OPINION

The Cackle

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

Oh that laugh. You’ve heard it, you know the one that I’m talking about. The one where Hillary Clinton, the Democrat front runner for her party’s nomination for President of the United States laughs uproariously, tilting her head back and bellowing out a laugh that is always so completely out of place, and always seems so forced. A loud cackle that goes on and on and on for entirely too long.

And it always seems to be over some innocuous question, comment or observation offered by someone else. Something said or asked by an interviewer who wasn’t attempting to be funny or even mildly humorous, yet it results in a belly-laugh from the former Secretary of State.

During interviews Hillary regularly resorts to the backward head tilt, and out bursts this loud and annoying cackle, often lasting an inordinate amount of time. And always so unexpected. But what is not known by those who have been uninitiated to the ‘Clinton way’, is that when Hillary Clinton is asked difficult questions by interviewers she often times breaks into ‘the cackle’ as a defensive tool that she uses with great skill. It’s part of the Clinton arsenal.

You see, ‘the cackle’ buys her the few seconds of time she needs to very quickly go through her options in her mind before answering the question. Whether she can tell a lie or not, which lie she can tell again, whether she can get by with the truth, or how best to deflect the question and give an answer that leaves the questioner totally confused. It’s a delaying tactic, simple as that. A distraction and diversion technique mastered by Hillary, and often used with great deftness by her husband Bill as well.

Remember during her Benghazi Committee hearings when she was asked her whereabouts the night of the Benghazi attacks. The former Secretary of State answered that she had been at home all night. When pressed by her questioner if she had been alone, Hillary let out with ‘the cackle’ once again, before answering that yes indeed she had been home alone. One can only guess where her husband Bill was that night, on Jeffrey Epstein’s island perhaps ?

But apparently it didn’t matter to her the seriousness of what was being discussed, the tragic deaths of four Americans, one the U.S. Ambassador to Libya. Hillary invoked ‘the cackle’ to deflect the question. An uncomfortable query that she either hadn’t rehearsed for, or was unprepared to answer truthfully.

Just as she invoked a new tactic, ‘the indignation’ during her earlier Benghazi testimony when she shook her fists violently while shouting “what difference at this point does it make”. Another diversion tactic played so well by Hillary. Feign humor or indignation and interrupt the questioning, buying herself time to formulate in her mind which lie to use as a response.

During her campaign appearances Hillary tries to project the image of being able to relate to the common man and their problems. ‘The cackle’ is often used to try to portray her as open, friendly, and approachable. Behind the scenes though the story often told is of someone quite different. A cold and calculating person consumed with ambition. Author Ronald Kessler’s book ‘The First Family Detail’ tells a much different story to be sure.

Hillary charges hundreds of thousands of dollars to give a speech before some trade group, something the common man who works hard all year and struggles to pay a mortgage, put food on the table, and clothes on the backs of his children, can no more relate to than Mother Teresa could have related to some of Bill Clinton’s friends, like “The Energyzer”.

Once when asked about her accepting a couple hundred thousand dollars from a group that paid Hillary for a speech, her response was to say “That’s what they offered”. As if that alone justified it. Just as Bill tried to explain away the high speaking fees he receives by claiming that he “has to pay the bills”. I’m sure that the ‘common man’ who struggles to provide for his family sympathizes with the Clintons.

Maybe we all should take a closer look at Hillary Clinton the next time she loudly and heartily breaks into ‘the cackle’. Is she just trying to buy herself some time in order to formulate her answer, mentally selecting which lie she thinks will work best ?

Or is she simply laughing at us.