She Just Can't Quit

Many times a day on television, radio, internet and in the newspapers, statements are made like these; "Why doesn't Hillary just drop out"; "her negatives are up"; "people don't like her"; "she should quit for the good of the party". Some women friends admit to not liking her; asked why, they say, "I don't know, I just don't like her". Sometimes I wonder why she puts up with it. Not that I want her to quit or think she should, but with the media barrage she would certainly only be human if she did just that...told the country to take a hike and retired to enjoy life!! I took some time and did a mini-reread of her history to this point to get a sense of the "why" she keeps taking it; I found a recurring theme (see highlighting) and here is my conclusion.......she JUST CAN'T QUIT!!

1. Senator Clinton found her passion (working for children and low income families) after meeting Dr. Martin Luther King, and an awakening coming from her own undergraduate work with underprivileged children. Coming from a Republican family, she became a Democrat, feeling a better match with that Party.

2. During summers at Yale Law she worked on the Children's Defense Fund; and with Senator Mondale researching the needs of migrant worker families; she worked on the McGovern campaign; wrote her Doctoral thesis on "Rights of Children" and spent a post doctoral year at the Yale Child Study Center for Children & Medicine.

3. Career as a lawyer: In the late '70s she was a Staff Attorney for the Children's Defense Fund; became a faculty member (1 out of only 2 women faculty members) at the University of Arkansas; became a full partner at the Rose Law Firm was appointed by President Carter to the Board of the Legal Services Corporation. During this time she married and became a working mother.

4. On becoming First Lady of Arkansas she chaired the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee and the Rural Health Advisory Committee; introduced the Arkansas Home Instruction Program for PreSchool Youth to train parents to work on preparedness and literacy; she was Arkansas Woman of the Year in 1983 and in 1991 the National Law Journal named her one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America.

5. She entered Washington as First Lady with a burning desire to help others and the primary goal of ensuring health care for all. She was naive, and without prior knowledge of "how it works" in Washington, she was unable to gain support for her plan which was dropped in 1994. Anyone who remembers those years knows what a nasty, difficult time she was given. In her "Living History" memoirs she acknowledged that her political inexperience contributed to her failure. "Critics" stated that it was "inappropriate" for a First Lady to play a central role in matters of public policy (guess they never heard of Eleanor Roosevelt)...supporters saw her as being "no different" than other qualified White House advisor. In 1997 she was successful in initiating the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) which continues to guarantee health care for children from low income families.

6. In 2000, when Patrick Moynihan was retiring from his New York US Senate seat, he urged Hillary to run for the office (the first First Lady ever to run for public office). Despite calls of "CarpetBagger", she won the seat with 55% of the vote! Having learned her lesson, she kept a low profile as the "new kid on the block" moving into the Senate; she built relationships with Senators from both sides of the aisle. Her standing in New York grew following '911', as she partnered with Senator Schumer to get $21.4 billion for cleanup, recovery and to provide health tracking for first responders and volunteers at Ground Zero (although many argued there would be no medical side effects of the 9/11 fallout on the heroes at Ground Zero). She loved New York and New York loved her back....they elected her to a second term with 68% of the vote. She initiated and shepherded the Adoption and Safe Families Act; she used her position on the Armed Services Committee to take strong action with Afghanistan; she fought Bush tax cuts because they favored the wealthy; got an A on her Congressional scorecard on middle-class issues. To my dismay, she voted "yes" on Iraq, as did so many others in the Senate. (I knew that was a bad idea but I, of course, did not have to vote, nor did anyone other than the US Congress). There's lots more about her....look it up!!

Well, maybe you don't like her voice or her laugh; or her stiffness before the camera; or her assertiveness; or her drive; or the fact that she didn't show Bill the door (love is a funny thing); or because she was snippy about baking cookies back in the day; or because she told a fish story about Bosnia. However, I see the people she cares the most about shown in the work she has done; I see a woman with family values who held her own family together through some very tough public scandal; I see a woman who fights for what she believes in and backs down from no one; I see a woman who will inspire young women to be that type of strong, compassionate, dedicated woman and public servant. I empathize with her human gaffes; I like and respect her for her color-blind passion for all people and for all of the above evidence of that passion at work. As the first woman President of this country, she will continue to consider first how what she does will effect families and, especially, children.....so you see we the People are in her blood, she JUST CAN'T QUIT!!!

Comments

[LeeinJax]

A woman with a delusional ego and a penchant for playing the less fortunate and the gullable to gain power, position, and fortune is hardly the saint you try to foist on us.

In spite of her laser focus and ballyhooed concern for healthcare, when she had a chance to make good on her promises, her overweaning ego did not permit her to collaborate or compromise to reach a solution. Thanks to her inflexible insistence that the glory be hers and hers alone, we do not have the healthcare she promised--or any beneficial reform.

There are so many examples of this sort of specious display of caring that really boils down to caring for Hillary in the end.

