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HRC Book 'Hard Choices' dead-panned by Reviewers

Original post made by Love to Read Fiction, Atherton: West of Alameda, on Jun 10, 2014

Hillary Clinton's new book Hard Choices bombs with critics.

"Hard Choices' is a newsless snore" Politico Mike Allen

"There is little news in the book" New York Times' Michiko Kakutani

"dullness and lack of critical energy." New Republic Isaac Chotiner

"the low-salt, low-fat, low-calorie offering with vanilla pudding as the dessert. She goes on at great length, but not great depth." Slate John Dickerson

For the insightful article please go to

Web Link


Comments (39)

Posted by non-fiction (ie. truth)
a resident of Menlo Park: Fair Oaks
on Jun 10, 2014 at 10:23 am

"Love to Read Fiction" likes to post the reviews that pan a work of non-fiction.

"Love to Read Fiction" -- care to share books by other presidential candidates that you actually liked? Perhaps fictional accounts by Mitt? McCain? Palin? Santorium?

Herman Cain?

Gonna be a great 8 years, starting in 2016!!!


Posted by Diane
a resident of another community
on Jun 12, 2014 at 5:35 am

Reviewers don't know everything. Personally, I am 1/2 way through the book and I am finding it very interesting and informative. I believe that the book was written for the American masses and not for political strategists. For the average American, I think it is a perfect balance of information and background without becoming overwhelming or boring. This is just a pretty straight forward account of what her duties were as Secretary of State and how she carried them out. I think it is facinating.


Posted by cherrypicked reviews
a resident of Woodside: Woodside Glens
on Jun 12, 2014 at 10:12 am

@Love to Read Fiction posts a hit and run attack, content to cherry picking a certain phrase out of context, instead of actually reading the book, or. heaven forbid, even thoroughly reading each of the reviews excerpteed from. Let's look at some of the cherrypicked reviews in question.



### NY Times: "The book itself, however, turns out to be a subtle, finely calibrated work that provides a portrait of the former secretary of state and former first lady as a heavy-duty policy wonk. Compared with her 2003 memoir, “Living History” ... “Hard Choices” is a statesmanlike document intended to attest to Mrs. Clinton’s wide-ranging experience on national security and on foreign policy. "

Hardly the way it was represented by the far fringe right poster above.



### @Love to Read Fiction clearly did not read the entire New Republic Isaac Chotiner peice, which wasn't about the HRC book, but rather about the NYT REVIEW of the book:
"Beyond its dullness and lack of critical energy, the book is notable for providing the perfect example of what is wrong with the way that the Times approaches hot books. Since the Times frequently runs news stories about such books, which they often obtain before anyone else in the media does, it seems odd that they then devote energy to reviewing them in the format of a news story."

Rather risingenious by our resident fringe freak.



### Slate John Dickerson
"But now she has, and over more than 600 pages of Hard Choices, her memoir of her time as secretary of state, Clinton details what it’s like to steer U.S. diplomacy in a dangerous and changing world."

"What comes across, though, is that whatever Clinton leaves out—and there’s plenty in her omissions for critics—she put in thousands of hours grinding her way across the globe doing the painstaking work of diplomacy."



Other reviews that the fringe poster could have cherrypicked a negative fragment of a sentence from:

### New Republic: "But here’s the thing about Hard Choices: of course it’s anticlimactic. It’s a six hundred-page book by a woman whose every habit, style and predilection have been familiar to us for over twenty years; it was never going to be surprising or intimately revealing. It’s by Hillary Clinton. Which is to say, it is carefully packaged, workmanlike, energetic, competent, diligent, and funnyish."

"It’s satisfying and diverting and reliable, as long as your hopes for it are calibrated to a reasonable expectation of what it might deliver well: a solidly crafted, just-self-aggrandizing-enough, just-self-deprecating-enough portrait of a powerful woman who probably wants to be the first female president of the United States and who believes—not without reason—that her only chance of getting there is to play it careful and safe, a mode which also has long seemed to match her natural tendencies. "

###Guardian: "Presidents are meant to be politicians: people whose job is to lead it. In this long, exhausting, faintly robotic but ultimately impressive book, Hillary makes her pitch to be both."

###The Independent: "This was never going to be a racy, humorous, self-deprecating volume. No searing soul-searcher or tear-jerker, either. As for revelations, there would be a few – the pressure of the reported $8m advance, plus Clinton’s desire for a positive pick-up on chat shows would have seen to that – but not many. So it proved. But I admit, the experience was nowhere near as bad as I expected. As such works go, it’s blessed with an instant familiarity: with Hillary herself, and of course, the ever-present Bill in the background, and President Obama; and with the events themselves"

####

Never trust our few, but vocal local fringe righties. They will always cherrypick and misinform.

But then again, look what they're used to their heros reading...

My Pet Goat.

Upside down, no less.

Web Link





Posted by JulieToo
a resident of another community
on Jun 12, 2014 at 7:31 pm

JulieToo is a registered user.


I have not read Hard Choices yet. However, if Hillary Clinton is as brilliant as she was when a friend and I saw her in person when she appeared in Sharon Heights for her presidential campaign, I am looking forward to it.

The reviews of Hard Choices, for the most part, promise a good read, not only about Clinton but also about the demands of the office of Secretary of State.

A friend of mine is reading it and finds it a worthwhile read and recommends it.

Stay tuned. I will return with my review.


