Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Senator Clinton, Wake up!

Hillary Clinton is losing this Primary race because she’s unwilling to be honest and authentic, and after her trouncing in South Carolina, and now after the Chesapeake Primaries, she’s unwilling to be a gracious loser, which makes her look small, brittle, stubborn, and wrong. If she were a man I would say she was exhibiting poor sportsmanship. But she’s looking very petty, and ungracious is not the worst of it. It looks like mighty Hillary Clinton, a woman I would like to admire, is merely small spirited. I would like to be inspired by her, instead I’m embarrassed by her. At the very least you publicly congratulate your victorious opponent, and, ideally, you also thank the people who volunteered to work for you. But Hillary Clinton was in Texas giving a stump speech. She should have used that opportunity to concede. Instead she looked waxen and masked. Smile on the mouth, panic in the eyes. And said nothing congratulatory or generous. Her “all hat and no cowboy” joke was too rehearsed, a cheap and easy shot. Save it for the general election when you are campaigning for Barack Obama. I’d rather have you run the Department of Health and Human Services. I rather have Barack Obama speaking for me. Representing my country to the rest of the world. I’d rather have the next generation and the one after that engaged and idealistic, energized and voting.

And as for you, Senator John McCain, beware hope, it will defeat fear every time. And you are peddling fear.