Hillary's Deplorable Mistake

Earlier this week, while Hillary Clinton made a speech at an LGBT fundraiser in New York City, she made a joke. It was something small. It was something that, at the time, was greeted with chuckles and knowing laughter. And it was completely uncalled for.

I am a supporter of Mrs. Clinton; her and her party’s policies match with mine. And I am very disappointed that she would call supporters of her opponent “deplorable.” In doing this, she has not only lost millions of voters; she has brought down her integrity and dignity (something important in all presidential races, and daresay even more so in this one). One could even go so far as to say that she has finally stooped to the level of Donald Trump.

Since the beginning of this race, Mr. Trump has always been known for his fiery insults and mocking statements. He has been known to disparage and continually estrange vital groups; Latinos, women, and African-Americans being brought up the most. But as of now, this behavior has been unique to Mr. Trump.

In general, Mrs. Clinton had refrained from attacking any mainstream groups. This does say something compelling about her character; she is, for the most part, not willing to play dirty like Mr. Trump. She has to keep this up, however. Now is not the time to start making vast generalizations and enforcing somewhat incorrect stereotypes. It is without a doubt true that many of Mr. Trump’s supporters are absolutely deplorable; some are racists, sexists, homophobes and xenophobes. But it’s of paramount importance to always remember that most Trump supporters are normal, middle-class people, disgruntled by a flawed two-party system.

It was something that, at the time, was greeted with chuckles and knowing laughter.

Mrs. Clinton’s image has been tweaked by the media into one of a cynical, rich and powerful woman who doesn’t care enough for the well-being of her stable electorate and who cares too much for her own legacy. With one statement, she may have changed the course of her campaign awry. However, it is unlike her to spur off a proclamation such as that. Mrs. Clinton is known for her even-handedness and ability to handle situations well and confidently. So what happened? We may never know.

As it happens, Mrs. Clinton appears to have played directly into the hands of her critics. The very day after her fateful comment, right-wing publications such as Fox News and the New York Post slammed her for dissing the majority of Mr. Trump’s predicted voters. And they rightfully did so. Even though it pained me to see Mrs. Clinton put on the hot seat again, it was, in the end, deserved. I am in full support of media truthfully dissecting and critiquing what politicians say. Yet mistakes have happened before.

In 2008, President Barack Obama made his infamous comment about conservatives “cling[ing] to guns and religion.” Did he get flack for it? Certainly. Many had feared that (just like Mrs. Clinton’s comment) it alienated an incredibly powerful group. Yet did Mr. Obama still become the president in November? The point is that no matter what one-time off-color remark a politician makes, as long as it’s not too controversial, they’re in the clear.

Mrs. Clinton’s comment will, eventually, be forgotten. She will most likely ascend to the presidency, beating Mr. Trump by a clear margin. But for now, as polls undulate and quiet voters stir, it’s a pretty important reminder that even those who are intelligent, capable and eloquent can make gaffes in the most startling of ways.