Why Hitch Hates Hill
Christopher Hitchens on Slate on "The Case Against Hillary Clinton." It's not just the untrammeled striving, down to the lie about how she was named for Sir Edmund Hillary -- who didn't become famous until six years after she was born. It's her actual history, too:
One also hears a great deal about how this awful joint tenure of the executive mansion was a good thing in that it conferred "experience" on the despised and much-deceived wife. Well, the main "experience" involved the comprehensive fouling-up of the nation's health-care arrangements, so as to make them considerably worse than they had been before and to create an opening for the worst-of-all-worlds option of the so-called HMO, combining as it did the maximum of capitalist gouging with the maximum of socialistic bureaucracy. This abysmal outcome, forgiven for no reason that I can perceive, was the individual responsibility of the woman who now seems to think it entitles her to the presidency. But there was another "experience," this time a collaborative one, that is even more significant.During the Senate debate on the intervention in Iraq, Sen. Clinton made considerable use of her background and "experience" to argue that, yes, Saddam Hussein was indeed a threat. She did not argue so much from the position adopted by the Bush administration as she emphasized the stand taken, by both her husband and Al Gore, when they were in office, to the effect that another and final confrontation with the Baathist regime was more or less inevitable. Now, it does not especially matter whether you agree or agreed with her about this (as I, for once, do and did). What does matter is that she has since altered her position and attempted, with her husband's help, to make people forget that she ever held it. And this, on a grave matter of national honor and security, merely to influence her short-term standing in the Iowa caucuses. Surely that on its own should be sufficient to disqualify her from consideration? Indifferent to truth, willing to use police-state tactics and vulgar libels against inconvenient witnesses, hopeless on health care, and flippant and fast and loose with national security: The case against Hillary Clinton for president is open-and-shut. Of course, against all these considerations you might prefer the newly fashionable and more media-weighty notion that if you don't show her enough appreciation, and after all she's done for us, she may cry.
I'd rather vote for Satan.
crid at January 15, 2008 7:03 AM
A BTW, I know there was some story about her crying a couple weeks ago but haven't studied the details... Sure, this is an election year, but inauguration is still more than a full year away, and goddamnit, I will not be rushed.
And more to the point... When will we return to the time when we need not concern ourselves with the bodily secretions of people named Clinton? What is it about their liquids that's so fascinating for so many?
crid at January 15, 2008 7:06 AM
I saw her tears in that moment as a very recognizable form of female emotion -- a response to frustration. I'm reminded of Randy Nesse's work on depression. He calls it "low mood," and sees it as an adaptive response to goals a person keeps going for and failing at meeting. (If you engaged in repeated acts of futility back in the Pleistocene, you would have starved to death. He suggests depression may be an evolved response to frustration, telling you to drop what you're doing and try something else.)
Tearing up is a girly thing to do, and I'm girly, so I sometimes boohoo a little (usually privately) when I'm up against a wall. Men just have to lump it, or break a finger or two socking the wall. Does socking the wall help them get elected? Probably not.
Oh yeah, example of my girly teariness: Around Christmas and New Year's, I spent two weeks without heat. It was especially cold, and I was writing at home. My landlord's a good guy, and he'd actually brought out a chimney sweep and done all this work, but something was still wrong. He was sending a guy the Monday before Xmas, but the guy never arrived. And then my landlord was unreachable (at Big Bear). All week. Around Thursday, I had a little weepy session: "It's freezing cold in here! I can't stand this!" I did that for about three minutes and then left a more composed message on my landlord's home machine. And felt much better, even though bursting into tears for a few minutes really solved nothing.
Amy Alkon at January 15, 2008 7:24 AM
I saw her tears in that moment as a very recognizable political tool -- emotional manipulation.
I've got an aunt who's the biggest leftist I know (not liberal, leftist), and she says she'd rather die than vote for Hillary Clinton.
Jim Treacher at January 15, 2008 7:40 AM
Much as I want to see Hillary leave NY, I sure as hell do not want to see her in DC.
Not sure I agree with you on the tears, Amy (though I know exactly what you mean). They struck me as totally crocodile, designed to garner her the pity vote. More the pity that there are fools that will fall for this as if feeling sorry for someone's weakness is reason to put them in a position to lead.
Donna at January 15, 2008 9:41 AM
I've been chomping at the bit to vote for Hillary since 2000.
People are all whigged out about the fact that she cried (unless the woman who asked the question that spurred it was a plant, which she was not) WHO could cry on cue? Political ploy my ass...)
Are people really that scared of a woman President? Isn't it about time? She can't possibly be worse than the piece of shit we've been dealing with for the past 7 years. Granted, she isn't perfect (by any means) but I haven't seen anyone on the republican side who doesn't suck worse...
Morbideus at January 15, 2008 10:45 AM
Morbideus - either you don't have a penis, or you don't like penises. That's the only reason you could possibly feel safe voting for Hillary.
Hillary is hazardous to anyone who possesses male gonads.
And I'm not afraid of a woman president. But Hillary is NOT a woman. I don't know what Hillary is, and I'm not certain she's a human. But she is NOT a woman.
brian at January 15, 2008 11:40 AM
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I would sooner be re-circumcised with a dull butterknife on a roller coaster than vote for her.
