# The Comey Letter Probably Cost Clinton The Election **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 3, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791 "2017-05-03T17:11:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/81 "2017-05-05T18:10:34Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > Filled, presumably, with coloring books, Mein Kampf, and a lot of unsold copies of The Art of the Deal. Badly colored placemats from Perkin’s, pictures of Hillary Clinton with mustaches drawn on them, and Trump’s practice pad: “Mrs. Vladimir Putin…Mrs. Vladimir Putin…Mrs. Vladimir Putin…” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/82 "2017-05-05T18:13:39Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > I think this is really a key difference. For example, trump loved riling up his supporters with ‘Lock her up!’ during the campaign, but then once he won he ditched it entirely and admitted it was just bullshit that worked to help him get elected, there’s been no move to ‘lock her up’. Lying, then admitting that you just lied to win the election is radical honesty compared to standard politicians. > > Compare that with Hillary’s vote for war on Iraq - she voted to go to war with Iraq, and voted against the amendment to the bill that would have required additional authorization for Bush to actually commit ground troops. But she also gave some speeches saying that it was troubling at the time. Once it because clear that the war was a disaster, she started claiming that she was opposed to the war all along, with an attitude of ‘well you just don’t understand the nuances behind my vote for the war’, and put up a wall of complicated lawyer-speak to avoid saying she supported the war. > > If she was really as honest as Trump, she’d admit that either she voted for the war because she figured it was going to happen and her vote didn’t actually make a difference, or that she was in favor of the war at the time but that Bush screwed up the execution, and that’s why she’s opposed to it after. But instead if you bring up the topic you get this big confusing, condescending swirl of words ‘explaining’ how she was really opposed to the war even though she voted for it. The problem with this strategy is that even if she technically didn’t lie about her position, most people consider that kind of language game dishonest outside of a court room, so even if she didn’t technically lie, she practically lied. I read what she said about her vote; it wasn’t confusing or condescending. Also, there was no vote for the war. What there was, was a vote to leave the decision in the hands of the torturer Bush. The buck stopped at his desk, nowhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/83 "2017-05-05T18:23:50Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > I read what she said about her vote; it wasn’t confusing or condescending. Also, there was no vote for the war. What there was, was a vote to leave the decision in the hands of the torturer Bush. The buck stopped at his desk, nowhere else. It is most definitely condescending, and her position is confusing to anyone not already drinking the HRCoolaid. There was a vote for the war, and she voted “yes” to authorizing Bush to use force. She also opposed (and voted against) adding an amendment to the bill that would have explicitly required a new bill to actually use force, even though that’s what she says her position was. The US government is based on checks and balances, and she had the opportunity to serve as a check on the war, but chose to vote for it. Blaming Bush alone when the ‘yes’ vote from the senate was required is absurd. But is the kind of absurdity that Clinton’s supporters love to engage in, and further demonstrates the absurdity of the ‘honest Hillary’ idea. Someone who votes ‘yes’ but says their position was actually ‘no’ is not a beacon of honesty. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/84 "2017-05-05T18:26:14Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Hillary don’t have a dick? How dare someone? Let’s list each one of her “lies” no matter how technical. Now we’re on to something. The habit of accusing everyone who doesn’t like or even just criticizes Clinton of being racist, sexist, or whatever didn’t do her any favors getting elected either. But go ahead and blame the Comey letter, I’m sure ‘If you don’t heartily endorse this candidate you’re EVUL’ had nothing to do with her inability to motivate voters and Trump’s ability to motivate voters. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/85 "2017-05-05T18:27:08Z")
No, I felt neither condescended to nor confused. Nor am I a fan of KoolAid or a Democrat. And as I explained to you, there was no vote for the war. There was a vote to leave it up to Bush, or not. Clinton was foolish to believe the Bush Administration’s claims regarding Iraq, but her explanation was neither condescending nor confusing. