Can Hillary Cry Her Way Back to the White House?

email this story
read comments (18)
post a comment

"At the Portsmouth cafe on Monday, talking to a group of mostly women, Hillary Clinton blinked back her misty dread of where Barack Obama's 'false hopes' will lead us -- 'I just don't want to see us fall backwards,' she said tremulously -- in time to smack her rival: 'But some of us are right and some of us are wrong. Some of us are ready and some of us are not.'

"There was a poignancy about the moment, seeing Hillary crack with exhaustion from decades of yearning to be the principal rather than the plus-one. But there was a whiff of Nixonian self-pity about her choking up. What was moving her so deeply was her recognition that the country was failing to grasp how much it needs her. In a weirdly narcissistic way, she was crying for us. But it was grimly typical of her that what finally made her break down was the prospect of losing.

"As Spencer Tracy said to Katharine Hepburn in Adam's Rib, 'Here we go again, the old juice. Guaranteed heart melter. A few female tears, stronger than any acid.'

"The Clintons once more wriggled out of a tight spot at the last minute. Bill churlishly dismissed the Obama phenom as 'the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen,' but for the last few days, it was Hillary who seemed in danger of being Cinderella. She became emotional because she feared that she had reached her political midnight, when she would suddenly revert to the school girl with geeky glasses and frizzy hair, smart but not the favorite. All those years in the shadow of one Natural, only to face the prospect of being eclipsed by another Natural?

"How humiliating to have a moderator of the New Hampshire debate ask her to explain why she was not as popular as the handsome young prince from Chicago. How demeaning to have Obama rather ungraciously chime in: 'You're likable enough.' And how exasperating to be pushed into an angry rebuttal when John Edwards played wingman, attacking her on Obama's behalf.

"Her argument against Obama now boils down to an argument against idealism, which is probably the lowest and most unlikely point to which any Clinton could sink. The people from Hope are arguing against hope.

"At her victory party, Hillary was like the heroine of a Lifetime movie, a woman in peril who manages to triumph. Saying that her heart was full, she sounded the feminist anthem: 'I found my own voice.'" -- from Maureen Dowd's 1.9.08 N.Y. Times column, "Can Hillary Cry Her Way Back to the White House?"

Mary Queen of Scots<< previous | next >>Globes Eclipse Shadows Oscars

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 9, 2008 at 12:29 PM

comment #1

Rich S. says ...

It's amazing how old Hollywood movies, while supposedly not being as "realistic" or "naturalistic" as today could still be deeply cynical. Few actors today could deliver the kind of deep, world-weary cynicism of a Spencer Tracy, George Sanders or, especially, William Holden.

Posted by Rich S. at January 9, 2008 12:55 PM

comment #2

Edward says ...

Well said Rich. Many of these films have a depth, which is lacking in so many contemporary films.

Posted by Edward at January 9, 2008 1:00 PM

comment #3

businesstoolz says ...

The question I have is this, where where here tears on 9/11? Where were her tears after Katrina? Where are here tears for all the people that have died in Irag? Where were her tears when her husband was getting his dicked sucked by a 22 year old intern?

None. Not one drop. She cries over her fucking career. Pathetic.

Posted by businesstoolz at January 9, 2008 1:02 PM

comment #4

arch451 says ...

I was never touched by Hillary's tears. She was crying because she felt sorry for herself. I'm not going to vote for someone out of pity.

Posted by arch451 at January 9, 2008 1:05 PM

comment #5

jeffmcm says ...

Was there any chance you would have voted for her anyway?

Posted by jeffmcm at January 9, 2008 1:14 PM

comment #6

Dirty Harry says ...

"...an argument against idealism"

Platitudes are not idealism. All I know about Obama is that he wants to usher in an Iraqi holocaust and raise my taxes. The rest is rhetoric.

I don't agree with Hillary -- personally I like her a lot less than Obama -- but she's much more specific and I think would make a better president. A lousy one, but a less-lousy one than the charming but oh-so empty suit Obama is now.

And Hillary at least recognizes were at war... AT WAR, remember democrats? Now is not the time or a Preacher-In-Chief.

Posted by Dirty Harry at January 9, 2008 1:34 PM

comment #7

Abbey Normal says ...

Jesus Christ, will you stop quoting f&%@ing Maureen Dowd??!? She's a useless, bitter shell of a woman who has exhibited an irrational hatred of the Clintons over the last couple decades now. Her diseased "perspective" on them is totally irrelevant. You weaken any anti-Hillary piece by quoting her.