Posted by book reviewer
a resident of Woodside: other
on Jun 13, 2014 at 6:35 am

Does the original poster care to list any books by Republican politicians publshed in the last decade that are worth reading?

Hypocrite.



.


Posted by Elliot Stenn
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Jun 13, 2014 at 10:48 am

Let's get down to brass tacks, boys and girls, and ask the anonymous poster of the bogus review quotes above, a simple question:

"If she runs, who can beat Hillary Clinton in 2016?"

Jeb Bush?

I don't think so.


Posted by Elliot Stenn
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Jun 13, 2014 at 10:52 am

Oh, yeah, the anonymous poster called "Love to Read Fiction" must not be much of a reader.

Otherwise he would know the definition of the phrase "deadpanned" - A person, especially a performer, who has or assumes a blank expression. adj. Impassively matter-of-fact, as in style, behavior, or expression: deadpan delivery


Posted by Conservative
a resident of Menlo Park: Sharon Heights
on Jun 13, 2014 at 2:39 pm

Just name one significant accomplishment of Hillary while she was SoS. She is just another political celebrity who is an empty suit. She did flopped miserably with Libya, Russia, Syria, North Korea, Iran and Iraq.

However 2016 is not in the bag for the Republicans by any means. Krispy Creme Christie won't cut it and people are just plain tired of the Clinton Bush dynasty. The world will be a lot better off with Bush and Clinton on the sidelines.

And Elliot, Hillary was a deadpan SoS as is Obama a deadpan President.


Posted by non-fiction (ie. truth)
a resident of Menlo Park: Fair Oaks
on Jun 13, 2014 at 3:49 pm

"Just name one significant accomplishment of Hillary while she was SoS"

Go to the library and read the book. Clearly, she was far better than Condi and Powell (though I had tremendous respect for Powell before he lied to the UN about WMD.)

"Conservative": Elliot asked a question above. You afraid to take a stab at it?

"If she runs, who can beat Hillary Clinton in 2016?"

I think Elliot is wrong - Bush doesn't stand a chance in being the GOP candidate. I don't think you can tell us one person who can beat Hillary.

Can you?


Posted by non-fiction (ie. truth)
a resident of Menlo Park: Fair Oaks
on Jun 13, 2014 at 3:49 pm

"Just name one significant accomplishment of Hillary while she was SoS"

Go to the library and read the book. Clearly, she was far better than Condi and Powell (though I had tremendous respect for Powell before he lied to the UN about WMD.)

"Conservative": Elliot asked a question above. You afraid to take a stab at it?

"If she runs, who can beat Hillary Clinton in 2016?"

I think Elliot is wrong - Bush doesn't stand a chance in being the GOP candidate. I don't think you can tell us one person who can beat Hillary.

Can you?


Posted by Independent
a resident of Portola Valley: Ladera
on Jun 13, 2014 at 3:50 pm

You have to hand it to the Democratic Party. It was brilliant in rebranding Socialism as Progressivism and having the gullible American Puplic buy it. It even got them the over the hump against Romney; albeit he ran an unimaginative and unispired campaign.

However, the chickens have come home to roost. Obama's foreign policy failures, his being on track to accumulate more debt than all the presidents in the history of the United States combined, and his over-reaching of executive powers will doom any Democratic nominee following in his wake of destruction. He is like William Tecumseh Sherman marching through Georgia, only Obama has marched through 50 states and not 57 states as he would like you to believe.

2016 will be a Republican year; perhaps even a trifecta. It will be reminiscient of Winston Churchill ousting Neville Chamberlain as PM. The outcome of the 2020 election depends on whether the Republican party can steer a moderate course for 4 years- which is not a given. If the Republicans stay on course then they will win the White House again in 2020. If not then the Democratic Party will only have 4 years in the wilderness.


Posted by bleeding eyes
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Jun 13, 2014 at 3:57 pm

How old are you, Independent? Are you on Social Security and Medicare? Or your parents, are they? Or other elderly loved one? Are you/they socialists? Personally, I think my mother didn't work hard enough raising five kids, and I resent her sitting on her socialist derriere all day collecting Social Security rather than being a responsible, hard-working 90-year-old.


Posted by non-fiction (ie. truth)
a resident of Menlo Park: Fair Oaks
on Jun 13, 2014 at 4:05 pm

"Independent" you're hyperbole is so fringe as to be laughable (" rebranding Socialism as Progressivism and having the gullible American Puplic {SIC} buy it"), How can you even type that without laughing out loud? Cap and Trade was favored by Bush and McCain/Palin in 2008. Obamacare is the same as Romneycare - essentially reform for the private insurance market (not a single payer option like Medicare for all.)

If you are so convinced that "2016 will be a Republican year; perhaps even a trifecta" then name for us any candidate that can beat Hillary.

As to the Senate - you're drinking koolaid; the 2016 Senate map is even more favorable to the Democrats than the 2014 map is favorable to the republicans (in 2016, the GOP has to defend their gains from 2010, while this year the Dems gave to defend their 2008 gains.)

But seriously, HL - Elliot asked a question above. You afraid to take a stab at it?

"If she runs, who can beat Hillary Clinton in 2016?"

(note to the inevitable poster who will come on here and moan about a dialogue of the deaf - it's only the fringe righties that will not address the posts of others. Feel free to offer substance, rather than just once again show your short shortsightedness by engaging in false equivalency.)


