Another day, more deleted Hillary Clinton emails have resurfaced. This time the FBI announced it has found 30 emails from Clinton’s private server that could relate to Benghazi.
“If Hillary Clinton did not consider emails about something as important as Benghazi to be work-related,” the Trump campaign roared, “one has to wonder what is contained in the other emails she attempted to wipe from her server.”
This issue isn’t going away.
Clinton has taken responsibility, apologized, and admitted she would not have a private server again. But that doesn’t wipe the topic off the table. Her predecessor Colin Powell is steaming, telling people privately that she is trying to put the whole issue on him.
Powell, who served in both the Reagan and Bush administrations, could have been a big “get” for Clinton. He endorsed Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, but it’s almost certain now that he will remain quiet this election cycle.
Thanks emails.
A big part of the problem for Clinton is that she has not held a press conference since December 5, 2015. That’s 267 days for those counting. Zero press conferences in election year 2016.
That is a remarkable and dangerous precedent for a major party nominee.
How do you inform the public, and get the credentialed press off your back, unless you can stand for an hour and answer the tough questions you instinctively know are coming?
Sure, Clinton can hide behind Trump, and hope he continues to fly like the Hindenburg. But she is too experienced, and too smart, to adopt that strategy. Richard Nixon would have approved, and that should tell her something.
Hillary Clinton dislikes the credentialed press. It goes back a long time, let’s say a quarter century. In her husband’s first presidential campaign, as rumors of numerous affairs swirled, she was forced to proclaim she was not “standing by her man” like country singer Tammy Wynette.
We now know, in fact, she did stand by her man while he was impeached for lying under oath about Monica Lewinsky. Embarrassing to say the least.
That is not the media’s fault, though, and it really is not an issue for her. Despite the animosity in her mind with the press, she needs to stand on her own, exhibit confidence, and articulate reasons why the American people should trust her.
The Bush team deleted millions of emails — 22 million to be exact — after Congress demanded them after eight U.S. attorneys were fired in 2007.
Who knew?
Mitt Romney deleted all of his emails after serving as governor of Massachusetts. That’s four years worth of emails gone. Forever.
Who knew?
Information like this isn’t known, and doesn’t get repeated, because Clinton is too busy fundraising, and relying on Trump, to hold a press conference.
Voters deserve better and Clinton knows better.