Story is Everything

Hillary Clinton is shifting the paradigm and the narrative. Because the story is everything in the culture of politics, these are important shifts to note.

Hillary, a woman who has broken barriers many women never dreamed could be approached, has a new story and it is a powerful, wise and seductive story.

Hillary now stands before us and tells us that, to achieve the dreams she sparked for us, to see the legacy of her campaign realized, we must vote for ... Barack Obama.

This shift is, of course, part of party politics. She is doing what a gracious loser does, what a smart politician does. She is aligning herself correctly within the party.

For months we have been told a compelling story, that to see the changes we supported come to fruition we needed to believe that only Hillary could deliver them.

We were told that only Hillary could lead us to our promised land.

And, suddenly, despite South Dakota and Puerto Rico, we are being told to shift our allegiance to another leader with vision. Obviously, this is the way of politics, the fallout of the race for the party nomination; but her first story was so good. Her narrative won her 18 million votes.

It highlights a larger point about who we are and about the power of stories in our lives: We choose to believe the stories that swirl around us, and if the swirl and spin are good enough, it doesn't matter who's spinning us.

As men, women, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons and citizens, we choose to believe the stories Republicans spin, or Democrats, or the media, the pundits, our government, the movies, our parents, our children. We choose to buy into interpretations of the world that others serve up.

Such is the power of story.

Which story will you choose to believe today? Will it be Hillary's new story? Barack Obama's "Yes-we-can" story? Or John McCain's promise to bear the standard of conservatism into the 21st century?

Whatever you choose to believe, beware: it's all just a story.

Comments

[suigeneris]

I'm confused -- what was the point of this article?

That politicians rely on a media narrative to sell themselves? Wow, what a newsflash!

[campgranata]

And, suddenly, despite South Dakota and Puerto Rico, we are being told to shift our allegiance to another leader with vision. Obviously, this is the way of politics, the fallout of the race for the party nomination; but her first story was so good. Her narrative won her 18 million votes.

Puerto Rico doesn't even vote in the general election and the line up of the primaries have little to do with how well one is doing for it is ONLY the delegate count. Why is it so hard for you folks to understand that like the electoral college controls who becomes president the delegate count determines the nominee of the party? The popular vote is something Clinton decided to focus on when she saw she was losing the delegate count; it still doesn't mean anything no matter how she spins it. and she wants to discount the caucus states even though she claims every vote should count; what she means is every vote that was for her. she is a lying, inexperienced, mediocre person who got where she did because of who she married. No feminist, Our MRS Clinton.

[LiberTLover]

BOSNIA SNIPERS!! Now THAT was a story!

[Adagio]

I finally figured out why I have been so flummoxed by the vitriol coming from women in the last few weeks of Hillary's campaign. The reason is that she didn't run as the "woman" candidate. She might have done, and looking back it probably would have been wise. Her slogan might have been "Time for a Woman in the White House." I suspect a lot of women and men would have been favorably disposed to that kind of appeal. I know I would. I've been wishing for decades that we could elect a female president - and I'm a male. But that's not the campaign she ran at all. On the contrary, just as Obama avoided being pegged as the "black candidate" Hillary ran away from being the "woman candidate." She portrayed herself as the toughest dude on the block, swilling beer and threatening to bomb Iran back to the stone age.

Apparently some feminist groups were promoting the other story, the story of a woman finally breaking that 200 year-old ceiling A lot of women found it very compelling - so compelling that when Hillary's campaign was foundering they came to believe that she was being prevented from winning because she is a woman. I guess I have to say that I still have trouble understanding the depth of their anger, but at least I am beginning to see where it came from.

[XME]

That's why you need to pay attention to issues and not crap like "only I can get us out of Iraq", McCain who's got photos of himself with Clinton on his site trying to suck up to her supporters, etc. Folks need to pay attention to the hard facts not the fiction (or smears).

[bloomingtonclue]

It's really true. Everything is a story. I'm so glad you pointed that out. Hillary has a great story. Obama's was just better. And you're right, we just choose to believe one story or another. Same with religion or family relations. Politics is theater.

[grendl]

Have you ever considered that the true fabrication was Hillary's stance during her campaign, and the real Hillary came out during her concession ( suspension ) speech?

Have you ever considered that the pandering to white racists, and duck blind sitting, beer swilling, Hillary was the guise, and that she was in fact a bit shocked at the constituency of her base, that sea of racist faces in West Virginia. That the real Hillary reviled such ignorance?

Have you considered she was in fact proud of both hers and Barack Obama's monumental accomplishments and that the two ideas were not mutually exclusive. And that she was in fact proud to share the same stage as him. And she does admire his foresight in opposing the invasion of Iraq, moreso than the warhawk stance of the man she endorsed during her campaign?

I bet you didn't.

[ThreeCentsWorth]

We're told so many stories. Is there anyone to believe? Beware is right.

[Yohomegirl]

How jaded you are. I am 44 and I harbor all the hope I can find, and I don't think aging will diminish this trait. It's a lifelong quest.