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/86 "2017-05-05T19:00:12Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > The habit of accusing everyone who doesn’t like or even just criticizes Clinton of being racist, sexist, or whatever didn’t do her any favors getting elected either. But go ahead and blame the Comey letter, I’m sure ‘If you don’t heartily endorse this candidate you’re EVUL’ had nothing to do with her inability to motivate voters and Trump’s ability to motivate voters. I’m not accusing “everyone”; You are not “everyone.” But keep putting theoretical words in the mouths of theoretical people and let us know how it comes out in a year or two. You do have problems when your statements are indistinguishable from a russian bot though. I see in your posts an acceptance, and possibly an admiration of a lying would-be dictator, with a dick. And the relentless vilifying of someone who’s crimes are so much smaller, and who has a vagina. Go back and look. We already have a lot of coverage, think pieces, odes and apologias, hymns and tributes to the “trump voter” and what we need to learn. They are the new “love that won’t shut up” now. You going to add something to that? Gee thanks. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/87 "2017-05-05T19:13:28Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Three points: > > 1. The answer to the question “Is Hillary a liar” is _not_ “Donald Trump is a bigger one” (although, yes he is a bigger liar, or he’s got some mental condition like senility that make him unable to remember what the hell he’s said before. And the latter is scarier than the former) 🙂 > > 2. Trump didn’t campaign on “I’m so very honest! I’m Honest Donald”. Hillary did. Donald the Cheeto’s campaign boiled down to “RAGE! AMERICA! FUCK YEAH!”. Hillary’s campaign was trying to portray her as being above the fray, while she lied on every single tiny issue and her utterly stupid lies kept turning 5 day stories into 6 month stories. > > 3. The CheezePuff with a Toupee’s lies…I’m having trouble figuring out how to say this…but his lies were just blatant and outrageous. Sort of like a buddy of yours telling you that he’s had sex with over one THOUSAND women. You know he’s full of shit, he knows you know and it’s kind of joke between you. Hillary’s were constantly condescending. It wasn’t a buddy-lie with a wink and a nod, her lies carried a tone of “You’re too dumb to discover my lies, however blatant or stupid they are and you won’t notice if I change my lie every few days when the old one doesn’t work”. And that (IMO) is why the “Basket of Deplorables” comment along with the ham-fisted way she phrased the “We’re going to put a lot of coal-miners out of work! YAY US! (by the way, we’ll find them jobs or retrain them” thing all added to the perception of contempt. And yet the answer to “Is donald a liar?” is always “But Hillary was a bigger one” isn’t it? Do as I say not as I do? When someone is running for president of the US and talking about his views and asking for support then by past practice and common sense he is vouching for his truth and honesty in doing that. It’s not a reality show and it’s not charming, entertaining, or a medical condition. It’s fraud. In fact he said : “I would never lie to you” So for you to forget every value that we base our electoral process on, to swoon over what a interesting liar donald was and how “condescending” hillary was: Well it’s weird. “You’re too dumb to discover my lies, however blatant or stupid they are and you won’t notice if I change my lie every few days when the old one doesn’t work”. Are you talking about clinton or fu manchu? Ever use this standard of analysis on the “worse” choice in the election who actually is in power now? You must be projecting here right? You have to see the irony don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/88 "2017-05-05T19:39:28Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > …The CheezePuff with a Toupee’s lies…I’m having trouble figuring out how to say this…but his lies were just blatant and outrageous. Sort of like a buddy of yours telling you that he’s had sex with over one THOUSAND women. You know he’s full of shit, he knows you know and it’s kind of joke between you. … Except that’s not remotely what Trump’s lying is like–not _at all_. He’s not kidding around and implicitly admitting he’s full of shit–he’s _daring_ you to question him. Remember Trump’s spokesman saying Trump’s Inauguration audience was the largest ever, PERIOD!!!..? Your read of that was that he was kidding? Really? You think Trump said he saw New Jersey Muslims celebrating after 9-11 in a “you know I’m full of shit, hahah” way? Really? You believe that when Trump said Obama and Clinton were the _literal_ founders of ISIS, he was inviting people to say to his face that he was so full of shit, hahaha…? > [@drad\_dog](#): > > …You do have problems when your statements are indistinguishable from a russian bot though. … Seriously. > [@drad\_dog](#): > > …So for you to forget every value that we base our electoral process on, to swoon over what a interesting liar donald was and how “condescending” hillary was: Well it’s weird. … It _is_ weird. As Comey said the other day, the Russians are still actively interfering in other nations’ affairs; Vlad hasn’t stopped hating Hillary, and it’s unlikely that he’d have shut down the social-media boiler-rooms that have been cranking out contempt for her for many months (years?) now. Not that I’m claiming that any _particular_ accounts here are paid accounts; but logically, some are. Of course some who are living with massive guilt over their actions or inactions last November are going to have trouble letting go; they will obsessively rehash their hatred and scorn for months (if not years) to come. \*How DARE she have!!!1!!! \*etc.