September 13, 2016

Leveraging Hillary's illness into a feminist meme with the phrase "powering through."

Just think those words — powering through! — and the bad becomes good. The memo went out. You can transform the awful images and stories into exactly what Hillary needs to win: A convincing presentation of herself as a feminist heroine.

I can't link to all the stories and video processing Hillary's bad-health news with the phrase "powering through." I wish I had a video montage of the use of the word in the last day or so. It would be funny. But I don't...



... and I just want to cherry-pick 3 that show the feminist-heroine move. (The 3rd one is critical of the move.)

1. In Salon, by Mary Elizabeth Williams: "Hillary powers through pneumonia — because that’s what women do/Why is it surprising that the presidential candidate kept working even while ill? Women do it every day."
We fear being viewed as weak, so we hustle through the job, hiding or downplaying our diagnoses and hoping nobody notices. Can you blame the Clinton campaign, which has been under absurd scrutiny for every head turn, every cough, for initially keeping Hillary’s illness quiet? Could the Clinton team not know that if you’re looking for an argument that someone is unfit for a job, having a treatable and temporary illness sure seems more credible than “is actually an ignorant, incompetent bigot but at least has a penis,” right? 
Yet Hillary’s stamina, as anyone who’s watched her over the past few decades should know, is a force to be reckoned with. And as writer Liz Meriwether pointed out Sunday, “If anything, the fact that she was campaigning with pneumonia proves that she’s tough as balls.”
2. In Bustle, by Elizabeth Strassner: "If Hillary Clinton's Working While Sick Is A Scandal, All Women Are Guilty."
I was surprised by the extent of the Clinton pneumonia coverage, in large part because I believed that other news stories this weekend were more important, but also because few people seemed to focus on the aspect of the story that was most interesting to me: namely, that Clinton powered through many campaign events despite an unpleasant illness....

Canadian politician and feminist Charlotte Whitton was famous for saying, "Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good." Clinton is simply the most recent and, perhaps, most famous of women who must actively work to rebuke the prejudice that they are somehow weaker than their male counterparts....

The days after Clinton's diagnosis when she continued to work are emblematic of a larger tradition of women feeling that they must work more than men in order to prove their equality. Trump himself has acknowledged this: He has said he hires women because their work ethic indicates that "there was something that they want to really prove." It is unsurprising, then, that many women do feel they must work overtime, either to correct the many insidious stereotypes about women in the workplace or to fit in the many household and child care tasks for which American women, compared to their husbands, are still disproportionately responsible.
3. Karol Markowicz in the New York Post: "Hillary apologists’ response to collapse is demeaning to women."
[W]hen unable to deny that Hillary had been seriously sick and pretending otherwise, the narrative became how she was emblematic of women powering through and getting the job done even when risking a lung collapse. Like a bad sitcom where the wife is always right and the husband is a lovable doofus, Hillary’s surrogates insisted that soldiering on in the face of contagious infections is just something that women do.

Emily Hauser, a columnist at The Week, tweeted, “So what I’m hearing is that Clinton got really sick & soldiered on anyway, & most people didn’t even notice b/c that’s what women do.” Actor Patton Oswalt seconded that, and tweeted: “Wait, so Hillary has PNEUMONIA and she’s still campaigning as hard as she is? You realize how badass that is, right?”

Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm joined in, tweeting that “’powering through’ illness is what women do: Stoically, every. single. Day.” as if Hillary was battling the sniffles....

Was it stoicism or an unstoppable hunger for power that drove Hillary to get ill enough to collapse at an event and have to be carried away? It’s not just women we’d criticize for taking risks with their own health, and the health of those around them. But Hillary always has her fallback excuse: Stop being mean to me, I’m a woman.

132 comments:

David Begley said...

My sister (and Marquette alum) totally buys into this. She posted on Facebook an incident about having birth contractions while pregnant. The woman thing is all that Hillary has.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Actually, men work when they are sick too. We just don't write whiney articles about how strong it means we are and how horrible women are for not acknowledging and celebrating our toughness for doing so.

viator said...

Well it's good to know you can "power through" a serious illness. I must remember that. The next time I hear about someone with cancer or Parkinson's Disease I'll just tell them "power through".

rehajm said...

A day of Power through super cuts!

rehajm said...

