Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton experienced another campaign highlight by delivering a strong, intelligent, and presidential performance at the South Carolina Democratic forum.
Rachel Maddow asked Clinton what she would say to African-American voters who are wondering if their opportunity for meaningful change had passed. Clinton discussed her record and said that President Obama doesn’t get the credit for the great job that he has done. Clinton said that wanted to build on Obama’s success and go further. Hillary Clinton said, “I want to be the president for the struggling, the striving, and the successful.”
Clinton answered the criticism that she is too close to Wall Street by saying that anyone who thinks that they can influence what she will do doesn’t know her very well. Clinton said that she was one of the first to call for the end to special tax breaks for hedge funds. She said that people rightly believed that the deck is stacked against them and that the Koch brothers are some of the biggest deck stackers in favor of their corporate interests. She said voters and citizens have to get out and vote.
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Former Sec. Clinton said that our democracy is not working for the majority, and she said that she thinks people in the South agree with her that too much power is in the hands of too few people. She called for a candid discussion, and said that it isn’t a surprise that the Republican Party dominates the South.
Maddow asked Clinton about her support for the death penalty and asked her if she would be disappointed if the Supreme Court struck down the death penalty. Clinton said no, and that she thinks states should take a hard look at the death penalty and that many states have gone too far. She said she has questions about removing the federal death penalty for terrorists and that there are some really heinous crimes that should still potentially have the death penalty.
Hillary Clinton looked and sounded like a president during the forum. Her wide range of experience showed as she addressed questions from a federal, state, and even local perspective.
Clinton delivered a strong performance. She was able to speak passionately about issues from criminal justice to the violence in our society. There is no candidate on the Republican side that is as talented as Hillary Clinton. With each national appearance, Clinton is getting stronger.
She is showing exactly why Republicans are so afraid to face her next November. The Republican who will face Clinton next fall is going to begin at a major disadvantage. The difference between 2008 Hillary Clinton and 2016 Hillary Clinton is night and day.
Hillary Clinton is rolling, and Republicans should be very afraid.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
