Clinton Tells Minority Journalists: ‘I Want You To Hold Me Accountable’

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the 2016 National Association of Black Journalists' and National Association of Hispanic Journalists' Hall of Fame Luncheon at Marriott Wardman Park in Wash... Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the 2016 National Association of Black Journalists' and National Association of Hispanic Journalists' Hall of Fame Luncheon at Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, Friday, Aug. 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) MORE LESS
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In a Friday address to the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists at their joint convention, Hillary Clinton asked reporters to hold her accountable for her campaign promises.

“Keep holding all of us accountable,” Clinton told attendees. “I do have this old-fashioned idea: When you run for president, you ought to tell the voters of America what you would do as president. So I am going to keep telling you what I would do because I want you to hold me accountable, press and citizens alike.”

Clinton also addressed Republican opponent Donald Trump, slamming his divisive rhetoric and controversial comments throughout the course of his candidacy.

“At every turn, he stokes division and resentment,” she said. “He is harkening back to the most shameful chapters of our history and appealing to the ugliest impulses of our society.”

She cited comments by Trump calling Mexican immigrants “rapists,” as well as the candidate’s record of retweeting white nationalists and his attacks on a federal judge‘s Mexican heritage.

“And yes, he also talks about curtailing press freedom as well,” Clinton added.

A slew of reporters and publications, including The New York Times, BuzzFeed News, Telemundo, Politico and The Des Moines Register, have been denied access to Trump’s campaign events. In June, Trump threatened to revoke The Washington Post’s press credentials over “incredibly inaccurate” critical coverage.

“I believe with all my heart that America is better than this,” Clinton concluded. “America is better than Donald Trump.”

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Notable Replies

  1. FOX: That’s our job. No matter what you do, you will be doing it wrong.

  2. “Accountable” would be two steps up from the usual coverage of Hillary. Usually it is simply a repetition of “she is untrustworthy” (sometimes couched in "voters find her untrustworthy). The next higher step is false equivalency (“Voters hate Trump and Clinton is almost as bad”).

    Accountable on a level playing field would be a treat.

  3. Avatar for darcy darcy says:

    “I want you to hold me accountable, press and citizens alike.”

    Oh we will, we will. And if you go back to your old center-right politics and away from your new found populist ‘enlightenment’, you won’t get a lick of help in the midterms. You can count on it Madame President.

  4. “I believe with all my heart that America is better than this,” Clinton concluded. "America is better than Donald Trump."

    I like Hillary. However, sometimes her inability to discern the true nature of a situation, combined with irrational optimism, leads her astray.
  5. Trump: “Look at Hillary begging the press to hold her accountable! You know, I’m a businessman. I know accountability. Trust me on this. I don’t need the press to hold me accountable! I only need one person–me. Trust me on that. Really. Hillary is weak that she can’t hold herself accountable. Just like she did–didn’t–whatever in Benghazi. Just like the 33,000 email thing. Just like I held myself accountable with Megyn Kelly! That was the best accountability. And Isis, too! Yeah. I know accountability.”

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