Drudge says "Hillary Clinton has insisted that Bill Clinton give her 'final say'... "
Murdock's Daily News says "I'm boss, Hil tells Bill" Senator's word is now 'final,' says the ex-Prez
I'm not a Hillary supporter. But I can see what's happening here.
Two mainstays of the rightwing echo chamber are attacking Hillary as a strong woman, attempting to make her seem extreme, over-bearing, de-masculinizing, controlling.
The fact is, she is being quite reasonable with her partner. With a partner, when you are working on a project, you cooperate and coordinate. You agree to work together to synergize and complement your efforts and energies.
When your partner and you are both political, this idea of cooperation makes sense. Since Bill is no longer the one running for office, it makes sense that he coordinate with Hillary, and that her presidential aspirations hold sway in the decision-making process.
But the right wing smear machine, the swift-boating, high repetition looping mockery mechanism is clearly at work here. Expect to see it more and more as elections come closer. The interesting thing about this particular spin is that it may boomerang. The right wingers who will laugh at this the most are the wimpy, rifle owning men (they need the extra phallic symbols) who are anti abortion, anti contraception because they are ways to control women. They are the born again men, the NASCAR dads who want women home, barefoot and pregnant- not holding higher paying jobs than they have, not running for president.
But there are a lot of strong women and men who feel just fine about a man respecting his wife's needs. There are a lot of strong men who know that respecting a wife's needs is part of being a partner in a healthy relationship.
That won't stop the right wing echo chamber from trying to frame Hillary as extreme, shrill, controlling, man-like, dominating. But that's all spin. Get ready for a lot more as the elections get closer.
Me, I'm more concerned that Hillary is unable to say she screwed up supporting the war and she's still unable to say the kinds of things that Russ Feingold has been saying.
Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.
The framed magazine cover, with the word "IDEAS" spelled out in lightbulbs, is based on an article Rob wrote for Writers Digest, telling the magazine's quarter million readers how to come up with and pitch article ideas.
To learn more about me and OpEdNews.com, check out this article.
Rob co-hosts a terrestrial and internet talk radio show broadcasting to the Philadelphia and south NJ area on AM 1360, Thursday- 8-9 PM Online here here:
and there are Rob's quotes, here.
To Watch me on youtube, having a lively conversation with John Conyers, Chair of the House Judiciary committee, click here Now, wouldn't you like to see me on the political news shows, representing progressives. If so, tell your favorite shows to bring me on and refer them to this youtube video
A few declarations.
-While I'm registered as a Democrat, I consider myself to be a dynamic critic of the Democratic party, just as, well, not quite as much, but almost as much as I am a critic of republicans.
-My articles express my personal opinion, not the opinion of this website.
Hey Good News Rob. Have the republicans help us get rid of Hillary. Now that is what I call a helping hand. By having Republicans smear Hillary and maybe Feinstein we can divert our Democratic efforts in getting a real candidate. Thanks Rush.Thanks Drudge...
by
Dom Jermano (20 articles, 0 quicklinks, 40 diaries, 934 comments)
on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 at 6:25:24 PM
That Ms Clinton, with the loyalties she exhibits to much of what is worst in US domestic and foreign policy, seems unlikely to have the makings of a US president able to take the steps required to save the country, its citizens, and the rest of the world - don’t forget the US nuclear arsenal, which unlike that of Iraq or Iran, is real and not the product of a spin doctor’s overheated imagination – from disaster in the immediate future, is probably obvious to most of the readers of OpEdNews. Equally obvious is the need for the Democratic Party, if it is once again to constitute a meaningful alternative to the Republican Party, to find a better candidate. But to hope, like ikster , that such people as Rush and Drudge take her out so that left-wingers are spared the task, is to forget that there is a sort of karma even in politics. If Ms Clinton’s political future can be destroyed by labelling her a man-eating termagant, then the power of this tool in what passes for political debate in the US will once again be confirmed. Is this really what we on the Left want ? No, I think Rob is right on the mark here ; if the left wants the Democratic Party to put forward a different presidential candidate in 2008, then it is going to have to do its own work and challenge Ms Clinton on such things as her abysmal record on the war in Iraq in particular and US policy in Southwest Asia in general. The Left cannot – and should not – let the Right fight its battles for it, for then any victories that may then be won risk proving Pyrrhic indeed !...
by
mhenriday (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 137 comments)
on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 at 11:05:58 AM
Just think how much in common left wing Republicans have in common with left wing Democrats. This dicotomy proves that the struggle in politics is not so much Republican vs Democrats but left vs. right.
It is a peculiar reality. Just as left republicans love the job of Democrats doing their work to get rid of Bush, this relationship exists when Republicans do the same.
We truly can say that politics is not really a party line of loyalist.
It also throws a wedge into the argument that this is why Hillary went along and supported Bush in the War. Simply to wage her assertion against those on the left in the Democrat party.
Given that this symbiotic relationship does indeed exist, should prove to us that getting a real candidate requires more effort in realizing a candidate the Democrates pick must fully oppose the Republican agenda.
by
Dom Jermano (20 articles, 0 quicklinks, 40 diaries, 934 comments)
on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 at 7:00:01 PM
