My Pretend Interview with Hillary Clinton
Saturday night, I went to the Jefferson Jackson dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, and listened to Nancy Pelosi and all of the Democratic candidates (except for chic-magnet Dennis Kucinich, who wasn't invited). By the way, Nancy, it was me, who in moments of silence, kept shouting "Impeach Cheney!" I wasn't heckling you. I was REMINDING you. Here's the rundown:
Edwards was the most dynamic, Richardson was the most reassuring, Biden was the best screamer, Dodd doesn't stick in my mind, Clinton was the most programmed, and Obama was more serious and mature than I had expected from his pictures.
Subsequently, I read Andrew Sullivan's article in The Atlantic about the meaning of Obama's candidacy, Joe Klein's article in Time about Clinton, Joseph Stiglitz' article in Vanity Fair detailing the economic shit that is going to hit the fan as a result of Bush's War Crime (and here I decided I had better move to France if I don't want to be impoverished in my old age). I read the Blackwater contract in the October Harper's (a must-read). And then I had a dream in which I interviewed Hillary Clinton:
Hillary: Thank you, Jane, for interviewing me, and giving me a chance to discuss my real feelings about the issues confronting the American people.
Jane: My pleasure, Senator, but please don't use that phrase "the American People." Whenever anyone uses that phrase, I know that he or she is about to pronounce some bit of political bullsh*t.
Hillary: What is your first question?
Jane: What is it that you most want to happen to the U.S.?
Hillary: I want to end the divisions in the American People between the right and the left, and to calm the political storm that we see round us. I want to move forward toward a more just society where children have healthcare and Americans feel safe--
Jane: Excuse me, Senator Clinton, but these phrases don't mean anything. They are too general. Let's take the issues of your candidacy one at a time. In the hypothetical situation that your candidacy proves as divisive as polls say it will be (84 percent of Republicans would not vote for you under any circumstances), how would you expect your candidacy to quell divisions?
Hillary: Giving speeches, advertising, enunciating policies, and plain old familiarity could reduce that number.
Jane: Opposition to you is more entrenched than it is to any other candidate.
Hillary: Well, to tell the truth I don't care about that. This is something I want to do. I feel that I have worked hard and I deserve this. This is my payback.
Jane: But don't you risk taking the whole Democratic party down with you?
Hillary: That's the business of the Democratic party, not me. I want to do this, and I have the money and corporate support. The donors know me, and I know them, and we understand each other. That's what's important to me.
Jane: On to another question, then. On many issues dear to the Democratic base, you have voted with George Bush. You have failed to act on your stated opposition to his disastrous policies. Why is that?
Hillary: I have always explained my votes. There are details to every issue that the American People don't understand that I do understand. Elected officials are expected to know more than their constituents, and I do. The average citizen really can't have an informed opinion, but I am very experienced, and my opinion is the best informed.
Jane: So, on balance, you have agreed to Bush's policies, even though they are almost uniformly deleterious to the U.S. economy, society, and world prestige?
Hillary: I don't AGREE with them, but I don't MIND them. I can see his point of view. And when things come up for a vote in the Congress, I DO see his point of view. Don't forget, I've been in the White House. A president doesn't like to go hat in hand to Congress, or have his or her ideas subject to Congressional oversight. I want to be president, so as a member of Congress, I don't plan to pre-empt my own future power. That's the most important thing.
Jane: What about your ties, and those of your husband, to powerful corporate donors?
Hillary: CEOs are people like anyone else. They have needs and desires. Just because they have lots and lots of money doesn't mean we should ignore them. And it is good for my campaign not to ignore them. Look at John Edwards. He can't even afford TV advertising in IOWA of all places. It isn't realistic to act in opposition to your own ruling class. You can give them most of what they want and still have okay healthcare and schools and infrastucture. At least, that's what I believe now. We'll see how that works out when I am elected.
Jane: Why do you want to stay in Iraq for your first term?
Hillary: Because it would be a sign of weakness, in me and in the American People, to cut and run. I'm a woman and a Democrat. I can't simply redefine character and courage. The American People like to swagger and act tough, and I have to act that way in order to get elected, which is my first priority. Also, we've built all those buildings and bases over there. We can't just walk away from them.
Jane: Your main principle seems to be to talk big and carry a small stick. When I heard you in Des Moines, you seemed to want the "Hillary production" to distract us from what you were saying -- you left specific ideas for the end of a long speech, during which your supporters, who had been equipped with inflatable bats to beat together, repeatedly prevented the audience from actually listening to what you were saying.
