comment #1

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

While the validity of the "bad translation" angle of this has yet to be fully vetted that I know of, the video of it might make you rethink your support, Jeff. It comes across as just plain bitchy and snippy.

As an added bonus for you, she also looks pudgy these days. Run wild...

comment #2

Mr. F. says ...

Uh, sure... the problem is, the interpreter screwed up. The questioner was trying to ask what President OBAMA thought of the Congo deal.

I understand her annoyance... but to get snippy with the guy for someone else's mistake is, shall we say... unfortunate.

comment #3

Mr. F. says ...

(For the video, and amusing Stewart commentary from last night's show... http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-august-11-2009/hillary-in-the-congo)

comment #4

petunio says ...

Women can (and should be) be harsh as well, this is not supposed to be "bitchy".

I guess people would be happier if Hillary would had been folksy and cutesy as Sarah Palin, who never ever thought of drawing a line to a question (what could had saved her brief career as politician).

comment #5

Phatang! says ...

We all snap sometimes. And invariably it's at the wrong moment (like the person's mom just died, or he's deaf, or the translator screwed up...)

comment #6

ErrantElan says ...

As far as I know, the question was actually about what Obama thought, but misinterpreted by the interpreter as " Mr. Clinton". Supposedly the student explained this to Hillary afterwards.

comment #7

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

You know, I thought about it for awhile before using "bitchy" but it best conveys the tone. The owner of this site is very bitchy at times.

I knew some would jump on the gender issue and decided there would be amusement in watching them spin this one way or another.

Not to mention that in one encounter after another (including one with my own mother) Clinton did try to be cute and folksy. She just couldn't pull it off.

comment #8

shanes5 says ...

Trying to give her the benefit of doubt, Hillary looked very tired. I get irritable and short when I'm tired. But, as head diplomat for the U.S.--that "sharpness" should only come out when it is tactically advantageous....not when an ego is threatened.

comment #9

DeafBrownTrashPunk says ...

You guys do realize that the Congo has one of the highest rates of rape and sexual violence in the world, right? Naturally, it shouldn't be surprising that someone from there would make such a rude, sexist question to her.

So yeah, I wholly understand her anger and irritation.

comment #10

sumo-pop says ...

I got no problem with it. It's important to note that the question was mis-translated. That seems to be lost in the din. I'm no big fan either but I think she gets a pass on this one.

comment #11

joefilm1 says ...

I'm reflexively negative toward Hillary, but by all means this was awesome of her. Taking the context of the moment, where she is and the purpose of her entire visit there and add that she was totally unaware of the incorrect translation and there's nothing wrong with it. Maybe if Hillary winked and ended it with "you betcha!" then the more right leaning folks would find the response totally American and A-OK.

comment #12

shanes5 says ...

Cool...next time I'm snotty with someone, I'll remember to blame my actions on others...priceless.

comment #13

Mr. F. says ...

DBTP: Even though the translator *mistranslated* the question... I'm sure they were only there between their morning routine of rape and their afternoon bout of sexual violence.

Look, I'm a Hillary fan. Would have voted for her. Her ticks in the campaign weren't bothersome to me. But as Secretary of State, her JOB is to be our top diplomat. In a situation like this... wouldn't it have been slightly better to handle this with kid gloves? If she called the guy a sexist asshole... is that supposed to be a praiseworthy "You go, girl!" moment? Rather than assuming that everyone in the Congo is desensitized and sexist now?

Given the vagaries of translation between multiple languages, I just wish she could have blown the question off with a joke like it deserved.

comment #14

Chicago48 says ...

You would be snippy too. They ask a question (misinterpreted) about her HUSBAND's opinion, and she had to lose to Obama for the Presidency. I think she's holding up quite well, considering.

comment #15

Travis Crabtree says ...

Chicks.

comment #16

WJ says ...

Completely understandable on Hillary's part. Not having a vagina on my person, I'll probably never be in her position, but I'd probably react the same way. Shame it was a "translation error," but how was she supposed to know that?

comment #17

Michael says ...

