Hillary Enters the Race

Posted on January 20, 2007

Hillary Clinton has officially entered the 2008 presidential race, declaring in a statement that "I'm in. And I'm in to win." She posted a videoclip on her website, in which she talks about her decision. It's a great videoclip and a very interesting one, politically speaking. Thanks to the extreme right wing's demonizing of the woman for years, she really has no trouble sounding tough. It's pretty funny, really. The right wing has spent all this time convincing the country that Hillary is tough as nails, harsh and too forceful. Then 9/11 happened, and no one wants a president who is not tough as nails, harsh on our foes and forceful about important issues. We can't afford any wimps in the White House now.

They've done half her work for her. Where most women have to work hard to be taken seriously, the far right has succeeded in making her a strong -- and to some, absolutely terrifying -- figure. So, thanks to them, she doesn't have the problem of being taken seriously. Even those who dislike Hillary don't doubt that she has the guts to stand up to any enemy who decides to attack America or to be steadfast in any crisis. So, in her video, she is able to lean back on the couch and sound like Oprah. Her voice is smooth and well-modulated. She wants to have a conversation with the country. Listen to what we have to say. She sounds so reasonable. So logical. But one never doubts the steel that underlies the smoothness of her delivery.

We are also subtly reminded that her husband always paid attention to polls -- if the majority of the country felt really strongly about something, well, our president didn't overrule them because we are a democracy. Her talk also reminds us of how stubborn and pig-headed our current president is, and how he has steadfastly refused to listen to Americans who 1) want our forces out of Iraq, 2) want the government to be able to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare prescription plans and 3) want federal funding for stem cell research. The polls are very clear on those issues, President Bush is equally clear that he isn't going to listen to Americans on these issues.

Hillary is in. And that's a very good thing.