Posted by Love to Read Fiction
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Jun 14, 2014 at 7:37 am

The 10-day Green Smoothie Cleanse tops Hard Choices in the Amazon.com best sellers. 160 Amazon.com reviewers gave Ms. Clinton's book 5 stars while 345 people gave it a one-star thumbs down.

Some reviewers' comments from yesterday June 13. This is just one day of reviews and not even all of them!

"I believe this to be the work of a Hillary Clinton from an alternate reality as you cannot reconcile it's contents with the events of the timeline in our universe."

"A complete snoozer for everyone but rabid Hillary fans. Save your money and buy a bottle of Unisom - not a Hard Choice."

"This from a women who never has had a real job in which you had to perform well or lose your job , never met a payroll, never had a drivers license until she was out of the White House, says she is a feminist, yet stays with a man who is a serial cheater, lies about getting shot at in Bosnia, I guess to make her look like she was living dangerously, lied about how she got her name, tried to ruin the women Bill had affairs with. Without Bill Clinton we would never have known her name. Give me a break, hard choices? Try living like the Americans who actually work for a living, she wouldn't last 5 minutes."

"I wouldn't read this pack of lies if it was on the shelf at 99 Cent Store, next to OJ's If I Did It."

"A bore and a crock. As a reviewer above said, a good doorstop. Please don't waste your time or your money, it will just encourage her."

"This book simply highlights the failures of an incompetent fool. It's laughably boring and dull; no surprise given her legacy. Perhaps it would behoove the author to actually accomplish anything in life outside of politics. Predictably she was way over paid for this book, and I sincerely hope that the publishers lose money on this horrendous drivel."

"Due to the deeply discounted price, I purchased this as a cheaper alternative to toilet paper. In theory it seemed like a good idea, but the paper is just too rough. 1 Star."

MY FAVORITE REVIEW:
***************************************************************************
"After galloping through the book in two days, I found Kindle formatting to be acceptable, and quite readable. What was not acceptable was the sense of being tricked by Clinton and the media into buying the book. There is nothing really revealing in the book, except the unabashed display of self-aggrandizement and politicking that Ms. Clinton displays. As I write this review, Iraq is in the middle of the civil war with ISIS forces marching on Baghdad. Syria is in ruins of civil war. Minorities are prosecuted in Egypt. Russia has annexed Crimea. Iran is building nuclear weapons. On many many fronts, our foreign policy is in shatters. And yet, Clinton has no introspection or real answers for any of these massive failures.

One would expect an intelligent analysis of foreign policy successes and failures from a former Secretary of State. And yet we are left with a propaganda, a puff piece book that has only one design: to elevate Ms. Clinton for a presidential run.

The book is written by a ruling class politician, and not by an intelligent diplomat. And it says a lot about the society that we live in."
***************************************************************************

"After reading this garbage I quickly realized that this book is full of lies and propaganda. She is running for president and this is a campaign ploy. She should be paying us to read this and not the other way around. Waste of time and money."

"With 300 million people to choose from, are the Clinton's really the best America has to offer? Hillary is no more qualified to run our country than she is a corner store.

This book is filled with self-serving tripe from the Queen of Tripe. We all know she is a shallow, selfish entity whose only desire is to 'make history'. Well we all voted for the black guy to 'make history', and look where that got us… Change We All Bereave In."

"This whole book is less believable than the Twilight series, plus the Twilight fans aren't as vapid as Killarys fans."

"Is this book cheaper per page than toilet paper per sheet??? If so, that is the only way I would recommend this.

PS: Be sure to wash your hands in BENGHAZI BLOOD before touching this trash."

"I thought at first this would be a good read, I mean it's a book by the woman who was married to the boyfriend of Monica Lewinsky, has to be good right? It was crap from open to close, for one thing she just did an interview about how they were flat broke at one point so I was thinking, "Hey a good rags to riches story," well it turns out they were just rich to richer. I thought well we will at least learn somewhere in here how they used their intellect to create something people needed to gain their wealth, nope just lying politicians getting paid for speaking engagements, turns out they have never actually done any work at all. I was lead to believe by the media that the Clinton's were some kind of genius dynamic duo, turns out they are just well, politicians. You would think you would find out why she lied about Benghazi and how she sleeps at night knowing her decisions got innocent people killed, she doesn't even really bring it up! I then thought well I at least use it for toilet paper, the pages are too thin it just tears and leaves poop on your hands, poop on my hands is actually how I would feel voting for somebody like this."

"Pass the Puking Bowl ... this woman has never accomplished anything except maybe to Photoshop the picture on this book jacket. I sometimes read books by or about enemy Democrats (like this one) but this drek is quite literally toxic waste. After reading the first two chapters I had an uncontrollable impulse to get rid of this book and donate money to the RNC. RJB."

"The Wizard of Oz was based in more fact than this Liberal Hags attempt at revisionist history. Unfortunately for Hill the Shill her Low Information support base does not know how to read trash like this so she will need to resort to her Marxist slogans to win them over. Unfortunately Barry Obungler has worn them all out. Hillary has failed at every level including letting down the American People for her criminal role in hiding the facts of her failure in Benghazi as well as her failure at being a wife and mother while Bill trashed the honor of the Office of President of the United States.
Some can use it as toilet paper to reclaim their wasted money but having purchased it electronically I am poorer and dumber for purchasing this book of lies. I hope she does run so the world can laugh at her stupidity."

