Posted on 10/28/2007 2:19:16 AM PDT by Kaslin
Given the circumstances, no other three-word combination would have sufficed: “How Dare You?”
That was part of the response from former President Bill Clinton, when confronted by hecklers at a Hillary 2008 fundraising event in Minneapolis.
The story went like this: after making a late start with what turned out to be his approximately fifty-minute speech, Clinton was rudely interrupted by several hecklers in the audience who began shouting at him, and over him, and claiming that the terrorist attacks of 2001 were a “fraud.“
Even if you haven’t seen the video, it’s not difficult to imagine how this could have played-out. Our former President could have easily ignored the hecklers, or could have easily remained silent for a second or two, and allowed them to be cleared away by security officials - - and then could have continued right along with his remarks.
But instead, President Clinton chose to confront the hecklers head-on.
In the face of the “fraud” claim, Clinton confronted them directly. “A fraud?” No it wasn’t a fraud!” he shot back, as the crowd began to cheer him on. “I’ll be glad to talk to you” Clinton stated, trying to bring closure to the interruption, “if you shut up and let me talk.”
As he then attempted to continue with his address, another heckler shouted at President Clinton, claiming that the terrorist attacks had been an “inside job.”
“An inside job?” Clinton retorted, with indignation in his voice. “How dare you. How dare you! It was NOT an inside job!”
After these brief few moments, the hecklers were indeed escorted from the facility, and President Clinton continued with his speech. But by choosing to confront the malcontents, rather than ignoring them, Clinton accomplished something noteworthy.
In a matter of a few seconds, former President Clinton used a spontaneous moment with rude people in his midst to communicate to a fearful, skeptical American people. What was the message he conveyed? That the worst suspicions about our country and government are not to be tolerated, and certainly not to be believed.
To the skeptic who suggested that the terrorist attacks of 2001 were somehow phony, Clinton made it clear that there was nothing phony at all about “Nine-Eleven.”
To the selfish individual who thought nothing of interrupting an American President for his own personal agenda, Clinton said “shut up and let me talk.”
And to the person so cynical about America as to assert that our nation’s government perpetrated the terrorist attacks on its own people, Clinton’s message was quite clear indeed: don’t you dare say such things about our country. Implicitly, he was conveying to America that as a nation, we are better than the insinuations were suggesting, and we are worthy of greater respect.
Some observers are too cynical about Bill Clinton the man, to be able to appreciate the power of his apparently spontaneous words. But imagine how different things might be, if others of our political leaders were more willing to utilize the “how dare you” rhetoric.
Things would be quite different, for example, if our current President were willing to be so confrontational with those who willingly violate our nation’s border laws.
And imagine how different things might be if Hillary Rodham Clinton were willing to confront her fellow Democrats in Congress, when they insinuate that our military service men and women are torturers, terrorists, and failures.
Bill Clinton’s presidency was far from flawless, and no doubt he still suffers with his own credibility gap today. But he also understands the power of words, and how to use them, far better than most politicians.
Let’s hope that our next President knows how and when to communicate more effectively - - and is willing to say “how dare you” from time to time.
Spontaneous moment, my @ss.
This whole heckler thing sounds like an inside job.
.
Thank you, sir.
Staged?
The failure by the president to back up Weldon and the men of AD was one of Bush's lowest points in his two terms.
The very lowest is the indifference to the ongoing systematic attacks on our troops by a rogue civilian agency (NCIS) and certain members of congress and other bureaucrats for the express purpose of staining our mission.
Yes, mine has them, too.
But I don't think Bill does. Remember Rush showing us the videotape, over and over, of Slick coming out of Ron Brown's funeral service? Of Slick spotting the camera?
Then there was Slick's "long walk" at the 2000 convention....I thought I was going to hurl, and I was right.
Or how about the classic of Slick on Omaha Beach in Normandy, in 1994 at the 50th anniversary solemnities, stopping at the preselected mark to pile up a little spontaneous cairn of remembrance, right where it'd photo-op with a British warship on the horizon? Made Page One Above the Fold, exactly where Slick and his handlers had intended it should. Stagey bastard.
I can just hear him and his Beastwoman in the back of the limo, heading for the big speech date......"and then I'll say.....and then you'll say....and then I'll say......."
Some day we're going to find the notes.
Re: Bill as UN Sec-Gen......
The UN will ignore any by-laws if they wish to do so-even they’re own-they do it all the time.
However, Hill as Prez while Bill as UNSG is a bit much
“President Clinton chose to confront the hecklers head-on”
Yeah, he’ll confront hecklers and talk tough to them - but when confronted by actual f’in terrorists, he curls up in a ball.
"I'll give you power, Jor-El!!!"
Very scary scenario....but I’ll bet Hill + Bill have considered giving it a try
Clinton was, no doubt, derelict in his duty to protect the United States. Undoubtly some of that dereliction is the result of his preoccupation with the political and legal mess his incredibly irresponsible behavior engendered and for which he has never acknowledged responsibility.
In this one instance, he did one small right thing, whatever his motive. Give him credit.
IMHO, he wants to be on the record as being on the right side of history. The whole troofer movement is merely a manifestation of the propensity of people to believe whatever they want regardless of evidence.
You need to alert the authorities, but they are ALL in on it!
lol
Where do hurl?
OK, kiddo. Back to your room now.
Until now. Bubba has set the precedent and every one of us should take advantage. If someone accuses us of stifling dissent we can point out that it was OK when former President Bill Clinton did it.
You forgot to mention all the Saudi investments in tinfoil futures.
It still won’t matter. You’re a conservative. That makes it different, ya’ know.
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