Finally. “Obama clinches nomination…marks end of epic battle with Clinton” is today’s NYTimes headline. Finally. So. Now Microsoft Word will need to teach its spellcheck that Obama is not a misspelling. It would be unseemly for the president of the United States’ name to be constantly underlined with a red squiggly.
And now it is entirely up to Hillary Clinton too unify the party. She needs to bring her vociferous and unyielding supporters in line with the democratic nominee. Otherwise the November election will be lost and she will be to blame. She must not only stop them from staying home, but she must engage them to be vocal, happy, and equally demanding supporters of the party nominee. She needs to work as hard on this as she has to get the nomination.
Yes, it’s true that she’s been eliminated principally as a result of the deeply embedded misogyny in this culture. Yes, it’s true that she probably would have won the nomination had she not been a woman. (Or a Clinton.) Yes, it’s true that she’s been vilified and dismissed in ways no other candidate has had to suffer. But now the race is over – these things become fodder for academics and her role remains in the real world. She must knuckle down and get back to the job of making sure a democrat is elected in the Fall. If republicans win the White House in November it will be at least, at least, partially her responsibility.
2 comments:
While Hillary did have to face an extraordinarily disgusting amount of misogyny, I don't think that's why she lost. The race was hers to lose, and she ran an absolutely horrible campaign. Actually, the men behind it ran an absolutely horrible campaign, but she showed that she wasn't a good enough leader to keep them in check. I think history will show that our first potential female president sadly self-destructed in a close race that she could and probably should have won. But I'm glad she lost, not because of the female aspect but because of the Clinton aspect. The last thing we need is a bunch of smarmy Democratic insiders and opportunists swept back into power. If I never see Terry MacAuliffe again, it will be too soon.
I totally agree with you, David. I guess I should be more circumspect about blaming her loss on misogyny. It exists, yes. And it's deeply deeply embedded, yes. And most people don't see it at all, yes. But she did run a poor campaign. Not totally bad because she did actually do pretty well in many places and pulled many different groups in to her tent. But there were elements of the campaign that did unravel. The Clintonesque approach of victory at any cost really did undo her -- and it's not pretty. I have, in my life, experienced the misogyny of this culture and so I feel some kinship with her. But for other reasons she is not my favored candidate. And I am delighted with our choice in the upcoming election. I'm totally done with Harold Ickes!
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