seems to me his attempt to embarrass Hillary was an epic fail, because of her very persuasive response. What do you think?
34 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
"I question it based on a review of the video footage which I spent an hour or so looking at last night in my office"
I'm sure he will be roundly criticized here on DU, in the interest of fairness.
You should make this an OP so the word gets out. 
Here's the transcript...
Question: It feels like there's a lot of young people like myself who are very passionate supporters of Bernie Sanders. And I just don't see the same enthusiasm from younger people for you. In fact, I've heard from quite a few people my age that they think you're dishonest. Uhm, but I would like to hear it from you and why you feel the enthusiasm isn't there.
Hillary Clinton: I think it really depends upon who you're seeing and talking to, you know, today in Oskaloosa, I spent time with about ten high school students who are enthusiastically working for me. I see young people across the state who are doing the same. But I'm totally happy to see young people involved in any way. That's what we want. And we want to have a good primary to pick a nominee, and then we want to have everybody join together to make sure we win in November, which after all is the purpose of this whole campaign. And, so, you know, look, I've been around a long time. People have thrown all kinds of things at me, and you know, I can't keep up with it. I just keep going forward. They fall by the wayside, they come up with these outlandish things, they make these charges... I just keep going forward because there's nothing to it. They throw all these stuff at me, and I'm still standing.
But if you're new to politics, if it's the first time you've really paid attention, you go "Oh my gosh, look at all of these!" And you have to say to yourself, "why are they throwing all of that?" Well, I'll tell you why, because I've been at the frontlines of change and progress since I was your age. I have been fighting to give kids and women, and the people who are left out and left behind the chance to make the most out of their own lives. And I've taken on the status quo time and time again. I've had many many millions spent against me. When I worked on healthcare back in '93 and '94, and I don't know if you were born then, I can't quite tell... but... if you'd been around and had been able to pay attention, I was trying to get us to universal healthcare coverage, working with my husband. Boy, the insurance companies, the drug companies, they spent millions - not just against the issue, but against me. And I kept going, and when we weren't successful, I turned around and said, at least we're gonna get healthcare for kids. And we got the Children's Health Insurance Program working with both Democrats and Republicans, and 8 million kids have insurance because of that today.
So, you got to keep going, you can't give up, you can never get knocked off course. That's my hope for you and for all the young people who are getting involved this first time. Don't get discouraged. It's hard. If it were easy, hey, there wouldn't be any contest. But it's not easy. There are very different visions, different values, different forces at work, and you have to have somebody who is a proven, proven fighter. Somebody who has taken them on, and won, and kept going and will do that as President. That's why I hope, you'll reconsider.
Hillary Clinton: I think it really depends upon who you're seeing and talking to, you know, today in Oskaloosa, I spent time with about ten high school students who are enthusiastically working for me. I see young people across the state who are doing the same. But I'm totally happy to see young people involved in any way. That's what we want. And we want to have a good primary to pick a nominee, and then we want to have everybody join together to make sure we win in November, which after all is the purpose of this whole campaign. And, so, you know, look, I've been around a long time. People have thrown all kinds of things at me, and you know, I can't keep up with it. I just keep going forward. They fall by the wayside, they come up with these outlandish things, they make these charges... I just keep going forward because there's nothing to it. They throw all these stuff at me, and I'm still standing.
But if you're new to politics, if it's the first time you've really paid attention, you go "Oh my gosh, look at all of these!" And you have to say to yourself, "why are they throwing all of that?" Well, I'll tell you why, because I've been at the frontlines of change and progress since I was your age. I have been fighting to give kids and women, and the people who are left out and left behind the chance to make the most out of their own lives. And I've taken on the status quo time and time again. I've had many many millions spent against me. When I worked on healthcare back in '93 and '94, and I don't know if you were born then, I can't quite tell... but... if you'd been around and had been able to pay attention, I was trying to get us to universal healthcare coverage, working with my husband. Boy, the insurance companies, the drug companies, they spent millions - not just against the issue, but against me. And I kept going, and when we weren't successful, I turned around and said, at least we're gonna get healthcare for kids. And we got the Children's Health Insurance Program working with both Democrats and Republicans, and 8 million kids have insurance because of that today.
So, you got to keep going, you can't give up, you can never get knocked off course. That's my hope for you and for all the young people who are getting involved this first time. Don't get discouraged. It's hard. If it were easy, hey, there wouldn't be any contest. But it's not easy. There are very different visions, different values, different forces at work, and you have to have somebody who is a proven, proven fighter. Somebody who has taken them on, and won, and kept going and will do that as President. That's why I hope, you'll reconsider.
To counter the "lack of enthusiasm," she cites 10 high school kids -- too young to vote -- working for her. Says she's happy kids are involved in any way.
Then she delves into the "dishonest" part of the question. In a very condescending way, she posits that her perceived dishonesty is all due to the fact that Republicans spent millions fighting her on healthcare in the early 90s. "Oh my gosh!" But she kept going, and young kids shouldn't get discouraged either.
Persuasive?
Her answer was a masterful manipulation. She basically turned a negative into a positive, like you do in job interviews with the question "What's your greatest fault?" She didn't address any of the things I think about regarding her dishonesty, and I doubt her answer did nothing for the young man except to make him feel belittled and patronized.
And what was that little pose she struck at the end? It was obviously rehearsed, like her "Let the Force be with you" comment... and for that reason, I think this question was a plant, so it would look like she got the "lack of enthusiasm" and "dishonest" issues out of the way.
It's not that complicated. Hillary is used to rude questions. She answered with class and humor.
