Hillary Clinton went head to head with the Democrats’ arch-nemesis Bill O’Reilly last night and had her way with him (watch it here and here). She was comfortable, confident, and well-informed. She was fiercely strong, but good-natured and charming. There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation on any issue. She proved, once again, that she is the most stalwart, fearless candidate in the field. Unlike the stammering, hesitation, uuuhhhh-ing and uuuummm-ing we’ve come to expect from Obama, her answers were crisp and clear. I defy even the most ardent Obama supporters to find reasons to criticize her performance. In fact, after the initial interview (part two will air tonight), Bill interviewed two Obama supporters who begrudgingly admitted that it was a “remarkable” performance. One of them even had to drag out the tired old “she voted for the war” line in an attempt to divert attention away from her superior ability to confront the issues head on. It really surprises me, btw, that they still cling to “he’s got better judgment” as being the core reason for supporting him in light of all of the examples of his poor judgment that have come to the forefront of late. But I digress…
By every measure, Hillary Clinton is behind in the race with virtually no chance to win the nomination. Yet, after months of harsh criticism from both the media and her own party, personal betrayals and key defections, she marches on. With the odds stacked against her, she remains completely energized and full of vigor. At 60 years of age, she is proving that she has super-human strength and determination; qualities that anyone would want in a president. She is an inspiration. Obama, on the other hand, after just a few weeks of tepid criticism from the media with which he had enjoyed a months-long love-in, looks completely beaten down and exhausted. He’s 46 years old and in peak physical condition, but he looks like he could use a three-day nap. Yeah, he’s ready for the rigorous job of leader of the free world.
Barring some Red Bull miracle that causes voters in the remaining primary states to wake up from their Sominex haze, Obama will win the nomination. Thinking about it leaves me at the intersection of Queasy and Enraged, desperately seeking directions back to my home on Sanity Lane, but every day I grow a little closer to accepting it. Everything happens for a reason and maybe some greater good will come of turning yet another election into an American Idol-style, media-driven popularity contest with more emphasis on appearance and fluff than on substance. Maybe electing a black president will allow our country to finally turn the corner and begin to improve race relations. Then, and only then, will it have been worth choosing nice over strong, pretty over competent, meek over determined and aloof over focused.
Posted by Dominique in General
