The holidays are approaching and yet another contentious election season is underway. For many Americans, politics will eventually come up at a family gathering and the fallout can have far-reaching consequences. The fervor many people hold in their beliefs can tear apart relationships and ruin families. Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took time from her podcast this week to lecture listeners on how to have “polite” conversations.
Clinton was joined by U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Sarah Stewart Holland on the 45-minute podcast where they discussed 2016 at length. It was unsurprising that Clinton made no attempt to attone for having called half the country a “basket of deplorables,” or her recent statement that Republicans require “deprogramming.”
Instead, Clinton and her guests spent the time explaining away their own bad behavior, including threats between Holland and Thomas-Greenfield to “unfriend” each other on social media during the 2016 election and afterward. Holland is a progressive Democrat from Kentucky, while Thomas-Greenfield is a registered Republican who was fired from the State Department under former President Donald Trump.
The wide-ranging discussion between the three woman focused on difficult conversations around politics, but offered little in the way for the average person to prevent the types of family dinner discussions that cause conflict.
Clinton’s presidential run against Trump in 2016 was one of the most charged elections on record. Both candidates provided plenty of fodder for heated arguments at the dinner table. With Trump again seeking the GOP nomination and a return to the White House against President Joe Biden there is a real chance of difficult conversations to be had, but for Clinton, it was issues in 2016 she chose to discuss.
Clinton seems to have not gotten over her loss to Trump in 2016. In many ways, it is an understandable position. After a lengthy career, her election loss eliminated any chance of returning to political office for the former first lady. The brutal election also exposed a wealth of information about nefarious deals and details about Clinton she likely would have preferred stayed private. While the election sunk her career, her opponent remains popular and stands a good chance at winning a second term in 2024.
Hillary serves up holiday advice of how to talk to deplorable family members
Hillary Clinton can't seem to move on from the fact that she lost the 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump and the woman who called for the deprogramming of millions of Americans who may not share… pic.twitter.com/IeZYOMkZWN
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) November 1, 2023
Thomas-Greenfield said that Americans have lost their “compassion, kindness, and sense of respect” and that is why society is broken. She recommends that people remember how to listen to ideas they don’t agree with to find a common thread that creates a “connection.”
Clinton is probably the worst person available to offer advice on having friendly discussions and remaining civil when discussing sensitive topics. Her rage against pro-MAGA Republicans constantly causes her to say hateful and devisive things which are part of the reason she was unable to defeat Trump in 2016. In the years since, Clinton has only become less likeable.
