61% panicked ...

" ... what should disturb Obama, who bypassed his own vice president to lay out the red carpet for Hillary, is that the email transgression is not a one off. It’s part of a long pattern of ethical slipping and sliding, obsessive secrecy and paranoia, and collateral damage.

Comey’s verdict that Hillary was “negligent” was met with sighs rather than shock. We know who Hillary and Bill are now. We’ve been held hostage to their predilections and braided intrigues for a long time. (On the Hill, Comey refused to confirm or deny that he’s investigating the Clinton Foundation, with its unseemly tangle of donors and people doing business with State.)

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We’re resigned to the Clintons focusing on their viability and disregarding the consequences of their heedless actions on others. They’re always offering a Faustian deal. This year’s election bargain: Put up with our iniquities or get Trump’s short fingers on the nuclear button.

The Clintons work hard but don’t play by the rules. Imagine them in the White House with the benefit of low expectations."  Maureen Dowd in the NY Times

-------------

 Panicked?  Yes indeed!  Why should they not be?

A significant attempt is underway to re-program Trump as a more plausible person who could be trusted with the actual ability to launch a nuclear strike without congressional action.   That ability is a vestige of the Cold War when it was thought that MAD required it.  Do we still need for the president/commander in chief to have that actual power?  Is there really a threat of such immediacy that the concentration of such apocalyptic power is justified?   The neo-cons and neo-liberals are trying to re-start the Cold War.  Why are they doing that?  I don't know.  I don't see what the actual, as opposed to notional, threat from Russia consists of.  In any event can Trump actually be trusted when in office?  That is the question and I expect that will remain the principal question.

Hillary is not trusted by the public.  She polls at around 20% with regard to whether or not people across the country trust her.  Can one actually and successfully govern with that low a level of public trust?  The Democrats undoubtedly think that they will re-capture control of the senate because of mistrust of Trump, but is that really true in light of the level of mistrust of Clinton?

Baggage?  She has a lot of it. 

1.  Health.  There are massive questions, unresolved by her physician's statements, as to the actual state of her health.  How bad was her head injury?  Has she had a series of micro-strokes? What about her numerous blood-clot incidents?  What is the total effect of the prescription drugs that she takes, drugs designed to keep her alive by keeping her blood thin?    How much is she medicated for stress and anxiety?  

2.  Legal problems.  Comey let her off on the issue or whether or not she could be successfully prosecuted for malpractice with regard to government secrets but a number of other issues remain.   Representatives Gowdy and Chaffetz have their staffs perusing all of HC's sworn statement to Congress looking for material upon which to make a "referral" to the FBI for an investigation of possible perjury.  Comey declined to discuss before Chaffetz' committee the question of whether or not there is a different ongoing FBI investigation into the operations of the CGI and the Clinton Foundation and possible intersections of HC's receptivity at State to foreign people or groups who were or later became donors to the CGI and the Clinton Foundation.  There is also a question concerning the Greece centered hedge fund activities of HC's son in law, Mezvinsky.  It has been alleged that HC provided Mezvinsky US government secret material concerning the intentions of various European leaders with regard to propping up the Greek economy.   This would have obviously been useful to Mezvinsky in making "bets" in the markets on Greek economic recovery.  He was a miserable failure at doing that but that would not obviate HC's culpability if she did give him US Government information especially if, as it is said to me, some of this were SIGINT products.

IMO if HC faced anyone but Trump she would be "toast."  pl  

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/10/opinion/sunday/the-clinton-contamination.html?emc=edit_th_20160710&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=405151&_r=0

Comments

[Doug Colwell]

The lefts' real concerns are class and labour. The fact that many see issues like identity politics as leftist shows how successful the ruling class has been. Labour and the left has been gutted and what you call the left is its' corpse.
Globalization and "free trade" is sought by that same ruling class. I was on a (small) union executive years ago and we fought against NAFTA. Those of us truly concerned with the working class are listening very carefully to Trump. His remarks about trade deals belong in the debates. The same goes for immigration, and for the same reason. HRC has proven herself to be an enemy of working people every chance she has had.

