Hillary is Joan Crawford and Bette Davis Rolled into One

Now that the poisonous Penn has been effectively defanged as Clinton's chief strategist, one can only wonder what more surprises await us with her topsy-turvy presidential campaign. It resembles one of those network pilots that lurches all over the place in search of the right tone, writing, and character development. Usually after several episodes and weak ratings, the broadcasting brass will mercifully yank its plug.

While Hillary is anything but a defeatist, it's hard to tell who she is anymore. She's the Chameleon Who Can't Stop Changing Colors. One moment, she is Shrill Hillary serving up the kind of dull political solutions that makes us want to stuff cotton in our ears. Another time, she's Ms. Smiling Celebrity on Jay Leno's couch, while getting his patented conversational belly rubs. We've also seen Angry Hillary, Pinocchio Hillary, Tearful Hillary, Warrior Hillary, Paranoid Hillary, Working Mom Hillary, and Deadbeat Hillary who's stiffing vendors.

Shouldn't there be a quota on how many personality changes a candidate is allowed before he or she is asked to exit the national stage? Gore took grief in 2000 for altering his wardrobe colors and then going drag queen with his stage makeup in the televised debate with Bush, but otherwise the former vice president remained inside his own lockbox of dull, maddening consistency.

Yet when your senior campaign staff is riven with feuds, grudges and towering egos, when subordinates want to give the main architect a Colombian necktie, it should come as little surprise that the candidate will ultimately pay the price. Hillary allowed her campaign to get derailed long before Super Thursday. It's been essentially trying to play catch up with Obama's well-oiled, well-disciplined, and highly motivated crew.

First mistake was neglecting state primary caucuses in terms of allocating staff resources, but then once she lost these contests of participatory democracy in action, the Clinton team reached onto their bag of shady political tricks by attempting to diminishing the significance of these pledged Obama delegates.

If a campaign is an accurate predictor of the kind of president the candidate will be once elected, then it is obvious what a Hillary Presidency from Day One will look like: Utterly Dysfunctional. Are we prepared for "Clinton II, the Sequel?"

Because the country has suffered such egregious harm by our current Fratboy Commander in Chief, do we really want his replacement to be a form-changing diva who is one part Joan Crawford and one part Betty Davis? Imagine a White House suffused with the neo-gothic atmospherics of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" A Hillary presidency can't help but guarantee over-the-top drama and histrionics--and contribute to increased polarization and divisiveness among the electorate. This has nothing to do with gender.

It's the personality, stupid.

And so, in the weeks leading up to the Denver convention, Hillary will assume that voters want to see her back in the White House. By contrast, Obama is freed from hubris's grip on his political soul. It's hard to see him and Michelle walking off with White House furniture when his presidency ends, issuing 11th hour pardons to his cronies, or raking in a hundred million dollars in income by cozying up to billionaire playboys and Saudi princes. Obama represents opportunity for all of us, not opportunism for him and his family. You can take this to the bank.

Comments

[efranklin]

There is certainly an element to Clinton that is decidedly drama queen. Lucky for Hillary, many voters are oblivious to just how schizophrenic her campaign is. They haven't witnessed the absurd roller-coaster trajectory of the campaign's message in its entirety. It is mind-boggling that voters would opt to have a basket case answer the phone at 3 a.m.

[goodbyetoallthat]

It seems more certain everyday that the Clinton/Obama battle will end in May or early June at the latest, regardless of the Clintons' insistence on going all the way to the convention. And it also appears more certain everyday that Obama will be the nominee.

For those who are still not sure about Obama and are open-minded enough to learn more, I recommend the following magazine articles for readers' perusal; they are online and in libraries.

Newsweek, March 31st: cover story: "When Barry Became Barack" , "The Obama Dividend", other articles.

Rolling Stone, March 20th: cover story, several articles.

New York Review of Books, current (April 17th) issue has an article on the two Democratic candidates entitled "Molehill Politics", by Elizabeth Drew.

Atlantic Monthly, December issue: cover story: "Goodbye To All That: Why Obama Matters" and other articles.

[altohone]

I'm old enough to know that a third of the country is too young to get the references.

I did just see a product placement segment on Charlie Rose though...

... four blond white women are apparently starting up a website for older women focusing on such important matters as Britney, Zilda and mattresses...

... maybe they need writers?

[centreman]

Tricky Hilly: The HIllary Clinton Story, alt titles: I Wasn't All There, I Monster.

Young Hillary - Dakota Fanning, Teen Hillary - Kirsten Dunst, Adult Hillary - Reese Witherspoon, Middle Aged Hillary - Joan Allen, Present Day Hillary - Helen Mirren.

Bill Clinton - Vince Vaughn, Webster Hubbell - Nick Nolte, Vince Foster - Ewen MacGregor, Mark Penn - Bil Murray, James Carville - Andy Serkis, Bill Richardson - Jack Black, Paul Begala - Dana Carvey, Al Gore - Liam Neeson, Tipper Gore - Carrie Fisher, Chelsea Clinton - Scarlett Johansson, Jerry Zeifman - Alan Rickman, Saul Alinsky - Robert De NIro, Kenneth Starr - Steve Martin, Paula Jones - Hillary Swank, Monica Lewinsky - America Ferrara, Newt Gingrich - William Shatner, Bill O'Reilly - Michael Richards, Wolf Blitzer - Gary Oldman, Nancy Pelosi - Andie MacDowell, Barack Obama - Jamie Foxx, Michelle Obama - Regina King, Rev. Doug Coe - Mel Gibson, John Mellon Scaife - John Malkovich.

