Krauthammer: Hillary’s Alt-Right Speech, ‘Cheap,’ ‘Old Democratic Playbook,’ Not Sure It Will Have Much Impact

On Thursday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” columnist Charles Krauthammer argued that Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speech about Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s association with the Alt-Right was “the old Democratic playbook where you accuse you opponent of being racist,” that was “a cheap kind of political warfare,” and “I would say that for Hillary should be a little careful, since her support for Black Lives Matter, does she really want to be associated with a group that chants about killing cops?”

Krauthammer said, “I’m not sure it’s going to have a big effect. This is the old Democratic playbook where you accuse you opponent of being racist, to use ad hominems. I mean, it is slightly over the top. Especially, there was a point in the speech where she accused — she said the rise in bullying in schools, alleged, is a result of his rhetoric. I think that’s rather sort of National Enquirer-type stuff. And I do think there’s also a problem. There is a guilt by association, yes, but that is always true. Politicians are always appearing on stages and welcoming people who have unsavory histories. And I would say that for Hillary should be a little careful, since her support for Black Lives Matter, does she really want to be associated with a group that chants about killing cops? And nobody would accuse her of supporting that, but that’s always a risk. So, it’s a cheap kind of political warfare. There are, of course, incidents, the Mexican judge story and all that, that even [House Speaker Rep.] Paul Ryan (R-WI) had to admit was a form of classical racist speech. But I think this is the old story, I’m not sure it’s going to have an effect. And surely, his calling her a bigot is not going to have a lot of effect either. I think we’re at the lowest — we’re at the bottom of the barrel of a race that we knew would be low and dirty, and that’s exactly where we are now.”

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