Serious illness requires rest. It is very poor judgement to act otherwise. And we're going to trust the launch codes with this space cadet?

MayBee said...

Ahhh... I was just going to post the "power through" video for Althouse, but rehajm beat me to it. Hilarious!

Tcdq1293 said...

"Powering through" is the term for a skier (or could be other sport) who uses raw muscle instead of technique.

Brando said...

I think the term I'd use to define these defenders is "willfully obtuse". They should know full well that no one--absolutely no one--is criticizing Hillary for "powering through" and working despite her ailment. Can anyone find evidence of this? Just one comment where some Hillary critic says something to the tune of "Hillary is awful for working while sick"?

What's being criticized is her lack of transparency over the whole thing, as well as speculation--largely fueled by this transparency--that she may be suffering something far worse than pneumonia and questioning what else she isn't revealing. But hey, why not go for the absurd "anti-woman" spin? It's the oldest tool in Hillary's shed.

Ann Althouse said...

Thanks, rehajm. I added it to the front page.

It didn't come up in my search within YouTube for: hillary "power through"

Brando said...

"Actually, men work when they are sick too. We just don't write whiney articles about how strong it means we are and how horrible women are for not acknowledging and celebrating our toughness for doing so."

If there were a lot of leftists praising Bob Dole and John McCain for "powering through" their campaigns despite age and wartime-caused disabilities, I must have missed them.

Patrick said...

Doesn't powering through actually require powering through? Otherwise we are in "everyone gets a trophy" territory.

Wasn't there a recent case of a female climber powering through Everest?

Sebastian said...

"willfully obtuse" Willful, yes. (The posse gets together and decides on the word for the day, MSM falls in line.) Obtuse, no. Works with the ladies. Creates sympathy.

Curious George said...

These fucks are determined to drag the Hildbeast's wrinkled gray elephant ass across the finish line. Even is Hillary has another face plant....and it's likely...or her Parkinson's is known. Short of having a house from Kansas dropped on her, she's going to the bitter end.

Hagar said...

And then there is the woman in blue in the Sunday pictures arm-in-arm with Hillary! and some are speculating that she is apparently checking Hillary!'s pulse and motor control functions as they walk. Given Hillary!'s reluctance - to put it mildly - to have subordinates touch her or even look at her as she passes by, the speculation may not be overdone.

Anonymous said...

"Power through" is the new "lean in", at least for women who can't lean in without keeling over.

MayBee said...

Didn't she just take most of August off?

Lawler Walken said...

I think we've been given some insight into Hillary's healthcare plan for the rest of us should she be elected President. We don't need doctors or hospitals or medication or insurance, we just need to power through.

The funny part is that she didn't actually power through. She collapsed and was thrown into an SUV and rushed away. Those two husky men who picked her up and kept her off the pavement, they're the ones who did the powering through.

TreeJoe said...

First off, powering through indicates success - not collapse. When you collapse, it's called poor judgement and self-assessment.

Second, I don't envy Hillary. Republicans have, rightfully, been making an issue out of her less than stellar stamina on the campaign trail. Her lack of press conferences. Her focus on dinner fundraisers rather than real campaigning.

So on 9/11, she's truly ill - she can't say on a day of national security remembrance "I'm too sick to stand still at a memorial service" or cancel plans. So they hoped she could "power through" and then rest afterwards. But she couldn't and it smacked them in the face.

The idea that her decision making here should be celebrated is ludricrous. Her decision making proved faulty. She DIDNT power through - her choice showed she wasn't up to standing still in a non-stressful environment for 90 minutes. So, if anything, it challenges her ability to meter out stamina and perseverance at challenging time in our nature's future.

Curious George said...

She's no Energizer Bunny, because her batteries ran out of power a few feet short of the Scooby Van.

traditionalguy said...

Hillary will be a great President once she gets her Levodopa levels back into balance. And Lisa Bardack can do the job for her in the meantime...but is Lisa Bill's type?

Bill Crawford said...

Powering through being deplorable.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Slightly off topic but I'm sick of hearing about heroic working women. Anyone who works in an office knows that the people without kids are the ones who gave to carry the load.

I can't work late. I have to get my kids from daycare. Can you cover this for me?

I can't work this weekend. Little Johnny has a birthday party to go to. Can you come in?

I can't work today because my kid is sick. I need everyone to help a little bit.

