In a recent promotion for her podcast, former senator and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has apparently done an about-face on civility with those holding opposing views. Clinton, who famously said that approximately half of all voters in America belong in a “basket of deplorables,” recently stressed the importance of understanding and communication with those who hold different beliefs.
In a new episode of her podcast featuring an interview with Sarah Stewart Holland, a former campaign colleague, and Linda Thomas, United Nations Ambassador, Clinton led a conversation about how to talk to family and friends on the other side of the political aisle during the holidays.
Clinton, to the amusement of many conservatives, introduced the topic, saying, “This week’s episode will resonate with many, as it teaches how to talk sincerely with those we may disagree with.”
However, this sentiment is a clear and recent pivot for Clinton. Just a month ago, in a conversation with CNN, she suggested that followers of former President Donald Trump might need what she referred to as “formal deprogramming.”
🚨 MUST SEE — New Ad from Team Trump: “Brainwashed” pic.twitter.com/xTMCBqACvp
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 19, 2023
The lack of self-awareness by Clinton is shocking. But the inability of her supporters to see what is an obvious change in her usual combative and resentful posture is, sadly, unsurprising.
Hillary Clinton’s election in 2016 against Donald Trump was one of the most contentious and divisive elections in recent American history. The idea that Clinton, who stood behind rioters and openly insulted the character of conservatives, will be the arbiter of peace between liberals and conservatives in America is clearly absurd to anybody who’s followed politics at any point since the 1990s.
Still, with an expert public relations team and a great deal of influence within the Democratic Party, Clinton has all the tools she needs to reinvent herself in the eyes of her followers. It is doubtful, however, that her apparent goal of appealing to Republicans — after her history of attacks on conservatives — will be a successful strategy.
