back to article It's Russian hackers, FBI and Wikileaks wot won it – Hillary Clinton on her devastating election loss

Hillary Clinton today gave her first full interview since dramatically losing the US presidential election – and has placed the blame for her downfall on Russian hackers, FBI director James Comey and Wikileaks. "If the election had been on October 27, I would be your president," Clinton told CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour at a …

  1. a_yank_lurker

    Real Reason

    Hildafelon lost because of incompetence on her part and those she hired. The Presidential race is one to see who will win the most electoral votes which means who will win states. Total national votes does not matter. It has been this way say Washington which is well before she was born. Knowing that a smart candidate would in her case ignore the left coast and solidly blue states like NY and NJ. She should have made sure she ran hard in the swing states which she ignored. This points to a serious lack of competence on her part. Incompetence as a candidate is not a good sign for competence as the President.

    Another issue is many dislike to despise the both her and her sidekick the 'Rapist in Chief' (Bill has been accused of rape by numerous women) because of their general sleaziness for the last 25+ years. Many held their noses and voted for Blowhard because the thought of 4 more years of the Clintons made them vomit.

    1. tom dial Silver badge

      Re: Real Reason

      William Jefferson Clinton is an extremely accomplished electoral politician. If she had listened to him, and more importantly insisted that her general election campaign management do so, she probably would be President now.

      Another issue can be found in her State Department tenure, particularly in the email fiasco. Setting up that illicit server demonstrated that she elevated her personal goals above her sworn duty, and that she disrespected both her boss, the sitting president, and her pemanent foreign service and civil service subordinates: the president, in that she knowingly violated department and government wide regulations, and her subordinates by enforcing on them conduct she failed to observe herself and, worse, by compelling them to evade those same regulations in order to communicate with her by email. Beside those things, it is not completely unreasonable to think carelessness with a small amount of classified material, as bad as that is, might be less consequential in judging whether she should be elected.

      1. a_yank_lurker

        Re: Real Reason

        Slick Willie is a brilliant campaigner and understood that winning the Presidential election means winning states first. His suggestions were ignored. He assumed Blowhard could win the election if a few states flipped but the children running the campaign refused to listen. His analysis is generally true of most Presidential elections; flip the right 3 - 5 purple states and you have different President. If Gore had carried his home state of Tennessee in 2000 he would have been President. The children were enamored with their computer models that said Blowhard had no chance; models that were obviously wrong.

  2. Firmsec

    So what, central America was dealt the same hand.

    The United States direct and indirectly overthrew multiple governments using mercenary forces and people all just remember that Oliver North was a good looking soldier. The Electoral College is to blame. Without reform of the number of votes each state has according to its population, the American dream of fair elections is gamed and thus dead.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: So what, central America was dealt the same hand.

      Hillary? Is that you...?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    Hillary is having trouble "getting it"

    If she had been smart or more forthcoming about the email, it wouldn't have been an issue. But frankly, when you run your own private email server and then delete 30K emails off of it because "Trust me, they had nothing to do with public business", it just doesn't look good. That, plus the Clinton history of skirting legality right up to the definition of what "is" means--that just puts you at the mercy of someone getting some other info coming to light right before election day, and re-opening the investigation. The net is that if Hillary had been smart and more ethical, she could have taken the email issue off the table.

    That plus campaign strategy, like spending more media and event money (unsuccessfully) trying to win the single electoral vote for carrying the ballot in Omaha, Nebraska than was spent in all of Wisconsin and Michigan. (For you non-Americans, Nebraska is one of the couple of states where the electoral vote created by the presence of a congressional district is doled out to the winner of that particular district, so you can lose the state but still pick up 1-2 electoral votes. I guess the prospect of carrying Omaha was REALLY important to Hillary.) Hillary then went on to lose Michigan and all its 16 electoral votes (Michigan is a traditional American "winner takes all" state when it comes to electoral votes) by a margin of 13,000 out of the 4.5 million presidential ballots cast in-state. Oops.

    But hey, I can understand that it is easier to blame James Comey and Vladimir Putin than admit to your own bone-headedness.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hillary is having trouble "getting it"

      If she had come clean at once, that would have most likely scuttled her chance at the Democrat Party nomination. Bernie was breathing down her neck at the time the email scandal was first reaching the public's consciousness.

      As it was, she had to pull secret DNC strings just to defeat Bernie at all, and that dirty trick kept a lot of young voters home and insured her defeat.