—all without any paycheck in sight. Human psychology is an interesting thing. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/89 "2017-05-05T20:44:28Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > And as I explained to you, there was no vote for the war. See, this is the kind of lie that Hillary tells. There was a vote for whether or not to authorize the president to go to war. Technically the vote wasn’t actually to go to war or not, it just enabled Bush to do so but didn’t require him to do so. So she and her supporters claim the vote to enable the President to go to war wasn’t actually a vote for the war, even though it enabled the war, because of some technicality. And I call that a typical lie of the sort I expect from a career politician. > [@drad\_dog](#): > > I’m not accusing “everyone”; You are not “everyone.” I explicitly didn’t say that you personally were doing so to everyone, my comment was clearly directed at the general pattern of Hillary and her supporters. > [@](#): > > I see in your posts an acceptance, and possibly an admiration of a lying would-be dictator, with a dick. And the relentless vilifying of someone who’s crimes are so much smaller, and who has a vagina. Go back and look. Talking factually about the awful, dishonest candidate that the Democrats put forward is not ‘relentless vilifying’, it’s discussing the topic of the thread. And nothing that I’ve said has anything to do with either of their genetalia, other than using the correct gender of pronouns when referring to them. > [@Sherrerd](#): > > Of course some who are living with massive guilt over their actions or inactions last November are going to have trouble letting go; My only guilt over voting is because I foolishly voted for Hillary out of fear of Trump instead of voting for a third party like I should have. It’s clear that I contributed to the popular vote total that’s helping her and large parts of the Democratic party believe that they ‘really’ won and that there was nothing wrong with Hillary as a candidate. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/90 "2017-05-05T21:28:18Z")
As I recall, GeeDubya said that authorizing him to take military action would improve his chances for a peaceful resolution by negotiation. How Saddam could deliver the weapons he didn’t have in the first place was never explained. Point being, he tried to sell it as a means of supporting peaceful resolution. As the record shows, I didn’t believe a word of it. But saying that it was an authorization for military action without including that is dishonest. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/91 "2017-05-05T21:33:38Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > And yet the answer to “Is donald a liar?” is always “But Hillary was a bigger one” isn’t it? Do as I say not as I do? Just a protip: please decide if you’re going to argue with me or voices in your head. My answer (as opposed to your head-voices) to the question is “Is Donald A Liar” is a “Hell yes. And a bigger one than Hillary.” Please feel free to argue with a position I actually hold. > [@](#): > > “You’re too dumb to discover my lies, however blatant or stupid they are and you won’t notice if I change my lie every few days when the old one doesn’t work”. Are you talking about clinton or fu manchu? Ever use this standard of analysis on the “worse” choice in the election who actually is in power now? You must be projecting here right? You have to see the irony don’t you? I was doing an analysis of _why_ Hillary’s lies were seen as worse than Donald’s (IMO). At no point did I say I agreed with it, but I think the perception that Donald’s lies were seen as wink-nudge lies and Hillary’s were seen as condescending is accurate. If you disagree with this reasoning for the perception of why Hillary’s lies were seen as worse, I’d be interested to hear yours. If you think that I approve of it, you’re confused. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/92 "2017-05-05T21:36:30Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > I’m not accusing “everyone”; You are not “everyone.” But keep putting theoretical words in the mouths of theoretical people and let us know how it comes out in a year or two. > > You do have problems when your statements are indistinguishable from a russian bot though. I see in your posts an acceptance, and possibly an admiration of a lying would-be dictator, with a dick. And the relentless vilifying of someone who’s crimes are so much smaller, and who has a vagina. Go back and look. > > We already have a lot of coverage, think pieces, odes and apologias, hymns and tributes to the “trump voter” and what we need to learn. They are the new “love that won’t shut up” now. You going to add something to that? Gee thanks. Stick to discussing the topic. If you need to make the discussion personal, go open a thread in The BBQ Pit. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/93 "2017-05-05T21:37:10Z")
