Ruth Nemzoff wrote this article with Helen Berger, both are Resident Scholars at Brandeis Women's Studies Research Center
"She's a crook, I can't vote for her," say some of the Bernie's supporters. Some even claim that they will vote for that paragon of virtue, Donald Trump. It is time to unpack this notion that Hillary is dishonest, a crook, or somehow nefarious.
Certainly the Republicans have tried to paint her as a crook--Donald Trump, the master of nasty nicknames, has dubbed her "Crooked Hillary." But, just because someone says something doesn't mean it is true, particularly when that someone is Donald Trump. Just ask those fact checking agencies, Fact Checker and Politifact, who have given the Donald more Pinocchios and Pants on Fire than any other candidate--actually any candidate since they began fact checking. Hillary on the other hand has been found to have the best record of honesty. OK, it is not perfect, but then again neither is Bernie's who actually has a slightly lower rating than Hillary, although both beat any of the Republicans by a long shot.
Why then is Hillary seen as crooked?--well there have been all those hearings--goodness they seem endless --and conspiracy theories about all sorts of behaviors, and Bill did have affairs, we know about them in great detail. But that was Bill NOT Hillary. We already wrote about the issue of where there is where there is smoke there is fire concluding that sometimes when there is smoke there is someone throwing up a smoke screen so that you don't look at them. Trump is a master at that. Each time the press tries to press him on his taxes, his treatment of employees, having his merchandise produced with cheap third world labor, or Trump "University" he successfully changes the topic. He often does it by calling Hillary crooked. It's his method of operation; say it often enough and it becomes fact.
Let that settle in--the court documents that we have seen about Trump University and its founder suggest that maybe we should take a closer look at the person doing the name calling. All the hearings, all those tens of millions of our, the taxpayers', dollars have served one purpose--Hillary Clinton has been vetted and vetted and vetted and nothing has been found. Really if she had stolen a paper clip from the state department the Republicans would have found it by now.
None of the conspiracy theories have proven to have merit. And like everything else with Hillary they have been investigated and investigated.
For the first time in our history a woman is the nominee of one of the two major political parties. This is a big deal. We should celebrate. Hillary isn't perfect, but neither were any of the 44 presidents who preceded her. Some were better than others, and I believe she will be among our great ones. Whether you agree or not about how great she may be, don't let Trump sell you on the notion she is crooked unless he has evidence. And so far none has been provided and the Republicans have looked.