[charly]

The SR71 wasn't a secret for the Soviets so telling such secrets isn't that bad.

[Tyler]

Seamus,

Whoops.

[Tyler]

Edward,

You're not winning the culture wars. The elite is barreling towards legalized pederastry and doing everything it can to make it impossible to stop it. The only reason they haven't is because we haven't gotten to the point where Middle America brings back the rope and the firing squad.

[kao_hsien_chih]

Trump isn't Gatsby. Bernie could be/have been, but there is no real Gatsby in this version.

I was thinking about another novel: Native Son by Richard Wright. The 1% are gloating about how wonderously progressive and tolerant they are, but, to us Bigger Thomases of the world, of all races, none of their "culture wars" (who's winning or losing) really matters.

[Tyler]

TonyL,

Yeah yeah "wake up sheeple!" I've heard it before.

The Left is for unfettered globalism and rootless cosmopolitanism. I know some of you get your nipples in a twist over that but that's the reality of it. No amount of mendacious sophistry about triple bank shot theories changes that.

For reference: the pretzel logic employed whe, someone tries to argue that Obama is a secret non interventionist vs. A bumbler who orders drone assassinations over his corn flakes.

[Fred]

Edward,

"The left is winning the culture wars,..."

You are correct. Before giving the joyous report of Pheidippides you should reflect on the great victory. In 1960 80% of black children were born into two parent households, most of which were Christian. in 2016 It is now less than 30%. The great victory of the left, defeating Christianity and the black family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGXOU11u60E

[Keith Harbaugh]

To “Legal issues” should be added the FOIA lawsuits.
As more becomes known about how thoroughly HRC,
with her retainers and lackeys and aiders and abettors in the State Dept.,
made a mockery of her obligation to make her records available to the American public through the FOIA process,
while at the same time she made them available to any foreign intelligence service worthy of the name,
the Federal judges overseeing the Judicial Watch, Vice, et al. lawsuits
may hold her feet to the fire over this issue.

Of course, on the other hand, they may shrink from being the person who thwarts an objective so clearly held by so many of the ZOG:
empowering yet more feminists, homosexuals, people of color and those fans of punishing Russia for its perceived transgressions against its Jewish oligarchs and their fellows, and attacking any state that poses a threat to Israel,
and receiving the obloquy of the Washington Post, etc. in return.

[Fred]

To quote the NYT: "In a mere 11 days, arrogant, selfish actions by the Clintons contaminated three of the purest brands in Washington — Barack Obama, James Comey and Loretta Lynch — and jeopardized the futures of Hillary’s most loyal aides."

"The purest brans in Washington" well the manure sure must smell different up close; where an understanding of personal integrity and individual agency can't get in the way.

[Harry]

All good points, but I think a reasonable man would still guess she was 4 points now and likely to win unless something else comes up. Trump is not the easiest win one could imagine. But I can imagine him winning if there was a fair wind and he manages his media way better than he is now.

But seriously, apart from not being one of the idiot politicians who got us here, what positive characteristics does he offer? I imagine there are many other outsider candidates you might support with more enthusiasm.

[Harry]

I think the Clinton/Blair new left are for those things. The old left is for unions and is anti big business.

[Bill Herschel]

An excellent choice. I hope he chooses Flynn. He'd be an idiot not to. Foreign policy credentials? It seems to me that Flynn has them. C'mon Trump, do the right thing.

Choosing Flynn would open the right debate. And it seems to me that it will be very difficult to tar Flynn with the brush of "legalized pederasty" though he is pro-choice, etc.

[Matthew]

Fred: Remember Pauline Kael's remark about her surprise when Nixon won in 1968 because no one "she knew" was supporting him.

[Mark Logan]

Bobo, re: "...almost done."

She only person she has to outrun is Don Trump, not the bear(s). IMO the only worthwhile hope now is for a Trump-dump convention. The guy isn't fixable and they will eventually quit deluding themselves about that, it's simply a question of when. I'd give it 30-70 odds that happens before they nominate him.