> [@](#): > > …but I think the perception that Donald’s lies were seen as wink-nudge lies and Hillary’s were seen as condescending is accurate… What is a “condescending” lie, and how is it worse than a “nudge-wink” lie? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/94 "2017-05-05T21:38:40Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Except that’s not remotely what Trump’s lying is like–not _at all_. He’s not kidding around and implicitly admitting he’s full of shit–he’s _daring_ you to question him. > > Remember Trump’s spokesman saying Trump’s Inauguration audience was the largest ever, PERIOD!!!..? Your read of that was that he was kidding? Really? You think Trump said he saw New Jersey Muslims celebrating after 9-11 in a “you know I’m full of shit, hahah” way? Really? You believe that when Trump said Obama and Clinton were the _literal_ founders of ISIS, he was inviting people to say to his face that he was so full of shit, hahaha…? No. I said personally I believe that Donald"…is a bigger liar, or he’s got some mental condition like senility that make him unable to remember what the hell he’s said before." (I lean towards the latter, the more I hear him talk). But at the same time, I believe the people who voted for him DID see his lies that way. Take the Inauguration example. I think his supporters saw it as a “fisherman’s” lie. (“I caught a trout that was 30…no…40 inches long. Hell…maybe it was even 50 inches!”). ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/95 "2017-05-05T21:43:41Z")
I think it is already a part of common wisdom that solid Trump supporters see the whole concept of truth/lies that the rest of us. What might HRC have done to counter that? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/96 "2017-05-05T22:09:13Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > See, this is the kind of lie that Hillary tells. There was a vote for whether or not to authorize the president to go to war. Technically the vote wasn’t actually to go to war or not, it just enabled Bush to do so but didn’t require him to do so. So she and her supporters claim the vote to enable the President to go to war wasn’t actually a vote for the war, even though it enabled the war, because of some technicality. And I call that a typical lie of the sort I expect from a career politician. The problem was that she foolishly believed Bush when he said that his goal was to force Hussein to allow the inspectors in and force him to give up his Chemical weapons they found. By having a force authorization in his back pocket this was a way to ensure that Hussein complied. And in fact this worked. Hussein did let the weapons inspectors in, when previously he had stonewalled them. What she didn’t realize was that he didn’t have any weapons to turn over and that in spite of his promises, GWB was going to go to go to war regardless of Hussein’s compliance. So yes in retrospect she made a mistake in trusting GWB, It isn’t even as if she is particularly remarkable, as more than half of the Democratic Senators joined her in this vote. I don’t know how old you are but you may not remember what the feeling regarding Iraq was at the time. Its really easy to look at these things and judge with 20/20 hindsight. I am a staunch liberal and marched in a Washington DC peace protest in January of 2003, (3 months after the resolution) when it started to become clear that GWB was going to go to war regardless of his compliance. At the time even I believed that Hussein had a hidden stockpile of WMDs. I just thought that the only way he would use them is as a last resort and the biggest last resort was against an invasion force. Clinton wasn’t a huge war monger she was just a woman following the conventional wisdom of the time. