Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton joked Monday that “the last thing” America needs “is a bully in the pulpit” – a gag meant to dig into rival Donald Trump. She apparently hasn’t used the line since.
“There is so much more that unites than divides us. And we’re going up against a candidate who will pull us backwards on every issue we care about,” Clinton said at a union convention in Detroit. “We need a president who will use the bully pulpit to stand up for working families – but the last thing we need is a bully in the pulpit.”
Her wordplay evoked applause, but little laughter, from the audience. Many of those who read or saw the gag online were hit with a wave of collective discomfort, the kind you feel when your lame uncle makes a bad joke.
The Washington Free Beacon called Clinton’s line the “worst burn ever.” In an article titled “Oh God, Hillary Could Actually Screw This Up,” GQ correspondent Jason Zengerle recalled Hill’s awkward half-joke with a monosyllabic “Ugh.”
“The asymmetry of her fight with Trump isn’t going to disappear,” he wrote.
Trump is known for his uncensored humor, part of which is making up catchy nicknames that take his opponents down, such as “low energy” Jeb for former Florida governor Jeb Bush and “Lyin’ Ted” for Texas senator Ted Cruz.
Journalists also echoed anxiety over a Trump victory after Clinton’s failed joke, writing, “Trump’s gonna win, isn’t he?”
But NBC was more optimistic about Clinton’s “bully” line, calling it “the best preview yet of her campaign’s general election strategy.”
If making cringe-worthy joke-attacks is Hillary Clinton’s campaign strategy, then deal me out.
But hey, if this presidency thing doesn’t work out, maybe Hillary can go out on the road with Bob Saget.