Bikerken at January 15, 2008 12:26 PM
Ken -
Here's the thing that scares me the most - I'd rather have her than Huckabee. Which means if it comes down to a Hill vs. Huck contest, I'll vote Hillary, and then get the fuck out of the US, because I don't think I'll have any reason to stay. If she implements half of what she wants to, the economy will be in ruins.
brian at January 15, 2008 1:11 PM
I'd sooner vote for a sloth. Bitch ain't gettin' my vote, I don't care how much she cries, or what about. There's no crying in politics!
She's a manipulating, lying, bloated bag of protoplasm.
Flynne at January 15, 2008 1:15 PM
I just can't believe there are actual people who aren't sick to death of both Clintons and Bushes. I'm a 33-year-old guy and there's been a Bush or Clinton in the White house since I was in junior high for Christ's sake.
People being insane as they are we'll probably get eight years of Hillary followed by eight years of Jeb Bush and I'll end up taking to the hills and hoping for a military coup.
SeanH at January 15, 2008 2:01 PM
Brian, if it came to that choice, I just don't think I could vote for either one of them. I just remember Jimmy Carter too well to feel the least bit responsible for inflicting that shit on the country again.
Sean, if I ever see a Clinton OR a bush in that office the rest of my life, it would be too damned soon. I think that they are going to both be president in hell. Which would probably cause a lot of Hell residents to move back to Detroit.
Bikerken at January 15, 2008 4:04 PM
"Morbideus - either you don't have a penis, or you don't like penises. That's the only reason you could possibly feel safe voting for Hillary."
I certainly wouldn't say I'm a big FAN of penises... what can I say? I LIKE the nookie. I'm also pretty confident that noone's going to take mine away. But by all means, feel free to indulge yourself in all the penises you want.
Morbideus at January 15, 2008 4:58 PM
M - I've got the one I was issued, and that's plenty for me, thanks.
But Hillary? Bitch be hatin' on players, yo.
brian at January 15, 2008 5:13 PM
Brian, I guess you're not from San Fran, where they like to have their cock and eat it too. I thought you were from the bay area, maybe I was wrong. Of course there are some straight folks in the bay area, three in Sausalito I think. They are all being made to wear gold stars with H's on them. I've even heard of hetero's up there being listed on Scavenger hunt lists.
Mor, I like nookie too, I think I am a lesbian born in the wrong body. Wait a minute, I still have the ability to bond, scratch that.
Bikerken at January 15, 2008 6:07 PM
I just saw Tammy Bruce on Bill O'Reillys show.
DAMN, she's hot. Maybe I am a lesbian! If we could only sneak Huma Abedins chastity belt key away from Hillary's vault, that could be a great threesome!
Bikerken at January 15, 2008 8:34 PM
Ken - I'm in New England - where the winters are cold, and so are the women.
Thank you. I'll be here all week.
brian at January 15, 2008 8:34 PM
Ah, New England, Cuddling territory. I tell my friends all the time when we're out and about and I see some girl with a nice curvy ever so slightly larger butt, "That's a cuddle butt." Nothing nicer than curling up behind a woman like that in cold weather! Here's a question, Why do women love to cuddle after sex, then hate it when you fall asleep. What the hell is that all about????
Bikerken at January 15, 2008 8:52 PM
Ah yes, thank you Bikerken! I'm in New England and have a "cuddle butt" and my BF loves it, lucky me! I used to go to Bike Week in Daytona, like for years in a row, with a group from up here, and I was told by so many people down there that I "couldn't possibly be from up North, you're too nice"!
Brian, bite me. O_
Flynne at January 16, 2008 5:57 AM
wait. You get people from down south who SUPPORT MY ASSERTION, and you expect me to bite you?
Talk about supporting evidence.
I have been in CT for all of my 38 years, and the vast majority of the females I've been exposed to my entire life have been intolerable. Maybe 1 in 100 of the under-40 crowd is not a preening self-important yuppie bitch.
YMMV
brian at January 16, 2008 8:07 AM
But Brian, I AM from CT, born and bred (well okay, I was born in PA but have lived in CT most of my life, since I was about 15 months old). I've only visited Florida, but I go as often as possible.
And I take it back, don't bite me (unless, of course, you want to)!
Unfortunately, I have to agree with you about the majority of the younger women here, and even some of the older ones. They are somewhat bitter, but in a lot of instances, it has to do with their misperceptions of themselves, and the men they've been involved with. Even though it's not your fault, a lot of these bitches do take it out on others (women included, so don't feel too bad). YMMV2
Flynne at January 16, 2008 8:39 AM
You crack me up Flynn. I really think most straight guys like curvy women. When I was a kid, Sophia Loren was the hottest thing in the world and she was not skinny. I used to date a girl in west Michigan who had a 26" waist and a beautiful ass and she kept yakking about wanting to lose it. She wanted a flat butt. I screamed WHYYYY? Do you think men what a women with a butt that looks like a ten year old boy. HELL NO!
Women with cuddle butts ROCK!
Bikerken at January 17, 2008 1:45 AM
Um, M, I would love to see a woman President. A qualified woman. Just because I don't think Hillary is doesn't mean I'm against one that would be.
As for who can cry on cue, obviously you're not a casting director in Hollywood or on Broadway...
Donna at January 17, 2008 10:19 AM
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