Why do Americans hate Hillary so much?

[Shrew]

A friend of mine was in USA (Arizona) and she told me that many people she talked to told her they are going to vote for Trump although they don't like him - just to prevent Hillary from becoming president.
As a European I find this hard to understand.
What exactly is the problem with Hillary?

 

[Sunstone]

About thirty years of largely right wing smears and propaganda against her that has affected even people on the left, I think. Hilary has been demonized more than perhaps any other contemporary politician with the possible -- but only possible -- exception of Barack Obama. She's got legitimate flaws, of course, but I seriously doubt she is the demon possessed ***** many see her as.

 

[Valjean]

I agree with Sunstone. It's a right wing propaganda campaign; a Big Lie. Repeat certain talking points -- emails, Benghazi, &c, as often as possible, from as many sources as possible, and people will assume there must be something too them.

 

[Underhill]

About thirty years of largely right wing smears and propaganda against her that has affected even people on the left, I think. Hilary has been demonized more than perhaps any other contemporary politician with the possible -- but only possible -- exception of Barack Obama. She's got legitimate flaws, of course, but I seriously doubt she is the demon possessed ***** many see her as.

Yes, it all started when she made the mistake of saying in an interview that someday she could see herself running for the white house. From that point on the Republicans saw it as their duty to destroy her as a threat.

 

[Kuzcotopia]

Not all of us hate her. Hate is an irrational word that people use wien they don't know how to think.

If you hear anyone say that they hate her, then they have no credibility.

Alas, there are a lot of Americans who have no credibility.

 

[Underhill]

Not all of us hate her. Hate is an irrational word that people use wien they don't know how to think.

If you hear anyone say that they hate her, then they have no credibility.

Alas, there are a lot of Americans who have no credibility.

I'm not so sure of that logic. I would like to think it's true.

But when you hear it 18 hours a day, about 20 different scandals, all but one of which amounted to nothing (but of course they don't hear that bit) it isn't like they don't have cause. It's like sitting in a courtroom for only the prosecution of a case. You walk out with an informed opinion, just not all the facts.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

As one man put it ...

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”​

I'll leave it to you folks to imagine who Goebbels would have supported in today's presidential campaign.

 

[Deathbydefault]

A friend of mine was in USA (Arizona) and she told me that many people she talked to told her they are going to vote for Trump although they don't like him - just to prevent Hillary from becoming president.
As a European I find this hard to understand.
What exactly is the problem with Hillary?

She's a liar, she's a cheater, she's a fool.
Just like The Donald, but better at it.

 

[ShivaFan]

After four decades of her, what is there left about her to like?

She is like that old hag Aunt who keeps showing up just about dinner time who all she does is irritate everyone and, my God, that "smile" alone could make one in time hate, but that cackle and complete selfish snippy tone - her hatred of others and her HORRIBLE dead husband - it is enough to make you say "oh God, no, not Aunt Harriet again - I can't - no - I can't - please let me die - here she comes again - no - oh My God! She is now *****ing at the mailman! Please! I hate this woman - not Auntie, no. No." - who after decades, you say "I hate her". This is the "special hate". Not like, "I hate the IRS". Or "I hate that mass murderer Bimbo the Brute who ate children". No. It is like, "I hate Miley Cyrus". Or, "Not that song again. Please. I would rather be dead. I hate that song. I hate it! I hate it!".

It is like Aunt Harriet and the DeLorean DMC-12.

Johnny had this DeLorean. That "b" Aunt Harriet, everything out of her mouth half the time was the DeLorean. "That boy shouldn't have his finger on the starter button of that DeLorean! That DeLorean matches my purse! HEEEEE shouldn't be within five feet OF THAT DELOREAN and that starter trigger! In fact, that is so pretty and zooomie, and it is silver and matches my purse - it is not for him. For MEEEEE. HEEEE shouldn't even be firing that engine up!"

Auntie really wants to get her hands on that DeLorean.

So yes. Enough. She doesn't even know there isn't any "nuclear trigger".

But she sure wants to get her finger on it and she is making that very clear. It doesn't work that way, but she sure as hell thinks it does, and she wants it. Bad.

Aunt Harriet got behind that DeLorean after Johnny ended up in jail. In one way, Thank God. Now she is dead. She didn't even get two blocks before she went through the front yard of the neighbor, crashed through the side gate, clipped a big chunk of the guy's house off, spun it in the backyard and killed his chicken, and thank God she died in the wreck.

 

[Revoltingest]

A friend of mine was in USA (Arizona) and she told me that many people she talked to told her they are going to vote for Trump although they don't like him - just to prevent Hillary from becoming president.
As a European I find this hard to understand.
What exactly is the problem with Hillary?

