Clinton’s quiet support of the death penalty for Dylann Roof is a sign that the primary isn’t over

[portlander23]

Clinton’s quiet support of the death penalty for Dylann Roof is a sign that the primary isn’t over
Philip Bump
Washington Post

Last week, the Justice Department announced that it would seek the death penalty for Dylann Roof, who is accused of shooting nine people at a church in Charleston, S.C., last June. Bernie Sanders's campaign quickly told the Huffington Post that he opposes the move because he opposes the death penalty. But Clinton hadn't taken a position one way or another until Thursday afternoon. At that point, right before the big speech, a spokesman told HuffPo that "she respects the Justice Department decision."

In other words, that she supports the use of the death penalty in the case.

That's out of step with the most liberal wing of the Democratic Party. Most Americans support the death penalty, even as support for the tactic has slipped. In the most recent General Social Survey, conducted in 2014, only "strong Democrats," "liberal" and "extremely liberal" respondents were more likely to oppose the death penalty than support it.

... Why quietly announce approval of the Roof decision when it was bound to be blanketed by other coverage? Because of California.

A Field Poll conducted in January found that 60 percent of Democrats in that state thought that the death penalty should be eliminated -- including three-quarters of "strongly liberal" respondents. Clinton has all but wrapped up the nomination, but would very much like to seal her inevitable delegate victory with a victory in the biggest, bluest state in the union next Tuesday. So although her position (a) isn't out of step with her past pronouncements and (b) wouldn't hurt her in a general election, it won't do her much good over the next five days.

[morningfog]

1. THis is a mark against her.

[FarPoint]

2. Sounds reasonable to me...

It's definitely legal.

[thesquanderer]

3. She still exhibits some wiggle room here.

Obviously, this response won't please the people who are against the death penalty, and solidified another differentiation between Sanders and herself, since he is firmly against it.

But still, it seems an odd way to put it. Or should I say, a very Hillary way to put it, where there's wiggle room as to exactly what she means.

She didn't say she SUPPORTS the decision, but rather that she RESPECTS it.

This is also what lawyers often say when they lose a case. They disagree, but they "respect" the jury's decision.

Almost everything Hillary says seems to go through some obfuscation mechanism on its way out of her mouth, just to make sure it isn't perfectly clear. So if called on something, there's almost always a way for her to go back and say, "well, that's not exactly what I said."