[RobertAndropolis]

Soundtrack - Tammy Wynette ("Stand By Your Man").

[magen]

The signs they wave at the rallies say it ALL.

The signs waved at Barack's rallies say-"Change WE can believe in."

The signs waved at the H-bomb's rallies say-"Hillary."

It's all about HER, isn't it?

[thegaygardener]

"It's hard to see him and Michelle walking off with White House furniture when his presidency ends, issuing 11th hour pardons to his cronies, or raking in a hundred million dollars in income by cozying up to billionaire playboys and Saudi princes. "
And by God this is reason enough to elect him.
This is what drives me crazy about Hillary supporters! Do they willingly forget the absolute DYSFUNCTION of the 1st Clinton Administration? Will no one EVER call them to task or ask them to explain the stealing of the White House furniture & other items?? Has anybody asked BIll or Hillary to explain the egregious pardon of still fugitive criminal MARK RICH? Is it because Clinton had an affair with DENSIE RICH as has been widely intimated? Yea ok the economy WAS Better, was that CLINTON's doing, really? Was it not the entrepreneurial explosion of the internet & the "dot com" businesses?
JESUS! It takes a sense of DENAIL as large as the Clinton's egos to put this & so much else aside. But the Hillary supporters; are willing to do that because she's a woman! ugh!

[DoninJoisey]

My favorite was the renting out of the Lincoln bedroom in the White House.
No Clinton third term!

She has proven to be a liar, why should I believe "I'll fight to take government from special interests" - lobbyists OWN her.

She sarcastically mocked an Obama speech, ridiculing hope for the future. Her campaign signs should be: "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here"

[RobertAndropolis]

The many changing personalities you accurately highlight suggests to me that she may be victim to some form of behavioral personality disorder. There is a media fascination as to just which personality she will present on any given day. She seemingly hasn't run her campaign, but allowed her campaign to run and to shape her. In classical drama, a person's character is revealed by the actions displayed. As this enervating play enters the third act, I'm left wondering, Who is this character? Yes, multi-dimensional characters are the hallmark of quality writing; however, even in the most layered character, there is one overriding, dominant trait. Her only consistency is her inconsistency; and her propensity to lie. She may not know the difference between lying and telling the truth. Her condition--as has noted William Safire--may be congenital. I propose that being serially disrespected by a philandering husband over the course of thirty-five years has left deep, unconscious scars that have skewed her view of reality into a miasmal fog of truth, lies and the Clinton discomforting comfort zone of gray areas in between. I find it telling that a number of women in my dealings feel that Senator Clinton has set back the women's movement seriously by not divorcing her husband. They cannot reconcile the cognitive dissonance of having heard her proclaim on "60 Minutes" that she was "not some Tammy Wynette, 'stand my your man,'" when perception tells them that's exactly what she has been doing...

[tbone99]

Can't you you get any more sexist than this.?Lets see , you didn't use the words dragon lady , harpy or medusa.Guess you're not the classical type.

[trevor01]

Your blog seems a bit extreme. It would be great if you'd write about someone you liked and pointed out all their wonderful qualities with the same enthusiasm as have in tearing down Senator Clinton. Are you up to it?

[klondiker]

I'm sorry that you're gotten so used to having a simpleton for a president that you can't comprehend these alleged "personality changes".

Intelligent people are complex and multi-dimensional. Different situations can bring out different aspects of their personalities. It's OKAY to be a serious wonk in one situation and playful in another.

[BJMS]

Hillary is NOT nearly as glamorous as Joan or Bette!! Please stop insulting these screen legends!!!

[alkamm]

You're onto something with this shape-shifting. How can we trust her simply because she shows us all sides of her personality? Simple. If we liked all sides of her personality, we'd trust her. Instead, she is a walking contradiction because, like Bush, she can't seem to control her aides, or should we say handlers? She seems peculiarly wooden in articulating her talking points, and the wide-eyes, smug grin, and strange laugh are enough for a majority of us to pass on her.

[brooklyncitizen]

Your assessment of Hillary as Bette Davis' "Baby Jane" is a little sexist and over the top: a complete hyperbole.

I don't like the woman; but I do voice concerns over these types of attacks that basically amount to cheap shots.Now if she was Bette Davis' "Margo Channing" from All Amout Eve, then she may have stood more of a chance....I love Bette Davis. Hillary not so much. Let's not link these two names again .

[MissDarla]

Can't tell if you're just sexist or a fan of Joan Crawford and Betty Davis. (snark!) Let me guess, you can't get it up for strong women.

[CanadianforObama]

OK, I'm a 60 year old feminist, and I cannot stand either Hillary Clinton, Joan Crawford, or Bette Davis. If that what "strong" women are, we're in trouble.

[halfdemhalfgop]

CanadianforObama...Move south of the border and pay you taxes then vote for Obama
or anyone else that you like. I do not get myself involed in Canadian elections and I do not really care what Canadian feel/think about ours.

[paragrafH]

Here, here! I'll take Barbara Stanwyck or Katharine Hepburn any day of the week!

[eridees]

Bravo!