      1. Jos V
        Happy

        Re: Hillary is having trouble "getting it"

        Well, at least she was insured then I suppose :-p

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    America had a choice between two very unlike able candidates.

    The email fiasco pushed people over the edge. If a candidate can't be trusted with top secret information, that disqualifies them from being president. I did find Comey's timing suspicious and political. But, for a politically appointed office I suppose that's not a surprise...

    I was rooting for Sanders because, even though I disagreed with much of his philosophy, he was the only trustworthy candidate that had a chance.

    Johnson was my preferred candidate but he never had a chance...

    1. tom dial Silver badge

      I doubt that more than 5% of the population understood the difference between an email server and an email account, or that her bad behavior with respect to that really affected the election outcome. It had no effect on those who already had made up their minds one way or the other and neither did Comey's letters; indeed, his news conference when declining to prosecute over it seems to have had no lasting effect. As for the undecided voters, it probably had no real effect on them either; nearly all would have been leaning one way and ignoring it or the other and also ignoring it. In fact, nearly everyone had fully incorporated it before the conventions, just as they had decided to tolerate Donald Trump despite his shortcomings or reject him because of them.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sour grapes

    Those things contributed to her loss, sure, but she could have overcome them easily over a weak candidate with huge unfavorables like Trump if she:

    1) didn't act like she was owed the presidency just because she's been a good soldier for the democratic party

    2) actually articulated some plans to help the people who Bernie and Trump were talking to about jobs, or heck just acknowledged them in any way

    Had she done those things, then the email stuff, the fake news, the Russians would have merely reduced her margin, she still would have won without breaking much of a sweat. Based on exit polling, around 8 million people who voted for Obama voted for Trump. That's a massive loss considering that Obama had approval ratings over 50% during the whole election cycle - it shouldn't have been that hard for her to sell people on going for four more years of Obama. Those 8 million are open minded independents or even democrats who she could have kept with a better campaign. She only needed to keep a total of 50,000 of them from flipping in three states to win!

    In the end, it seems like her whole message was "I'm not Trump" which is fine for the democratic base, but hardly enough to win over independents. If she would have said "I'm not Trump" and presented plans and showed why they will help average people and not just the 1% she spent too much time around she would have won. Which is ironic, because so far what little Trump has accomplished has been about helping the 1% and not the blue collar voters who put him in the White House.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Sour grapes

      DS, the "Russians" thing is a fiction, and the fake news was almost entirely to HER benefit, not Trump's.

      The corrupt and discredited mainstream press only recently started to claim the right's fake news was a big factor, to distract from their own abject failure to shove Hillary over the finish line via massive arse kissing and wagon-circling. It took several months of email scandal before they were dragged (kicking and screaming) to even acknowledge the scandal, let alone report on it honestly, which they never did.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Sour grapes

        Nice try, but facts seem to elude you, Little Johnny Douchebag. Saying something is "fake news" is the sign of an out-of-touch idiot without a proper position to hold. Clinton lost. Big deal. It's over. The CIA/FBI told us what happened, yet you can't be bothered with facts, right? Also, why is it that you only come by when the word Trump is in your search results and never for any other thread? Obsessed much?

        Now that your corporate pal and conspiracy idiot with a Furby toupee is in the Oval Office, why is it that even with majority control from the Grab Our Pussies party in the house and senate, he can't get a single item passed? Failure. Get used to the smell. It's still happening. Same thing with your pal Chairman Pai... his grand plan to repackage old news to better his personal brand, while making morons like you cheer for their lost privacy, is not looking like it's going anywhere but the toilet. Yeah, your tea party is really great at doing nothing. All talk, no walk. That's The Republican Way! Still thinking there are only two parties in the US that are viable? Good boy, sit up and wag your tail at the mainstream media like a good doggy! You obey well! Keep barking at the "liberal threat" that your masters tell you to be mad at. :P Never you mind your pretty little head about that nasty plutocracy. That's nonsense!

        You are not that smart. You must be a Windows-only admin. Click click. Grin grin. Say no more.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Sour grapes

          > "...Little Johnny Douchebag"

          FINALLY, a real live Trump hater arrives on the thread! (I wondered they all were)

          I suppose you guys zero-in on the name "Trump" in the article title, and that cue was lacking in the present case. Sure was nice not to have children screwing up the mature discussion for once.