"Hillary Clinton is not an unknown personality to the American people, so writing this fiction just won't wash. She is a political hard core operator, not a personable, caring individual trying to make the World a better place. We all know her mission in life is pure political power and to be the first female president. We witnessed her cold calculating personality during the Benghazi hearings, which the book fails to capture. Her strength is to take responsibility by not taking responsibility, dismissing the deaths of people directly under her organizational control as a matter of fact event of minor interest or concern. Her book is one long dreary Campaign speech. It was canned by political professionals to create a mythical persona that is as far from the real Hillary as humanly possible. Wait for the audio version by Michael Moore."

"Lets face it...if you didn't think she incompetent before....her book will convince you. Hillary Clinton has made her self rich and powerful, and has caused nothing but suffering."

"I bought this at my local book store, and I can unequivocally say that it was one of the worst purchases I've ever made. The book distorts her history, whitewashing the myriad controversies she's gotten in. The only "hard choice" she's had was whether to buy one house or two!"

"Boo hoo and waa waa. Oh my life is so hard. $200,000 fees for giving talks and multi-million dollar houses. Oh the agony! There is a tremendous pain coming from my heart for Hillary Rawham Clinton. The story so sad and personable to the everyday struggling American that not even the worlds smallest violin has but a single short note of sympathy to play for her. Seriously, if I really wanted to hear some lies, I'd watch some FOX news or MSNBC. Seriously. But I'm not.that.guy. I stay sucker free. Ask Monica. P.s. Hill, you're going to need quite a lot of undocumented workers' votes to pull this one off."

I wouldn't waste any effort or money buying anything to support this piece of garbage ...... the author of "hard choices" ought to be doing hard time for producing the crappiest ill conceived, nauseating infomercial ever..... Go away Hitlery! America needs another Clinton like we need a tax hike.."

Do not waste your money. Nothing more than self promotion. Leaves out her countless failures.... And I am more convinced than ever she is not qualified to be POTUS"

"Almost anyone can see the massive damage done to the country from one alinskyite president - Obama - it would be the height of imbecility to pursue another alinskyite president - Clinton...unfortunately she doesn't talk about the most interesting things like her schooling by Saul Alinsky."

"More lies and useless information from the Clinton's. She's failed with everything assigned to her as First Lady (health care), did nothing as a Senator, except earn a "dead broke" salary of $145,000 and accomplished nothing as Secretary of State and this book proves it. It's even poorly written. You'd think with their millions, they could hire a better ghost writer than the one who wrote this book."

"You had better go ahead and get yourself a stylish pair of rubber boots while you're at it with this one."

"If an author is going to put out a book of fiction it has to be much more interesting and compelling than this sorry work. What do we expect, it is consistent with her long political life of 'spins', half truths, and outright lies. The sad part is that the American people may actually embrace her once again, even with a clear paper trail and record of failure."

"OMG Please will the Clintons go away! Please don't buy this as we have been screwed enough by this family!"




Posted by Mary Hand
a resident of Atherton: other
on Jun 14, 2014 at 4:03 pm



What a moronic premise - listing the customer quotes from those that detest Hillary on, wait for it, drum roll please -------- Amazon! yYet directly above the haters are the reviews form various publications: A subtle, finely calibrated work….Hard Choices is a statesmanlike document…with succinct and often shrewd appraisals of the complex web of political, economic and historical forces in play around the world, and the difficulties American leaders face in balancing strategic concerns with ‘core values.’ -and- [A] clear and at times riveting account of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s four years as secretary of state….The book bolsters her reputation as a strong “representational” diplomat who carried the flag to 112 countries. But the meaty middle of Hard Choices does something more than chronicle the frequent-flier miles: It provides evidence that Clinton displayed good judgment as secretary of state and understood some important issues earlier than her boss, President Obama -and- Hard Choices is a richly detailed and compelling chronicle of Clinton's role in the foreign initiatives and crises that defined the first term of the Obama administration — the pivot to Asia, the Afghanistan surge of 2009, the ‘reset’ with Russia, the Arab Spring, the ‘wicked problem’ of Syria — told from the point of view of a policy wonk… it's also mercifully free of the bromides that mar most campaign biographies.


@Love to Read Fiction (name says it all!): IF HILLARY IS SO BAD, THEN ANSWER THE SIMPLE QUESTION POSED TO YOU ABOVE:

Who can beat Hillary if she runs?

Who is the most popular Republican in America? Mitt Romney?

Talk about the "dialogue of the deaf" - the rightwing posters are incapable of answering the most simple questions!

Who can beat Hillary if she runs?


Posted by Love to Read Fiction
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Jun 15, 2014 at 9:40 am

In Thomas Kuiper’s Book ‘I’ve always been a Yankee Fan’ that Hillary in a 1993 conversation with Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert regarding her proposed Health Care plan “We just can’t trust the American people to make these kind of choices…Government has to make those choices for people.” This reveals the contempt and scorn for the American public whom she regards as imbeciles incapable of making their own decisions and need Government to tell them how to live their lives. In the same book she says “I am a fan of the social policies that you find in Europe”. Europe is collapsing under socialism yet Hillary unabashedly admits that she is a fan of Europe’s social policies.

Hillary Clinton also has a sinister side to her in which she drops the F Bomb with regularity and treats people who are willing to protect her with their lives as dog excrement to be wiped from the bottom of her Jimmy Choo shoes.

Former FBI agent Gary Aldridge wrote in his book ‘Unlimited Access: An FBI Agent Inside the White House’ that a former Secret Service agent revealed to him that Hillary Clinton was rude to agents during her time as First Lady.

