# Hillary Clinton's Presidential Campaign Discussion **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 4, 2016, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873 "2016-05-04T11:09:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 28
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/541 "2016-08-08T16:42:17Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Okay, I have to ask, because I don’t want to give certain websites clicks: is there anything, ANYTHING, to back up this new of wave insistence that Hillary Clinton has some kind of major illness other than amateur armchair doctors? > > Even the teeniest, tiniest shred of actual, or even interesting, evidence? I’d say that there is pretty good evidence that she’s quite healthy – the one good thing about the 12 month dog and pony show that is our primary/election campaign is that any candidate that can get through it has to have the constitution of an Olympian. Most of us go on a business trip, get home, and collapse for a day or two. The presidential candidates probably have barely been home in the past year. And Hillary, in particular, has been having to deal with a lot of incredibly stressful bullshit (some of it deserved) at the same time. I couldn’t have done it at 30 – Hillary is doing it at 68. The RW has nothing else, so they’re going with the Dr. Who “Doesn’t she look tired.” strategy. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/542 "2016-08-08T17:12:13Z")
The idea that Clinton was ill was floated by Scott Adams at least a month ago. Adams is a huge Trump shill. I suspect Trump’s team is trying to spread this idea through viral repetition. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/543 "2016-08-08T17:19:21Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It isn’t up to \*her \*when, or if, it gets put behind her. There are still people thinking she killed Vince Foster, for pity’s sake. But she can say it once, in a clear, fact-checked, authoritative, 100% truthful statement, and then just refer people to that statement thereafter and say she has nothing more to add. Repeat as necessary. Every time she tries to wing it, she botches it and keeps the story alive. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/544 "2016-08-08T20:48:07Z")
[Another 50 senior GOP officials come out against Trump.](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/gop-letter-national-security-trump-226801) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/545 "2016-08-08T20:56:02Z")
[Hillary up, 50-37%, in new Monmouth poll.](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/poll-clinton-leads-by-13-points-among-likely-voters-226790) > [@](#): > > The poll result’s significance lies both in the magnitude of Clinton’s lead — the 13-point advantage is larger than most other surveys — but also the timing: The Monmouth poll was conducted last Thursday through Sunday, more recently than the other polls showing a Clinton bump, like Sunday’s ABC News/Washington Post poll, which was conducted last Monday through Thursday. > > While it is only one snapshot, the Monmouth poll suggests Clinton’s post-convention bounce not only hasn’t receded in recent days, it might actually be growing. > > There are a number of other positive measures for Clinton: She hits the 50-percent threshold on the ballot test, even with Johnson and Stein included. (According to RealClearPolitics, Clinton’s previous high-water mark on the four-way ballot test was 46 percent.) And Clinton’s lead among likely voters — 13 points — is actually slightly wider than her 12-point advantage among all registered voters. In recent elections, likely voter screens have typically produced better results for Republican candidates than polls of all registered voters. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/546 "2016-08-08T21:14:07Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > But she can say it once, in a clear, fact-checked, authoritative, 100% truthful statement, and then just refer people to that statement thereafter and say she has nothing more to add. Repeat as necessary. > > Every time she tries to wing it, she botches it and keeps the story alive. Do you really think a US Presidential candidate needs to go on the record and say, “I am not a murderer”? That’s not even in the realm of possibility. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/547 "2016-08-08T21:16:23Z")
No, “I am not a crook” pretty much set the limit. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/548 "2016-08-08T21:53:55Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Do you really think a US Presidential candidate needs to go on the record and say, “I am not a murderer”? That’s not even in the realm of possibility. How about “candidate who had an abortion”? Very within the realm of possibility, in both likelihood of accusation and the need to defend against it. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/549 "2016-08-09T00:25:01Z")
