Jeb Bush's Attack On Hillary Clinton Echoes One Of Right-Wing Media's Favorite Anti-Clinton Talking Points

Bush Claims Trump's Vulgar Attacks Will “Enhance [Clinton's] Victimology Status”

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush echoed one of right-wing media's favorite anti-Clinton talking points claiming that Hillary Clinton is “great at being the victim,” in response to fellow GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump's vulgar attacks against the Democratic frontrunner.

Donald Trump Used “Vulgar Language” In Attack Aimed At Hillary Clinton

Washington Post: Trump “Used Vulgar Language” To Attack Clinton, Calling Her Bathroom Break “Too Disgusting” To Talk About And Saying She Got “Schlonged” In 2008 By President Obama. In a December 21 article, The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump “used vulgar language” to attack Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, saying that “her use of the restroom at the last Democratic debate was 'too disgusting' to talk about and that in 2008 she got 'schlonged' by Barack Obama”:

Donald Trump used vulgar language as he attacked Hillary Clinton during a rally on Monday night, saying her use of the restroom at the last Democratic debate was “too disgusting” to talk about and that in 2008 she got “schlonged” by Barack Obama when he defeated her in the Democratic primary.

Standing before a crowd of 7,500, Trump recounted how Clinton was seconds late to the Democratic debate stage on Saturday night following a commercial break. Trump asked the crowd four times where Clinton had gone.

“I know where she went -- it's disgusting, I don't want to talk about it,” Trump said, screwing up his face, as the crowd laughed and cheered. “No, it's too disgusting. Don't say it, it's disgusting.”
Later in the night, Trump told the crowd that he could not picture Clinton as president because she never wins at anything. He then brought up the 2008 Democratic primary, which Clinton lost to Barack Obama.

“She was favored to win, and she got schlonged,” Trump said, turning a vulgar noun for a large penis into a verb.

Trump has repeatedly faced criticism for the language that he uses to describe women, including his female rivals. [The Washington Post, 12/21/15]

Jeb Bush Says Trump's Remarks Will Help Clinton “Enhance Her Victimology Status”

Jeb Bush: Clinton Is “Great At Being The Victim,” Trump's Comments Will Only “Enhance Her Victimology Status.” In a December 22 article, The Washington Post reported Jeb Bush's reaction to Donald Trump's vulgar attacks on Hillary Clinton. According to the Post, Bush said Clinton “is great at being the victim” and that being under Trump's fire would “enhance her victimology status”:

Bush, campaigning in New Hampshire, was asked by reporters about Trump saying on Monday that Clinton was “schlonged” in the 2008 campaign, referring to her Democratic primary loss to now-President Obama.

“He wants to create chaos. He's the chaos candidate. And just imagine him as president in a press conference,” said Bush. “There has to be a level of decorum to win. It's not a sign of strength to insult people with profanities.”

“Does it play into her ability to use, you know -- ” a reporter followed up.

“She's great at being the victim. You know, this will enhance her victimology status,” responded Bush. “This is what she loves doing. Trump is not going to be president because he says these things. It turns people off. I mean, for crying out loud, we're two days before Christmas. Lighten up, man.” [The Washington Post, 12/22/15]

Bush's Attack On Clinton Parrots One Of Right-Wing Media's Favorite Anti-Clinton Talking Points

Fox's Andrea Tantaros: Clinton Historically “Likes To Play The Victim.” On the December 22 edition of Fox's Outnumbered, co-host Andrea Tantaros said the reason Donald Trump shouldn't have attacked Secretary Clinton was because “historically Hillary likes to play the victim,” adding that Trump's comments were “masterful” because they made Clinton look like “a whiny, weak female”:

HARRIS FAULKNER (CO-HOST): Donald Trump, talking about -- and I don't know if you guys watched it. Saturday night, the debate, there was a little bathroom break with Hillary Clinton. Watch.

[...]

ANDREA TANTAROS (CO-HOST): He shouldn't have said it. He -- I think that he doesn't need to say those type of things, because he knows that historically Hillary likes to play the victim, and he knows that now her campaign's talking about this. But this campaign season's different. People don't care about political correctness. They don't. And, frankly, I think what he's doing may be smart because it baits Hillary to come out and look like a wimp. A whiny, weak female. And her campaign has to make up its mind. Is she a strong leader who can handle criticism about going to the potty or not? Or is she a victim? Can she handle ISIS or can't she? And you know what, Trump knows that and he's baiting her and it's masterful. I have to say. She's going to lose this one.

[...]

TANTAROS: She looks very, very weak and victim-like. And in this environment, that is a losing strategy. [Fox News, Outnumbered, 12/22/15]

Morning Joe's Hosts: Hillary Clinton Acting “Like A Little, Sad Victim.” On the October 27 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough accused Clinton of acting “like a little, sad victim”:

JOE SCARBOROUGH (CO-HOST): Well, let me just say that's pathetic. That's just absolutely pathetic.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI (CO-HOST): That was pathetic.

SCARBOROUGH: That's pathetic.