I'll be in late. Little Jamie missed the bus. Can you finish this report.

I can't work this project because my kid is on a travel soccer club this spring.

On and on. The men and childless women pick up the slack. Every. Day.

rehajm said...

When you are sick and you show up you risk infecting everyone around you. It's admirable to stay the hell home.

MadisonMan said...

The real issue is: Diagnosed with Pneumonia on Friday, and collapses on Sunday, but lies about the cause.

Hillary Clinton reflexively lies about everything. All the time.

Luke Lea said...

Shake off heart attacks.

Curious George said...

Quit all these obtuse health questions, someone needs to ask "Do you have Parkinson Disease?"

Dad said...

Powering through! That's what she does. Just ask the people who tried to stop her from mishandling State secrets.

Hagar said...

"Squeeze my finger and look into my eyes" is how you check for pneumonia?

Greg Hlatky said...

Last week: Questioning Hillary!'s health is crazy.

Sunday: She was just "overheated." Everything is fine.

Today: Isn't it heroic that someone so sick is "powering through"?

Rick said...

In Salon, by Mary Elizabeth Williams: "Hillary powers through pneumonia — because that’s what women do/...We fear being viewed as weak, so we hustle through the job

The only obsession more boring than a feminist lauding women for something everyone does is a feminist complaining about women confronted by obstacles everyone faces.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

This has to be the work of the guy Scott Adams calls Godzilla.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The press and the Clinton campaign are one.

rhhardin said...

Women in men's jobs do those jobs grimly. Men enjoy the jobs.

Mike said...

I used to work through just about any sickness. I thought I had to -- to keep up, to do a good job, to get paid, etc. But that is a disservice to everything you think you are working for. And, as you grow up, you realize that you can't rely on anyone who can't take care of themselves. The martyrs are martyrs -- they achieve martyrdom. So unless that is what you want to achieve, there is no sense glorifying it.

chuck said...

I don't think "powering through" captures the essence of collapse.

William said...

Is "powering through" such a wise choice of words? She manifestly did not power through. The phrase calls attention to her lack of physical strength and endurance. Moreover she doesn't seem capable of making an accurate assessment of what her physical reserves are, nor how to handle her debilities..........She doesn't just lie to the public. She lies to herself. Her life is a sequence of false moves. She has frequent feinting spells.

Hagar said...

And Hillary! and Bill admit that "this sort of thing has happened to her before when she got dehydrated" - both being hazy about how many times, but apparently more than once.
Was it "pneumonia" then too? And how does Hillary! go about getting "dehydrated" anyway? I would not think this was an everyday thing for wealthy women in her environment.

MisterBuddwing said...

I'm reminded of that Monty Python sketch in which heavily bandaged hospital patients are forced to do calisthenics...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWFVSThLsdw

Bruce Hayden said...

@Hagar - she has an army of support staff, and people around her at all times, at least in public. If this has happened before, someone should be carrying water, and should be insisting that she drink it.

Roughcoat said...

Judy Moncada wouldn't let a simple case of pneumonia stop her!

(Some of you know who I'm talking about, right?)

Big Mike said...

You don't "power through" Parkinson's.

jaydub said...

She's damn lucky she didn't power her face through the side of the Scooby van.

ndspinelli said...

She should have a consult w/ Janet Reno on how to "power through" Parkinson's.

Kate said...

Of course it's ridiculous to laud a woman for not following her doctor's orders. This meme was eaten alive on twitter.

Underlying this, though, is the fact that women are supposed to rest. Pregnancy -- growing another human being -- is hard. Menstruating every month is taxing. Breastfeeding is an hour after hour commitment. But the feminists, the very ones praising Hillary's powering-through, have taken that away from women. Get an abortion. Take the Pill that controls all that ickiness. Feed your baby with a bottle. Ignore your biology and act like a man. Except we get to yell at you when we act like a man and it goes belly up.

Wince said...

Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still "powering through."

Left Bank of the Charles said...

She is applying for a job where she won't have to leave the house.

rhhardin said...

Parkinson's Disease argument, youtube, as the single efficient explanation.

Not an explanation for why she's running, though.

Are there internal limits on liars or does the evil go further yet.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

If Donald Trump was filmed wobbling and collapsing into a black SUV-- it would be on endless loop on CNN and MSDNC - and all the pro-democrat hack alphabet channels too.

khesanh0802 said...

