Fighting words- Hillary’s verbal smack down of the GOP

Fighting words- Hillary’s verbal smack down of the GOP

Hilary Clinton uses her wit to insult the Republican Party and its candidates.

Hilary Clinton did not hold back any punches last night at a political fundraiser in North Little Rock, Arkansas. From the start, Clinton berated the Republican Party as regressive and foolish.

“The answer is always the same for Republicans… Trickle-down economics has to be one of the worst ideas of the 1980s,” said Clinton to a crowd of nearly 2000 supporters. “It’s right up there with New Coke, shoulder pads and big hair.”

“I lived through that,” Clinton shouted over the applause “There are photographs. Believe me, we’re not going back.”

The Democratic frontrunner even took some personal jabs at other candidates. “Last night the new Republican front-runner was here in Arkansas. Finally, a candidate whose hair gets more attention than mine,” said Clinton.

It wasn’t all fun in games. With skilled oration, Clinton deftly shifted between levity and gravitas.

“There is nothing funny about the hate he is spewing at immigrants and now the insults he’s directed at a genuine war hero, Sen. John McCain,” said Clinton. She was referring to a comment Trump made earlier that day. Trump told an audience in Iowa that despite his years of service during the Vietnam War, Senator John McCain was not a war hero.

Aside from the jokes, Clinton also had a number of substantial qualms with the tenants of the GOP- grievances she did not hesitate to share with the adoring crowd.

“Democrats are in the future business,” said Clinton. “But for the Republican candidates, we see the opposite. They may have some fresh faces, but they are the party of the past. … We believe that the measure of our success should be how much incomes rise for hardworking families and not just for CEOs and money managers. … But Republicans believe something very different.”

The fundraiser, known as the Jefferson-Jackson dinner, set records for the ticket price and for how quickly tickets sold out. Over 1600 people paid the $200 to stand on the floor during Clinton’s speech. Hundreds more paid $15 a piece for seats within the Verizon arena.

A striking number of audience members were younger, aged 20-30. Clinton clearly made an attempt to reach out to them.

“Education should lift up young people, not drag you down,” said Clinton in a more subtle jib at Republican candidate Jeb Bush’s proposed education policies.

Another comment that earned Clinton wild applause was her attacks on Republican denial of climate change.

“If you ask most of these Republican candidates about that, they’ll say, ‘I’m sorry, I’m not a scientist.’ Well then why don’t they start listening to those that are scientists?” she said. “I’m not a scientist either. I’m just a grandmother with two eyes and a brain, and I believe that we can move forward into a clean energy future. … We’ll create millions of good new jobs if we do that.”

The gauntlet has been thrown. Now time to wait and see how the Republicans respond.

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