When agents refused to carry her luggage, a task they are not allowed to do, Hillary allegedly screamed “Stay the f*** back, stay the f**k away from me! Don’t come within ten yards of me or else! Just f*****g do as I say!” Now there is a very good reason that Secret Service Agents do not carry luggage. They need both hands ready to repel an assault on their protectee. The first lady knew that but did not care. She only wanted the Secret Service agents to be her personal servants.

In Ronald Kessler’s book ‘Inside the White House’ that Hillary rebuked the Governor’s staff on Labor Day 1991 with this “Where is the God damn flag? I want the God damn f**king flag up very f**king morning at f**king sunrise.” In the same book the author describes how when Hillary spotted her husband taking to an attractive female at an Arkansas political rally she walked up to him and said “Come on Bill, put your dick up! You can’t f**k her here.”

Joseph Califano wrote in his book ‘Inside’ that Hillary Clinton excoriated a Democrat Lawyer with “You sold out, you mother f**ker! You sold out!”

Christopher Anderson wrote in his book ‘American Evita’ that when a State Trooper body guard greeted her with “Good Morning” her reply was “F**k off! It’s enough that I have to see you shit-kickers every day, I’m not going to talk to you too! Just do your God damn job and keep your mouth shut.”

In Carl Limbacher’s book ‘Hillary’s scheme’ he writes that she told a Secret Service agent to “Get F**ked! Get the f**K out of my way! Get out of my face!

In Edward Klein’s book ‘The truth about Hillary’ that Hillary in one of numerous tantrums inquired about another person's location with the colorful language “Where’s the miserable c*cksucker?”

In Robert Patterson’s book ‘Dereliction of Duty’ he wrote that while Hillary was flying in a Marine helicopter to Air Force One she ordered the pilot to “Put this on the ground! I left my sunglasses in the limo. I need these sunglasses. We need to go back!






Posted by Ms Misogyny
a resident of Atherton: other
on Jun 15, 2014 at 10:14 am

Quite an interesting display of ignorance by the above poster -- reminds me of the same style one reads in all the Almanac political threads. Invaribly, accusations will follow that's it's one of two posters, as their style is always the same, and always far out of the mainstream. My opinion -- it's you know who, but he was told to cloak his vitriol in anonimity to protect the county party.

As dear Pogo says: a dialogue of the deaf.

I, too, echo the question for our Hillary hater: who does he support over Hillary? Awfully sad state of affairs that he attacks women but has no intestianl fortitude upon which to share his choices. Who does he, in his misogynistic glory, think can beat Hillary?


Posted by JulieToo
a resident of another community
on Jun 16, 2014 at 5:39 am

JulieToo is a registered user.

Love To Read Fiction:

This thread is intended to be a Review of "Hard Choices", the book.

It is not intended to be an Impeachment of Hillary Clinton, the woman.


Posted by Julie Also
a resident of Atherton: West Atherton
on Jun 16, 2014 at 8:39 am

The local hater will never review the book because he is too afraid to actually read a book.

Notice how he won't tell us which republicans wrote a good book?


Posted by Loves to Read Fiction
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Jun 16, 2014 at 9:25 am

Marvelous Mal from El Dorado California had these 'choice' words to say in his review of Hillary Clinton's 'Hard Choices' this morning June 16:

Hillary Clinton is a disgrace to the U.S. This book is a transparent, propaganda campaign publication. Hillary has, once again, shown herself to be nothing more than a self-aggrandizing ideologue. She seems to view the world in contrived, simplistic ideological terms, rather than in reality.

This book is excellent in one respect. It is an exhaustive case study on one of the most delusional and megalomaniacal figures in modern history. Hillary was not supposed to make "hard choices;" she was supposed to make good choices. She was supposed to take action in the best interests of the U.S. and its personnel. By her own implied admissions, she failed to do so.

Despite Hillary's delusions of grandeur, relations between nations and peoples worsened during her service as Secretary of State, and Americans under her command died on her watch. Reading this book reveals that Hillary is no more fit to be president than she was fit to be Secretary of State. She could even be a worse president than Barack Obama, if it were possible to be worse than the worst possible. I pity the U.S. if Hillary serves in any other important public office.


Posted by haters gonna hate
a resident of Menlo Park: Belle Haven
on Jun 16, 2014 at 9:46 am

Anonymous Amazon customer reviews featuring self-appointed experts just ROCK!!!!!

They're always thoughtful, motivated reviews by PROFESSIONALS.

(Not.)

Just listen to the so-called expert "Marvelous Mal from El Dorado California" in another review of hers:

"Before buying the book, I had read a few of the negative reviews, but they do not list any specifics. Apparently, THE NEGATIVES ARE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. The positive reviews are correct."

What a complete and utter joke. Shut this thread down.

You-know-who is off his meds again...


Posted by Love to Read Fiction
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Jun 16, 2014 at 1:12 pm

There are 175 5 Star (Pro Book) Reviews for Hard Choices and 396 1 Star Reviews (Against Book). So more than twice as many people disliked the book than liked it. Amazon.com Book reviews represent a cross section of America while the Almanac represents a heavily liberal Democratic readership.

On a National level Amazon.com more accurately reflects the mood of the American public towards Hillary Clinton than does the Almanac. Which means Hillary will do quite well in Menlo Park if she decides to run; but not as well nationwide. Thankfully.


Posted by haters gonna hate
a resident of Menlo Park: Belle Haven
on Jun 16, 2014 at 3:07 pm

The fringe poster wants to use Amazon to "more accurately reflects the mood of the American public" than the wonderful neighbors around which he chooses to live.

