I'm voting for Obama today, but I think those supporters of Obama who have demonized Hillary are naive, childish fawns who still believe that "politician" and "authentic" can be used in the same sentence. And I do not trust the cult of personality rising around him among these folks. Hillary 20 years ago was every bit as committed and full of hope -- if not more so -- as Obama today. What she's done is learn the game, make the hard decisions, and worked her ass off.
But I see Hillary as a tragic figure, worthy of Shakespeare. I think that her years in the trenches have made her and her circle of trusted advisers incapable of breaking out of the toxic boxes the right put them in during the Clinton years. It sucks, and it's not her fault, but she's so deep in to the history of toxicity between the baby boomers on the left and the baby boomers on the right that she will never be free of it all.
Somewhere inside her, though, there is a little girl who dreamed of being the first woman president, a smart young woman who cared about children's rights and who worked on their behalf, an ambitious young feminist who wanted to make the world a better place, an intellectual who devoured policyspeak and became on expert on many things. Vote for Obama yes, but don't carry malice for Hillary. It's misplaced and unbecoming, and believe me when I say that your golden hero too shall fall, will roll in the mud of the Potomac, and will leave you disappointed and shaking your head.
It's what politicians do. And we revere them at our own risk.
Caveat emptor, all you Obama True Believers. And spare some slack for Hillary Rodham.
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We pulled the ole political one-armed-bandit lottery machine for Hillary down here in Austin. I find myself approaching the whole 'We drank the Kool-Aid for Obama!' Movement with one suspect-eye largely cocked. After visiting a local pub that night and speaking with a bunch of young, gung-ho Obama supporters I'm glad I did, too (despite the overall 'Clinton Legacy' elect-ability issue); these starry eyed naifs all rabidly declared if Hillary got on the November ballot they were voting (in all seriousness) for McCain just out of spite. I kid you not. My jaw practically hit the frikking floor. The Left's new & improved 'Idiotocracy'...?? WTF...
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