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• Friday, February 29, 2008 09:20 AM

  Twilight at Hanging Rock

  Walter Shapiro quotes Governor Ted Strickland on Hillary Clinton:

  "She understands that life is tough, that people struggle ... that, although people work really hard [and] do the best they can, they feel like life doesn't give them a fair shake."

  I have no doubt that what Governor Strickland says is 100% true. I also have no doubt that the exact quote could be used for Obama and it would also be 100% true. The Clinton campaign complains about her unfair treatment at the hands of the media. But I believe that the media along with Clinton's supporters have constructed a narrative that is equally unfair to Obama. Governor Strickland's quote is a perfect example of the "Hillary story". As is Mr. Shapiro's closing sentence:

  "She is going out (if that is her fate) as she came into the political orbit three decades ago -- as a smart, serious and sound policy maven who leaves to others soaring rhetoric and stirring emotions."

  The "Obama story" goes this way: Obama's "soaring rhetoric and stirring emotions" is just smoke and mirrors used to hide the truth that Obama is an inexperienced lightweight who wouldn't even be able to find the light switch when he moved into the White House, let alone muster the resources to lead this country out of the mess it is in. Maybe I need to re-check the definition of "fair" but as I understand the meaning of "fair" pigeon-holing Obama as nothing but an "empty suit" seems to me anything but fair.

  The narrative is presented as either/or: one cannot be both a master of "soaring rhetoric" and "a smart, serious and sound policy maven." Why on earth not?

  Where is the evidence that Obama is any less smart, serious and sound on policy than Clinton? Believe me, I was just as bored reading Obama's "Blueprint for Change" as I was reading Clinton's policy positions and proposals on her Web site. (Not so much with McCain - there's not enough "there there" to even get to the point of boredom.)

  Going off on a complete tangent: can anyone explain "Picnic at Hanging Rock" to me?

  —cecilbeanie Read cecilbeanie's other letters
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