I was struck by Hillary laughing at such a serious question (Maher's Question)

[Quixote1818]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/09/13/maher-asks-clinton-why-_n_64242.html

[mmonk]

1. Nervousness?

[pansypoo53219]

2. the democrats

NOMINATED KERRY!

idiots.

[hlthe2b]

3. I'll weigh in on this, but preface by saying I am not a HRC

backer--at least at this point....


She's got a very fine line to thread between appearing "friendly, approachable, yet assertive (and non-bitchy), intelligent, but not wonky, critical but not hateful or paranoid." It is especially a difficult situation for her, being the only woman and given her baggage. Many women professionals, myself included, have difficulties with this. Of course she takes it seriously, but she is trying to meet such a wide range of expectations, in terms of her "essence," that she sometimes will come off this way. She's not smirking, like the boy king, just trying to remain "friendly, approachable, yet assertive (and non-bitchy), intelligent, but not wonky, critical but not hateful or paranoid."


Not exclusive to female expectations, of course... One need only look at how people wrongly perceived Gore in 2000.

[babylonsister]

4. I think she was laughiing at the way Maher presented the question, not

the content. He IS, after all, a funny guy...

[Bitwit1234]

5. Gee now she can't even laugh

wonder what the god Obama would do.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. Obama was never fooled by G. W. Bush.

[Beelzebud]

6. That's the nervous laugh of someone that's just been nailed.

[EFerrari]

24. Yes. And more, from the fabric of our national fantasy being pierced.

Clinton was never fooled by Bush but guided by political calculation.

Bill called her on that.

[MyNameGoesHere]

7. Why? Because she got the joke?

Bill is funny you know.

[DURHAM D]

8. Exactly - I thought her response was perfect.

Some people just don't have a sense of humor.

[Beelzebud]

9. There was a joke there?

Oh I get it, the one about Hillary Clinton giving Bush authority for war in Iraq. Yeah that was hilarious.

[MyNameGoesHere]

15. HAHAHAHAHA damn just damn

[Quixote1818]

12. Bill wasn't smiling when he asked the question

Sure there was some dry humor there but he meant it as a serious question. I would have smiled and then answered the question. In my opinion her laugh was her over compensating and it came across as weird.

[MyNameGoesHere]

13. He had

a smirk towards the end.

[immoderate]

11. The laugh was forced.

She laughed because she wanted to emphasize the comic aspect of the question. Actually, she wasn't fooled by George W Bush. She tried to finesse a political move based on the notion that Bush was bluffing, or if not, the war would come off cleanly. She blew that one. I don't remember Hillary warning us about quagmires.

--IMM

[Emillereid]

14. So, she sought out information from a wide variety of sources. Did she talk to

Scott Ritter or others who knew there were no WMDs? How did I know it was a con job, but she didn't. Had she read Rebuilding America's Defenses? I agree with the sentiment behind Maher's question. What a lapse of judgment to give George Bush any authority! I've said before I wouldn't have given him the authority to order lunch. It was a politically expedient decision just before the 2002 midterms -- why can't she remember that? Many of us were emailing and calling like crazy trying to persuade our senators and congressman not to authorize this act which essentially gave the President 'war making powers' that the founding fathers left in the hands of the people through their congressmen.

And after she saw that Bush used the authority to push the UN aside and stop the inspections (which had inconveniently found nothing), why didn't she stand up and say -- "This isn't what I voted for." No, she went along with the war - even went over there and pronounced how we needed more troops, etc. Was positively hawkish until just the last few months when it became clear to her that the base was antiwar and that she'd better retrofit history and her thinking. What do we do NOW? - HIllary. We get OUT -- we've made a mess of Iraq, killed over a million of her people and displaced millions more. It is audacious of her to think we can be part of any solution. Get out now -- put international peacekeepers in and leave lots of reparations behind.

[OwnedByFerrets]

20. Nice reply....wish I had said it....nt

[Hissyspit]

16. Bill Maher: The Real Hardball

The laughter didn't bother me at all. But I thought her answer was crap.

[Larry Ogg]

17. So she’s working on getting Republican support.

Why am I not surprised? I’m sure the Republicans are counting on her further support…

[Dhalgren]

18. Senator Clinton has nothing to worry about. She is currently going

through the motions, as is required. She will be the Democratic nominee in '08 - that has already been decided; everything else is just a dog and pony show for the masses and a money/jobs generator for the governing class. The real question is how will she (as any President allowed to hold office would) justify the continued/permanent occupation of Iraq? And what will be her justification for war with Iran?

[BlooInBloo]

19. It's an excellent question for EVERY candidate that voted for the war.

[applegrove]

21. It was a little odd. I think she was laughing because she was so prepared for

the question. And she has answered it so many times before.

[Carrieyazel]

22. Hillary doesn't have a clue.

To essentially laugh off her awful vote to authorize this catastrophe shows her myopia. Dems will see this as a dumb move on her part, and soon enough she won't be laughing.

[cadmium]

23. I'm not Hillary supporter but this doesnt bother me

She is on a comics show and she is forcing her laugh a bit at an irony. She probably should have grimaced but it doesnt bother me.

What would bother me is that if Obama or especially Kerry had laughed like this they would be blasted 24 hours 7 days a week by the media on both sides of the aisle.