Op-Ed
The Bitch is Back
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Everybody’s favorite “Queen Bitch in Charge” is Hillary Clinton. Although she is constantly vilified by her enemies and the media, most of us recognize that this is only because people are intimidated by her personal wit, political aptitude and botoxed good looks. You may have accidentally jumped on the buoyant bandwagon of hackneyed catchphrases that her opponent’s campaign has manufactured, but I hope that after reading this you might consider a more reputable and sincerely passionate candidate who can balance being inspiring and fabulous.
Just before her rousing victory in New Hampshire, the world caught a glimpse of the unadulterated passion living deep inside the future Madame President. At a lecture in Portsmouth, Hillary discussed the emotional drain of the campaign trail and how much this election means to her. As she sat low and dejected after her tragic defeat in Iowa, the senator from New York desperately held on to her persistent hope for a better America. When a woman asked her about the daily trials of being on the campaign trail, Hillary responded with a joke, but then became very serious. She paused and her eyes began to grow red as she considered the many reasons she selflessly strives to become the next president. “I just don’t want to see us fall backward as a nation,” she said with a strained voice and glistening eyes. “I mean, this is very personal for me. Not just political. I see what’s happening. We have to reverse it.”
Although the pundits baselessly criticized Clinton’s tears as being nothing more than a strategic campaign move, the women in the audience understood what many have known all along. As the 16 women voters in the room listened to Hillary’s heartfelt confessions, many of them were brought to tears. I would argue that Hillary’s tears were as genuine and meaningful as those that fell from the Madonna as she held her lifeless child. Like the Madonna, Hillary did not cry for attention, but rather as a result of her hopeful yearning for something greater. The Madonna was indeed lamenting her son, but her tears were also a symbol of the possibilities that would come with Jesus’ self-sacrifice. Hillary similarly recognized that her altruistic campaign was about far more than her own hardship and struggles. “Some people think elections are a game: who’s up or who’s down,” she said with a breaking voice and tears welling. “It’s about our country. It’s about our kids’ future. It’s about all of us together.” She believes that her sacrifice and effort, like the Madonna’s loss, is vital to ensuring a better future. And yes, reader, in this pieta, America is Jesus. Hillary’s pious tears were not a fit of sheer womanly weakness or political bitterness, but rather a martyrly display of conviction and devotion.
Just as polls were projecting a double-digit loss to the inexperienced rabble-rouser from Illinois, Hillary inspired the shrewd voters of New Hampshire by candidly revealing to them what personally motivates her. “We do it, each one of us, against difficult odds. We do it because we care about our country. Some of us are right, and some of us are not. Some of us are ready, and some of us are not. Some of us know what we will do on day one, and some of us haven’t thought that through.” Her saint-like tears of deep and earnest hope proved to be more inspiring to Granite State voters than the empty generalizations about change and unity sponsored by her opponent.
Although South Carolina Democrats failed to identify authenticity and substance, those who vote on Feb. 5th will hopefully be more discerning. If the polls are any indication, it is clear that the majority of Democratic voters in the country prefer intelligence and verified leadership over stock rally tactics and corny populist slogans. But who really knows anymore.
As her campaign continues forward, voters should look past what might sometimes seem like a cold, dictatorial, uncompromising, and detached ice queen exterior, to see that Hillary Clinton is, at her core, a poised and compassionate female whose life’s resolve is to help her fellow citizens. Anybody can give a well-written sermon about change, but Hillary constantly proves that only one candidate has the will and capacity to fight for that change.
Supporters of the opposition might be going into Feb. 5th with confident optimism on the heels of recent endorsements from John Kerry and Ted Kennedy; but I would like to remind them that Hillary is going in with the far more coveted and way flashier endorsements of respected political minds like Timbaland, Madonna, Marc Jacobs, Hugh Hefner, 50 Cent, Jenna Jameson, Jerry Springer, and music industry ex-wife, model, and fashionista Kimora Lee Simmons. Hillary’s victory party is going to be infinitely more fabulous.
John-David Brown is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be contacted at jdbrown@cornellsun.com. Country Club Cockfight will appear alternate Thursdays this semester.