In his latest publication, ‘Citizen—My Life After the White House’, ex-President Bill Clinton makes an unexpected confession. According to Daily Mail, Clinton reveals his difficulty sleeping for a span of two years after the 2016 election cycle. That’s the election that spectacularly saw the undeniably charismatic Donald Trump triumphing over Clinton’s spouse, Hillary Clinton.
Bill’s got it partially right. There’s a degree of discomfort that naturally comes with knowing you were on the wrong side of history. However, his display of anger after the election left presidential decorum in ruins. This sour grapes attitude from the former president, fueled by rage, reportedly made him a formidable storm cloud for anyone caught in his path for years.
Clinton goes on to express regret for his tantrums that he admits lasted over an extended period. He extends an apology to those who had to endure his volcanic fury, especially those who believed that the past was the past and that stewing on unchangeable outcomes was unproductive.
It’s interesting to probe into the psyche of a man who stood by and watched his wife’s campaign go up in smoke, despite the overwhelming media bias in her favor. Bill’s reflections about the difficult time they all experienced post-election give a human touch to what was essentially a disastrous campaign.
Further digging into his narrative, Clinton trots out the same tired excuses as to why Hillary’s campaign screeched to a halt. He references the reopening of the investigation into Hillary’s emails, a decision made by James Comey just days before the election. Is he implying that their loss had less to do with their incompetence and more with Comey’s handling of the email scandal?
Moreover, Clinton points a finger at foreign influence, hinting at Russian cyber attacks during the election season. He also insinuates that these alleged attacks swayed voters in key states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. It appears the Democratic bandwagon is still hung up on the Russian collusion narrative.
One can’t help but notice how President Trump, despite adversities, emerged victorious despite the weak accusations thrown his way. The American people, at the end of the day, saw through the hoopla and looked past the noise from establishment politicians and the mainstream media.
The Democrats seem obsessed with pinning their failures on phantom external factors rather than admitting their own shortcomings. Calculated blame games and fruitless outrage seem to be the order of the day within their ranks. It almost feels as if they are uninterested in real soul-searching and course correction.
In an attempt to lend credibility to his argument, Clinton cites insights from professor and author Kathleen Hall Jamieson, who seems to share his beliefs. They evidently find it easier to portray Trump’s win as a product of manipulation rather than the well-earned victory it was.
It’s worth asking how long this self-deception can possibly last. Much of what Clinton writes seems to be an endless dialogue of avoidance – avoiding responsibility, avoiding introspection, all while shifting blame elsewhere. They live under the guise of victimhood, neglecting to acknowledge the underlying reasons why Donald Trump could speak to the heart of America in such a resonating way.
Will the Democratic Party ever grasp the reality that candidate Trump’s message resonated with the common working American more than Hillary’s? It wasn’t Russian influence or Comey’s decision about the email scandal. It was simply that Donald Trump addressed the concerns, hopes, and dreams of real Americans – the ones frequently overlooked.
In conclusion, Clinton’s dual role as the husband of the losing candidate and a political analyst makes his book an interesting read. Yet, his refusal to see beyond his own biases only underscores the Democrats’ perennial inability to understand the pulse of America.
The 2016 election was not won by conspiracy theories or Russian intervention; it was won by the indomitable spirit and vitality of a candidate who connected with ordinary people – Donald J Trump. Clinton’s book is a documentation of denial rather than an earnest reflection on their loss, and it’s a telling example of the problematic disconnect still plaguing them.