Odd, that. So let's ask our fringe poster - do you believe in math? In science? That's good! Now we are getting somewhere!

Then tell us who POLLS better than Hillary Clinton! Only one I can think of is her husband!

Poor fringie. You are so fearful of 2016. And you should be! It's going to be a long, terrible couple of years, followed by 8 more after the election. It's going to be disheartening every time you read a poll and find out your favorite candidate, Rick "google me" Santorum, is losing the GOP primary, and even the GOP primary leaders who will beat Newt, CAN NOT beat Hillary.

Poor baby. I feel for ya.... I feel real bad for ya. Just awful. Just like I felt in 2008 and 2012 when you insisted your candidate was going to win.

Poor thing.

So keep babbling about Amazon. It makes you feel better, and will do so until every time you read a poll.

Then reality invades your cute little fantasy world.

Poor thing.


Posted by Decline to State
a resident of Atherton: other
on Jun 16, 2014 at 4:14 pm

Ms. Clinton had an abysmal tenure as Secretary of State. But it will be the Obama presidency that will shatter her hopes of becoming president. His inept leadership will poison the well for any Democrat who wants to succeed him as president.

It's a shame because Hillary Clinton would have been a much better president than Obama. But the liberal press in concert with the Super delegates sabotaged Ms. Clinton.


Posted by Statistician
a resident of Portola Valley: Ladera
on Jun 16, 2014 at 4:42 pm

Polls are often wrong because:
1) The sampling is not random
2) the sample is not representative
3) People often lie to pollsters
4) Pollsters often inject bias into the analysis

The pollster got Virginia's 7th Congtressional District race completely wrong by predicting a landslide for Eric Cantor. David Brat beat him by double digits. In 1984 a Washington Post/Newsweek poll had Walter Mondale beating Ronald Reagan.

When the pollster has an emotional stake in the outcome it affects his/her judgment. That is why polls are often unreliable. With the Democrat and Republican Conventions being more than two years away it is nearly impossible to predict who will win or even who the nominees will eventually be.

The only thing we know is that it will be interesting.


Posted by the title was, Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States
a resident of Woodside: other
on Jun 16, 2014 at 5:03 pm

"Ms. Clinton had an abysmal tenure"

What kool-aid are you drinking??!?! Omigawd! Hell, if you grade on a curve compared to the last couple SoS, she gets a TRIPLE A+++, just for getting us out of the disasters from the fools that preceded her.

Colin Powell?!? Agrees with Cheney to lie about WMD.

Condi Icequeen Rice?!!?

Of this fame?
"Condoleezza Rice: But I don’t remember the al‐Qaida cells as being something that we were told we needed to do something about.
Richard Ben-Veniste: Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6 PDB [Presidential Daily Briefing] warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?
Condoleezza Rice: I believe the title was, Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States"


"I believe the title was, Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States"


"I believe the title was, Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States"


"I believe the title was, Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States"


"I believe the title was, Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States"


"I believe the title was, Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States"


Maybe her book bored you and your ADHD, but quit drinking the kool-aid. Hillary did a fine job. Compared to her predecessors, she WAS GREAT.

"I believe the title was, Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States"


Posted by Honest Pollsters vs GOP Hucksters
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Jun 16, 2014 at 6:18 pm

Statisticiansays: "Polls are often wrong because..." No. Mostly, they are not, especially if you average them together like Nate Silver used to do. But yes, Virginia, there are some terrible pollsters. Like Cantor's choice, McLaughlin.

Eric Cantor used a pollster with a terrible track record - he, along with a lot of other right leaning pollsters predicted Romney would win by "unskewing" the polls (in fact, actually skewing the numbers.) Cantor was a fool for using that pollster. It was also an old poll, and Cantor was out of touch, as many Republicans are, of course.

Here is a list of polls that Cantor's pollster (McLaughlin) missed, by miles:

////Final tally: Dave Brat beats Eric Cantor by 11. Cantor was up 34 in McLaughlin internal

From the 2012 cycle:

////On 10/1, McLaughlin had Rep. Bob Dold (R) up 44-37 in #IL10. He lost 51-49 to Brad Schneider

////On 10/4, McLaughlin had Romney up 50-46 in Colorado. He lost 51-46

////On 10/9, after Richard Mourdock (R) called rape pregnancies a "gift from God," McLaughlin put him up 45-42. He lost #INSen 50-44 to Donnelly

////On 10/11, McLaughlin had Romney up 51-44 in Virginia. Nope. He lost 51-47

////On 10/11, McLaughlin also had George Allen (R) up 47-44 in #VASen. Nope again. He lost 53-47 to Tim Kaine

////On 10/18, McLaughlin had Randy Altschuler (R) up 48-43 in #NY01. He lost 52-48 to Rep. Tim Bishop

////On 10/22, McLaughlin amazingly had Barry Hinckley (R) trailing just 49-41 in #RISen. He lost to 65-35 to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse

////But best of all, on 10/22, McLaughlin had Dan Halloran (R) trailing just 36-33 in #NY06. Grace Meng obliterated him 68-31

Of course, lots of conservative leaning pollsters, or pollsters hired by conservatives were wrong in 2012.

The "unslewers" made for some delicious scenes on election night. One wonders how the the conservative posters above felt that night, having limited their exposure to conservative media and Fox "news". Sure is interesting in retrospect to look at how crestfallen Rove and Romney were that night.