          1. disgruntled yank

            Re: Sour grapes

            Trump hater? Donnie, is that you? We thought you only called the tabloids under assumed names.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          @AC - Re: Sour grapes

          The CIA/FBI told us what happened. Yeah, two organizations with a long standing reputation of honesty and transparency. If let's say Russian SVR would say something there will be all lies. I love this black and white movie!

    2. Captain DaFt

      Re: Sour grapes

      "or heck just acknowledged them in any way"

      Acknowledging them was the main reason she lost.

      You can't go calling a large chunk of potential voters "racist", bigoted", and "ignorant" because they want real answers to real questions that seriously affect them, and then expect them to vote for you.

      So they voted for the one that called them "True Americans", even if he offered imbecilic platitudes and sound bites instead of answers.

      1. The Nazz

        Re: Sour grapes

        "You can't go calling a large chunk of potential voters "racist", bigoted", and "ignorant" because they want real answers to real questions that seriously affect them, and then expect them to vote for you."

        Clinton could have had that lesson for free by learning from Gordon Brown, proving that point in the singular instance with the old dear from Oldham? showing in fact it was he who was the arrogant deluded bigot.

        Even his cheap, yet expensive, efforts to buy the majority vote wasn't successful, for either his party oor the country.

    3. Andromeda451

      Re: Sour grapes

      Agreed, Mr. Obama's coattails were non-existent.

  6. Herby

    Hillary, email, and Electoral College...

    Hillary was a staffer around the time Nixon was president, and saw all the problems with "the tapes" he had. Eventually they were made public, and his downfall came shortly after that. Nixon failed due to a coverup,and Hillary knew all about this. The lesson learned here was if you have the evidence under your control you can do with it what you want even if someone asks for it.

    Fast forward to a private email server. Under her control (tick), asked for (tick), destroyed (tick), made unavailable (tick). Yup, learned those lessons well. If they can't get to your evidence, that can't haul you into court. Well done Hillary!

    As for the Electoral College, sorry, there are actually 51 (you need to count Washing DC here) separate elections going on. Every one has different importance. Some will always go one way (California for the left), some go the other way (Wyoming for the right). That is the way it is. Some states are close to a toss-up, and the candidates need to campaign there (Wisconsin comes to mind). You can't take them for granted. The "popular" vote is meaningless, as that is how the rules are written. Everybody KNOWS the rules, and the final referee is comprised of a court of 9 wise men. Normally we don't want to get to that point, but it does happen (2000 election).

    To change the rules, a changeset is needed, and getting it promoted to the source file takes a LOT of work, including the approval of 38 states. This means that if 13 states don't like it it doesn't fly. Being as there are around 13 small population states that would be "put out of business" in elections, I don't see that changeset being promoted any time soon. So, DEAL WITH IT.

    Sure it is a terrible way to elect a president, but in the UK the prime minister gets "elected" by his own party (the one in the majority), which might be just as bad (sorry if I got this wrong, my civics class didn't cover UK elections).

    Yup, Hilary defeated herself. She thought she was "entitled", and it showed.

    1. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Megaphone

      Re: Hillary, email, and Electoral College...

      "Fast forward to a private email server."

      that's just the latest in a long series of corruption by Mrs. Clinton.

      how about EVIDENCE TAMPERING in a case where she defended a CHILD RAPIST? The evidence just *disappeared* after her team got a hold of it to "do their own analysis".

      Then there was ALL! THAT! SHREDDING! of Whitewater documents and Rose Law Firm documents that had been moved to the White House, and at some point someone saw something and *voila* SHRED PARTY!

      And don't forget about Vince Foster. Why DID he "commit suicide" anyway?

      And there's the entire BEN GHAZI incident. Mrs. Clinton, was it *REALLY* some stupid YOUTUBE VIDEO that caused all of that? Or maybe it was TERRORISM coinciding with the ANNIVERSARY of 9/11 ???

      Mrs. Clinton has a nice record of her "accomplishments" allright, shifting the blame to ANYONE ELSE, doing "the side step", covering things up, shredding, erasing, deleting, obstructing, and DOWNRIGHT LYING.

      THAT is why she's not president!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Hillary, email, and Electoral College...

        HOW about BOMBASTIC BOB who randomly CAPITALISES words for no REASON at ALL, spouting shit read on the INTERNET and BELIEVING everything on IT to BE TRUE.

        Talking shit about a child rape case, whether against for for the guilty party to put down another person is fucking disgusting. If you are going to talk about a case get the facts correct before you spout shit and don't use it to defend you hatred of another person because of the position they had been put in.