We all know people who have built an impressive sounding resume, but are worthless on the job. So don't try to sell your propoganda wares to people who have seen the little woman behind the curtain.

[Gibbons]

Now the Obama fanatics that reply to these posts call her racist because of her skin color doesn't that sound vaguely familiar? In all fairness they apply that to anyone who doesn't worship at the feet of the Idol.

[timm0]

There was one post out of 30 that said anything about race. You imply that all Obama followers are posting black-white comments... and then deign to wag your finger about "fairness."

This is what you hillary shills have in common: you are so angry that you are divorced from reality, lost all objectivity, and purged all logic from your consciousness.

[DoninJoisey]

With her proven lies about NAFTA, Bosnia, Iraq, ....
AND that she is funded and her campaign run by lobbyists
AND the nice Columbia trade deal mess with Bill, Penn, Wolfson
AND her chiming in on the chorus to attack Iran

I'd have to look closer at McCain if she steals the nomination. It's hard to tell who'd be worse.

[Akonitum]

Not quitting can be a virtue. Cheating and dishonesty are not virtues. Unfortunately, she is weaker in terms of the latter (cheating and dishonesty) than she is attractive because of the former (not quitting).

She seriously lacks good judgment.

[joebhed]

On the one hand, you have done a great service for Hillary, and you should be proud.
On the other hand, there's Hillary.

[noo]

Its our turn now. Our generation needs her to move out of the way.

[drmavis]

PEOPLE are in her blood? More like POWER is in her blood - she disregards any people who do not further her drive for power. What are her REAL VALUES any more? She poll tests every position she takes and calculates how it will advance her power.

[paragrafH]

It's the power, stupid! They have both brokered so much for so many they'd need 3 terms to pay off them all off. Her heart MAY have been in the right place once (even with her pro-Republican early roots), but Washington power can corrupt absolutely. She is secretive (health care meetings in 90s, she is an elitist (belongs to the conservative evangelical Washington prayer breakfasat club), she has tightly controlled town meetings with audience shills asking preprogrammed questions and she ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BE TRUSTED TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION. Also, she revealed on Wednesday that she's pro-fighting Iran. Nuf said?

[timothydcraig]

Why do all pro Hillary biographies leave out the work she did for the Rose Law firm which made up most of her pre-White House experience. She mostly defended corporations against things like rats in canned food.

[Notapathetic]

Yeah....that's it. That's the ticket. Open. Honest. Not vindictive. Straight shooter. Yeah....right....that's it!

[tomjuarez]

"I see a woman who fights for what she believes in and backs down from no one"

And I see a woman who fights for what she believes in and backs down from no one -no matter what the cost. That's the same personality trait that's led us the last 8 years. We don't need 4 or 8 more years of mule-headedness whether it's from a man or a woman.

[DoninJoisey]

And the same demand for loyalty over competence.

[Countess]

You have left out her union busting career at Walmart and her zealous promotion of NAFTA and more recent uplifting activity such as race baiting and religious smears and her proven record of lying day after day to the point where over 50 percent of the american people think she is a liar. She really has inspired people.

[grendl]

"Yes she CAN."

[jhamm1]

"Without prior knowledge of "how it works" in Washington, she was unable to gain support for her plan which was dropped in 1994. Anyone who remembers those years knows what a nasty, difficult time she was given. "

More accurately, what a nasty, difficult time she had given everyone else, so much so that her belligerent "my why or the highway" attitude caused those who initially supported her to alienate her. Just ask Bill Bradley:
"That was it for me in terms of Hillary Clinton. You don't tell members of the Senate you are going to demonize them. It was obviously so basic to who she is: The arrogance, the assumption that people with questions are enemies."

"To my dismay, she voted "yes" on Iraq, as did so many others in the Senate. (I knew that was a bad idea but I, of course, did not have to vote, nor did anyone other than the US Congress"

WHat the hell is that supposed to mean? Perhaps you're implying that, in the event of being on the spot in place to make the crucial decision, that one is more inclined to fuck up than someone on the sidelines.

"There's lots more about her....look it up!!"

Indeed, let's look up her dismal senate record in which she proposed 7 pieces of legislation, all of which failed on account of her inability to ellicit so much as a single co-sponsor within her own party.

[thegaygardener]

If she cares about those children not having their futures bankrupted & destroyed by a Republican victory in November, OH YES SHE CAN & MUST QUIT!
Not only has she already lost the nomination but think about your own quotes:

"her negatives are up"; "people don't like her"; "she should quit for the good of the party".

Her negatives are higher than any other candidate who has EVER mounted a campaign for the Presidency. More than half the country does NOT like her & more than that do NOT TRUST her!!! The only way she can possibly win the nomination is if she throws enough bullsh** at Obama, that she manages to convince 55% of voters to hate him more than they hate her!!! Which, as has been said, is not a tactic but a suicide mission. Obama has won more states, the popular vote, the delegate vote & more major endorsements. He is the nominee! Clinton CAN & MUST QUIT!
And oh by the way, Sen. D.P. Moynihan was hardly a devoted fan of Sen. Clinton's!