Ann, your final paragraph says it all. BTW where's Bill?

dbp said...

It is well established that women take a lot more sick days then men. Either they are less stoic than men or get sick much more often.

There have been claims that the excessive sick days are to take care of sick kids. Possibly this is true but I have stayed home with sick kids as often as my wife, we may not be representative of most married couples though.

Sick kid based sick days does not really account for the "poor me" powering through meme though.

MayBee said...

Roughcoat- Judy Moncada would have the best official White House portrait ever.

MayBee said...

I would like to hear people's take on Clinton spokeswoman Kristine Schake.

She smiles and talks in a baby voice whenever she "explains" something about the Clintons. I find it incredibly annoying. If there were such a thing as womansplaining, this would be it.

ndspinelli said...

Roughcoat, Judy Moncada was one tough bitch. I think she was a compilation of people written into the show.

bleh said...

Many women actually believe this nonsense to be true. They think men are weak and require babying when sick. I think we've all heard at least a few women say something like: my husband is such a baby, it's like having another child etc.

There's a real psychological issue at play here, I think. These women want to mother the men in their lives, so that's what they do, and then they brag/moan/commiserate about it to anyone who will listen. That way everyone knows what a SUPERWOMAN she really is.

Matt said...

Future Dear Leader Hillary Clinton powers through. Enemy of the people Trump and his lumpenproletariat running dogs raise false consciousness and question on her undeniably superb health.

AllenS said...

When a man says: "Hey, baby, grab me another beer" is not an indication that we are sick, and can't help ourselves.

[Crawls underneath desk to avoid shoes flying at the head]

MayBee said...

I always thought it was men who refused to go to the doctor.

rhhardin said...

Hillary has lots of doctors, just no transparency.

damikesc said...

When somebody is so "dehydrated" and "suffering from pneumonia" that they cannot walk --- who would take them to their daughter's home instead of a hospital?

I ask because the press will not.

I honestly hoped CNN would attempt to shake its Clinton News Network reputation. They aren't.

Bruce Hayden said...

I think that this is a strategic mistake on the part of the Crooked Hillary campaign. First, it is just delaying them having to deal with her health issues. The drip by drip revelation of another Clinton scandal. But more, importantly, it indirectly highlights her inability to do the job that she is running for. We are supposed to give special allowance to her because of her sex because she is running to be the person who is supposed to protect us from evil in the rest of the world? Do we really need someone who "powers through", and then collapses at an important time? When she (again) gets that 3 AM call? If she indeed was trying to "power through", then maybe she doesn't have the judgment for the job. And, maybe because women, apparently, don't have good judgment in this area, we should wait another couple decades for a woman President.
Es
Of course, I am not the sex, or the demographic, that that arguments was aimed at. Rather, I suspect that it was aimed at women, at monopolizing their shared experiences, and tugging at their sympathy. And, it may work a bit. But it may also alienate a lot of men, and, really, a lot of women, who really have to "power through", as she never really has had to do.

Finally, my experience with "powering through". My girlfriend in college was fairly hard driven, and her father was a pharmacist with several drug stores. So, she inevitably had some sort of pseudo ephedrine around. One of us would get a cold, and the other would immediately follow. I would go down for a day or two, and kick it, then be fine. She would power through for a month on the cold remedies her father would send her, in bulk. Inevitably, it would seem, a month later of her powering through, her cold would have mutated a bit, or there was a new one, and I would catch it. But, as usual, I was back to 100% long before she was.

damikesc said...

And as much as people say "Breitbart loves Trump", does anybody in journalism love anybody as much as Andrea Mitchell loves Hillary? It's downright creepy.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Who had to carry Clinton when she almost collapsed in a heap in the street?
A couple of men--strong men.

So yeah, it's really impressive of a sick old woman to depend on strong younger men to literally carry her weight. A real heroine, she is.

Bruce Hayden said...

Don't expect CNN to change. Their parent corporation, is one of the top ten Clinton donors.

Michael K said...

If anyone is interested in my medical take on Hillary, it is here.

Every primary care doc knows who spends more time going to doctors. Hint (It isn't men).

Bruce Hayden said...

