# Why the hatred of Hillary? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 26, 2007, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080 "2007-10-26T05:24:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/1 "2007-10-26T05:24:16Z")
So, it’s said that Hillary is especially hated by the right. Is this just because she’s an old & known name? Is it because of something personally offensive about her? I know that I’m not too fond of putting Bubba’s old lady into the White House, since it seems like a way to work around term limits for the previously self-proclaimed “co-presidents,” but I wonder if there’s something more going on. I know this is a somewhat leftish board, but I figure I can still get some kind of answer. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/2 "2007-10-26T05:53:33Z")
It’s because the right-wing media have spent the past 16 years attacking the Clintons. It doesn’t actually matter _what_ the actual allegations are - if you put that much time and effort into propaganda, some of it is going to stick. ---
**Author:** ![Malvert\_P.Redd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Malvert\_P.Redd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malvert_P.Redd)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/3 "2007-10-26T06:42:16Z")
The fact that she comes off as hopelessly insincere every time she speaks? The fact that she stays in a sham marriage for the good of her career? ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/4 "2007-10-26T07:02:49Z")
Conservatives have had it in for both of them from the get-go; why? Maybe because Bill was and still is so popular; maybe because she worked on policy instead of baking cookies and posing for self-serving photo ops with school children; maybe because she’s confident, intelligent, and articulate. Maybe there are still a bunch of troglodytes out there who think a woman can’t be a good president (our “raging hormones” and all that, you know). She comes off as sincere to me, and her marriage is nobody’s business. Try to find something about her to like because she’s going to be our next President. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/5 "2007-10-26T07:45:18Z")
I’m liberal on most issues, and my refusal to vote for Hillary has nothing to do with her politics. I won’t vote for her because there will be registered voters in this election who have never known a president who wasn’t either a Clinton or a Bush. To me, this appears to totally subvert the purpose of electing the nation’s leader from among the citizenry. I don’t know what portion of the anti-Hillary crowd are following my same reasoning, but that’s where I’m coming from. (Thanks, **vibrotronica** , for pointing this out to me.) ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/6 "2007-10-26T10:48:48Z")
[QUOTE=Malvert P. Redd] The fact that she comes off as hopelessly insincere every time she speaks? [/QUOTE] OH THAT MUST BE IT! Cause EVERYTHING George said has been sincere??? [QUOTE=Malvert P. Redd] The fact that she stays in a sham marriage for the good of her career? [/QUOTE] YOU WHAT??? The ONLY people who get to decide the marriage is a sham are the people in the marriage! If Americans are so easily duped then they deserve another Bush! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/7 "2007-10-26T10:55:52Z")
[QUOTE=calm kiwi] OH THAT MUST BE IT! Cause EVERYTHING George said has been sincere??? YOU WHAT??? The ONLY people who get to decide the marriage is a sham are the people in the marriage! If Americans are so easily duped then they deserve another Bush! [/QUOTE] Something about your username and your punctuation just doesn’t jibe :). That said, I kind of agree. I would love to vote for a sincere presidential candidate who had a chance at winning. I would also like a pony. I’m going to have to settle for a candidate who plays the game in favor of positions I can tolerate, and a 95 Geo Prizm. As for the marriage, I strongly agree that that ain’t nobody’s bidness but the family’s. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/8 "2007-10-26T10:56:05Z")
I’m not sure where it comes from, either. I have heard a lot about her hair, pants suits, sweaters, breasts and laugh lately. It makes me wonder why I don’t hear anything more substantial, though. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/9 "2007-10-26T11:03:10Z")
A valid question. I have a strong dislike for her, and have pondered the question many times. I sadly confess I don’t have a logical answer. I have a real visceral reaction to her. I don’t like her or trust her. Please note, just because I don’t like her doesn’t mean I embrace the current president either. Not trusting her does not imply that I trust our current president. BTW, I don’t consider myself to be from the right. I consider myself to be a centrist. At one time I thought of myself of just right of center. Now, I am probably just left of center. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/10 "2007-10-26T11:12:56Z")
[QUOTE=Malvert P. Redd] The fact that she comes off as hopelessly insincere every time she speaks? The fact that she stays in a sham marriage for the good of her career? [/QUOTE] Could you define how you’re using “fact” for the rest of us? I don’t think we’re using it the same way. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/11 "2007-10-26T11:17:18Z")
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness] Something about your username and your punctuation just doesn’t jibe :). [/QUOTE] Yeah I know, for a brief moment I felt like the Bush diasater actually concerned me! Then I realised EVERYTHING America does has an affect on us! [QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness] That said, I kind of agree. As for the marriage, I strongly agree that that ain’t nobody’s bidness but the family’s. Daniel [/QUOTE] Not only nobodys “bidness” but also totally irrelevant! If George Bush never fucked anyone but Mrs Bush does that make the Iraq fuck up better? If he had fucked some hot slut would Iraq be worse? ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/12 "2007-10-26T11:23:36Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] A valid question. I have a strong dislike for her, and have pondered the question many times. I sadly confess I don’t have a logical answer. I have a real visceral reaction to her. I don’t like her or trust her. [/QUOTE] Is it because she is a SHE? How long can America be the land of the free and watch female leaders being elected everywhere else. How long can Kennedys Catholicism be the most scandulous crendential for being elected? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/13 "2007-10-26T11:30:13Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/14 "2007-10-26T11:36:35Z")
