Tears for Fears

Why are we so surprised that Hilary Clinton has a heart? She answered a question, at the end of a juggernaut of campaigning with a simple unplanned moment of truth. Her obvious love for our country, of the true sacrifice a public servant makes and the one overlooked and biggest reason one would want to hear from a candidate, that they care, that they are grateful for the life they have been given by others who served before them.

It was a real moment, tears or not, and it seemed to cut through the bullshit that accompanies most answers on the campaign trail.

Michael Moore's analysis of her vote for the war was that as a woman she has to "be as 'tough' as a man, she has to be willing to push The Button if necessary, and give the generals whatever they wanted."

Why is a woman's natural emotionality, as well as incredible sense and judgment and compassion and strength, a liability. None of you would be here were it not for a woman's strength -- you men try giving birth, something Mrs. Clinton has done. Most of all, don't we really want a president with a heart, a big, open, warm, loving, mother's heart to lead us out of this bleak despair, into the light of hope and peace.

Please don't just classify her tears as a hoax or a "woman's moment". Classify it as a human contact made in a time of great need and I for one am proud of her commitment to service and duty and honor and yes, tears, for we have so much to be sad about and so much to hope for in the future.

Comments

[UVnLA]

A "real moment"? Now that's rich, LOL! a "big, open, warm mother's heart"? PUHLEEEEZ!
This is really without question the most ridiculous blog written yet.
Only a Hollywood actress could believe this and then try to serve it up without blushing.
You go, Jamie Lee! LOL!

[JaneaneTheAcerbicGoblin]

I'm still cynical. The Clintons (both of them) are very calculating people, and Bill has been known to cry on cue (Ron Brown's funeral, for example). I'm sure Bill gave her a few pointers on crying.

Considering the Clintons have never met a progressive policy they hated or wanted to modify (to please the GOP, who still hates them no matter what they do), we shouldn't be supporting Hillary (or Bill) simply because she's a woman.

Michael Moore's line on how Hillary and women have to look "tough" with her vote on the war was ridiculous. That isn't why she voted for it because of gender discrimination. She voted for the war because it was politically expedient for her. She was planning on running for President, and the last thing the Clintons want to do is to appear trying to achieve peace. Those are LIBERAL policies, something both Clintons despise to their very souls. Hillary knew damn well that the war was BS (as did Kerry, who should be condemned for his idiotic vote as well), but it was pure poliical expediency, nothing else. If Bill was a Senator from NY, he would have voted for it too.

I'm going to love the ridiculous justifications for the continuing war in Iraq if Hillary wins the nomination and the presidency. It will be along the lines of "she has to stay in Iraq to look tough", and many people who are supporting her now (Roseanne, Gloria Steinhem) are going to end up defending not only Hillary's stance on the war, but the war itself. A grim irony....

[RusStyles]

I've always admired Jamie; not just for her acting chops, but for her realness. Intelligence. Children's book author, etc. Butttt, how could you not see through that weak thespian performance? No redness. No actual tears. The question that lead to...How to you keep it together on the campaign trial? C'mon...Then, while she was having an emotional moment--somehow--she was able to segue into her patented anti-Obama talking points. Totally incongruent. I respect your opinion, but clearly--knowing what an intelligent woman you are--I don't understand how you reached it....

[sixletters]

The woman that asked Hillary the question that provoked the tears said she thought the reaction was fake and that's why she voted for Obama.

I don't think for the most part military personell would have any problem taking orders from a woman. The military is one of the few places that's absolutely equal opportunity, just ask any Latino, African American or woman that's ever served in the military.

One of my drill sergeants in AIT at Fort Jackson SC. was a woman. She was gorgeous, she looked a lot like the singer Sade.

[Jude2004]

As a progressive female of 52 years, I doubt that I will ever understand why, as a female, I am supposed to care about the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. I don't like her. I don't think she would do a good job as president, and if she is the nominee against a Republican, I'll withhold my vote for President.

[InDaZone]

Gimme a break Curtis. What was hardly played in the media was how she attacked Barack Obama in the same choked up teary eyed moment that she was supposedly showing how she cared for Americans. Was she really teary eyed because she thought Obama was going to set us back or was it because she was afraid of losing? Everyone knows the truth whether they want to admit it or not. She got teary eyed after being asked about how hard campaiging is.

I wonder if Benazir Bhutto ever cried about how hard campaigning was in Pakistan was before she was assassinated?

For crying out loud, we are at war at we have a million getting teary eyed about how hard campaigning is. Yeah, I will feel real safe with someone like that as president.

[krysalt]

Why are you people so cynical about this. You want to put your agendas through, you do that Just be honest about it. There is no need to attack Hillary for her tears. She's really been through fire and emerged with very little blemish, if any. It was a true moment and Jamie is right about it. When men politicians push back their tears, people love them, but when a woman does it, peope think up all kinds of nasty things about her, including "she's doing the woman thing on me." This nation so pantophobic.

[iluvsam]

I agree with Jamie Leigh. Look what happened when we had a leader with absolutely NO HEART...7 years of fucking hell.

Sen. Clinton is a fabulous person. I think it's sad that fellow Democrats keep spewing out the Republican talking points which insist that she's not. It scares me that some Dems can be that manipulated.

[nihilon x]

Hillary's biggest problem at this point in time is not her tears, but her association with the Republican ideals that many in this nation are sick of -- especially the War in Iraq and possibly in Iran in the future. Her tears -- or lack thereof -- mean little to me, but her warmongering stance on Iraq speaks more loudly about her "loving heart" than any crying episode ever could.

[KarenZipdrive]

Jamie Lee, you're right.
Hillary faces more vitreol than any Democratic candidate because she's a woman, and a lot of men just don't like women. What's worse, a lot of women don't like women, either.
As a woman, I am backing Hillary because I feel she's qualified and strong enough for the job. It's a pity she's had to hide her liberal leanings to appeal to the middle, but such is the nature of anyone running for the top spot.
I bear Obama no ill will, I just don't think a black male can identify with issues important to me as strongly as another woman can.

Keep writing, Jamie Lee. Huff Po needs more balanced Op Ed pieces about Hillary.

[tcbwriter]

Bravo Jamie!

[JohnPone]

I wish I could get fired up enough to support Hillary but the thought of more Clinton years sends a shiver up my spine. Since the machine has already secured the nomination for her I guess I'll give her my vote in Nov but I'm holding my nose.

[mightbesane]

I just don't get it.

First of all, I've looked at various clips of the moment in question and I DON'T SEE A SINGLE TEAR! Maybe my eyesight is bad, but there was no runny mascara, her voice barely broke, and I DIDN'T SEE A SINGLE TEAR! You're all NUTS!

Secondly, when Dukakis was asked what he'd do if a female member of his family was the victim of a horrible violent crime, he was excoriated for NOT showing any emotion. Who gives a %$@##$& about emotion? If the media spent as much time dissecting each candidate's position on health care, I might learn something.

Finally, if the media DID spend time on issues rather than the horse race, we might actually have a choice...Biden, Dodd, Richardson are all gone and they had GREAT things to say about this country, how it should be run, and our role in the world. We're left with the two most polarizing of the candidates, with apologies to John Edwards, and I'm not certain how that helps the Democratic Party.

[amandajoy]

Exactly!! I'm so tired of hearing how an honest expression of emotion is somehow a liability... or even wrong. Thank you for saying it so well.

[spunkster]

Thank you, Jamie! Nice to hear a compassionate voice here!