I used to really admire Hillary. I got to see her in a forum in Austin in the early 90s with other fabulous women -- Sarah Weddington, Liz Carpenter, Ann Richards, Lady Bird Johnson ... It was thrilling and she seemed to embody so much of what I admired -- assertive, funny, willing to put herself out there for what she believed in.
But the choices that she has made in this primary season are wrecking that admiration. This "win at all costs" attitude is not something I value.
I understand that she feels desperate. But I thought that we, as Democrats, were above playing the fear card.
Her latest commercial ... vote for Hillary or your sweet sleeping children will die ... is nauseating.
Molly Ivins got there before I did, in the column, Not. backing. Hillary: "Enough. Enough triangulation, calculation and equivocation."
Yeah. What she said.
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I still admire Hillary. Although I too, am suffering from Clinton exhaustion and in this, what might be her last stand as a presidential candidate, am reminded of the less savory aspects of this famed political team. Still, I think after the dust settles, whether her next step is to be the Democratic vice-presidential candidate or back to service in the Senate (and I think she could become the greatest Majority Leader in that institution's history), I believe on balance, her contributions will be positive and historic.
I will be utterly honest.
I am not a Clinton fan and I never have been. This goes well beyond Monica Lewinsky and Hillarycare.
Much of this has to be that I, like Bill, am from the South and there was something extremely familiar and suspect to me about his snake-charming, which to many an outsiders I know was an appealing concept, but raised a red flag in my mind. I have known Southern politicians of many stripes and have learned to read true intentions behind the manners and the veneer of "yes, sir", "no, ma'am", "please and thank you".
To me, he just seemed like the newest incarnation of the same old backslapping motif I had observed from a generation of southern politicians over the years and I found that extremely off-putting.
And as for her, well, there's always been something about her that has seemed inauthentic and forced, as though she was clearly uncomfortable letting her true self shine through.
Her weaknesses have been exposed and I think any opponent seeking her Senate seat will use them to his/her advantage when she runs again. As much as I wish to believe in the Reinvention of Hillary Clinton, without the re-election of Hillary Clinton, re-inventing herself as a politician will be difficult.
If Obama wins either Texas or Ohio, she should concede for the good of the party. Her reputation and his has already taken a substantial hit and in a blue state like New York, I believe it will be more easily forgiven than it ever will be here in red state America.
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