[QUOTE=calm kiwi] Is it because she is a SHE? How long can America be the land of the free and watch female leaders being elected everywhere else. How long can Kennedys Catholicism be the most scandulous crendential for being elected? [/QUOTE] No. What on earth did I say that made you think that? Do you think that I dislike and distrust all women? If so, can you provide a cite or history of this allegation? If not, from whence did you pull this outlandish idea? Please feel free to point out that my dislike is not logical - hell I admitted such - but _do not presume_ to assign your own random reasons for it. As I said, I have a strong visceral reaction to her. I did to her husband too. And our current president (both of whom, I have been lead to believe are NOT SHEs.) However, I was originally lead to believe that this was poll, which is why I responded. Had I known it was intended as a debate I would not have opined. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/15 "2007-10-26T11:40:07Z")
[QUOTE=calm kiwi] Is it because she is a SHE? How long can America be the land of the free and watch female leaders being elected everywhere else. How long can Kennedys Catholicism be the most scandulous crendential for being elected? [/QUOTE] Can it not be as simple as Khadaji stated? Why must you seek deeper motivations to confirm your perception that there must be a dislike of women or support for Bush? Like Khadaji, I have an absolute visceral negative reaction towards her. I have the same reaction to the guy down the street. Some people just rub you wrong, be that their voice, demeanor, apparent sincerety, etc. I’m all for the US having a woman President, just not Hillary. 😃 MeanJoe ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/16 "2007-10-26T11:47:53Z")
Maybe it’s because we still have a significant percentage of the population who are sexist. I’m not sure why people are so balky about women being in positions of power. I don’t know why people are so insecure and ignorant that they fear a female president. We can put people into space, but we can’t achieve escape velocity from the Dark Ages mentality of our most Troglodytic citizens. I think Hillary would make a perfectly good president, but I, too, have a problem with having nothing but Bushes and Clintons in the Oval Office for (potentially) 28 years. That smacks of something less than Democracy. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/17 "2007-10-26T12:04:51Z")
I personally won’t vote for her because I think she values political expediency far above principle. But I really think she is hated so much by so many people in the US because many Americans are very uncomfortable with a woman who is powerful and who makes no effort to emphasize or capitalize on her femininity. A man who had the same history as she (smart, lawyer, tried to get universal health coverage, accused right of smear against spouse, etc.) would be dislike as a leftist by much of the right, but wouldn’t be hated as Hillary is hated. Let’s face it folks–there is a reason that the US is among the very few modern hi-tech democracies that has never been lead by a woman. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/18 "2007-10-26T12:16:41Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] A valid question. I have a strong dislike for her, and have pondered the question many times. I sadly confess I don’t have a logical answer. I have a real visceral reaction to her. I don’t like her or trust her. [/quote] I feel the same way. I am a Democrat and I just can’t stand her. I renewed my voter registration just so I could vote against her when the time comes. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2007, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/19 "2007-10-26T12:30:48Z")
I dislike her for different reasons than most- she is not a liberal and she doesn’t appear to have any conviction other than that she should be president. I could forgive her for the Iraq vote if she would admit that it was a mistake, but she can’t bring herself to do it. The last thing the US needs is another president who can admit no wrong. She signed onto Chimpy’s labeling of the Iranian government as terrorists because she thinks the nomination is already hers and she is already moving to the right for the general election. I think if she had polling data that showed that she would gain a few points by biting the head off a bat on stage, she’d be on the phone with Ozzy asking for tips. I personally don’t care if her and Bill are still madly in love or just political allies. I don’t care if she ever wears a dress (though I would prefer that Rudy didn’t). The Cackle does irritate like glass in a garbage disposal but is no worse than Chimpy’s smirk. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080/20 "2007-10-26T12:32:20Z")
Bush’s flaws are immaterial here: I didn’t vote for him either time. HRC’s flaws are more important to me because I may need to vote for her as she’d be better than any of the current Republican crop. But I can still hope that I can have a better option. The Conservatives don’t like her for one set of reasons: they believe that she is more liberal than she is and that she will impose a liberal godless agenda upon the nation; they have a Clinton bashing machine that has never stopped working any more than the Clinton political machine has ever stopped for more than an oil and filter change; and I suspect that her taking on unelected power beyond the usual first mate status by virtue of her husband’s election grated as well. Me? Well let’s go through my Presidential wish list: A vision for an America better than it is now. What vision? She can possibly get the bone by virtue of a well oiled machine but what does she want to do with it? She plays to whatever she percieves the Middle wants to hear at the moment. The ability to articulate that vision effectively. Acch. I cringe to hear her speak. The ability to choose good advisors. Okay, she’s got that one. One out of three. Can’t we do better than that? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hatred-of-hillary/424080.md?page=2)