Here in an article on CNN parent, Time Warner, and their Crooked Hillary contributions.

virgil xenophon said...

@damikesc/

You noticed..

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Has anyone here worked in an office or supervised/managed a team including both men & women?
If so, did you notice any discrepancy between the sick time taken by men vs. women?
How about in the requests to leave early, come in late, etc, due to personal health issues?
Just curious...

Now a smart feminist would say something like "sure, all you men think women take more sick time and ask for more time off for personal health issues, but really that's just your sexist perception and not reality--besides which women are still burdened by being the chief caretakers even when working, so they have more contact with sick children, etc."

I do wonder, though, what feminists would say to the fact that men are injured and killed on the job much, much more frequently than are women...and that could imply that men keep working while injured at a much higher rate, too (since many jobs don't have much provision for paid sick time, etc).

HoodlumDoodlum said...

But once again, Hillary Herself aside, this episode shows how rotten our Media actually is.

Every time you think they can't get more biased, more ideologically motivated, more close-minded, or more faithless to some creed of "journalism" they come along and prove you wrong.

The Media is garbage.

Bruce Hayden said...

@Dr K - you have been busy. Thanks. He asks more questions than he answers though, which is why getting her full medical records is important. It seems very likely that there is something, or multiple somethings, going on with her health, going well beyond pneumonia and dehydration. Some of it could potentially affect her ability to do the job she is running for, or, maybe even living through her first term, esp given the stress inherent in that job.

dbp said...

Madame President became Dr. Strangelove so gradually that hardly anyone noticed until too late...

Unknown said...

"Power Through," "suck it up buttercup" feminized?

virgil xenophon said...

Michael K/

Insurance companies, which are the repository for the massive data on this subject set their rates higher for disability ins for women than for men of the same age because of womens higher claims rates, while setting life ins rates higher for men of the same age because women outlive men on avg. (or used to until, prodded by the feminazis, the Feds demanded unisex rates. But of course the joke was on them as the ins companies simply raised mens disability rates to that of women and womens LI rates to that of men of the same age, so women were actually hurt financially by unsex rates. Did they really think ins companies were going to lower rates? The INS companies loved it)

Sydney said...

She has an uncontrolled seizure disorder. Having a seizure disorder by itself isn't disqualifying for the presidency, but having an uncontrolled seizure disorder is.

Bruce Hayden said...

@MK - you mentioned here, or in another thread, dropping your daughter off in Spokane for law school? Gonzaga? Been there a couple times for IP CLE. Beautiful campus. If she wants to ever consider IP, esp patent work, let me know - I have good friends in town there who take on interns. You would like them (despite being attorneys). But I had to tweak the one friend last week for Gonzaga picking up Melissa Glick for a year of teaching. She was the red headed communications prof who got fired from U Missouri after asking for "muscle" to handle conservative protesters. His response to why such a Catholic school could hire her was: Jesuits. Finally, if you visit a bit there, try the Davenport hotels. Esp on weekends, if you shop prices, you can get great deals there. We mostly fly SWA out of Spokane (from here in NW MT), and are through there with some regularity, and stay at the Davenport when we get good enough deals.

Lloyd W. Robertson said...

It's probably wrong to enjoy this so much. MayBee's comment caused me to look up Katherine Schake. HRC had said: "We're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business." Schake was asked about this and said: "she wasn't very clear in what she said." Went on to say HRC has proposals to help coal miners transition to an entirely different life, etc. Funny.

1. The collapse and being carried into the SUV still looks neurological to me. More like a seizure, with a lot of stiffness, than fainting which would be more "rag doll." I never want to suggest there is anything funny about this.
2. It seems unlikely this was "just" pneumonia.
3. Fatigue? What has she been doing the past month? Dehydration? OK, does she drink water or not? Again, funny.
4. If she started antibiotics for pneumonia on Friday, then why not say so on Friday? Surely it would be a relief to a lot of people: now we know why she coughed up a lung. I've known people who kept getting sicker, had trouble getting the right diagnosis, until you get the right diagnosis you don't get the right antibiotic, then presto, things are a lot better.
5. Did she get pneumonia partly from getting a lot of bed rest (lying on her back?) for whatever else is going on?
5. "Powering through" seems another attempt to lower the bar for Hillary. If for whatever reason she shows signs of poor health, let's just say it's remarkable how hard she's working, and how well she's doing, rather than: is she being properly treated? Is something being kept from voters who are asked to elect her for a four-year term, complete with 3 a.m. phone calls?

