Clinton Wrote the Book on Greed
Hillary’s book tour is full of blame, recriminations and, above all else, cashing in on her fame.
It’s been almost a year since Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election to Donald Trump. Yes, it’s been that long.
But rather than fading away into the political ether after her disastrous campaign, Clinton decided to write a book and is currently in the middle of a 16-city tour selling her tome entitled, What Happened. While much of the mainstream media have made a point to shower the former first lady, senator and secretary of state with accolades as she visits select locations around the country, there is also a sense that Democrats and their media echo chamber are distancing themselves from her. In any case, Clinton’s foray has turned into yet another sanctioned money-grabbing venture that separates people from their hard-earned money.
The Clinton family has showed no shame in the past when it came to pursuing the almighty dollar and the What Happened arrangement has been no exception. From the reported $20 million advance for writing the book to the $2,400 VIP meet-and-greets, Clinton and her team have concocted the ultimate vehicle to secure her and Bill’s financial future. Their avarice knows no bounds, which is best evidenced by the fact that they have amassed a personal fortune of approximately $240 million since leaving the White House in 2001.
When she was running for the highest office in the land, Clinton was often criticized for her inability to connect with the average citizen in middle America. She looked uncomfortable stumping for votes or speaking extemporaneously and it was obvious she preferred carefully staged events.
That’s one of the main reasons she enjoyed rubbing elbows with elites at fundraising events. She knew she was going to be paid at the end of the night, a fact borne out by her attending more than 350 fundraising events during the campaign compared to Trump’s 50-60.
This insatiable trend has continued with the tour. An examination of Clinton’s stops shows ticket prices for front row seats at some venues going for $750 and the cheapest seats going for $50. Even in Chicago, her hometown, the cheapest ticket was $90, which was double the originally stated price. As one publishing insider put it a few weeks ago, “It is standard for high-profile authors to do book tours that sell tickets to events, but Clinton’s tour takes it to a new level of greed.”
However, there is a much more important lens through which to examine this story. The tour has evolved into a microcosm of Clinton’s botched 2016 operation. Every time during the presidential campaign when Clinton was questioned about her judgment, whether it was about setting up a private email server or not visiting key battleground states, she rarely took responsibility for her actions. It was always someone else’s fault.
Watching the news coverage from her most recent stops, Clinton’s behavior hasn’t changed. It’s déjà vu all over again. Except now the septuagenarian isn’t blaming members of her staff. Her scathing criticism is now levelled at a collection of men — Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and James Comey. She keeps repeating the refrain that sexism is one of the reasons she lost.
She also renewed her efforts advocating for the abolishment of the Electoral College. Her inability to acknowledge her role in losing to Trump reveals a person who lives in an alternate universe. She thinks the election was stolen from her and she will continue with her nonsensical diatribes for the remainder of this year and beyond.
It was Hillary Clinton who failed to campaign in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Virginia during the last month of the election. It was Hillary Clinton who failed to convince swing voters and even Barack Obama’s acolytes that she was ready to be president. It was Hillary Clinton who failed to deliver a message that resonated with the American people, many of whom she derided as a “basket of deplorables.”
And it was Hillary Clinton who colluded with Russia on the dossier and uranium contracts.
If she had a modicum of self-respect she would leave the national political stage. But, alas, that’s not in her DNA. Clinton will continue to peddle her self-delusions for as long as it’s profitable. While she preaches selfless service to the nation, her actions personify an individual who only cares about accruing power and wealth.
Maybe in the near future she’ll look in the mirror and see a reflection of who she really is — a two-time failed presidential candidate whose tired act has come and gone. Once she exits stage left maybe then we can start moving forward as a country.