Clinton Dodges Question About Losing Her Cool in Congo

I typically hate the Clintons, but Hillary here gave a good response here. We are the more powerful country and we don’t have to be soft and squishy and polite about ugly blatant insulting sexism. The question was clearly sexist. She gave a clear and firm answer that I’m sure made the audience notice the latent sexism in the question. Good for her. Being a diplomat doesn’t mean being spineless.

I imagine that people who want to imagine that she is doing a great job will see this as an entirely appropriate response.
I think she seemed a bit testy which doesn’t quite rise to the level of “staggeringly horrible character flaw”.

The question was clearly sexist. She gave a clear and firm answer that I’m sure made the audience notice the latent sexism in the question. Good for her. Being a diplomat doesn’t mean being spineless.
Posted by: dj | Aug 13, 2009 2:34:42 PM
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I totally agree, and her response to the question here focused on the important things. I think she’s doing a great job. She’s a tough cookie at times. The SoS should be.

Tina Brown said that “(Hillary)’s feeling fat and needs to hit the gym.”
What an absurd statement.

Why can’t abc cover the substance of her press conference? I am getting tired of “news” organizations that do not give any in depth coverage of important issues anymore. Only PBS seems to be able and willing to do that.

Good grief, this was a question from a foreign student. You would think she would have been much more graceful in answering a question like that. It’s no wonder her partner did some of the things he did.

Do you people ever write about anything important?

Jake, can you please report on the reason she is there and not give these people an outlet to bash her? You all are completely ignoring the amazing work she is doing. The only time you referenced why she is there is when you quoted her!
There are only two types of people posting comments here: the ones that hate her and the ones that hate you for not doing your job. Get a clue.

I reaally don’t blame her. And I really don’t like her.

This article is totaly biased. shame on ABC News. where has journalistic integrity gone? Sec. of State Clinton has important things to discuss, and a misunderstanding with a local student’s question is not at the top of the list. Besides, why should she answer on behalf of her husband, they are not the same person, she has her own thoughts and she is the top diplomat in this country. I think the political right is trying to put Sec. of State Clinton under heavy scrutiny as payback for that shameful Palin debacle. I think she does an excellent job and is the right person for the job.

Why do you have to “hate the Clintons” or anyone else for that matter? Is your life so meaningless that you have to hate people? Life is too short to waste time on hating another human. Pretty sad, pretty pathetic and pretty petty.

hillary is clearly jealous of bill!haha this is great stuff.i think the years of denial about his extra marital affairs is catching up with the old lady.

It is obvious to me that HRC doesn’t want this job.. she wants Obama’s job.. well, there’s only one thing to do..

Why don’t you jackals leave Hillary alone? A mistake was made. When she realized what happened, she apologized. It’s over. Let it go.

Tax payers in this country right now could not care less about AFRICA! For many years our tax dollars have funneled into a country that even wiht all our dollars ,still is unable to controll it’s own destiny! FEED the exploding population! Or even try!

Robert (3:51 PM); Hillary is not third in line to the presidency. It’s worse than that!!!!!!!

For all who was listening to the question, they now know to ask only questions that pertain to Hillary and her job! You news people need to print something that is going to be helpful to the people!

The question was pretty darn insulting. She didn’t “loose control”, she simply said firmly how it was.
She was in a part of the world where many hold the view that a woman should only give her husband’s opinion (and hold no opinion of her own).
“Loosing control” in my book involves a lot more than firmly stating the facts with barely a raised voice. Come on, she certainly wasn’t “screaming”.

I don’t blame her for the response concerning channeling Bill, but her comments about the 2000 election and her implication that the outcome was because Bush’s brother was the governor of the the swing state of Florida in a foreign venue was dumb.

And people wanted her to be President?? That’s a joke.

You feminist apologists should calm
down. There isn’t a group of guys
out there who wouldn’t like her in
the “anchor” position on their
tug-of-war team.

Mrs. Clinton did NOT do the right thing. Look again at the video.
Is that the proper image for a Secretary of State? Did you ever see Madelyn Albright or Condeleeza Rice look or act like that when they had Mrs. Clinton’s job?
Yes, diplomacy is, no doubt, still a man’s world. But, other women have managed the Sec. of State job more diplomatically.
Bear in mind that Mrs. Clinton is the same woman who lied at least twice about coming under fire in Bosnia and who has made other ridiculous statements.
If she can’t stand the heat – properly stated or not – she should get out of the kitchen.