HoodlumDoodlum said...

HRZone article: Why do women take more sick days than men?

Studies of UK workplaces:
Last year, a study by Octopus HR found that women take 63% more instances of sick leave per year than their male colleagues. In February, this was followed by a survey from the Office for National Statistics that women are 42% more likely to take sick days than men.

Lots of articles from around 2008 highlighting a (Finnish) study showing women took 50% more sick days than men (study was from 2001-2005)...

2010 UK Absence & Workplace Health Survey
The average man, the research indicates, takes 140 sick days during his career, while a woman calls in sick 189 times.


But anyway, asking for empirical data to back up the assertion that "women. power. through. all. the. time" is sexist.

By the way, if you'd like to say "well sure women take more time, but as a percentage of the time they're sick they still take less time than men" isn't that admitting that women get sick more/more frequently than men...which is the essence of the (clearly sexist) view of women as more frail?

TWW said...

"If Hillary Clinton's Working While Sick Is A Scandal, All Women Are Guilty." Straw man anyone? Working while sick is not the 'scandal'.

eric said...

She is powering through by not attending her fundraisers in California.

Brando said...

"If Hillary Clinton's Working While Sick Is A Scandal, All Women Are Guilty." Straw man anyone? Working while sick is not the 'scandal'.

Yes, but if they can frame it as "big bad chauvinists are beating up on Hillary who is only guilty of having to work twice as hard as men" they can glide past the real issue here.

rhhardin said...

I've telecommuted 24/7 since 1986 and have powered through all sorts of colds and sniffles.

rhhardin said...

Dogs power through all sorts of stuff.

Try to keep a ball chaser from abusing a sore leg.

rhhardin said...

Maybe Hillary could be fitted with an instrument flight panel, for when she passes out.

It helps you to remain upright. Just ignore how it feels and keep the needles centered.

rhhardin said...

First exoskeleton president.

rhhardin said...

There are sheep that pass out when there's a sudden noise. They'd be good for the White House lawn. At one with Hillary.

Quaestor said...

If "powering through" is so admirable, why did Hillary and her handlers lie about her health?

rhhardin said...

Don't forget Toom Tabard, the suit of clothes that ruled Scotland after the occupant left.

That worked out okay.

rhhardin said...

Suits of clothes don't become weak or pass out in confusing circumstances.

There is strength in apparel.

rhhardin said...

Dehydrate the hydra.

William said...

Without undue speculation, one can say that Hillary has health issues and has tried to conceal those issues. This should not be a controversial observation........I'm older than both Trump and Hillary. Some days I'm older than both of them combined, but I'm in far better shape than either of them. This is due to the fact that I've never had to overcome issues relating to overweaning ambition. I'm blessed with the gift of sloth. Sloth in old age is no vice. Many of the problems associated with old age can be resolved by taking an afternoon nap. Sleeping late also helps.......Such a regimen probably is not consistent with running for President. I question not just Hillary's health but her judgment. She's powering through not just the boundaries set by her body but those set by common sense. She's putting herself in an early grave and to what end. Has she got some unique blend of wisdom, experience and intelligence that makes her uniquely qualified for the Presidency and are these unique qualities in any way diminished by organic mental changes? The mere fact that she's running for president calls into question her mental faculties.....,I suppose Trump also has some issues with running for President at his age, but, at least superficially, he seems to be enjoying the process.

rhhardin said...

I am not deeply offended by basket of deplorables.

Since when did Trump supporters go PC. The media and pols are doing the story.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Attention news assholes: use POWER THROUGH in every report today.

Carrots and sticks will be administered as needed.

signed, the Politburo


Apparently that works for Her.

rhhardin said...

The idea is that Hillary has a single health issue with a lot of symptoms, not several health issues. See the Parkinson's youtube link above.

Being prone to passing out in confusing circumstances is the killer.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Hillary has to power through sickness, backwards & in heels.

SGT Ted said...

"Powering Through" is just a propaganda bullshit line to cover up her fragile health.

rhhardin said...

A suit of clothes has a nicer personality than Hillary, too.

Darrell said...

Hillary's people should ask us which lies we believe and stick with those.