[mommadona]

"so you see we the People are in her blood, she JUST CAN'T QUIT"

Well that is just plain creepy.

[Clinton]

No, the real reason HRC shouldn't be president is because she lies, cheats, and steals. The reason she won't quit is because she's beside herself that a superior candidate is defeating her and still can't quite believe it. She thought her win was inevitable. She's come to this point through a sheer willingness to do anything, no matter how immoral, to get what she feels is owed to her. It's rather pathological, actually.

[grendl]

Another thing, if Hillary spent half the time listing her positive attributes and record, as you do here, as she does trying to eviscerate her Democratic rival, maybe she'd earn a little more good will from the party.

It's ugly to see a donkey impersonate an elephant. At what point does she pull back from the edge, and realize she's not an elephant, but is supposed to be one of the good guys. And if thats the case why didn't she just say " I have 35 years of experience I would bring to the White House. "

Why was it necessary to add John McCain to that scenario? No one would've had a problem with the first statement, theoretical as it is. Why was it necessary to couple herself with McCain?

To whittle the choices of the American public down to two. Not her or Barack, but her or McCain.And thereby selling the party out.

[Softnsweet]

Do you honestly think that we would vote for Hillary? She would have to pry the vote out of my cold dead hands first.

[grendl]

No. But if after Iowa she had stayed positive, instead of flying into her Glenn Close, Fatal Attraction impression she might have kept the door open.

[DoninJoisey]

Agree with you. Before then, I was not anti. The debate where she said "I am honored to be sitting here with Barack Obama" - I felt I could accept her. Then came the mock outrage and "shame on you", the mocking of the message of hope, the Rovian 3am fear ad, and the descent into smear.
Bosnia, NAFTA, the Columbian Trade deal, "I spoke out against Iraq before Obama did", and the ABC debate all tell me she is more like Bush than McCain is.

[MPeter]

She sit on $109m, lies about Tuzla, destroyed every woman her hubby fucked, lied about Ireland and now denies ever supporting NAFTA even as records show that she did, and you still support her? Well, nearly 60 percent of us do not trust her, nearly 96 perscent of us do not trust her hubby and, we do not like the associations both have made since they left the WH. So, tell me again why you think she sould not quit? She and her hubby are liars and are divisive.

[DoninJoisey]

It's a woman thing.

[FogCityJohn]

Senator Clinton's "passion" is anything but colorblind. She seems to think that Barack Obama is responsible for anything any other black man has ever done. She continues to try to link him to Louis Farrakhan, a man with whom he has no relationship and whose views he has repeatedly rejected. Clinton's passionate alright -- passionately racist in how she's pursued this tactic. She can't seem to distinguish one black man from another, and her husband seems to believe that black voters who support Obama don't count as much as other voters. Hillary Clinton may be many things, but colorblind sure as hell isn't one of them. I would expect this sort of racist BS from a Lee Atwater or a Karl Rove, but coming from someone who claims to be a Democrat, it's absolutely disgusting.

But let her continue her viciously negative campaign. Even if she gets the nomination, African-American voters will repay her for her racism in the fall.

[Desiderata]

There are a number of reasons we quit on all Clintons, but the 250 word HuffPo limit restricts my thesis. I'll skip the top ten list and go straight to number 1:

The Clintons talk at us, but Obama talks to us.

[DoninJoisey]

I say it:
Obama tells it as it is, Clintons try to tell us what they think we want to hear.

[grendl]

In mentioning her negatives, you seem to conveniently overlook the fact that she endorsed Senator John McCain, when she said I and Senator McCain would bring 35 years of experience to the White House, while Barack Obama has a speech he mad.

Yes, YES YES he can win the White House , she means based on one speech. Or doesn't she.

It's hard to tell with her. She a bit of a shapeshifter, a political Predator, who melds into environs like Pennsylvanian duck blinds with the greatest of ease. (Did I actually see a picture of her donning an Elmer Fudd hunting hat or is that just my imagination )

She can't quit, for the same reason the Terminator couldn't quit hunting down Sarah Connor. She's not programmed to. After Iowa, she was determined to hunt down the individual who shattered her self delusion of invincibility. even at the expense of the Democratic party, attempting to obliterate any chance of her fellow party member winning by that endorsement.

You won't address the endorsement of course. You want to hope it goes away, just like they wished the Bosnian tarmac footage would miraculously disintegrate. Truth is truth though.

Stay strong Barack, if it bleeds you can kill it. But something tells me she'll be back.

[sfbayani]

Really, she just can't quit.
Well, for the life of us -
she is not quitting because she wants the power so badly.

[ATLiberal]

I guess you see what you want to see. I can't agree with you, but I won't bother to refute your post.