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/97 "2017-05-05T22:10:16Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Just a protip: please decide if you’re going to argue with me or voices in your head. > > My answer (as opposed to your head-voices) to the question is “Is Donald A Liar” is a “Hell yes. And a bigger one than Hillary.” Please feel free to argue with a position I actually hold. > I was doing an analysis of _why_ Hillary’s lies were seen as worse than Donald’s (IMO). At no point did I say I agreed with it, but I think the perception that Donald’s lies were seen as wink-nudge lies and Hillary’s were seen as condescending is accurate. If you disagree with this reasoning for the perception of why Hillary’s lies were seen as worse, I’d be interested to hear yours. If you think that I approve of it, you’re confused. I don’t know what you approve of or not but you are very tellingly supersizing the negatives of a candidate who lost 6 months ago. When people do this about those on the right they are accused of crying wolf or not being able to move on. You are in awe of donalds “charismatic lying” at least to the point where you are willing to normalize it in your rush to judge…Hillary, the one who lost 6 months ago? Donald is like your “buddy” and hillary is the worst person ever? Really? Sorry but it sounds like you’re just repeating things from fox and friends. The idea of saying that donald didn’t campaign on telling the truth but Hillary did, is just weird. Did you really mean to say that?. You aren’t taking a side here? What were Hillarys top 5 critical lies? They must be really bad to be worse than what we’ve seen lately. What was “condescending” about them? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/98 "2017-05-05T22:21:12Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Except that’s not remotely what Trump’s lying is like–not _at all_. He’s not kidding around and implicitly admitting he’s full of shit–he’s _daring_ you to question him. > > Remember Trump’s spokesman saying Trump’s Inauguration audience was the largest ever, PERIOD!!!..? Your read of that was that he was kidding? Really? You think Trump said he saw New Jersey Muslims celebrating after 9-11 in a “you know I’m full of shit, hahah” way? Really? You believe that when Trump said Obama and Clinton were the _literal_ founders of ISIS, he was inviting people to say to his face that he was so full of shit, hahaha…? > > Seriously. > > It _is_ weird. As Comey said the other day, the Russians are still actively interfering in other nations’ affairs; Vlad hasn’t stopped hating Hillary, and it’s unlikely that he’d have shut down the social-media boiler-rooms that have been cranking out contempt for her for many months (years?) now. > > Not that I’m claiming that any _particular_ accounts here are paid accounts; but logically, some are. > > Of course some who are living with massive guilt over their actions or inactions last November are going to have trouble letting go; they will obsessively rehash their hatred and scorn for months (if not years) to come. \*How DARE she have!!!1!!! \*etc.—all without any paycheck in sight. Human psychology is an interesting thing. Russian trolling doesn’t end with Hillarys candidacy or even her death. It has to do with undermining democracies where ever you can and enhancing your power and standing. It’s very easy: Hate Hillary, love trump for now, troll any progressive messages. Anyone disagrees: they are in a bubble and they are intolerant of your worldview. On line communication is going to be a victim of this. The negativity will just make it meaningless. When I see posts with these 3 or 4 things and without a nuanced world view, I figure they might as well be a RT. 6 of one… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/99 "2017-05-05T23:43:37Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > See, this is the kind of lie that Hillary tells. There was a vote for whether or not to authorize the president to go to war. Technically the vote wasn’t actually to go to war or not, it just enabled Bush to do so but didn’t require him to do so. So she and her supporters claim the vote to enable the President to go to war wasn’t actually a vote for the war, even though it enabled the war, because of some technicality. And I call that a typical lie of the sort I expect from a career politician. It’s not a technicality. The claim she voted in favour of a war is false. What she did was, she voted in favour of leaving that decision to Bush; not technically, but explicitly. You’re claiming the AUMF did one thing when it did another. That’s not a technicality, that’s you being wrong. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791/100 "2017-05-06T00:03:02Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > No. I said personally I believe that Donald"…is a bigger liar, or he’s got some mental condition like senility that make him unable to remember what the hell he’s said before." (I lean towards the latter, the more I hear him talk). But at the same time, I believe the people who voted for him DID see his lies that way. Take the Inauguration example. I think his supporters saw it as a “fisherman’s” lie. (“I caught a trout that was 30…no…40 inches long. Hell…maybe it was even 50 inches!”). If that’s true then I’d say we need electoral reform. Emotional IQ tests might be in order. Certainly the popular vote is going to be important to save democracy. It looks like the rural voters took advantage of the inequality in the system to arbitrage the city pricks into chaos and going to shit, just because they wanted to see it happen, and they think they will be affected last. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/785791.md?page=6)