Nolan Finley

The Detroit News

As a Never-Trump conservative who faced the most detestable of choices in last fall’s election, I wake up every morning distressed that Donald Trump is president, and thankful that Hillary Clinton is not.

Trump has more than fulfilled my expectations that his egomania, thin skin and boorish impulsiveness would render him ineffective and damage the country, as well as the conservative agenda.

But nothing about the way Clinton has behaved in defeat has made me rueful for not giving her my vote.

Clinton remains a self-centered, self-righteous and self-serving politician with little connection to the American people and no understanding of why they dislike her so much.

Vanquished candidates should have the grace to hug the sidelines for a respectable period in recognition that what they had to offer was rejected by voters. Clinton still can’t concede defeat.

She came right out of the post-election gate with a book attempting to explain why she lost to the worst presidential candidate in modern history, or as it turned out, the second worst.

“What Happened” was not presented to readers as a question, but rather a declarative indictment of all those who failed her, from women who betrayed their sex to an inept campaign staff to an electorate too dim to see her brilliance. Oh yes, and the Russians.

It was a total distortion of a campaign that lacked energy, a compelling message and solid answers to the ethical corner-cutting and compulsive lying that eroded public trust.

Fine. If writing the book was cathartic, if it eased the embarrassment of fumbling away the White House to the likes of Trump, no harm done.

But Hillary is clearly not going to fade away after her book signings. She is assuming the role of shadow president, countering every Trump policy with one of her own, and seeking every chance to remind voters of the terrible mistake they made.

She is worse at gracefully stepping out of the spotlight than was her husband.

Immediately after the Las Vegas massacre, Clinton elbowed in front of every microphone she could find to declare Republicans “complicit” in the murders because they haven’t passed a gun control measure.

Later, her acolytes at NBC staged a tearful “Thank You, Hillary” letter writing stunt during the Jimmy Fallon Show.

And there’s a new website, verrit.com, aimed at holding the Clinton coalition together, as well as fertilizing the myth that she was robbed of an election she rightfully won.

Had Clinton worked this hard to win the presidency, she would be in the Oval Office today, instead of outside scratching to get in.

Perhaps she’s trying to redeem a legacy tarnished by the serial scandals of her tenure as secretary of state, and shattered by her humiliating defeat.

Or maybe she’s looking for affirmation that voters have buyer’s remorse, and really do wish they had elected her instead.

Or, perish the thought, she may be setting up another bid for the office that has twice eluded her. It’s starting to look as if that might be the case.

If so, Republicans should be sending her campaign donations and Democrats should be scrambling to find a leader for a new generation, and one strong enough to give Hillary Clinton a final shove off the stage.

nfinley@detroitnews.com

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