Clinton Says Her Southern Twang a Virtue

AP ^ | April 27, 2007

[West Coast Conservative]

Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday she sees her sometimes Southern accent as a virtue.

"I think America is ready for a multilingual president," Clinton said during a campaign stop at a charter school in Greenville, S.C.

The New York senator—who said she's been thinking about critics who've suggested that she tried to put on a fake Southern accent in Selma, Ala.—noted that she's split her life between Arkansas, Illinois and the East Coast.

Clinton added a Southern lilt to her voice last week when addressing a civil rights group in New York City headed by the Rev. Al Sharpton. On Monday, dealing with a microphone glitch at a fundraiser for young donors, she quoted former slave and underground railroad leader Harriet Tubman.

The two episodes prompted some ribbing in the media and hatched more than a few humorous YouTube video clips.

Clinton is a linguistic polyglot—a Chicago native turned New York resident who works in Washington and spent two decades living in Arkansas when her husband, Bill Clinton, was governor.

But observers have long noted her tendency to speak Southern primarily in front of black audiences, as she did with Sharpton last week and at a civil rights commemoration in Selma in March.

All the Democrats are vying for the support of black voters—a crucial constituency especially in the early voting state of South Carolina. In 2004, black voters comprised nearly 50 percent of the state's Democratic primary turnout.

[wideawake]

Clinton is a linguistic polyglot

No, she isn't it. Get a dictionary.

[camle]

since when does effecting regional dialects constitute being bilingual?

[Constitution Day]

Clinton is a linguistic polyglot

Well now. That must be how you say "pandering phony" in journalism these days.

[SoldierDad]

Uh, she’s from Chicago folks. She’s putting on a performance based on which audience she is in front of. How simple minded are those she has bamboozled?

[VRWCmember]

"I think America is ready for a multilingual president," Clinton said during a campaign stop at a charter school in Greenville, S.C.

Well, we had enough of a cunnilingual president already with her HINO.

Our current President is at least partially bilingual in that he can mangle both English and Spanish somewhat effectively.

[mouse_35]

‘Lilt’??? I’d say more like SCREECH!

[TommyDale]

Hillary is a cunning linguist!

[NeoCaveman]

"I think America is ready for a multilingual president," Clinton said during a campaign stop at a charter school in Greenville, S.C.

I hear she is a cunning linguist.

[dead]

[jslade]

"I think America is ready for a multilingual president,"

Maybe, but not a "cunnilingual" president!

[NeoCaveman]

You beat me by 14 seconds.

That’s what I get for reading the thread first.

[Halls]

Didn’t you know, talking Southern is a whole other language, lol!

[Always Right]

Clinton is a linguistic polyglot

Did you all not know that sourthern was a totally different language.

[xsmommy]

you two are so predictable it’s scary... ; )

[SmoothTalker]

“”I think America is ready for a multilingual president,” “

An insult to the South. What an elitist snob.

[keepitreal]

Typical Clinton, when caught being dishonest make up some stupid story to explain it away.

[Just another Joe]

"I think America is ready for a multilingual president," Clinton said during a campaign stop at a charter school in Greenville, S.C.

This has to be one of the best quotes I've heard yet to roast her on.
Since when is a regional dialect of English a "second language"?

[NeoCaveman]

[domenad]

Clinton is as southern as an emperor freaking penguin, and I can’t believe tons of people aren’t smacking their heads, saying “What, you think I’m THAT stupid?”

[weegee]

The same way that ebonics was almost taught as a separate language in schools while the Clintons were co-president.

[dead]

[SF Republican]

talking Southern is a whole other language - when I was in the Marine Corps brought a couple of buddies from New York down to Texas - I had to translate both for my fellow Marines and my friends at home.

[Recon Dad]

Clinton said Friday she sees her sometimes Southern accent as a virtue

She sounds pure Chicago to me. Her attempt at a Southern accent is embarrassing.

[keepitreal]

Did you all not know that sourthern was a totally different language.

---

To liberals the south does speak a different language - they have those words like God, country, patriotism, and honesty in their vocabulary - those are words libs have never heard of.

[Red Badger]

Oh, PUH-LEEEEESE,_______________.................

[JohnnyZ]

Someone should tell hill that people in the South also speak English.

???

Since when??!

[AJFavish]

"I think America is ready for a multilingual president," Clinton said during a campaign stop at a charter school in Greenville, S.C.

President Bush speaks English and Spanish, which the article fails to note and the reporters fail to bring up to HRC.

Bush's border policies are a disaster, but he is a multilingual President.

[willgolfforfood]

Funny cartoon. Her butt isn’t big enough, though.

[Smedley]

The worst part is that Hillary’s Southern accest is so PATENTLY phoney, Hillary is too stupid to realize that she overdoes the accent and she thinks we’re too stupid to tell the difference.

[RDTF]

I thought this had to be Scrappleface

[NeoCaveman]

you two are so predictable it’s scary... ; )

We prefer reliable or dependable.

[Killborn]

I can not believe AP print this with a straigtht face.

No, wait. I can. It is AgitProp after all.

IIRC some time ago the “conservative”/”objective” media picked on the President’s accent as “fake”.

[xsmommy]

or one-track-minded...

[SMARTY]

“I think America is ready for a multilingual president,”

No dear, America is ready for some ‘authenticity’. And, don’t kid yourself, American is good and tired of your sorry a^% shenanigans. You need to get real or get lost!

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

and for the most part, her husband is a master debater!

[avacado]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spot on!

[Killborn]

Well, the South Pole is pretty SOuth. :)

[Moose4]

Eh, I don’t know...I had to translate once between three college guys from Illinois, and the order taker, at a KFC right off the Interstate in Valdosta, GA. They couldn’t understand a word the poor girl said.

Oh, and as for Hillary, y’all know, she don’t feeyul noooo ways taaarrrred. Barf.

}:-)4

[NeoCaveman]

or one-track-minded...

I prefer "focused"...

[dead]

[Red Badger]

There’s one thing that she can NEVER OVERCOME. The basic distrust of any Yankee by the The South. Adding her disingenuous, horribly fake, accent, simply reinforces that cynical distrust..........

[JZelle]

That’s hilarious!

[Badeye]

Gee, does ‘F—king jew bastards’ come across as intelligent with a Southern twang, St Hillary?

[traderrob6]

This is Scrappleface, right?

[SierraWasp]

Ya but... she’s got virchew down Pat!!!

[Robert A. Cook, PE]

Butt she IS a cunning linguist polygloat ...

So “speaking southern” now is acceptable and honorable behavior by the media elite for their white goddess?

[Long Island Pete]

[HEY4QDEMS]

Clinton is a linguistic polyglot

Since when is an accent a language?