I'm Not a Cry-Baby, I'm Not

Apparently some of you were offended by the fact that I teared up during Hillary Clinton's speech yesterday. For the record, I didn't tear up over Big Brown's loss in the Belmont Stakes, though maybe that's because good old reliable Time Warner chose to kill off cable to the entire Upper West Side of Manhattan just in time for the big race -- clearly their way of saying "Cheney you'' to one of Hillary's key support strongholds. Or something.

And yes, I'm aware that MSNBC fielded female pundits on the speech. But not before the men had had their say. They came after the jump, as we say. But I digress.

What choked me up watching Clinton bow out was the wave of what-might-have-been that overcame me in the moment. It's not her fault.

Well OK, yeah, it is. Like many of her supporters, at least those in my cohort, I've spent the years since her election to the Senate waiting for HRC's better angels to take over. Sometimes they were so close at hand you could almost see the idealistic Rodham girl with dark hair and nerdy glasses pounding at the bars on the cage Hillary Clinton imprisoned her in to keep her at bay as she kept her appointments with destiny.

As an unreconstructed peacenik, I loathed her pandering on Iraq and her inability to reveal any evidence of a conscience. Yet I continued to believe that a conscience was there and would eventually show itself. Naïve? For sure.

But I think I was not alone in this, just as I was not alone in feeling over the last 17 months that she navigated almost every debate, especially with Obama -- who most closely paralleled her worldview and so was her most formidable opponent -- with a combined wonky breadth of knowledge and command of the podium that conveyed the sense of someone who knew, or at least had finally learned, how to take control.

I hope Barack Obama has both the fire in the belly and the intestinal fortitude to cruise through the test that's only just beginning. I hope that, in contrast with Hillary Clinton, Obama manages to keep his better angels out there, in view for all to see no matter how much mud gets dumped on them, as it surely will be.

My sense of loss over Hillary Rodham Clinton has as much to do with my age as with her sex. If she symbolized anything it was that the aspirations of a generation still had meaning. At least they would have, if and when she finally got to show what she was made of.

I thought she accomplished some of that yesterday and that, taking gracious leave, she with her flawed ambition set a higher bar for the next president. That's worth choking up about.

Comments

[Sundialsvc4]

This "so-called election" has been with us for nearly two years, and it's really nothing more than a carnival side-show version of the real McCoy. We can't see the puppet-masters that drive this game, but we can clearly see that all three "so-called candidates" are nothing more than marionettes. They're walking through a macabre stage-set, staring at teleprompters that feed them so-called lines to spout about so-called issues.

The parable of the Prodigal Son had one most-important lesson: the boy could have gotten up and gone home at any time to his royal birthright and inheritance, but it wasn't until he was IN the pig-sty, hungry enough to FIGHT a pig (hint: NOT a smart thing to do...), that he finally realized that none of what was happening to him actually had to be that way... that he had done every bit of it to himself.

Dwight Eisenhower must be spinning in his grave right now. But we can surely take comfort in the knowledge that the media's endless droning of "a foregone conclusion" also "doesn't actually have to be that way." We are doing this to ourselves, and we can stop at any time.

It's called Law Enforcement... Impeachment. No, it's not "off the table." Any criminal enterprise, no matter how large and brazen, can be peacefully stopped by a determined citizenry. But until that happens, that citizenry will continue to be ... plaintiffs.

[fiftyseven]

Weep not, my friend. Our youth was only the DAWNING age of the age. What we started will express itself through these young people. Like compost feeds the next generation of plants, what we did has informed this generation coming up, and it's time for them to take it to levels we had not even dreamed of. I am one boomer who is happy to pass it along. CSN told us "teach your children." We've done our part.

[fenris71]

It has long been my suspicion that the HRC campaign has been carrying the hopes of the baby boomer generation. While that is approproate and good, all torches must be passed eventually. We, the baby boomers children,have known from birth not to trust the government (Can anybody say "I'm not a crook?").

Sen. Obabma, although he is a baby boomer himself, represents our way of looking at the goverment, and how it should work for us as a community. It is completely logical that baby boomers would support HRC, a clear representative of their generation and the changes they affected on our society (which have been quite positve I should add). The problem? My generation is tired of the divisive and combative manner in which that generation approaches politics. Since the sixties the boomers have taken an "us vs. them" approach. Now is the time for us to reach out to the people on the other side of the isle and get things done. They may not agree with us on all things, but the very nature of our American society calls upon us to compromise for the better good and change this country.

