“You can wave your arms and give a speech but at the end of the day are you connecting with and really hearing what people are either saying to you or wishing that you would say to them?” Mrs. Clinton told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Friday, without directly naming Mr. Sanders.
- New York Times
Let's break this down shall we?
"...are you connecting with and really hearing what people are either saying to you or wishing that you would say to them?”
Huh? Is Bernie connecting and hearing what people are saying? YES HE IS!
The American people agree with Bernie Sanders's agenda. Bernie Sander's positions are surely in the mainstream.
This is what the American public wants:
Allow Government to Negotiate Drug Prices (79%)
Give Students the Same Low Interest Rates as Big Banks (78%)
Universal Pre-Kindergarten (77%)
Fair Trade that Protect Workers, the Environment, and Jobs (75%)
End Tax Loopholes for Corporations that Ship Jobs Overseas (74%)
End Gerrymandering (73%)
Let Homeowners Pay Down Mortgage With 401k (72%)
Debt-Free College at All Public Universities (Message A) (71%)
Infrastructure Jobs Program — $400 Billion / Year (71%)
Require NSA to Get Warrants (71%)
Disclose Corporate Spending on Politics/Lobbying (71%)
Medicare Buy-In for All (71%)
Close Offshore Corporate Tax Loopholes (70%)
Green New Deal — Millions Of Clean-Energy Jobs (70%)
Full Employment Act (70%)
Expand Social Security Benefits (70%)
PCCC Big Ideas Poll
The people want money out of politics. They want Wall Street to help out Main Street since Main Street saved Wall Street's but. They don't want TPP. They don't want Keystone XL. They want affordable (free college). They want to expand Social Security. They want jobs. They want family leave. They want a $15 minimum wage. They want police reform. They want paid vacation. They want Medicare. They want a politician that is speaking out for the middle class and who's been fighting on their behalf for over 30 years.
Are you listening Mrs. Clinton?
Because Bernie Sander's has been listening and fighting for us for 30 years.
1:21 PM PT: More context about this part of her interview from NBC:
But asked about why voters find Biden and challenger Bernie Sanders more authentic than Clinton, the former secretary of state seemed to take subtle dig at Sanders. "I started out listening because I think you can come with your own ideas and you can wave your arms and give a speech, but at the end of the day, are you connecting with and really hearing?" she said.
Really?
The full context seems even more out of touch to me. If you were listening... then you'd have a platform more in line with Bernie Sanders... because according to polling on this issues (see above) that is what people want.
2:12 PM PT: Update with even more context - here's the transcription:
AM: Looking at the campaign now you see huge crowds for Bernie Sanders and for Donald Trump, and people talking about Joe Biden having an opening if he decides to make a difficult choice on an emotional level. They talk about how authentic these campaigns are.
HRC: (Laughs)
AM: Does it hurt you when people say you’re too lawyerly, you parse your words, you’re not authentic, you’re not connecting.
HRC: Well, that’s just not my experience, out campaigning. I feel very, very good about where we are. We’ve built a terrific organization in the early States, and we’re expanding into those States that will be after Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada.
The level of support, the intensity of support that I’m experiencing as I speak with people, and talking about issues that I, I know are on their minds.
I want to be the President who deals with all those big problems that are in the headlines, but also those problems that keep families up at night, and that’s why I started out listening. Because I think you can come with your own ideas, and you can, you know, wave your arms and give a speech, but at the end of the day are you connecting with and really hearing what people are either really saying to you of wishing that you would say to them. So, on everything from mental health issue to substance abuse to college affordability to the continuing struggles that families face in spite of the fact that we’ve got a recovery and unemployments down, people aren’t feeling it.
I am very excited, and very energized, by the campaign that I’m running.
And you know, after Labor Day you kind of move more toward the laying out of your plans and moving toward debates. and having the exchanges that you expect in a campaign. That’s the next stage and I’m looking forward to that.
So you can thank the NYT and NBC for making it out of context.
If that is really what transpired it isn't a necessarily direct swipe.
But I still don't know her real positions on the things I care about. We need debates! (And they should have happened long before Labor Day Mrs. Clinton)