  7. FozzyBear
    Black Helicopters

    Oh stuck in denial. the reset switch must be jammed, it's on the back of her head. Use something heavy like a 2 X 4

    1. Mark 85

      Use something heavy like a 2 X 4

      Nah... this is "Merica. Use a Louisville Slugger.. I think the 36 ounce will do the trick.

  8. Phukov Andigh Bronze badge

    was that really an "interview"

    when the "interviewer" pretty much gave the question AND the answer? Not just "softball" but practically T ball.

    Interview would lead one to believe actual questions were asked and the interviewee would come up with answers on their own, without being led.

  9. PhilipN Silver badge

    Comey

    I perceive he did what he had to do. Cover up the new investigation until after the election? Then either continue to cover up that it happened (God, no - even if it came to nothing) or try to explain to people who are not going to listen why you did not reveal the investigation earlier (Puh-lease..)? My understanding (as a non-Yank) is that he did the Right Thing and at the same time preserved the integrity of the FBI. If anyone came out of the appalling electoral process with his reputation intact it was Comey.

    1. tom dial Silver badge

      Re: Comey

      Some reports at the time had it that there were some FBI agents or US Attorney staff lawyers in the New York area who were quite upset about hushing up the Weiner matter, and it might well have leaked before the election or, maybe worse, after it. As it happened, both letters were public before the election, and comparable poll series do not show that they had any definite effect.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Killary-Clinton or pResident-Evil...

    What a choice... Anyone but them! Politricks is just crooked!

  11. jake Silver badge

    Watching this childish slap-fest has been really funny ...

    ... but you lot are getting very, very boring. Any chance of coming up with new copy? If not, give it a rest already. We've heard it all. People with made up minds on any sides of the issues aren't going to change their opinion. All you are doing is generating hot air. Unless that is your point, in which case I feel quite sorry for you.

  12. Ropewash

    It's odd how they don't mention

    The fact that THEY wrote those e-mails the "Russians" made off with.

    Not once did I see Podesta or Clinton say that those were fabricated documents spread by her political enemies. Nope. That bit just got whitewashed by screaming Russians!!! loud enough.

    The existence of emails in general wasn't the issue. It's what was in them that matters. The DNC wrote what was in them. The "Russians" only made it available to the public.

    I think the American people should probably thank the Ruskies for a job well done and encourage them to hack the shit out of all the presidential emails so the people can keep tabs on their leaders.

    After all... Their leaders certainly do spy on them.

  13. Diogenes
    Mushroom

    Lost because female ?

    I suppose she supports Marine Le Pen and Theresa May then.

    I did a variation on this with our extremely lefty female union rep when she tried the "Clinton lost because female' in the staff room just after the election. I asked if at the next election she would vote for the only party headed by a woman - Pauline Hanson's One Nation. The faces she pulled as she tried to digest the question, and frame an answer was priceless.

    1. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Pint

      Re: Lost because female ?

      The faces she pulled as she tried to digest the question, and frame an answer was priceless.

      You, sir, a beer, deserve!

  14. mike360

    She sent out a tweet on her birthday which said something along the lines of "Birthday for this future President", I still look at it from time to time and laugh.

  15. TReko
    Thumb Up

    This is why I read The Register

    Thank you for your superb analysis.

  16. Cologic

    In my opinion her biggest mistake was to call the Trump voters "Deplorables". Nothing else she had said was so denigrating and condescending.With the result that millions of people moved away from such arrogance. And yes, then there is ony one option to vote for.

    That Hillary still has not seen the light, and does not recognize that this false streak in her personality was the main reason. So, Hillary, keep on defending yourself and you will lose, which way you win. Be honest and frank with yourself and the country. Blaming someone else sending an email cannot be used as an excuse for your own failing. Arrogance is the cause of your failing, Nothing else counts after that anymore. Deplorable!!!!!Utterly deplorable!!!!

    1. Goit
      Black Helicopters

      Did you ever see the 'hot sauce' interview?

      It was so false it broke my cringe-o-meter.

  17. Version 1.0 Silver badge

    Facebook won the election

    Facebook and targeted advertising won the election - and it's going to kick your collective arses in the UK too.

    Face it, Clinton and Trump were two of the worst possible candidates and it was a toss up as to which one would lose the election. It happened to be Clinton and we got stuck with Trump.

  18. wolfetone Silver badge
    Coat

    Hillary Clinton was never the same after finding that snuke in her snitch.

    What? I'll get my coat. But she's the one who's dillusional, not me!