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Secretary of State of the United States of America!

Diplomacy at its finest.

comment #18

sumo-pop says ...

Yeah, she's no Condi. Slobbering over her boss and whatnot.

comment #19

corey3rd says ...

Only thing she didn't do was scratch her nuts at the guy.

comment #20

DeeZee says ...

Yeah, one of the few times I was on Hillary's side.

comment #21

Gordon27 says ...

"We all snap sometimes. And invariably it's at the wrong moment (like the person's mom just died, or he's deaf, or the translator screwed up...)"

Phatang - this comment is clearly far too reasonable to have been made on the Internet.

The thing that's being ignored here is that Hillary is quite unusual for politics, and it must be irritating to constantly get asked "So, what does your husband think about that?" It can seem like a reasonable question, since he is a former president, and surely consults with her on stuff, but, after legitimately getting her own spotlight, it's got to be annoying when the spotlight operator keeps moving it to somebody who isn't even on stage anymore.

And I'm sure Clinton's recent return to the world political stage meant that Hillary had to constantly answer questions about North Korea and all that.

This is not Hillary's finest moment, but it's not some big fuck-up either.

comment #22

DeeZee says ...

Sly actually gets a good award again, instead of a Razzie. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007190.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
QT doesn't show up for Hollywood IB premiere. :(
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007207.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
Sony considers Parnassus.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007231.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
Redbox and FOX start a war.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia9983423088724a664b35167228970ad

comment #23

Travis Crabtree says ...

In other news....

Apparently Susan Atkins is circling the drain and has mere days left to live as she's being painfully taken down by a brain tumor.

Karma's a bitch, ain't it?

comment #24

DeeZee says ...

George Hamilton finally gets his star. http://www.yahoo.com/s/1114412

comment #25

crazynine says ...

Two comments.

First, as all-too-briefly mentioned above, whether the question was mistranslated or not is meaningless; Hillary Clinton heard the question as asking about her husband, and reacted with that in mind.

Second, as much as any of us can identify with a bitchy lashing-out in a moment of frustrated exhaustion, THIS WOMAN IS THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

You know, our nation's chief DIPLOMAT. In charge of diplomacy.

No one can expect to be "on" all of the time, but this comment was clearly, radically over-the-top. I'd call anyone a jackass for reacting like this in a public forum. When a senior American official does it, it's school in the summer.

Clinton could have addressed this in countless better ways, starting with, "You'll have to ask the former President for his opinion. Speaking for the official position of the United States, I. . . "

Simple. And obvious to anyone who does this stuff for a living, and not as a consolation prize.

comment #26

Brendan says ...

It has been close to 20 hours since JW posting anything new, time for his voluntary assistant (DeeZee) to pick up the ball and run with it....

comment #27

KC says ...

Wow, I only just now saw the video clip - scheez, that was fine. Picture a white man doing that slightly-raised tone of voice, using those hand gestures, it barely even registers

comment #28

caslab says ...

I like this. I'm not a fan, but good for her. Even if it was mistranslated, I think it's a good thing to have a Secretary of State who makes it clear where she draws the line.

comment #29

raygo says ...

RE: Susan Atkins ... can you believe it was 40 years ago this month? Seriously, I wish Jeff had posted something about that. I still remember the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer when I went to buy the paper for my dad that day.

comment #30

raygo says ...

P.S. Hillary in 2012!!

comment #31

kamichojin says ...

Travis Crabtree says ...
In other news....

Apparently Susan Atkins is circling the drain and has mere days left to live as she's being painfully taken down by a brain tumor.

Karma's a bitch, ain't it?

Would be more karmic if she had to have painful & unsuccessful womb surgery to remove a gigantic tumor baby, but yeah, couldn't happen to a nicer person.

Wonder what Squeaky Fromme thinks about this?

comment #32

Travis Crabtree says ...

Dude..... Squeaky is set to walk out of prison THIS SUNDAY.

Un-fucking-believable....