Please understand HRC supporters, she ran a great race. It was just a matter of a political climate not wanting an establishment nominee, a matter of a new generation of politics, a matter of a torch being passed.

Don't worry boomers, we will not shirk the responisiblity you have given us.

[rasthedestroyer]

Talking about mmmmmy generation. Your generation got us into this mess. You guy's had the best pot, the best music and free love. Your generation was the springboard for all of this but i guess that's not good enuff you want more. Time to let my generation have it's turn. (Intestinal fortitude) Black guy, raised by his mom who happens to be white without his dad. give me a break. enuff of the B.S.

[ohmercy]

I think i'm having a moment of cognitive dissonance.

WTF is going on here.

We are being sold a bill of goods.
I don't mean Obama, I mean the whole thing.
I'm sitting here waiting for a comment to be posted so I can put part 2 up and I'm looking at the other headlines, "fist bumps" and video contests, and remembering others, and terms like "lame" used about someone and all the other images and words crowding in and it feels like that movie with Jiom Carey.
truman I think it was where its all a show.
I mean I have known that the media sells us everything under the sun, and this primary had been like a reality show. "Survivor: primary edition" or maybe like Axcess Hollywood" (except Washington)
But all of a sudden I swear I had that feeling where everything kind of slips for a second.
Disassociation?
I think I'd better step away from the keyboard and take a nap before you all drive me completely round the bend.

[AshevilleVoice]

Awwww, just face it, Jeremy. You actually are just a cry baby. Everybody gets sucked in by someone who isn't who you thought they were sometime.

Your better angels probably deserted Ms. Clinton long before the campaign began. Maybe when she stopped truly fighting the insurance companies and became the largest recipient of their PAC money. Maybe when Bill took $800,000 for "speaking engagements" in Columbia, flying in a jet loaned to him by businessmen who could make billions if SOMEBODY just supported NAFTA. If you were jaded like me, maybe you'd think that people who pay $800,000 don't give a wife the option of disagreeing with her husband on NAFTA.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080410_the_ludlow_legacy_part_i_colombia/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/20/bill-clintons-use-of-mog_n_87548.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9204.html
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/08/the_mccormick_place_convention.php

[FearlessSpeech]

Seriously, baby-boomers need to get over themselves. Geesh, talk about a pathological sense of their own self-worth. Must their ambitions (HRC?) always be at the expense of everyone else?

Get over it Boomers!

[chett]

Exactly! All this mourning for Clinton is coming from people who are all that same age who see the Clintons as emblems of their generation. Well, they are, as far as profound self-absorption goes.

[athenasword]

I understand your sense of loss. I do. I am a woman and I was once a Hillary supporter and I understand the historic nature of her campaign. But, she lost me (and I won't list the reasons why... that's been done). What I am wondering today is whether we have now given HRC a sufficient amount of the "space" and "respect" she deserves. Can we move on yet? I would truly like to see some media attention lavishly spent on our nominee now. I'd like to know what HE wants!!

[overit62]

the fact that you don't know what Obama wants is his fault not hers. its called lack of experience. Not alot of depth there

[BillyCioffi]

I lke your comments. See Paul Krugman's column in today's NYT.

[candyperfumegirl]

"If she symbolized anything it was that the aspirations of a generation still had meaning."

Obama also represents the aspirations of a generation. Too often the younger generation (if I can lump people together like that) has been characterized as apathetic, resigned to their fate in a broken world. The historic candidacy of Obama represents to me that this emerging genereation is in fact enormously determined and optomistic in tackling the problems of this century.

Additionally, I doubt very much that this is the last we will hear from Ms. Clinton¦

[ohmercy]

Additionally, I doubt very much that this is the last we will hear from Ms. Clinton�

;-)

You got that right.
This is a woman that will not let anyone get her down.
to her credit.

There is a story from her childhood that I think is telling about her.
In a way I think its horrible but it illustrates where she gets her courage.

When she was a little girl she came home crying because the little boy next door was bullying her. Her mother wouldn't let her in saying something like We don't let cowards don't live here, or something like that, and closed the door!
So Hillary went back out and beat the kid up. (hit him back, whatever.)
I can't stand it on one hand because my inclination is to baby the little girl, awww, sweety, he's a bad boy, here, have some ice cream.

On the other hand she was taught you have to stand tall and not let the bastards push you down.

I like that in a woman.