[The Beaver]

To Babak,

OT : please check this

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cm-cLCuWgAAode_.jpg

She has a lot of followers amongst the politicos on both sides of the pond.
I was surprised to read a tweet from Howard Dean and this former staff member of HRC at Foggy Bottom:
https://twitter.com/PJCrowley/status/751842443625201664

[steve]

"The Left is for unfettered globalism and rootless cosmopolitanism."

So is the right. That is what big business would prefer. At the top, the 1% all agree on that, be they economic conservatives or liberals. The right wants that cheap labor. The left has weird ideas about immigrants. Besides, they mostly look after their own interests. (Actually, this is not quite correct, The right wants unfettered globalism so that big business can write their own rules, or have none. The left wants fettered globalism. They want to write lots of rules and regulations into globalism.)

Steve

[Tyler]

Doug,

Yes yes, the poor left has been suckered in by all those gender studies professors and coastal talking heads.

Do you listen to yourself talk?

[HankP]

Jack -

I'm not so sure about the party loyalty bit anymore. Most democrats I know weren't happy with the bombing in Libya or Syria. Similarly, most conservatives I know weren't that happy with Bush when he expanded Medicare. I think party loyalty is fading, which can also explain why Trump and Sanders did so well.

I agree that our foreign policy is a bipartisan problem. I do think the Dems will do a better job keeping HRC in line, other than immediately after 9/11 Democrats in congress haven't been very supportive of foreign adventures. At least, not as much as the Republicans.

[The Twisted Genius]

rjj,

I mentioned this yesterday on the previous post linking to the same Guardian article. I haven't heard anything else about the offer or if Bernie considered it. Wouldn't it be a hoot if he announced he will run as the Green candidate when he has a joint appearance with Hillary next week. As she clutches her heart and prepares to faint, old Bernie hollers over, "How do ya like dem apples, toots?"

[annamissed]

Bernie as Gatsby? Ha!. There's only one in this race with an insatiable desire for approval acted out through an epic level of wealth display and self promotion.

may have to trade in my (were living in a) Dickens world for Fitzgerald.

[Amir]

Blood clot incidence (as long as they are not cerebral) and anticoagulation would not necessarily disqualify her from her job as they have no immediate effect on the intellectual capacity obviously the longevity of the patient is reduced.
Clinton seems to have a slightly abnormal gait, especially when she was coming of the plain. Whether this is due to pain (antalgic) and joint disease or neuro-muscular (stroke or inflammation related) is obviously hard to say.
Multi-infarct dementia in someone who has had multiple strokes and has underlying condition that -if suboptimally treated- would cause more strokes (irregular heart beat that necessitates blood thinners)is a reality of our "age" and guidelines and protocols need to be determined to limit the nation's exposure to leaders with dementia. At the end of the day, Reagan had dementia towards the end of his presidency and GW II was an alcoholic with associated sequelae.

Use of psychotropes is a chapter apart and obviously the influence of your treating physician should also be monitored.

[Tyler]

Harry,

Four points is nothing considering she was leading by 12-16 as little as two months ago, and now she's tied with Trump or losing to him. Its been, much like the primary was, a steady downhill trend for Trump's opponents while he gains on them bit by bit. We haven't even had the debates yet - how is Hillary's coughing spell going to look on national television?

Is your question rhetorical? Trump believes the US is a country and that illegal immigration must be stopped, not a bazaar for the 3rd World to flood into while rootless cosmopolitans hop from coast to coast.

[Tyler]

Steve,

No, the "right" as you describe isn't the right, but just another branch of Marxist tyranny.

The Right believes in the existence of the nation state more than the Left ever did.

[Tyler]

Amir,

Problem is its likely she had a stroke a few years ago that was swept under the rug as a "concussion".

As I pointed out, she's not a healthy woman. Anyone of her, shall we say, stature is likely on at least a beta blocker, if not a calcium channel blocker. I'd say there's a very good chance she's on an ACE inhibitor as well. Captopril? Seems like she's a fan of these drugs from the 60s and 70s. Come to think of it, I wouldn't rule out her being on Digoxin either.

[TonyL]

No tripple bank shot theory. Please make a list of the 1% , see how these orligarchs influenced policies. Murdoch, Soros... etc.