[CROSSTALK]

BRZEZINSKI: When Veep does it, Julia Louis Dreyfus, it's hysterical, because it's so ridiculous. That wasn't even funny, that was pathetic.

SCARBOROUGH: But playing the --

BRZEZINSKI: I know sexism. Hillary Clinton knows sexism. She should know better than to let her staff make her do that. It needs to be her. She needs to get out there and talk. Everyone stop writing lines for her. They're bad. Really bad. And when we talk about sexism, we talk about women and equal pay and all these things that are important, let's not denigrate it with that stupidity. Let's not, because we embarrass ourselves. I'm, like, cringing. You really shouldn't have asked me.

[CROSSTALK]

SCARBOROUGH: That is sad and pathetic, and that is exactly why people like Donald Trump are doing well.

BRZEZINSKI: Correct.

SCARBOROUGH: Because it's political correctness, it's just total BS. And why would Hillary Clinton's campaign feel like they needed to play the sexism card. She's doing well now. Act like a little, sad victim? Poor little me, oh, no, -- and I'm not going to stop roaring about guns and that. It's pathetic. [MSNBC, Morning Joe, 10/27/15]

Breitbart's Ben Shapiro: Clinton Is Trying To Play “The Victim.” Breitbart News editor-at-large Ben Shapiro attacked Hillary Clinton's testimony in front of the House Committee on Benghazi, claiming in a tweet that the former secretary of state was trying to play “the victim” during her testimony:

[Twitter.com, 10/22/15]

Rush Limbaugh: Clinton “Always Playing The Victim Card.” During the October 20 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show, conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh said Clinton got “sympathetic coverage” from the media because “she's always playing the victim card” by “whining about being a woman.” Limbaugh then ridiculed that idea that being a woman is “somehow an obstacle”:

RUSH LIMBAUGH (HOST): Twenty-two women, not a single man, not a guy. There's not a guy in this picture. And what this picture is, is the Hillary Clinton press corps. This is it.

[...]

Chickification of the news is exactly right and this is the epitome of it. If you wonder why the Hillary news coverage is the way it is, you simply have to look at that picture. You simply have to find out who it is covering the news about her, and it will tell you everything you need to know. And this is done, by the way, on purpose. The chickification of the news is made up of many facets, but one of the facets is that men really can't be fair to women. Not that they try to be unfair, but they just can't fully relate. It takes a woman to understand a woman. It takes a woman to get deep with another woman. It takes a woman to understand. And so, that's the press gaggle that follows Hillary Clinton around. Print, online, radio, TV -- you name it. And it's better than anything anybody could ever say to explain the type of and the nature of the sympathetic coverage that Hillary Clinton gets. Hillary Clinton is perceived to be a victim. She's always playing the victim card. She's always whining about being a woman, or making a point of being a woman -- as though that's somehow an obstacle and it's punishing in our unfair society. And as a way of equalizing it, everybody covering her also happens to be female. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 10/20/15]

Fox's Brian Kilmeade: Clinton Plays “The Victim Card” To Court Female Voters. On the September 10 edition of Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade suggested Clinton would “play the victim card” to attract female voters arguing that “her ability to get women to vote for her just because she's a woman” is what's going to get her into the White House. From Fox & Friends:

BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): Let me give you a hint. She's underwater with women and her approval rating right now. And the thing that's going to get her in the White House or not get her into the White House is for her ability to get women to vote for her just because she's a woman. So therefore, if you play the victim card, then suddenly the gender might run to you. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 9/10/15]

Fox's Tantaros: Hillary Clinton “Built A Career On Being A Permanent Victim.” On the July 28 edition of Fox News' Outnumbered, co-host Andrea Tantaros accused Clinton of having “built a career on being a permanent victim” adding that “the only way she thinks she's going to win” is by being “the victim.”

ANDREA TANTAROS (CO-HOST): I think that she's built a career on being a permanent victim. I mean, she's a professional victim. [Fox News, Outnumbered, 7/29/15]

Fox's Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Clinton “Decided” To "Play The Victim" During Her First National Interview Of 2016 Race. During the July 8 edition of Fox & Friends, co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck criticized Hillary Clinton's first interview of the campaign by saying Clinton “decided” to use the moment “to play victim” by mentioning attacks that had been levied against her by the right. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 7/8/15]

Fox's Tantaros: Hillary Clinton Has Gotten Ahead By “Play[ing] The Victim.” While appearing on the May 28 edition of Fox's Hannity, Andrea Tantaros told host Sean Hannity that Hillary Clinton had gotten ahead in her political career by playing “the victim,” adding “she's a professional victim” who is “waiting for one of these Republican men to overreach”:

ANDREA TANTAROS: Well, I think that Republican men saw what happened to Rick Lazio in the New York Senate race, which you know very well.

SEAN HANNITY (HOST): How dare he, handed her a piece of paper and crossed over and handed it to her!

TANTAROS: But Sean, that's how she's got ahead, right? She's played the victim. She's a professional victim, and she's waiting for one of these Republican men to overreach. And it's just a fact in politics. As a man, I think it's very tough to go negative on a woman, and they understand that. [Fox News, Hannity, 5/28/15]