by Damozel | Peggy Noonan is one of the many successful middle-aged women who are seemingly obsessed with Hillary Clinton, gloat upon her failures, and triumphantly anticipate her downfall. Why? I don't know. As a middle-aged woman myself, I bear Hill no ill will (okay, sorry). But perhaps this is because Hillary is too far out of my league to be a threat.
If I had climbed to the top of my---or any---tree, would I view her differently, i.e., in the manner of Noonan and, say, Maureen Dowd? One's own ascendency might seem a little less unique if, looking up, one saw Hillary climbing away out of sight. And we all know from high school that the worst rivals are the ones we despise. So it's no surprise to see Noonan taking immense pleasure in Hillary's setbacks.
Which is what--for now---they are. (You would think from the tone of this piece that Obama had won the nomination and that further primaries are mere formalities. But Obama has not won the nomination, no matter how urgently the Clinton-haters and Obama's advisers try to persuade him and her that he has.)
But I don't want you to think I didn't enjoy reading this piece. Though purporting to be about Hillary's state of mind, it is really about Peggy Noonan's. As such, it was fascinating. I enjoy as much as the next girl listening in while the Vice-President of the Sorority bashes the president. And I think you're the same.
Consider the tone: sweetly poisonous fake sympathy mingled with malicious "advice". It's intended to diminish, humiliate, cut down to size. Sisterhood is powerful all right. Let's take a look!
First, the relishing contemplation of Clinton's imagined discomfiture:
"This is death by a thousand cuts." That's what they keep saying about Hillary Clinton.
Think of what this week was for her. She awoke each day having to absorb new sentences in a paragraph of woe...(WSJ)
Then the glib assertion that this is the end:
On a conference call Tuesday morning, Mr. Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, told reporters Mrs. Clinton simply cannot catch up. It is "next to impossible" for her to get past him on pledged delegates, she'd need "a blowout victory" of 20 to 30 points in the coming states, the superdelegates will "ratify" what the voters do. (I wrote in my notes, "not gloating--asserting as fact.") (WSJ)
Oh, Ms. Noonan. You really need to learn the difference between a "fact" and a "hope." Despite what Obama's followers and pundits are telling the sheep (and the SHEEP), there is a difference.
Then the tasty schadenfreude with outdated pop culture reference:
And it all happened in public and within her party. The dread Republicans she is used to hating, whom she seems to pay no psychic price for hating, and who hate her right back, are not doing this to her. Her party is doing this.
Her whole life right now is a reverse Sally Field. She's looking out at an audience of colleagues and saying, "You don't like me, you really don't like me!" (WSJ)
Then the inevitable proof that Hillary's reactions are never the right ones:
Her response to what from the outside looks like catastrophe? A glassy-eyed insistence that all is well. "I'm tested, I'm ready, let's make it happen!" she yelled...on the night of her latest defeat. This is meant to look like confidence. Whether or not you wish her well probably determines whether you see it as game face, stubbornness or evidence of mild derangement. (WSJ; emphasis added)
Then the patronizing "advice":
She has also taken to raising boxing gloves and waving them triumphantly from the podium. Is this a fruitful way to go? It's her way, bluster and combat. People do what they know how to do....
But imagine if she tried honesty and humility. When everyone in America knows you're in a dreadful position, admit you're in a dreadful position. Don't lie about it and make them roll their eyes, tell the truth and make them blink (WSJ).
Imagine if Peggy Noonan tried honesty and humility. No, no....scratch that. It would be like the collision of matter and antimatter. The universe would collapse on itself.
She recommends that Hillary abandon her determined chipperness and beg for everyone's votes. Grovel in fact. That's not what she actually says; she has a whole speech all worked out for Hill in which she imagines Hillary "admitting" that she is "up against an opponent who is classy and accomplished and who has captured the imagination" and that she's not the sort of person "you" (meaning Peggy Noonan) thinks of when she hears the phrase "the romance of history." (Is it weird that I never hear this phrase?)
Then, says Noonan, Hillary should say that she has some qualities even she can't explain---and beg the public "for one more try." And here's the punchline.
I've got a case to be made that I haven't quite succeeded in making. And I'm going to ask you for one more try. Will you listen? And if I convince you, will you help me? Because I need your help." (WSJ)
Yes, Hillary should definitely do and say all that. I'm sure it would touch the hearts of Democrats everywhere. The eyes of Obama's fanbase---let's be realistic; calling them 'supporters' assumes that they know his position and support it, and as many who have commented here will admit, they don't give a damn about his position---would stop twirling in their sockets and they'd stop taping his photograph to their walls and realize that Hillary is the one.
