Ever since that last debate in which Hillary sounded like a scold and Barack came across as the prince of America, I've been trying to find a word for Obama's style. Koolth is what I've come up with.
I could have said sprezzatura -- that gorgeous Italian word which means making the difficult look easy, but Americans hate foreign words -- especially in campaigns and book titles. So I've coined koolth. What it means is: contemporary, relaxed, easy, breezy and sure. Obama exudes it. HRC seems as pissy and prissy and apoplectic as, say, Tim Russert. Yes, the press ganged up on her. Yes, she was one woman and a bunch of hostile guys -- as usual. But she should have kept her cool. Obama bested her with his divine koolth.
This is important because their positions are so similar. Health care, check. Out of Iraq, check. Pro-children, check. Anti-poverty, check. Anti-Repugnican tax-cuts for the rich, check. Worried about the deficit and plunging dollar, check. I could go on but I won't.
They are both Dems in a democratic year. And they both have similar views of the repugnican disaster that's undone our country in seven lean mean years. They are both competent and strong and hard-working. Either of them would be far better than Bomb Bomb McCain and his party of snaggle-toothed dinosaurs. But when substance is similar, style matters. And Obama has koolthwhile Hillary seems as pissed off and passe as Chris Matthews and Tim Russert. Not to mention Rush Limbaugh and all the other right wing radioheads. They are done for. It's a new century.
(By the way, Brian Williams also has koolth -- and a sense of humor.)
Is Hillary's scoldingness a woman thing? It doesn't have to be. Sure, you could see her frustration. Here I am tryin' to 'splain myself to the boys -- again!
But she should have practiced patience. If you are the queen, act like the queen. Don't let the bastards drag you down to their level.
As a feminist, I see clearly what we need: confidence that our positions are right and inevitable. Cool judgment that doesn't stoop to the level of our idiotic press.
We are smart. Deal with it. And we're not going down in the gutter with the gutter press. Tina Fey was right: Bitches get things done. Long live bitches who have the confidence of koolth.