Tuesday, January 8, 2008

yay Hillary, boo media, boo boo Edwards

For those of you didn't see Hillary's response to the question about "how she does it," watch here. It's a moving moment.

The media, unfortunately, is going ape-shit over this thing. Because it's yet another opportunity to take a swing at Hillary's femaleness. When she tears up, when she wears a low-cut shirt, when she's too hardcore, or "steely," when she "looks old"---it seems there's no okay way to exist if you're Hillary. No matter who you support, this is getting really old. Last night on NPR the reporter covering the story felt the need to qualify: "She didn't actually cry." So she teared up, and it's national news. But so is the blow-by-blow on Britney's mental breakdown, so maybe I'm holding us all at too high a standard. Take a look at the language, though. The New York Times reports, "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's eyes welled with tears, and her voice cracked dramatically . . ." And then, "At this point Mrs. Clinton's voice softened and lowered to a near-hush, and she spoke more haltingly."

Boo.

And then, Edwards's response to all this: "I think what we need in a commander-in-chief is strength and resolve, and presidential campaigns are tough business, but being president of the United States is also tough business." When Matt Lauer asked him about his comments on the Today Show this morning he essentially claimed that this response had nothing to do with Hillary's moist-eyed moment.

Boo boo.


---Brooke

4 comments:

dkh said...

Well, sweet jebus, would it kill us to have a president who actually showed emotion and was personally invested in the job? Seriously, those are definitely not weaknesses. I'd rather have a human president.

dkh said...

and I love the Seal take on election coverage, btw.

Seal Press said...

Hello, and thank you. I want to understand why getting a little bit teary-eyed (not even crying) is considered such a point of weakness. And I'm sure there's something cultural and biological in women crying more than men. I do believe in biological differences between the sexes. That women are quicker to show emotion should be a good thing---should being the operative and totally inconsequential word here.

---Brooke

reallivegirl said...

"No matter who you support, this is getting really old."

My stand on Clinton vs. Obama, beautifully captured in ten words. Kudos.