Do You Think The Clintons Were Really Broke in 2000?
Taking a look at the meaning behind Hillary Clinton’s statement of “being broke”.
Imagine having a job that pays you $200,000 a year, includes a private chef, a mansion to live in, a private jet, and a fleet of helicopters and limos. The downside is that you might get laid off after 4 years and are guaranteed to get laid off after 8 years.
The Presidential Hangover
The good news is when you are finally laid off, you can book lucrative speaking gigs in the six figure range and have any number of consulting or lobbying jobs. You can run a philanthropic foundation that has a multi-million dollar endowment. Even your family members get a boost in the job hunt, parlaying name recognition into a Senate gig for a state in which you had never previously lived, or getting a lucrative gig as a special correspondent making $25000 a minute.
Redefining Broke
Most people would call this being set for life, but to Hillary Clinton this is what she deems flat broke. I have no qualms with anything the Clintons have done. Bill Clinton’s story is a great American story about a guy who started with nothing and rose to become the most powerful man in the world. Hillary’s story is still being written and she may well become the most powerful women in the world after a successful stint as a highly respected US Senator and Secretary of State.
Maybe We Should Not Redefine Broke
So maybe once you are laid off from this position, you and your family might feel a sense of material loss; however, I think referring to that situation as ‘broke’ is quite the stretch. The 25% of people who live in poverty, the 13% of people who can’t find a job or have given up looking for work, the millions of people whose homes were foreclosed upon are broke.
A Woman of the People
Perhaps Mrs. Clinton was just trying to be a women of the people and empathize with a a country and constituency that largely has not felt the benefits of the recovery. The economy recovery of the last few years has not helped many on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. Fortunately for Mrs Clinton, she finds herself in the 1% (or perhaps the .1%). If she needs a broke story, she can talk about Bills life growing up or spin something from her past. The post presidency period of her life is not the time for that story.
Nothing Wrong With Wealth, Just Be Real
She has assets in the millions, and her family possesses an earning capacity that allows the Clintons to basically print money. There is nothing wrong with that, and they should be applauded for their success. Just don’t talk about how broke you are when you are wealthier than most of the people in the history of the earth. There are plenty of other ways to connect with voters and the Clintons are masters at connecting with people.