I don't even know where to begin with this particular excerpt. She writes like she knows Hillary personally, like she has some grand insight into how the woman thinks. Instead of just swallowing this bullshit psychoanalysis, maybe you should consider the possibility that Hillary is passionate about right and wrong, what's good and what's bad (not unlike a certain internet movie blogger I know), and believes she has the moxie to make it happen. Jesus!

Seriously. Please. Stop with the Dowd. She's horrible.

Please.

Posted by Abbey Normal at January 9, 2008 1:43 PM

comment #8

Edward says ...

Hillary Clinton less lousy than John (leave troops in Iraq for 100 years) McCain, Mit (changing his policies more often than people changing their underware)Romney, Rudy (the "hero of 9-11") Giuliani, Mike (doesn't know what he's talking about) Huckabee or Fred (Law and Order) Thompson?

Posted by Edward at January 9, 2008 1:50 PM

comment #9

Dirty Harry says ...

Edward: Exactly.

Posted by Dirty Harry at January 9, 2008 2:00 PM

comment #10

Derby says ...

I found this quote in a story today rather amusing:

"Her victory speech in New Hampshire - Ã¢â‚¬ËœI listened to you and in the process I found my own voice. I felt like we all spoke from our hearts and I am so gratified that you respondedÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ - sounded more like a vacuous Oscar acceptance speech than the rallying cry of a leader."

Posted by Derby at January 9, 2008 3:09 PM

comment #11

Edward says ...

"where where here tears on 9/11? Where were her tears after Katrina? Where are here tears for all the people that have died in Irag? ..."

businesstoolz, where were Bush's tears? He was reading a story to kids on 9/11 and was probably having a beer with the rich folks who got their houses rebuilt after Katrina.

Posted by Edward at January 9, 2008 3:20 PM

comment #12

Dirty Harry says ...

"He was reading a story to kids on 9/11"

And Obama would abandon millions of Iraqi kids to terrorists and death squads. I know,I've heard him promise it. Not on those words, but same end-result.

Oh, Obama, how you wither me with hope...

Posted by Dirty Harry at January 9, 2008 3:25 PM

comment #13

George Prager says ...

Dirty Harry is Charlie Brown and Iraq is his Christmas tree.

Posted by George Prager at January 9, 2008 3:57 PM

comment #14

businesstoolz says ...

"businesstoolz, where were Bush's tears? He was reading a story to kids on 9/11 and was probably having a beer with the rich folks who got their houses rebuilt after Katrina."

I completely agree with you. I should have made myself more clear in that respect. What I mean is, it's just time to move forward. For the last 27 years we've had either a Bush or a Clinton associated with the presidency. I'm 35 years old. That's almost my entire fucking life.

Is going back to the Clinton years the worst thing for this country right now? Certainly not, it's shit load better than the last 8. Maybe I'm being naive but I'm still staying hopeful that we'll put Obama in there and see what happens. I mean what do we really have to lose?

As a side note: Bob Sheefer was giving his closing comments on Sunday morning this past week and spoke about the candidates blasting each other for inexperience. His favorite part...A Clinton aide stating that, "experience is paramount, just look at Bill's first 2 years in office, it was a disaster. "

Priceless.

Posted by businesstoolz at January 9, 2008 4:24 PM

comment #15

jeffmcm says ...

Harry, we aren't really at war. I seem to remember Bush declaring mission accomplished a while back, and besides, if we were at war there would be gas rationing or a draft or something like that.

Posted by jeffmcm at January 9, 2008 8:41 PM

comment #16

cute4u23 says ...

He is my favorite. I love him. It seems he is single now. I saw his profile on millionairedatingsite called http://WealthyRomance.com last week.

Posted by cute4u23 at January 10, 2008 1:45 AM

comment #17

Coltrane says ...

Dirty Harry...FYI all the Democratic candidates have the same positions on Iraq...they have stated that they will withdraw troops. Your wingnut frame of Iraq is typical of a drone. If you actually understood the dynamics you'd realize the problem is arriving at a political solution that appeases all the various factions...and if you think an open-ended occupation is the solution you really are the proverbial empty suit. I'd like to know why you aren't ranting about the non-intervention in Sudan. And what's the running total on Iraqi civilian deaths at this point???

Posted by Coltrane at January 10, 2008 2:03 AM

comment #18