A lot like how Cantor looked last week.


Posted by Julie Also
a resident of Atherton: West Atherton
on Jun 17, 2014 at 9:33 am

@lovetoreadfiction, also loves to copy and paste fiction. Note my post above, where I told you he doesn't actually read books. His most agregious copy and paste fiction: halfway up this thread is a pile of hooey; slanderous, un-sourced made-up quotes that travel back and forth through the far-right internet chat rooms.

Take the alleged quote about SS carrying bags: " blah, blah.... Now there is a very good reason that Secret Service Agents do not carry luggage." From a 1999 book by Joyce Milton, there is no backup to the quote, and no source listed. Fiction.

Further: "Christopher Anderson wrote in his book 'American Evita'" - there is no source listed for that quote in his 2004 book. Lots of sources for other material, none for that. Fiction.

Other troopergate quotes were manufactured by David Brock in his 1994 American Spectator article. Brock recanted most of them in 1998. Because they were fiction.

All that noise is just what the local writer above loves - fiction.

A lot of that fiction was made up by sleazoids being paid to create fiction. Look at David Brock... American Spectator paid him 300 large a year to make stuff up about Clinton; you can find his website at Media Matters for America Web Link

"In July 1997, Brock published a confessional piece in Esquire magazine titled "Confessions of a Right-Wing Hit Man," in which he recanted much of what he said in his two best-known American Spectator articles and criticized his own reporting methods..."

No more fiction.


Posted by Love to Read Fiction
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Jun 17, 2014 at 9:42 am

Hillary Clinton did not have one achievement in her four years running the State Department, and more significantly, the U.S. position in the world actually went backwards during her tenure.

Hillary Clinton, President Obama and other administration officials famously insisted in the days following the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attack that it was not premeditated but improvised, the product of a spontaneous protest against a crude Internet video that lampooned the Muslim prophet Muhammad.

That claim has been proven false, with the only remaining question being who proposed it in the first place.

But Hillary Clinton's political liabilities also extend to her State Departments failure to protect its diplomatic installation in the eastern Libya port city.

In June 2012, Ansar al-Shariah – the al-Qaeda-linked group that carried out the Benghazi attack – held a parade, two days of rallies and a press conference in central Benghazi. With dozens of military vehicles and heavy arms on display, the terrorists held what an intelligence analyst later said was 'a team pep rally before the jihad.

The Clinton State Department infamously ignored that event, even though the first attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi followed two days later – a bombing at the compound's gate that left a hole big enough for 40 men to walk through.

Despite having intelligence about that event and the press conference that followed, the State Department declined repeated requests for added security forces in Benghazi. Ansar al-Shariah ultimately returned to finish the job murdering Ambassador Stevens and 3 brave special forces members while the United Stated stood idly by and did nothing.

A September 2013 report from the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee ominously speculated that McCulley's fate in Nigeria could be the same as Stevens' in Libya.

Boko Haram, the African Islamist terror group whose April kidnapping of nearly 300 young girls has united the civilized world in anger, promised to assassinate U.S. ambassador to Nigeria Terence McCulley in February 2012, vowing to murder him if America signed a terrorism-fighting Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the government in Abuja (Nigeria's Capitol).

McCulley, now the U.S. ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, was not harmed. But the threat, coming amid a years-long bombing campaign that killed more than 1,400 Nigerian civilians, didn't move then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to fast-track the addition of Boko Haram to the U.S. government's official list of international terrorist groups.

Independent media outlets inside Nigeria first reported on February 9, 2012 that an unnamed Boko Haram leader issued a statement promising that 'we will murder the U.S. Ambassador if the MOU is signed. The revelation provides a stark parallel with assassination warnings issued by Islamist groups in Benghazi, Libya in the months before the September 11, 2012 attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other American personnel.

It’s really shameful that Hillary Clinton had a four year term as Secretary of State and achieved nothing, She did however go backwards with Russia, backwards on Iran, backwards on Syria, backwards on Venezuela, backwards on Libya, backwards on Nigeria, backwards in relation with just about all of our allies, including Canada for the Keystone project. It’s pretty hard to antagonize Canada, but Hillary Clinton managed to do it and that’s not easy! For her to get Canada upset, which has not happened in about 100 years epitomizes her ineptness in foreign policy.


Posted by Yoda sez
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Jun 17, 2014 at 11:08 am

Wow, our freeper friend from out of the area copies and pastes a number of sections of copyrighted material without attribution, in clear violation of terms and conditions of the Almanac. Worse, when he bothers to modify a word or two in each sentence, he gets it wrong in his adjustments and conclusions.

Must be a sad place.

To post so frequently, then completely ignore the responses that show your posts as lies and trash. The only answer? Post more trash.

This is why Hillary will win in 2016 if she runs. No sane republican can make through a primary populated by these insane far right voters.

The far right lunatics have nothing but Vince Foster conspiracies and other garbage.

Yoda sez: The tinfoil hat is strong on this one.

Fifteen congressional inquiries and there's nothing on Benghazi. No action by the far right, just trash and noise. Except, of course, Obama got one of the attackers today. Just like when he promised to get Bin Laden after Bush/Cheney and the GOP gave up, Obama comes through again.

Can't wait to hear the tinfoil spin on this...

Probably call it a stunt, insinuate that it's completely made up, or done to make Hillary book sales go up.

More fiction from the fringe whackjobs.