  19. M7S

    "over-confidence (of her campaign manager Robby Mook) on a data analytics program"

    As seems to be the cases with many businesses as well.

    IT. No replacement for common sense and experience, particularly when it comes to dealing with people.

  20. jason 7

    If you want the reasons in a entertaining manner -

    Then just visit the Jimmy Dore page on You Tube.

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3M7l8ved_rYQ45AVzS0RGA

    People don't want corporate paid Democrats that don't work for them and will continue to maintain the staus quo. Clinton was just that.

    Platitudes and 'values' won't cut it anymore. Single Payer or GTFO!

  21. Hans 1

    >Even now, having lost in the most spectacular fashion to probably the least-qualified US presidential candidate in history, Clinton is unable to see her and her team's own failings.

    Come on, Bush was no spark either!

  22. Goit

    It is well known in political circles that Clintons cronies made power plays that influenced and maneuvered Trump into the position of her opposition for the presidency candidacy.

    With the motive that 'there was no way she could lose to this bozo'.

    In the words of the great Nelson. HA-HA!

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No matter how many excuses she comes out with, the truth is that enough US citizens thought she was so unpalatable that Trump was the better alternative. Yes, even Trump.

    Clinton is so blinded by ego, so rotten to the core, so propped up by corporate financiers, that she has no understanding how much she's hated by the people that, you know, vote.

    There are many people who earnestly wish Trump wasn't president; but you try and find anyone who wishes for another Clinton in the White House.

    The Clintons are a spent force; they should both gracefully retire to bitter senescence. Perhaps Bill could dream about how many women he's abused and violated over the years, and Hillary, ever the womens' champion, can ponder how often she looked the other way, whilst all the sordid stuff was going on.

    1. jason 7

      Yep

      Trump was a brick in the pond moment. What it has done is expose the corruption, filth and lies in a way never seen before. It's so blatant now that its fully exposed.

      This has made folks that either couldn't see it or didn't want to see it finally admit that something is wrong and it's time for change. People are waking up and realising the politicians haven't been working for them (in fact working against them) for decades.

      Clinton was a prime example of that. As long as the money was flowing her way she didn't give a damn. Still doesn't.

      Proof is the DNC is trying to do anything to either ignore or quash the progressive movement that wants to get rid of the corporate money in politics. Republicans with a different name.

  24. Alistair
    Coat

    Lives in a bubble does the clinton fam

    I said it before - 2016 presented two of the worst possible US presidential candidates.

    Liar, sure, both of them are documented liars.

    Goldman Sachs?, Yup, both of them are owned by Goldman Sachs.

    Self Centered, self aggrandizing? Yup, both of them.

    Clueless about the lives and times of the general population? Yup, both of them have no clue.

    Sadly the G20 states are ... **ALL** EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. in the same sad state of affairs. And there's a few more that are in the back pockets of the investment banks.

    And we all though that mockingjay stuff was a FICTIONAL movie......

  25. Norman123

    DNC did it

    DNC choose a dark horse with bad public image instead of someone who had a solution for kicking down the can of worms to the next generation. Funny how insider conspiracy turns into Comy or Russia or Wiki....

  26. mhenriday
    WTF?

    And Ms May ?

    I can't but be reminded of the comments that Jean-Claude Juncker is said to have uttered regarding Theresa Mary May's psychological state and her place of residence, after recently dining with her at 10 Downing Street....

    Henri

  27. Andromeda451

    Riiiight

    HRC or Her Highness as she referred to herself lost because a misogynistic, psychopathic crook doesn't work well with the rank and file. The MSM was in her pocket, she outspent 2:1 the Trump team and still lost. We've had 40 years of professional politicians and the American people have suffered from the inept, self-serving, pols. HRC was perceived as a continuation of Mr. Obama's rule and we did SO well under his term a change to an AMATEUR was in order. Love or hate Mr. Trump he does keep the MSM and pols on their toes.

    1. JCitizen
      Pint

      Re: Riiiight

      Well said - have a pint on me! We've had "professional" politicians for how long, and look at the mess!! Like Trump once said to the auto workers, who are still out of work - "what do you got to lose?"

  28. mediabeing

    It's sadly telling how out of touch the honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton is, that she thinks she needs to clue us in on what got in the way of her campaign. Sheesh.

    I voted for her, because the idea of Trump in the white house was unthinkable.

    I wanted Bernie Sanders, and I'm STILL angry about the DNC's part in screwing him over.

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