[PaxMundis]

"When she was a little girl she came home crying because the little boy next door was bullying her. Her mother wouldn't let her in saying something like We don't let cowards don't live here, or something like that, and closed the door!
So Hillary went back out and beat the kid up. (hit him back, whatever.)
I can't stand it on one hand because my inclination is to baby the little girl, awww, sweety, he's a bad boy, here, have some ice cream.

On the other hand she was taught you have to stand tall and not let the bastards push you down."

That's not strength, it's psychopathology, and frankly it makes her comments about Iran all the more frightening, and reaffirms my belief that we dodged a bullet.

[PaxMundis]

"
When she was a little girl she came home crying because the little boy next door was bullying her. Her mother wouldn't let her in saying something like We don't let cowards don't live here, or something like that, and closed the door!
So Hillary went back out and beat the kid up. (hit him back, whatever.)
I can't stand it on one hand because my inclination is to baby the little girl, awww, sweety, he's a bad boy, here, have some ice cream.

On the other hand she was taught you have to stand tall and not let the bastards push you down."

Personally, I find that pathological. It makes her comments about Iran all the more frightening.

[ohmercy]

PS>
Also- Mr. Gerard's excuse for his tears is guilty of making Hillary into two- one dimensional characters. The Hillary Rodham giving her Wellesley (sp) valedictory address and Hillary Clinton, calculating bitch from hell. (yes, exaggerating, but not by much!) when in fact there is a full, complex, human being who is ambitious, generous, compassionate, tough, tender, driven, hard edged, funny, giving. Unfortunately we have not been shown much of all her qualities. Not only because she is rather private and somewhat uncomfortable/stiff in public settings-- some who know her have said shy!
But also because the media paint her one dimensionally.
In any case. I went from being someone who did not like her to not only liking her but respecting her and becoming a great admirer of hers. I spent a lot of time and energy researching the candidates and though she hadn't been my first choice she had been my final choice. Of course now Obama is the choice and the only choice. McCain cannot be allowed into the oval office.

[lwaxanatroi]

But my generation isn't finished yet! We're still young! We're still relevant! Aren't we?

[athenasword]

Obama absolutely represents the aspirations of a generation... maybe two! I dare to hope for great things.

This week, starting today, Monday, I would like to hear less about Ms. Clinton and more about Mr. O! We have the GOP to trounce.

[LABC]

Amen to that!!

[mawied]

So the 36 years we've been waiting for her better angels to take over didn't give her quite enough time?

She's been in politics since McGovern was running; get over it already.

[ohmercy]

She's been in politics since McGovern was running; get over it already.

Really?
But I thought she didn't have any experience and was only first lady serving tea.

Oh no,
I have to rethink everything.

[ohmercy]

Well Jeremy,
I just read the post before this one and was moved. As I read the comments I was, once again sickened by the bile, hate mongering, lack of decency, compassion, empathy--you know, common progressive values from the parroting heads.
Each of them tries to one up the next, some in their hate spitting, some in their pretense of knowing what the hell is actually going on.
I had to stop since once again I felt disgusted by who these people are or seem to be on the inside.
These ill informed know it alls are who we are putting our hope in for the future?
ychhhh.

I came over to read this post as your last one was so touching. Unfortunately you exhibited a pandering to the hate mongers that is just sad.

You do not owe an explanation for having tears in your eyes or for admiring Clinton-- which apparently you really didn't. Your admiration seems to be for an idea of who you thought Hillary was once upon a time rather than who the women is. This is just as shallow and sexist in its own way as all the punditocracy who simplified the "idea" of Hillary Clinton into some cartoon and just as demonizing as any of these idiotic children who have stripped the humanity from her... and from Obama I might add. In their bifurcated minds the counterpoint to his "pure perfection" had to be the completely evil and demonic Hillary.

[PhillyJack]

You say: "Each of them tries to one up the next, some in their hate spitting, some in their pretense of knowing what the hell is actually going on."

So, I guess you would know what is going on. Yes? ... and you don't spew hatred, right?

[Forsetti]

Isn't the crux of getting rid of racism and sexism to make it so that we do not look at the color of someone's skin or their sex when assessing their qualities and charachter? How can this be accomplished if every other sentence brings it up in one fashion or another? Wouldn't progress be better served if we quit referring to Hillary as the first serious, female presidential contender and Barack as the first black presidential candidate? Doing so just plays right into and divisive nature of sexism and racism. As long as we allow the focus to turned to irrelevant issues, true progress will be stymied.