FullMoon said...

rhhardin said... [hush]​[hide comment]

First exoskeleton president.

Any explanation yet of the apparent piece of metal shooting out of her pant leg? Unless it was an adulterated part of the video, the exit speed of the metal piece would seem to suggest it had been under pressure before it came loose.

Henry said...

One of the jarring aspects of the genre of Love Poems to Hillary Clinton is the constant ascribing to her self things that are typical of her job. All politicians pretend powers of perfect health. All politicians power through illness. Ms. Clinton is the boredom corollary of the Althouse rule: Whatever is utterly mundane about Hillary Clinton as a politician must be portrayed as profoundly important of her as a woman.

I still remember this headline: President Bush Powers Through Stomach Distress.

Actually, no. I don't remember that headline at all.

Unknown said...

where I work the students have come up with a 'power beer,' combination of some energy drink and beer. 'power through it' -- only, alcoholic beverages dehydrate.

Joe said...

Women take 42% more sick days than men. (British Office of Statistics)

Women take 46% more sick days then men. (Study from University of Helsinki)

Women take more sick days than men. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics--a look at the various numbers show it to be more than 40% higher, reflecting the experience of other western countries.)

Roughcoat said...

Judy Moncada doesn't take sick days, she takes care of business.

If we're going to have an evil, criminal bitch running for president, we should have nominated Judy Moncada. She may be an evil criminal bitich but she has a certain savoir faire. And, she's hot.

Roughcoat said...

And she'll be back. Mark my words.

Gojuplye said...

rh, those are fainting goats not sheep. Funny as hell surprising them and watching them fall over.

Chelsea shares a floor with a private medical facility. They are the only two tenants on that floor.

The nurse who travels with her specializes in caring for Parkinsons disease patients.

Her Chief of Staff claimed it was pneumonia and that it had been going around the staff for several weeks. Wonder how the parents of the little girl feel about their child being a sacrificial lamb to Hillary's career?

steve said...

Canceling all of her appearances this week is "powering through"? Interesting.

Anonymous said...

The media seem to be guilty of Munchausen by proxy syndrome. Projecting all sorts of illnesses onto Hillary that she doesn't have. Poor Hillary. No one believes her. And she has closed the door on help by assisting the media. Time for her to rise above that.

Gojuplye said...

Hillary has claimed in the past that she drinks tons of water. The words whiskey and vodka are both derived from words meaning water. That could explain a lot of things.

gerry said...

Third-wave feminists are really dull, aren't they?

James Graham said...

Why didn't the Smartest Woman in the World get the two pneumonia vaccines (one for viral, one for bacterial) recommended for all in her age bracket?

I'm just a dumb male but I got both.

As to this "powering through" bs, she's running for President where being beset by an avoidable illness might distract from critical decision-making ability.

Charwomen and clerks need to "power through." Presidents need clear heads unaffected by totally avoidable health problems.

Anonymous said...

The actual observation is not man vs woman when "powering through".

It is active man versus passive man and active woman versus passive woman.

There are men and women that power through. There are women that give birth to addicted babies. Is that "powering through birth?" The negative examples of weak women are endless.

Powering through is a good philosophy in the right time and the right place. It is a poor philosophy when you bring sickness to your co workers because you feel the personal need to "power through". Just stay home and call in sick. No one wants to see your face at work.

holdfast said...

John McCain (whom I personally dislike) has been "powering through" some fairly serious injuries since the 1970s. Does he get credit for this? No, he gets mocked for not using email (because email worked out so well for HRC) because he can't raise his goddamned arms to type. Bob Dole, also wounded in a war, gets mocked for being old and infirm - I'll bet folding money HRC doesn't live to Dole's current age.

David said...

Hagar said...
"Squeeze my finger and look into my eyes" is how you check for pneumonia?


Actually Hillary deliberately farted when the nurse did that and then fell down with laughter.

Night Owl said...

"The memo went out."

Yup. I wondered what the spin would be. Shock and surprise that they went the feminist route: She is strong, she is invincible, she is woman!

They can spin it all they want, but only a blinkered Hillary supporter saw a woman "powering through" on that video. Everyone else saw a weak, sick, elderly person being dragged into a van. I felt protective towards her, and others probably did as well. Absolute helplessness is what we saw. There was no power in her at all.

el polacko said...

i've got to hand it to the dems. they have a system that gets their talking points out like wildfire. within MINUTES, you'll hear the same phrases being used by surrogates and supporters.

