Hillary -- something familiar about her?

It surprises me that press commentators, even unfriendly ones, have been willing to accept Hillary Clinton’s self evaluation of her alleged competence, hard work and attention to detail at face value. I don’t know about you, but every time I hear her in this vein I am reminded of another president who promised a similar package yet has delivered very little.

The art of the possible in politics depends not only on diligence and command of policy, but on managing your friends and enemies. That is where Gloria, with her inability to confront powerful interest groups (notably the military) and her inconstancy, has conspicuously failed. I have a feeling that Hillary’s latent vindictiveness would also prevent her from forming the coalitions she will need to be a good president.

Here is Greg Craig, a personal friend of both Clintons, who is now with the Obama camp:

“You’re getting to that five per cent of Hillary that I don’t like—which is to see in every corner a conspiracy or an opponent that must be crushed. Look at her comment ‘Now the fun part starts’ ”—Clinton’s announcement in Iowa that she would begin attacking Obama’s record. “There is a quality of playing the embattled, beleaguered victim that I find unappealing and depressing.”

The quotation comes from a New Yorker article delineating the differences between the two leading Democratic candidates. Here is another example of this side of her personality:

Clinton’s instinct to fight back was honed in the rough world of Arkansas politics. Once, when the two couples were talking about policy matters, Danner proposed a way to offer retail discounts to Arkansas’s substantial elderly population. To the astonishment of Danner and Pietrafesa, Hillary responded, “The last thing we need to do right now is something for folks who didn’t vote for Bill.” She had, Danner remembered, “this binary view of the world, a little like Bush’s comment ‘You’re with us or you’re against us.’ ” In Pietrafesa’s opinion, “Hillary needs enemies.”

Hillary's need for enemies reminds me of another former president.

In order to understand Nixon's growing paranoia and criminal activities we need to look closely at who was on his enemies list:

… Joe Namath, Jane Fonda, Dick Gregory, Gregory Peck, Steve McQueen

Edward Kennedy, Edmund Muskie, Harold Hughes, Walter Mondale, William Proxmire, Birch Bayh
The Presidents of Yale, Harvard Law School, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the World Bank, the Ford Foundation, the Rand Corporation, the National Education Association, Philip Morris, and the National Cleaning Contractors

The American Civil Liberties Union, the National Organization for Women, Americans for Democratic Action, and the Urban League.

For this and for many other reasons I'm for Obama all the way on Tuesday.

Comments

[failed misanthrope]

If I could vote in the US, I'd go for Obama, too! Wow that man can speak! We haven't heard the likes of him for a while.

[Craig]

If Huckabee and Clinton get the nominations it will be a choice between someone who has nearly escaped from Arkansas and someone who has seen no reason to try to escape. Douglas MacArthur was born at the Little Rock Armory. He escaped.

[eevilmidget]

female rulers are a curious thing...
they never seem to please anyone. well, maybe a few, though am still stuck on this QE1 essay. Any tips?

as for Hils... wonder if her gender has a part to play in the race and her need for being so defensive?

[torn]

Eevil -- I wonder that too -- do we compare female leaders such as Clinton and Arroyo because they are women and therefore we think they are comparable, or does succeeding in a man's world require a cerain set of characteristics? Hard to say.

From what I understand about Hillary's past, she had a very domineering father -- I think that explains a lot about her.

[Panaderos]

Hi Torn,

Super Tuesday's over and yet, Hillary still doesn't have a lock on the Democratic nomination. News also came out this morning here in the States that she is lending $5 million of her personal funds to her campaign to shore up its finances. The battle with Obama continues.

I am also rooting for Obama here. Hillary is a very polarizing figure and people should remember that in the eight years that she and Bill were in the White House, she also had her share of controversy and scandal. Whitewater, Vince Foster's mysterious death, entertaining campaign contributors at the White House's Lincoln Bedroom are the few ones that come to mind. There are some more. She is vindictive and is always of the belief that there is a vast conspiracy against her and her husband.

The Democratic Party establishment would be total idiots to nominate her. A Hillary nomination would only serve as the unifying and galvanizing force that the Republicans would need to put another Republican in the White House come November.