Let’s take some of the billions the US gives to Israel and give them to Africa instead.

Regardless of what any of you say in public, there is NO way you would have tolerated the question that was posed to her by the translator. Sure sure, you can tell us how you could “rise to the occasion”… “take the high road”… anything you want really.. but none of you were THERE in THAT situation. I would bet 20 million dollars any of you nay-sayers would have ‘flunked’. Anyone understanding football: I make a GREAT coach on Monday morning.

Hillary is a lousy Secretary of State.
She was a crooked lawyer who rode the coat tails of a political hopeful and wound up a woman scorned but in a high political position. She hates men and she hates this country as much as Obama. Her chip on her shoulder is very obvious.
She’s not qualified for high office and she only got the job as a concession since she’s a democrat and she lost the primary. Just another administration failure.

Losing her cool? I don’t think so. I am not a Hillary fan but there was nothing wrong with her reply. She had every right to say what she did. It was a stupid question.

Couldn’t she have just been nicer and told the person that she couldn’t speak for her husband? Nice is a thing of the past in our world today.

Hillary Clinton is no diplomat, that’s for sure. Put her in an office somewhere. Ew.

Look at SCSMITH & Luigi both are right on the money.
Our country would have better off never seeing a Clinton in any position of power. No Class from Bill and Now Hilary.
God we do so much better – Shame on us

Apparently ABC is channeling Star and National Enquirer by super-inflating Hillary’s response to the Liberian questioner. “Hillary Blows up…” is an absurdly hyped news line. I didn’t see her flinch,sputter or even get red in the neck-like Rush and O’reilly do every day. Her response was stern and pointed, but not anything near uncontrolled rage. It was also appropriate. How could anyone-male or female-honorably preempt their spouses view on an issue. File it under the category: “Women need to look tuff at times” and get on with the real news.

Mrs. Clinton answered without any question as to what she meant.The questions should of been addressed to her about her,and when she closed her answer everyone knew this.When Pres. Clinton was requested to go in reguards to the situation;it pops up questions as to what kind of workings he has arranged with the leaders of foreign countries that they have him marked as “THE MAN” and why didn’t he put himself in his right place by informing them of his place? Once again his wife has to clean up his mess.

I don’t think she lost her cool. I think she just demonstrated that women can be independent of their husbands. She had no way of knowing the question was mistranslated.

Grow up ABCNews! Who are you pandering to? Only my teenage children would regard your dramatization as world news! Whether a mistranslation of the student’s question or not (which I doubt, why would Obama translate as Mr. Clinton?), the question to Hillary Clinton was disrespectful. She travels half-way across the world to a continent most other countries have chosen to ignore only to have the visit tainted in the press because some ignorant student asks her to act as a mouthpiece for her husband! She handled the question as she should have, she did not make a “gaffe” nor “blowup”. Let’s move on to the important issues of the world. This is a partly why our world is in such a mess, our “news” agencies are an absolute joke. Quit wasting the time of our public officials, who are paid by we taxpayers, just so you can stir up a non-story!

I love this story. I hope it goes on and on and completely drowns out the health care “debate”. The Clinton’s are America’s favorite distraction. They are like ken and barbie dolls we can stick pins into. Discussions about them bring out the worst in all of us. And it’s great entertainment. That’s why the media loves them.

This is old news rehashed over and over again…not significant…not interesting…designed to embarass Hillary and not worth reporting!

I know I said Hilary is a lousy Sec of State and I still believe that. But, I have been watching the video over and over and I now feel the question was a bit stupid. Her response, while totally undiplomatic, was not off base in letting the student know that her opinions were her own and not her husband’s. An awkward moment but I don’t think her reaction was as bad as it has been made to look in the press. Diplomacy is a tricky thing.

If Hillary’s behavior was calculated to reset our relationship with the Congo and erase the “incivility” of the previous administration as stated by tanarg, then she has just demonstrated how uncivil this administration can be.

If you consider how you really and I mean really feel about any country in Africa or Africans for that matter. And if you ask yourself how much you know about Africa and it’s people; not to mention the diversity of it’s people among different country’s, then, ask yourself this question: Do I really care how any U.S. official responds to a dumb question by a student? I bet, most Americans would say, “No”. So, this story is “nothing”.

