March 1, 2008 6:02 AM

Welcome to the pity party...no invitations required

Clinton: Playing Field for Her as Candidate Not Even Because of Her Gender

In an interview with ABC News’ Cynthia McFadden to air on this evening’s “Nightline,” Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., says it’s tougher for her to run as a woman than it is for her male opponent. Asked why she thinks so many women may be feeling sorry for her, Clinton said, “I think a lot of women project their own feelings and their lives onto me, and they see how hard this is. It’s hard. It’s hard being a woman out there. It is obviously challenging with some of the things that are said that are not even personal to me so much as they are about women…. “And I think women just sort of shake their head,” Clinton continued. “My friends do. They say, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is so hard.’ Well, it’s supposed to be hard. I’m running for the hardest job in the world.

Man, it must suck to be in a position where you’ve “inevitability” has been altered from being the Democratic Party’s “inevitable” nominee to trying to quash debate about your “inevitable” defeat. My, how things have changed…and in only a few short weeks.

Now it seems that she’s beginning to play the pity card- “Oh, it’s SO difficult being a woman running for President. The men get ALL the breaks, but here I am, walking five miles uphill both ways, and in a driving snowstorm. Woe, oh woe is me….

Whatever. Shut up, stop your whining, and get to work. If you can convince enough voters to cast their votes for you, it won’t matter whether you wear a suit or a skirt. In fact, Clinton supporters will be championing that Chosen One as a historical figure…which would certainly be the case. You can’t have it both ways, though. If things don’t go your way, you can’t play the “poor, trod-upon female” and hope to retain any shred of credibility.

And it gets even worse, as one of Clinton’s latest ads goes so far as to invoke the specter of nuclear holocaust, and implies that if voters make the “wrong” decision (i.e.- voting for Obama), they themselves will bear responsibility for the results:

“It’s 3:00am and your children are asleep,” the voice over says. “There’s a phone in the White House, and it’s ringing. Something is happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call…. Whether someone knows the world’s leaders, knows the military, someone tested and ready to lead. It’s 3am and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?”

Jeebus…and all this time I’d been smugly thinking that fearmongering was the province of Republicans. Yeah, I know…what stunning naivete….

If this is all Sen. Clinton has, I’d suggest that she gracefully bow out now. At least that way, she’d save the Democratic Party and herself further embarrassment. All this time I’d been thinking that Democrats were above this sort of mindless, empty fearmongering. VOTE FOR ME, OR YOU’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!! That’s a selling point?

I still believe Sen. Clinton would make a phenomenal President, but she’s damn sure not acquitting herself very well now that things aren’t going her way. She may be the more “experienced” of the Democratic candidates, but if this is how she handles adversity in a campaign, what’s going to happen when she has to make a tough decision as President? Any reasonable person should probably be wondering about that question.

Sen. Obama, strictly speaking, may not be as “experienced” as Sen. Clinton, but I’ve been impressed by his equanimity and unflappability. Judging by the way he’s conducted himself and his campaign, you wouldn’t be able to tell if he’s 20 points down or if he’s won 11 states in row.

Here’s an idea, though: why not combine the best of both worlds in an Obama-Clinton ticket? John McCain wouldn’t stand a snowball’s chance in Hell.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on March 1, 2008 6:02 AM.

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