I've been a Clintonista for decades now. But the umbrella of my devotion only shields Bill. Hillary has never had the same emotional hold on me, my loyalty, my checkbook or my vote.I know what Bill Clinton is. I have no illusions about the Lewinsky scandal and to this day it turns my stomach. But I get it.
Growing up near Hillary's hometown of Park Ridge, I think I get her, too.
Put too simplistically, his weakness is sex and hers is money. I understand lust better than greed.
The dynamic between these two is complicated. If she hadn't taken the more conventionally "grown up" role and been the breadwinner, he wouldn't have been free to so doggedly pursue his political ambitions. If she wasn't so disciplined, he couldn't be free to be so emotionally resonant. I appreciate that without her, he wouldn't have gotten as far as fast as he did. And I truly believe we'd all* be the worse without him.
So I know it's unfair for me to hold such affection for him and antipathy for her.
But when I listen to Hillary talk about being "dead broke" and how hard they worked to dig themselves out of debt, my skin crawls. Whether it's White Water, commodities trades, or Wall Street, Hillary Clinton has always been too easily seduced by a buck.
I haven't ruled out voting for her. The Clintons have always been very lucky in that the people who attack them tend to more repellant than their own worst acts. I may become an ardent supporter because the attacks on her will become so egregious and disgusting.
But I don't like her and I don't trust her.
*Except, of course, Ms. Lewinsky.
You perfectly express my feelings about her, Gal. There IS something about her that doesn't sit right and I think you've nailed it. (Pardon the Clinton pun.)
ReplyDeleteIf she is the nominee, I will vote for her but I would like to see other (better) candidates run for this position.
Lisa said just what I was going to say. Exactly what I was going to say.
ReplyDeleteYes. And yes. To both previous comments and your post. I respect her a lot, but I don't *like* her.
ReplyDeleteShe does come off somewhat cold and aloof. I have said that I think she'll be the next president. I don't want her though. And it really is simplier than what you have so perfectly written here. It is because we have got to widen the gene pool. Are we really going to go Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama-Clinton? We gotta do better...
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