She is not paid to lose her cool. And she was on our taxpayers dime. Suggest she listen more and worry less about her and her husbands supposed problems of being upstaged by the other.

She makes Palin look smart.

Why shouldn’t she say that…. she isn’t Mr. Clinton and can’t speak for him. I think we are making a BIG deal over nothing. Because she’s a woman the question comes up. Why? I don’t understand.

Secretary Clinton is damned if she does; damned if she don’t. It’s almost like she’s not allowed to be strong minded or intense because some would view her as unstable. UNREAL. Our so-called unbiased media organizations have their own agendas. I would like to think citizens in this country are smart enough to see through the drama and sleezy political tactics.

Way to go Secretary or State, Mrs. Clinton. You make WOMEN PROUD. PLEASE keep up the GOOD WORK and continue to STAND for what is right.
This would be “no big deal” to the press if you were a “man”. You are a better “man” than any of “those” others who think otherwise.

This is not a man Vs woman thing. The point is that she was asked a dunb question by someone MUCH lower down the pecking order than herself and she reacted badly to it.
This is not the sort of behaviour one expects or wants from a diplomat.

I can’t believe the blindness of the people on here who don’t think this is a big deal – IT IS A BIG DEAL.
Clinton is our Secretary of State, the highest ranking official of our country in dealing with foreign leaders – some are allies, some are our sworn enemies.
If DIPLOMACY is what Obama is hoping will keep us out of future armed conflicts, then our Government will have to be respected.
Clinton is acting like she’s talking to her neighbors, or still out on the campaign trail (and I suspect the LATTER to be truly the case), not in front of the WORLD;S CAMERAS in Africa.
The rest of the world gains insight into the U.S. from a variety of sources, most of which they realize are likely NOT 100% accurate – like movies and song. But to be sitting in front of a television set, and hearing that U.S. is no better than Nigeria when it comes to elections, well, THAT’S going to cost us on the “respect” scale.

The DRCONGO has been suffered from the 2 wars since 1996 and lost almost 6.5 Millions people death (The U.N does Not talk about it) and,that started from the Neighbouring (Rwanda)to overthrow Mobutu Sese Seko from the Power which was Supported by the Former President Bill Clinton and remember about the letter carried by Bill Richardson to bring to Mobutu and step him down.So,that is why Hilary Clinton was prepared and being in the defensive

It’s hard to have a Secretary of State menopausing while on tour.Let’s send Bill. He will bring better results.

I seem to remember Joe Biden calling Milosevic a war criminal to his face, and no one freaked out. We thought it was a manly thing to do, and we stood around and patted him on his back. Clinton makes the point that she is the Sec. of State not Bill to a nation of misogynists, and torturers or women, but she’s gone too far!
I find it amusing that everything a woman politician does is because of PMS and menopause. I’m going to start referring to male politicians who use emotion as the small man complex. I think we all know what that means.

What a fool she’s making of herself! Hillalry lost it and thinks if she ignores it, it will go away. Sorry, it was all over the news. Your elitist self shone forth for all to see. You’re inept and were only made SoS to keep you out of Barry’s way. Did you notice how he now has Czars to take care of many parts of the world as he knows you’re inept, too. Keep playing the role, we all know who you are. But, then, Barry’s inept, too. What a terrible bunch of idiots we have in the WH!

What a fool she’s making of herself!
Posted by: MaryA | Aug 14, 2009 3:10:16 PM
Seriously?? Check out Judith Warner’s column titled “Hillary Fights a Tide of Trivialization.” She’s not making a fool of herself. The folks that trivialize her efforts are the fools.

Hillary was out of line on this. It is not that I do not understand her feelings but her ego was out of control and when that happens, you can’t go back and make up for showing your colors in a way you wouldn’t normally. If she were not the Secretary of State I would have thought, “More power to ya!”. Her husband has had his way in his life despite out it may affect her and I don’t blame her for being angry.

Once again she has shown that she can not handle a tough question without getting ruffled under the feathers. Not ready for prime time emotionally. A calmer more thought out answer simply would have been a smile and saying “I’m sorry but I can’t speak for XXXXXwhoever”

I see nothing wrong with her reaction, although she could have tempered her response a bit, allowing for a possible gender mistranslation. I would have been thoroughly hacked-off had I been asked that question.
For the record, I didn’t support her in the Democratic primaries last year. I worked hard for President Obama.