Posted by Hank
a resident of Menlo Park: Sharon Heights
on Jun 17, 2014 at 11:42 am

Great news about Benghazi; our President comes through again. As the poster above mentioned, Obama promised Bin Ladin and got him. Now he got the Benghazi attacker.

Good news! Keep on keeping on, Mr. President!


Posted by JulieToo
a resident of another community
on Jun 17, 2014 at 6:15 pm

JulieToo is a registered user.

For those interested in seeing Hillary Clinton interviewed in a Town Hall meeting, it is on now: 6pm, CNN, Tuesday, July 17th, interviewed by Christian Amanpour.

She discusses "Hard Choices".

It is a repeat program. It was on earlier today.

After today,
It may be an On Demand choice if you have Comcast.


Posted by JulieToo
a resident of another community
on Jun 17, 2014 at 6:21 pm

JulieToo is a registered user.


Correction: JUNE 17th


Posted by Love to Read Fiction
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Jun 17, 2014 at 6:27 pm

In an email this evening, a veteran publishing source calls the latest Hillary Clinton book, ‘Hard Choices’ a "bomb." The source is referring to the early but underwhelming sales figures.

"Between us, they are nervous at S&S (Simon & Schuster). "Sales were well below expectations and the media was a disaster."

According to the source, a Simon & Schuster insider, "They sold 60,000 hard covers first week and 24,000 ebooks." The publishing house was "hoping and praying for 150,000 print first week."

"The 60k represents a less than 10% sell thru based on what they shipped," says the source.

It's been reported that one million copies of Clinton's book were shipped weeks before the June 10 publication date. "They will be lucky to sell 150,000 total lifetime," the source writes in the email.

Hillary reportedly received a near-$14 million advance, a sum the publishing house will unlikely make back.

"It's a bomb but it will be interesting to see how they spin it."
Ruby Cramer of BuzzFeed reported earlier yesterday that Barnes & Noble sold 24,000 of Clinton's book.

“The rollout was touted as the best planned book tour ever, meticulously crafted by the smartest Hillary aides, publishing PR gurus, and the savviest super agents," writes another publishing source.

"The book will probably debut on the bestseller list at number one and then fall like a rock. After the smoke clears, with tens of thousands of books sitting in warehouses collecting dust, there’ll be a lot of hand wringing and probably a few people without jobs."

Hillary definitely has good business savvy. Too bad that did not translate into leadership ability.


Posted by JulieToo
a resident of another community
on Jun 17, 2014 at 8:27 pm

JulieToo is a registered user.


I doubt she's too worried.

With credentials like hers, I wouldn't be concerned.

Few people in America have accomplished what she has. For sure, few women.

Whether you agree or not, her career has been groundbreaking and she is a "pioneer" in the arena of presidential primaries and elections.

I am curious: have you read "Hard Choices"?

Or is your review based on everyone else's review of the book, i.e., those negative reviews you have quoted at length.?

Got it: you don't like Hillary. You think her book stinks. She is going to be responsible for losing money for her publishers. And she doesn't look good in blue.


Posted by JulieToo
a resident of another community
on Jun 17, 2014 at 8:37 pm

JulieToo is a registered user.


Oh and by the way, I'm sure that when she becomes the first woman president of the United States her book sales will soar.

Check Obama's book sales figures before and after his victory.


Posted by Mark Zee
a resident of another community
on Jun 17, 2014 at 9:04 pm

[Post removed. Please discuss the topic and not other posters.]


Posted by JulieToo
a resident of another community
on Jun 18, 2014 at 1:55 am

JulieToo is a registered user.


Mark Zee:

I was able to read your comments before they were censored out by the editors. Thanks for your response.


Posted by JulieToo
a resident of another community
on Jun 28, 2014 at 2:46 pm

JulieToo is a registered user.

A dose of perspective and balance is usually a good thing:

If Hillary Clinton's publishers are fearful of not making the profits they had anticipated making,(and I say only IF... based on what I read in a post on this thread)...imagine how the publishers of the Republican hopefuls feel.

From The Huffington Post: 06/26/14:

"Hillary Clinton And Elizabeth Warren Are Totally Crushing The Right In Book Sales
Ashley AlmanThe Huffington Post06/26/14 09:11 PM ET
It's been two weeks since former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Hard Choices hit the shelves, and she's already getting hit for a "disappointing" rollout. Critics say her book is "bombing" and sales are "tanking," news outlets and conservative blogs report.

But sales figures for Hard Choices, compared with sales of books penned by potential Republican presidential hopefuls, tell a different story. According to Nielsen BookScan data, Clinton has sold almost 135,000 copies of her new memoir.

Meanwhile, Republicans who have similarly aimed to boost their profile with a book -- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.), Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee -- have paled in comparison. In fact, Clinton's two weeks of sales top the total sales to date of books by Paul, Rubio, Bush, Ryan, Walker and Huckabee -- combined.

Clinton isn't the only one putting conservative book sales to shame. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a liberal sweetheart to whom many have dished the big 2016 question, has sold more than 65,000 copies of A Fighting Chance since its April release, almost doubling the leading seller of the Republican bunch.

Huckabee leads the GOP authors with 35,503 copies sold. Rubio is right behind him with just over 35,000 sales. None of the others has hit 20,000. Bush has sold fewer than 5,000 copies of his book, Immigration Wars.

It's no surprise Clinton's books aren't hitting the same numbers as bestseller The Fault in Our Stars, but conservatives may want to consider the success of their own book sales before describing Clinton's as "horrendous.""


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