Hillary: That is my principle, and who's to say, if it gets me elected, that it's not a good principle? I'll do anything to get elected, and my handlers think that voters respond better to hypnosis than they do to ideas. That's fine with me. My whole campaign is about the power of advertising.
Jane: At the same time, if you enunciated your principles more clearly, then we would have something to hold you to in the unlikely circumstance that you were actually elected while forgoing the votes of something like a third of the voters.
Hillary: Exactly! Why should I give you something to hold against me? You liked my husband when he was president. That should be enough for you.
Jane: Is it enough for you?
Hillary: Absolutely.
Jane: Do you see what a dangerous moment in U.S. history that this is?
Hillary: I say I do.
Needless to say, I woke up from this dream screaming.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
summing up some of the responses to this post. we should vote for hillary because othwer countries have already had female leaders.se
why don't you try scoring an actual interview with her -- not one that's just in your imagination and even further from reality.
now that might be interesting and enlightening.
Dear Ms. Smiley,
That was no nightmare, that is the reality we find ourselves in. Agape.
Thanks for this Jane! Brilliant! If only this weren't "pretend" And you actually got to call Sen Clinton on her character defects. A THOUSAND ACRES is a favorite book of mine (the film not so much!) But this piece is more important. Thank you.
Jane, that was pretty Hillary-ious. But it had to be a dream. Otherwise Bill would have screamed at you at the end of the interview,"How dare you! How dare you!"
But in all seriousness, the outcome of this next presidential election will determine the future of this republic. Whomever becomes President better have some very innovative ideas and real concrete plans about how to repair the damage done to our foreign relations, our military, our oppressive national debt, and the disregard for the rule of law. There are so many problems facing us and our nation right now that it's really overwhelming. Then I remember that Bush/Cheney are still sabotaging our future, and the rage comes on.
It would be nice if liberals, progressives, independents, Democrats, etc. could unite and WIN! But looking at the comments, it seems like the Democrats are about to be splintered and fragmented into different camps.
I'm not voting for Hillary or Obama in the Primary. I like Kucinich, Richardson, Gravel, because they offer real change. That's the point of the Primary, vote for who you think will be the best President.
I don't hate Hillary. I'd like to vote for her but I can't because she's supported the NeoCon agenda and continues to do so. I liked Bill Clinton as a President, he was probably the best one ,so far, in my lifetime(born in 1968). But this election needs to be about changing our nation. Sorry, Hillary supporters, America deserves better.
Finally - a straightforward article about Hillary. THank you Jane.
She is becoming more unpopular by the minute...
and we continue to be our own worst enemey
Obama: Connecting the dots......
The Jefferson Jackson speech has being well received but the question is did we get the subtext. Did we understand what Obama was saying about Him self and about the moment in time.
Lets use a quote “fierce urgency of Now” this is a quote from the “I have a dream” speech, one of the most famous speeches in America it is a speech of one Dr Martin Luther king 1963 in Washington DC in the shadow of the “great emancipator” Lincoln memorial.
In that speech the good doctor laments over some of the so-called liberal intellectuals who argued that the Negro should have patient with the pace of progress in America.
They were essentially saying to MLK to cool it down, to demand a gradual improvement it was in response to the “wait till the next term” argument that we formulated the phrase “fierce urgency of Now” Obama uses this phrase as a hypertext linking the two speeches.
In order to betray the subtext in his repeated use of the word “NOW” in his speech. He said “the time is NOW America” this is an answer to those whites and black those timid souls to argue that Obama should somehow wait his turn as if Hillary had a natural right to go before him.
Just vote for any other candidate in your primary and maybe we will have a real convention for a change. Truth will out--if there is such a thing anymore.
Jane, Jane, Jane;
You couldn't have been more destructive if you had planned it.
Shame on you!
No Hillary.
No political dynasty.
No win at any cost.
No leader without conviction.
No political calculatio
We want a fresh and authentic leader to move us forward and behind the diaster caused by Bush regime.
Al Gore please!!!! The country needs you, although the country doesn't deserve you.
Great post Jane! We have to hold the candidates accountable to their past actions, Hillary included. Glad to know that you are not simply going to vote for Hillary based on gender.
To all those Hillary supporters (and sympathizers and apologists) - lighten up! This is not the presidential election yet. You don't have a point until Hillary wins the primary. And if your point is that all these (genuine) criticisms of her are going to somehow diminish her against her republican opponent (if she wins the nomination, that is), well, then let's admit that she was not good enough to begin with.
I hope she does not win the nomination. If she does, I will accept our flawed system and vote for her over any republican.
Dear Jane
Once more you have enlightened us all.
Thank you!
I hate you, because you are undoubtedly right.
But I DO appreciate the effort.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