Night Owl said...

Imagine the absurdity : A still photo of Hillary being dragged to the van with the caption : "Hillary powers though her campaign." It would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic in so many ways.

Bilwick said...

Well, "Hillary" and "power" do go together, like "junkie" and "crack."

JAORE said...

"The nurse who travels with her specializes in caring for Parkinsons disease patients."

Interesting. have you a cite for that?

I'm not Hillary supporter, but I hope it is not Parkinsons, or the many similar diseases. First of all I watched my wonderful mother-in-law fight that horror for years. Secondly I believe Hillary will be elected and we do NOT want CIC/POTUS so afflicted.

campy said...

Most women who brag about "powering through" are actually being figuratively carried by men. Hillary is the rare one who's literally being carried by men.

Beach Brutus said...

What struck me about the video was how utterly routine it all seemed. First they prop her up against the cement pole, balanced by the nurse. Then as she moves to the van the two men casually assume their positions and wait for the inevitable. As a friend observed, if you watch her feet, she goes "toes down". At that point they are not merely supporting and assisting her, but fully holding her up and dragging her into the van. And it all seems business as usual.

Milwaukie guy said...

I am tired of all this ragging on Dear Leader.

While Herself will not get my vote, I admire her lying fortitude.

As a dope-smoking, bi-polar ex-machinist and current carpenter and graphic designer, I have had to power through many dangerous situations. I started in design when we still wielded razor blades and it was all I could do to keep from cutting my wrists.

I love Hillary for the tough cunt that she is. I'd have been in bed and I'm still a few years younger than her. Afraid I'm voting for the Cheeto Jesus anyway. I think it's my ineffable whiteness.

Writing from where millenials go to retire, the PDX, but looking from across the county line in Clackistan.

damikesc said...

I still want to press to explain how pneumonia, feeling faint, or being overheated makes one stiff as a board with legs that do not want to work.

buwaya said...

"i've got to hand it to the dems. they have a system that gets their talking points out like wildfire. within MINUTES, you'll hear the same phrases being used by surrogates and supporters."

Its a coordinated media machine, a ministry of propaganda. Been saying it for years. There is a headquarters behind all this, and unlimited funds. You can't argue with a machine.

Tyrone Slothrop said...

I just don't see how Hillary could ever get dehydrated, with the entire mainstream media carrying water for her.

Gabriel said...

"Actually, men work when they are sick too. We just don't write whiney articles about how strong it means we are and how horrible women are for not acknowledging and celebrating our toughness for doing so."

My great-grandfather broke his leg logging. He still came to work every day, removing stumps. Of course folks were tougher in those days.

mockturtle said...

The lies and subterfuge have been so profuse with Hillary that no one will believe anything from her camp. Is there some kind of record for the total number of [false] explanations in one day?

richard mcenroe said...

Looked like she was trying to power her face through the side of that van. Lucky that SS agent got the door open ("New Guy!")

ken in tx said...

Who we saw in the video was Theoden of Rodham. It was not clear where Huma Wormtongue was. Maybe waiting in the van.

jg said...

she sure 'powered through' all those women her husband molested

as for not drinking water when she's no dummy and has multiple expert medical staff advising her on the spot, you might speculate that she doesn't feel comfortable peeing around others. nothing else makes much sense.

BN said...

Yeah, she can power through maybe. But can she roar? She is Woman after all.

I want to hear her roar.

BN said...

Without coughing.

Real American said...

"Powering through" looks a lot like collapsing to me.

SukieTawdry said...

So what have we learned here? Hillary Clinton against what should have been her better judgement tried to "power through" a bout of alleged pneumonia and failed utterly. Contrary to what Woody Allen would have us believe, 80 percent of success is not just showing up, especially if we're talking about the presidency.

damikesc said...

I'm beginning to wonder, when she was late for that debate early in the campaign, what REALLY was the problem.

And of course the DNC sends out press releases that the media reads as news. We've already seen plenty of evidence of the press submitting news pieces to the DNC before they even send it to the editors. If you think Journolist stopped due to exposure, you're nuts. Nobody involved suffered any repurcussions.