Yes, that would work. We've all seen how much more kindly Hillary is viewed when she shows signs of human emotion.
But Noonan---a believer in having it all---intends to end by having it all ways. First she says that Hillary could never unbend to the point of grovelling for vote in the recommended fashion. Because she can read Hillary's mind, she knows Hillary would think grovelling "would look weak."
But, says Noonan, apparently with a straight face, "it"---the aforesaid proposed grovelling---" would show an emotional suppleness, and a characterological (sic) ability to see things as they are, which is always nice in a president." (WSJ) No one, she insists, would find this "deranged." They might feel sympathy!
And then of course the inevitable crack about Hillary's tears. Because if Hillary grovels she's wrong; if she cries she's wrong; and if she shows a "game face" she's deranged.
As for sympathy: Hillary haters wouldn't piss on her if she were on fire. Or maybe they would: for the pleasure of carrying on pissing her right to the end.
You might be expecting me to say something really trenchant here about Peggy Noonan's "characterological" analysis. But I am not going to do that. Some things speak for themselves.
OTHER BN-POLITICS POSTINGS
The Shooting at Northern Illinois & the Dangerous 'Solution' Proposed by Gun Advocates
Bush on Darfur & More: The Matt Frei Interview
A Great Fall: McCain Votes Against Bill to Ban Waterboarding
Bush (et. al.) to Let FISA Bill Expire
I find it, still, so hard to believe the number of 'Clinton haters' out there. Peggy Noonan is at least not on any of the shows too much except for Tim Russert's. Tim loads his show up to agree with him regarding Hillary's "shortcomings" or to snicker at "probably" not making it to be the nominee. I believe that many are Hillary bashers for precisely the same reason that others are the Obama NUTS, with their eyes spinning in their sockets and love Obama not even understanding what his positions are on the issues. Obama is charming, to be sure. But Hillary is my kind of leader. She is a scrapper, by God, and I trust that she will stand up to anyone and any country, and lead us out of this mess that George W. and his cronies have stuck us with. Our country has lost so much under the W. Sad.
I now realize that I am qualified as any of the talking heads. Who the frick are these idiots who interrupt anyone and everyone's conversation before they've gotten to their point because they think they already know exactly what the other is going to say?? And they (especially Chris Matthews) need to get all the nastiness in that they possibly can. Matthews is probably the BIGGEST offender, and for some reason he even LOOKS as though it is his duty to ferret out anything that Hillary could POSSIBLY be hiding ot lying about, or what she "really" is saying. I guess Matthews thinks that Hillary speaks in code. He's SO SURE that there is something there. Today for instance, her tax returns were turned over, and Matthews was actually salivating on his show and seemed heated as he asked "where did they get their money??!" He was pretty much indignant over the fact that the Clintons didn't turn over their 2007 returns yet. Well I don't know about you, but my husband and I have filed for an extension for the past 10 years at least, and we don't make a fraction of of what the Clintons have made over the years.
The more I hear this Hillary bashing, the more I respect her for doing as well as she has considering she has had a MUCH TOUGHER road!! Much tougher.
It sure sounds like the Baby Boomers, too, who would take the advice of their children to vote for Obama, when they know better that Hillary has all the tools and the drive and experience and the toughness to be our president. Even Jimmy Carter is just listening to the kids, rather than really looking at the situation. I am so disappointed.
This country is far nore sexist than it is racist. People are SO sexist that they don't even realize that they ARE sexist. It is THAT ingrained. It is THAT much a part of our fabric, in general.
So I am here to say that Hillary still has a chance, and I hope that NO ONE will again tell her that she should step aside. Do you honestly think that Obama would step aside if the situation were reversed?? I think NOT.
You GO, Hillary!!! I, for ONE, am here to support you ALL THE WAY!!!
Posted by: Denise Johnson | April 05, 2008 at 02:40 AM
Hillary Clinton's ruthless opportunism is nowhere better exemplified than by her behavior in the Nevada primary where she attempted to ingratiate herself with casino workers by pointing out that Obama had spoken out against the deleterious effects of casinos on low-income people.
She is also a big-time recipient of money from casino gambling interests.
Posted by: arnlieb | May 05, 2008 at 07:42 PM