[Two family members of federal employees killed in the Benghazi attack are suing Hillary Clinton over the killings.](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/two-benghazi-parents-sue-hillary-clinton-wrongful-death-defamation-n625861) > [@NBC News](#): > > The parents of two Americans killed in the 2012 terrorist attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court Monday against Hillary Clinton. > > In the suit, Patricia Smith and Charles Woods, the parents of Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods, claim that Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server contributed to the attacks. They also accuse her of defaming them in public statements. While this certainly a novel leverage of the private server issue, I have a hard time seeing how they’re going to prove it had anything at all to do with the attack. Not a bad go at leveling the playing field vs. Trump’s lawsuit, however. “You ran a fake University!” “Yeah, well, your e-mails got a couple guys killed!” _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/550 "2016-08-09T14:40:23Z")
The suit against Hillary can be seen here, at the Freedom Watch site (which all by itself should tip you off that this is the work of rightwing nutjobs). [http://www.freedomwatchusa.org/pdf/160808-Final%20Complaint%20.pdf](http://www.freedomwatchusa.org/pdf/160808-Final%20Complaint%20.pdf) Here’s the introductary statement from the complaint: > [@Complaint filed against Hillary Clinton](#): > > INTRODUCTION. > > Plaintiffs Patricia (hereafter “Pat Smith”) Smith and Charles Woods are the parents of > Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods, respectively, each of whom were killed by Islamic terrorists > during the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012. Hillary > Rodham Clinton (“Defendant Clinton”), who was the U.S. Secretary of State at the time, has > since been found to have used a private e-mail server to send and receive confidential and > classified government information, often concerning matters of national security, during her > tenure. In fact, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James Comey, publicly > stated that Defendant Clinton, at a minimum, was “extremely careless” in handling confidential > and classified government information and “there is evidence of potential violations of the > statutes regarding the handling of classified information.” > > It is highly probable, given Defendant Clinton’s history of reckless handling of classified > information, that Defendant Clinton, as Secretary of State, sent and received information about > Ambassador Christopher Stevens and thus the U.S. Department of State activities and covert > operations that the deceased were a part of in Benghazi, Libya. This information was > compromised from the second that it left Defendant Clinton’s private e-mail server and easily > found its way to foreign powers including, but not limited to Russia, Iran, China, and North > Korea. As a direct result of Defendant Clinton’s reckless handling of this classified, sensitive > information, Islamic terrorists were able to obtain the whereabouts of Ambassador Christopher > Stevens and thus the U.S. State Department and covert and other government operations in > Benghazi, Libya and subsequently orchestrate, plan, and execute the now infamous September 11, 2012 attack.[sup]1[/sup] > From the illegal use of Defendant Clinton’s private email server, it was > reasonably foreseeable that Islamic terrorists would premeditatedly kill Plaintiffs’ sons. > > Immediately after the attack, Defendant Clinton, in an effort to save the re-election > chances of President Barack Obama, and in turn, her own chances at the 2016 Presidency, lied to > Plaintiffs and the public at large that the Benghazi Attacks were caused by Islamic reaction over > an anti-Muslim YouTube video that had been posted on the internet. These lies were perpetrated > despite the fact that she knew immediately that this video was actually not the cause of the > attack—information that she shared with the Prime Minister of Egypt and her own daughter, > Chelsea Clinton, but hid from Plaintiffs and the public at large. Defendant Clinton even promised > Plaintiffs that the person responsible for the video would be arrested. Plaintiff Woods recorded > the conversation with Defendant Clinton contemporaneously in his diary, which he has recorded > in for many years. Now, Defendant Clinton, in an attempt to save her reputation and intimidate > Plaintiffs and their surviving family members into silence as she attempts to be elected President > in the November, 2016 election, has gone on a defamatory smear campaign to paint Plaintiffs as liars in the public eye in order to discredit Plaintiffs, who have been vocal about Defendant > Clinton’s pattern and practice of dishonesty regarding what caused the Benghazi attack, its > aftermath, and the death of their sons. > > * * * > > [sup]1[/sup]Aaron Klein, Hillary Emails Betrayed Whereabouts of Murdered Ambassador Chris Stevens, (March 1, 2016) available at: [http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/03/01/hillary-emails-betrayedwhereabouts-of-murdered-ambassador-chris-stevens/](http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/03/01/hillary-emails-betrayedwhereabouts-of-murdered-ambassador-chris-stevens/) ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/551 "2016-08-09T14:47:58Z")
