Hillary Clinton's Terrible Record on Free Speech: Matt Welch on Tonight's Stossel

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Reason

Beloved television host (and Reason.com columnist) John Stossel is devoting his whole show this week (9 p.m. ET tonight on Fox Business Network) exploring the many statist facets of Hillary Clinton. As part of that, he was kind enough to ask me to come on for a segment and talk about the presumptive Democratic nominee's long and terrible record on all things free speech. The Stossel team unearthed some truly awful video clips to help make the point as well.

You can read about our putative Censor in Chief in my March cover story, and in a couple of follow-ups: "Tech/Gaming Journalist: 'I think' Hillary Clinton's 'war on video games' was 'well-intentioned,'" and "Why Are the Newspapers That Condemn Donald Trump's Free-Speech Rants Endorsing Hillary Clinton?" It's also worth remembering something I didn't mention in any of those pieces: She also led a futile charge to recriminalize flag-burning as recently as a decade ago.

And lest think Donald Trump is a comparative free-speech champion, read some Damon Root.

Comments

[Rich]

The Stossel team unearthed some truly awful video clips to help make the point as well.

"Leaning forward" to adding them to the collection containing "we cannot let a minority of people hold a viewpoint that terrorizes the majority of people" and "every constitutional right is subject to reasonable regulations".

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[Rich]

WTF, Mollie?!

If you don't take my commenting seriously, I swear I'll report you as spam!

[Mad Scientist]

One thing Hillary has going for her is people think of her as the devil they know.

Now I need a drink.

[Libertarian]

I missed out on a lot of money by failing to buy gun/ammo stocks when Obama was elected. Perhaps I can make up for it by buying brewer/distillery stocks this go round.

[Citizen X]

An article criticizing Herself? I KNEW REASON WAS IN THE BAG FOR TRUMP.

[Call Me Conrad]

The Stossel team unearthed some truly awful video clips to help make the point as well.

Sounds like a party.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Have I mentioned I like Stossel?

[Rebel Scum]

Somebody wants a mustache ride...

[Pope Jimbo]

Franky is probably tired of getting all those wool burns from those ewes Montana blondes that he has been hanging out with, so a real mustache ride sounds great.

[Suthenboy]

Yeah, more Stossel, more Root, more Bailey, less Chapman, Richman and Suderman.

[Playa Manhattan.]

You left out the worst of all.

[Groovus Maximus]

Gillespie really is tiresome at this point, I agree. Though not more than a day or two ago, Suthenboy was complaining of Bailey's trouser-wetting as well, IIRC.

[Playa Manhattan.]

I give you the second worst article ever published in Reason.

The worst being the Richman/Lanza debacle.

[Groovus Maximus]

By SOD! Shiksa Dalmatian, I should have known. Extra points for HazelMeade's, "Whitey Fucking Sucks," and, " Look, I see white people breathing!....Clearly Racist," stream of consciousness.

I swear, Hazel could find imaginary "racism" in a bag of raw Canadian milk.

[Swiss Servator]

Nikki? Or Dalmia?

[Playa Manhattan.]

See above. You were in the comments too. So was our friend Bo.

[The Grinch]

Hillary will be great and by the time she's done the speech climate in the US will be just the way it should be. Picture a nationwide Oberlin College with unfettered virtue signaling to keep the dissenters in line and safe spaces for everyone (well, almost everyone). I can't fucking wait.

[Cyto]

What I don't understand about political campaigns, particularly national republican campaigns, and more particularly with regard to the Clintons - is why don't they do exactly this in their national advertising? All you have to do is pull video that has them supporting the wrong thing, contradicting themselves, or supporting some Democrat doing the same thing they are now denouncing. They do it all the time, but team R seems so hopelessly tied to keeping their candidate positive. Then some fringe PAC is sent out to do "negative", but they are just lame at it.

You don't need cutout pictures in black and white with newspaper headlines and a voiceover. You need them plainly speaking in their own words with minimal added fanfare. All the goofy music that you see in local campaigns works fine for the base, but if you want to reach people who are leaning against you, you need to avoid being a doof about it.

For all you team R folks who don't get it, watch Rachel Maddow.. Were you convinced of anything? No? Well then that smarmy, smirky style ain't gonna work for you when you try it either.

And for team L. Well.... Just do your best, mate. We all know what we'd say if we had a chance, and we are each way better libertarians. But still, just do your best. And try not to fall for any stupid trap questions. Just go on the offensive for freedom. Like we would all do. Because random libertarian on the internet knows best.

[Doctor Whom]

Speaking of the Crown Princess, people in my Facederp feed are holding up "Delete your account" as a scathing comeback. The giant meteor can't strike soon enough.

[WTF]

I really don't get that, there's nothing clever about that at all.

[The Grinch]

Dim bulbs love stupid shit. How does anyone consider that clever?

[Playa Manhattan.]

Vox had a whole article on it. If it takes a whole article to explain, it's not a sick burn.

[Playa Manhattan.]

Oh, and Hillary should be very careful about telling other people to delete things.

[Groovus Maximus]

Oh, snap!

[Swiss Servator]

Zing!

[GILMORE?]

It is not kennedy, which means guests will get more than a half-sentence in at a time.

it is not bill maher, which means i do not need nausea medication after seconds of exposure.

the only downside is that its not a weeknight; friday at 9 is not an ideal political-talk-show slot.

I will either Tivo (do people still use that as a verb? or is it "DVR" now"?) ...or something.

[Rhywun]

I use "tape" and get off my lawn.

[Rufus The Monocled]

I use 'tape' too!

/waves fist.

[sarcasmic]

I use "record." It covers all the bases.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Oh yeah. That too. I remember way back when we used to tape our favorite songs on the radio using a tape recorder.

[Playa Manhattan.]

Tivo.

I have a Roamio with an aftermarket hard drive.

*unzips*

[Rhywun]

I don't think "TiVo" got enough market penetration to be genericized.

[GILMORE?]

I heard a lot of people use it as a verb in the past (6-10 years ago, maybe?); by now its probably already an anachronism. however language is funny in how something like that will often far outlive its actual brand significance. just because the 2 syllable term is easier than Dee-vee-arrr.

the "tropic thunder" effect?

[Playa Manhattan.]

They were recently bought out by a company I hate.

[dajjal]

She thinks that international diplomacy consists of asking your local Koran burners to hold off for a few months, at least until things stabilize in Benghazi. "It's regrettable that a pastor in Gainesville, Florida with a church of no more than fifty people can make this outrageous and distressful, disgraceful plan and get, you know, the world's attention."

Nevertheless, Trump is way worse on free speech, religion, assembly, etc. Because Hillary is well-intentioned but dumb. But Trump is evil and brilliant. He can do way more damage.

[geo1113]

Hilary...well-intentioned?????????????

[Rufus The Monocled]

I've learned to grow weary and suspicious of 'well-intentioned'.

Comic book villains often had 'good-intentions' in their minds. It's just that in order to save people they had to destroy first.

I see much in common with progressive ideology.