You've gotten a few answers so far.
But they're incomplete or even wrong, especially when laying
the cause upon the other side (partisan bias, you see).

The singular true picture....
Such hatred is an emergent property of the system.
Democrats & Republicans naturally tend to dislike each other
because they're tribal like organizations vying for great power
over each other....& everyone else.
That is exacerbated in this election's campaigns by the 2 opposing
candidates both being exceptionally personally disagreeable, &
having agendas which are more polarizing than usual.

 

[columbus]

In all honesty, I didn't pay much attention to Clinton until the campaign started a year and a half ago.
When she was first lady I cared more about the presidency. She then was the senator from a far away state, who supported a war I was vehemently opposed to. As Sec. of State she kept supporting KSA, the fighting in Iraq, and the bludgeoning of Iran which were all things I oppose.
So at the start of the campaign, I didn't have a particularly positive view of her. And I despise seeing the Bushes and Clintons dominate the White House. I was expecting to gag my way through a Bush III versus Clinton II campaign.
I was not a happy camper.
At all!

But over time I have come to respect her a great deal. I have come to realize how much of my previous opinion was based on a few issues plus the consistent bias against her in the media. I think that there really is a "vast right wing conspiracy" that is largely fed by the Republicans recognizing her formidable threat to their party interests and the media with their taste for blood and scandals.

The way she has handled herself and the campaign (especially on the debate stages) has given me the belief that she is not just the least worst option. She will probably be an excellent president, because it is politically expedient to do so and she has the skills to do it in spades.
Tom

 

[Parchment]

A friend of mine was in USA (Arizona) and she told me that many people she talked to told her they are going to vote for Trump although they don't like him - just to prevent Hillary from becoming president.
As a European I find this hard to understand.
What exactly is the problem with Hillary?

We will find out on that most odious of nights on November 8th if your canoe takes in water or it doesn't. Excuse me for the canoe reference, I am in the process of building an actual birchbark canoe capable of handling up to two 185 lb individuals, it's a lot more work than one would think and I don't even watch much television.

 

[Scuba Pete]

But over time I have come to respect her a great deal.

Me too. I started this election cycle backing Jeb Bush. As a governor here in Florida, he distinguished himself as not being anything like his brother. Articulate, thoughtful and responsive, he was the best thing we had going.

I don't feel that way anymore. While I was first attracted to Clinton by my revulsion of Trump, my views have been transformed. I truly believe that she is the most qualified person running for president today. Loyalty? Look at her and Bill. Insightful and smart? Look at how she has leveraged the media in her favor. She's outplayed Trump so completely that he feels the race is rigged. I could go on and on, but she's the whole package and the real deal.

No doubt about it: I'm with her. She's won my vote and I look forward to her earning it for her second term.

 

[bobhikes]

A friend of mine was in USA (Arizona) and she told me that many people she talked to told her they are going to vote for Trump although they don't like him - just to prevent Hillary from becoming president.
As a European I find this hard to understand.
What exactly is the problem with Hillary?

Not has she been slandered but she has presented no personality, no cause of her own. Worse she talks down to the electorate.

 

[ShivaFan]

I would rather be dead than vote for her.

 

[columbus]

I would rather be dead than vote for her.

You needn't. The USA is going to do it for you.
Tom

 

[Scuba Pete]

would rather be dead than vote for her.

But dude, you'll get your own basket.

 

[Revoltingest]

Not has she been slandered but she has presented no personality, no cause of her own. Worse she talks down to the electorate.

Especially to us "deplorables".

 

[Father Heathen]

"Americans" is a rather broad brush, don't you think?

 

[Underhill]

You've gotten a few answers so far.
But they're incomplete or even wrong, especially when laying
the cause upon the other side (partisan bias, you see).

The singular true picture....
Such hatred is an emergent property of the system.
Democrats & Republicans naturally tend to dislike each other
because they're tribal like organizations vying for great power
over each other....& everyone else.
That is exacerbated in this election's campaigns by the 2 opposing
candidates both being exceptionally personally disagreeable, &
having agendas which are more polarizing than usual.

Of course that is true too. But it's complete horse excrement to claim that there is no partisan plan to take her down in affect. Most of them have found any actual evidence. Benghazi is the clearest example. 11 separate investigations find no wrong doing, but republican 'news' outlets still bring it up 15 times a day. The same was true with Whitewater. Even the email thing has been blown wildly out of all sense of proportion. People talk about it as treason on the right, like she was intentionally handing information over to ISIS or something...