[JackLivigni]

If I may say, your article really says a lot about how little you understand of Barack Obama. You speak of Obama having the fortitude, but what Obama supporters know is whether or not WE will have the fortitude. We have built this campaign from the bottom up. We are the life blood of this campaign.

Clinton didn't have this kind of machine beneath her. "Obama" is a movement, a hope, a vision, an intense desire, all wrapped up into a formidable on the ground organization of the highest calibre. So if you want to ask the right question you should ask yourself: will I have the fortitude to do what is necessary to get Obama elected, and then you will use your talents and your time to write and to take to the streets to do the work necessary to bring about change.

Stop crying and talking, and hit the streets, and then you will stop questioning whether Obama will have the fortitude.

[SusaninIN]

Very well said. This is about more than one person, Obama is just the catalyst to the change we are seeking. I think this movement is still being underestimated because a lot of people do not understand this concept. If people would go to his website and check out the community of people there who are getting involved, not just in electing Obama, but also in improving their communitites (Obama Works) and sharing their views about policies. 1.5 million people online trying to help to form a more perfect union. AWESOME!

You are Obama
I am Obama
We are Obama

YES WE CAN!

[joeyp404]

Obama is a man. "We" are not Obama. Good lord in heaven.

[ohmercy]

You are Obama
I am Obama
We are Obama

Holy crap!
Now you are scaring me.

What is this, the Borg?

[larstein]

Back in 1867, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas took different sides in a debate over the 15th amendment. Anthony didn't believe that giving black men the vote would help women anymore than white men, whom she called "Saxon despots", would. She wanted suffrage for ALL people. Anthony and Douglas were friends, but the disagreement was misinterpreted as racist, and a ghost of that tension lives on in parts of the women's rights movement.

When Clinton mentions those 80 and 90 year old women who were born before women had the right to vote, she's moving some deep feelings in her audience. These women have waited all their lives to vote for a woman President. Right when it seems like it could happen, it's given to the black man. Again, the Anthony/Douglas connection.

Clinton and Obama have given us the best political season in modern times. Both are iconic, historic figures, who created a campaign year that will go down as one of the greatest in political history. It doesn't get better than this.

[knighthowl]

Just one misstatement: it was not "given to the black man." The black man won it fair and square under the rules. While you are free to make the comparison, the situation is not nearly the same since now both women and blacks may vote and they did. This election was not decided by white men as happened in the 1800s.

[mawied]

Thank you. The idea that this nomination could have been "given" to anyone simply perpetuates the idea that this is some sort of affirmative action appointment for the "inadequate black male." Barack Obama won a majority of pledged delegates. Hillary Clinton has suspended her campaign. Taking the fight over Michigan and Florida to the Convention floor would have been her perogative, however futile it would have been.

The point is, she didn't get enough support from pledged or superdelegates and gave up her campaign. At the end, Senator Obama was the last candidate standing and he won the nomination because he is a strong candidate and many people genuinely believe in him.

If Senator Clinton had won the nomination I guarantee you wouldn't be talking about it being "given to the white woman."

[ohmercy]

yeah, it was.

The media creates the whole "horse race" whether we want to believe it or not. The media and the corporate bosses are "white men." They're the rulers.
I'm not talking tinfoil hat, plans made in backrooms-well maybe just a little! LOL

The media slant the coverage by who they cover and how.
Otherwise Biden, Edwards or whoever could have been in the final two. It was clear who they wanted the race to be between early on. I was furious that others weren't getting any coverage, except for something ridiculous, like hair cuts... Biden was made to look racist for saying Obama was clean cut, articulate, young. If he had said the same thing of a white young man it would have meant nothing. The media need blood so they create it.

"White men" decided this primary. They decided that the idiot king should be their guy in 2000 and 2004 with their relentless denigrating of Gore and Kerry. They allowed this administration to take us into war. It will be interesting to see who they go for in November.
McSame has always been their darling but they are getting pushback because of Scotty Mac's book and they don't want to appear racist so they may finally break from McCain.
As Russert said several months ago; It's easier to criticize a white woman than a black man.
I wonder if the same will hold true for white men.
For all our sakes I hope so.

[DHinCT]

The other sad parallel to Anthony/Douglass was that, when it looked like the women's effort would not succeed, they shifted their argument to say that white women were better equipped to make political decisions than former slaves and other racially inferior folks (Chinese immigrants). Echoes of Geraldine Ferraro and Clinton's "working people, white working people" here?