Hit submit too soon. Don’t government officials have immunity for their actions? Can the people killed on the original 9/11 attack sue the Bush admin, because they blew off the briefing about Bin Laden determined to attack? Our democractic government is only possible because people volunteer to run for office. If they’re going to be sued for every mistake - even grave mistakes resulting in death - our government will not be able to function. Even if we grant that this complaint is completely factual (it’s not) - how can a person sue the Secretary of State for covering up the classified presence of the CIA outpost at Benghazi? Grieving families are not entitled to classified information (and don’t forget - the only reason that CIA operation became public is because Darryl Issa shot his mouth off on camera.) It’s all bullshit of course. I guess I’m just frightened at the extent to which right-wing assholes are willing to threaten the workings of our government for what they perceive as partisan gains. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/552 "2016-08-09T15:02:49Z")
Yes, she should have official immunity, although it’s not absolute, and the lawsuit might drag out a bit while that’s being argued. I sympathize with those who lost family members in the Benghazi attacks, but I expect the lawsuit will eventually be dismissed. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/553 "2016-08-09T15:54:56Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Yes, she should have official immunity, although it’s not absolute, and the lawsuit might drag out a bit while that’s being argued. I sympathize with those who lost family members in the Benghazi attacks, but I expect the lawsuit will eventually be dismissed. The timing of this Complaint seems to have been designed to insure it won’t get dismissed until after November. On the other hand, I am sure a Motion to Dismiss will be filed quite soon. It will, of course, be dismissed eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/554 "2016-08-09T19:13:59Z")
In what legal world is “highly probable” a prosecutable offense? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/555 "2016-08-10T05:37:48Z")
Father of Orlando shooter sits right behind her at an Orlando rally. She didn’t know he was there - no one did until he was interviewed after. > **[Orlando shooter's father attends Clinton rally](https://www.wptv.com/news/state/orlando-shooters-father-attends-hillary-clinton-rally-in-kissimmee)** > > Hillary Clinton spoke to a crowd in Kissimmee, just south of Orlando. She started the speech off paying tribute to those affected by the Pulse Nightclub shooting. During her remarks, the father of the Orlando shooter sat just behind her. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/556 "2016-08-10T11:08:05Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Father of Orlando shooter sits right behind her at an Orlando rally. She didn’t know he was there - no one did until he was interviewed after. > > [http://www.wptv.com/news/state/orlando-shooters-father-attends-hillary-clinton-rally-in-kissimmee](http://www.wptv.com/news/state/orlando-shooters-father-attends-hillary-clinton-rally-in-kissimmee) I saw a headline about that yesterday and thought it was going to be the Story of the Day. Then Trump went and suggested that someone shoot Clinton, and that sort of overshadowed questions about the seating arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/557 "2016-08-10T11:44:18Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > I saw a headline about that yesterday and thought it was going to be the Story of the Day. Then Trump went and suggested that someone shoot Clinton, and that sort of overshadowed questions about the seating arrangement. Really? I have lost the plot of this year’s electoral campaigns. Is the story that the family of people who have been shot by crazy people attend the Democrat’s rally? Families of shot people support the candidate in favor of gun control? Seriously not getting why this should be a big thing. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/558 "2016-08-10T12:16:49Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Really? I have lost the plot of this year’s electoral campaigns. Is the story that the family of people who have been shot by crazy people attend the Democrat’s rally? Families of shot people support the candidate in favor of gun control? Seriously not getting why this should be a big thing. Family of the **shooter** , not the shot people. Not that it makes a damn bit of difference. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/559 "2016-08-10T12:18:07Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Really? I have lost the plot of this year’s electoral campaigns. Is the story that the family of people who have been shot by crazy people attend the Democrat’s rally? Families of shot people support the candidate in favor of gun control? Seriously not getting why this should be a big thing. Because he’s a scary Muslim? It should have been and is a non-issue, the rallies are open events and he got in. She disavows his support and repudiates his stances. The only people to whom this is a BFD are those that wouldn’t vote for Hillary no matter what. It certainly got overshadowed by Trump’s plea for a hit on Hillary. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873/560 "2016-08-10T12:21:14Z")
In the meantime, Hillary is determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory: [NYT - Clinton Foundation and State Dept overlap.](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/10/us/politics/emails-renew-questions-about-clinton-foundation-and-state-dept-overlap.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873.md?page=27) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-clintons-presidential-campaign-discussion/753873.md?page=29)