Letters to the Editor
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I'm happy
Yep. I'm glad to see that other women are willing to step up to defend Hillary, and I'm glad to see Obama's halo dismantled. Obama needs to be run as a real person, and Hillary needs to be seen as a real person.
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and the media machine came off looking worse than Giuliani
I try to be realistic, but I was fooled too by the polls (I probably should have looked more specifically at them, but even if I did, I'm not sure I would have understood the significance of a substantial number of undecideds), and yes, maybe fooled by some of the media hype.
I'm glad for the wake-up call. Unfortunately, I doubt the media will learn anything from this at all. They've shown themselves impervious to outside influence. I wonder who will come up with the new meme the entire MSM can use to excuse themselves for this massive blunder of prognostication?
As a voter in California, I was expecting my vote not to count. Well, maybe now it will. That will nearly mean I live in a democracy, won't it?
--Ron Robertson
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Delegates
Once all the votes are counted, is Hillary actually going to get more delegates out of New Hampshire than Obama? With 96% of precincts reporting, CNN is saying that the two of them are getting 9 delegates each, with the remaining 4 going to Edwards.
It is amusing to see Salon calling 39% over 37% a "stunning victory". Especially if she doesn't get any extra delegates from it.
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About support...
Mr. Shapiro, there is a huge difference in tone between older voters' support for Hillary and younger voters' support for Obama. On one hand, there are older folks nostalgic for the good old days or feeling bad for a candidate that rediscovers her vulnerability at just the right time - on the other hand, there are younger people who can't believe Obama sprung, seemingly fully-formed, from the political desert we've been contemplating for the past 8 years. Have you seen young kids talk about Obama? Do you think people vote for Hillary because she excites them, inspires them, makes them want to get up and do better ?
All the quotes from everyday voters that went with Hillary spoke about a) fear of the unknown, b) nostalgia, c)feeling sorry for her or sympathizing with her. This may be the way to win this nomination, but it's nothing to be proud of. And it's sad that Bill Clinton can't recognize himself in Obama - when Obama's campaign owes him so much. Remember how young he seemed in 1992 ? How inexperienced and fresh - and how much promise he held ? And now he and Hillary are actually clinging on to what they feel they're entitled to for surviving these 16 years - it's not a pretty sight...
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The more I think about it
The more I think about the role Hillary's crying episode had on the impacting this race the more it leaves an unpleasant taste in my mouth.
Were we played or was it just incredible fortune that she let her emotions get the better of her at that critical moment?
One this is sure, man or woman, I don't want a presidential candidate who uses pity and cries about not being liked to get votes.
It may have saved the day for Clinton in the short term, but this tactic will not win elections over time. If Obama regains his momentum, he cannot afford to let such an act go unanswered again.
I think, over the next few days, when American's consider just how much they were played, this may yet have negative consequences.
I still prefer Obama's confident and sincere messages of hope, unity, and a better future over Clinton's fear mongering, negative tactics, and ploys for sympathy. I just hope that the rest of America feels the same way.
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It was a "Transformative" moment
for her campaign, and also for my perspective of the current times. As of earlier today, I was absolutely confounded at the conflicting messages of a media and Obama movement that was so proud of a redemption-esque finish for him in Iowa, and the pile-on/beat-down of this woman, Hillary Clinton.
How can we say we are equal opportunists and liberal, yet show so little understanding and empathy towards a woman who has worked hard for our country, been publicly humiliated by her husband and espouses progressive values? The vitriol left by progressives on the recent articles and op/eds were just disheartening.
I think Gloria Steinem was dead-on when she wrote, "But what worries me is that he [Obama] is seen as unifying by his race while she [Hillary] is seen as divisive by her sex. What worries me is that she is accused of “playing the gender card” when citing the old boys’ club, while he is seen as unifying by citing civil rights confrontations."
Lastly, I think the press was given a firm slap on the wrist y voters for behaving badly; which was much needed.
Next op/ed piece Salon needs to write: "Mainstream Media Gone Wild" [steel drums in background]
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Granite staters punk the pundits
Now here's the gushing ebullience that was missing from Obama's Iowa triumph.
The best thing about Ms. Clinton's "stunning" comeback in New Hampshire is that the Armani wearing clowns at CNN got this weeks run-up to the primary so wrong. I'm sure for many folks in New Hampshire the wry pleasure of embarrassing the media outweighed the real issues. It's that independent streak, they'd rather die than be told what to do, you know? In the end though they played it safe and boring, by voting for who they know and are comfortable with.
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For Marian
I'm 35. Neither old nor young. My parents were idealistic, back to the land baby boomers, shaped by JFK speeches and co-op earned carob chips. It would seem that, being how I suffered under their ridiculousness, I would spring for a candidate who was out of their age and insanity bracket. For fuck's sake, my parents nearly named me Chelsea! My mother and Hillary could have been twins in the early 70s, right down to their unfortunate glasses and optimistic smiles. It should seem that now would be the time for me to spurn them, once and for all. But no. Because Barack, the non-baby boomer, is the one speaking 60s-esque platitudes now. I know how to refute them. I was born to do this.