|
Edited on Mon Jan-07-08 05:25 PM by karynnj
I don't think it is limited to Clinton. The media was meaner to Gore and to Kerry, both of whom did less that could be used aganist them. In fact, they were actually pretty easy on her in 2005 and 2006 and even the first half of 2007. How many times was see and her campaign called "flawless"? Nothing seemed to stick. There were articles of how she started in the Senate trying to act as any freshman, working well with people on both sides of the aisle. In a way, the overly positive coverage set her up.
As the Clintons claimed that only they could fight the media and the HRC was the toughest person there, they were getting better treatment than almost anyone else. The coverage in the last few days is relating what can be seen in what she says and has done. It is not untrue, though it likely is unkind. The problem is that she and BC are feeding it. It has to be incredibly tough to be a politician - especially at that level. You can do everything that you thought and were told would work, then fail - and when you fail it is in public and your response has to be cheerful and upbeat with the view that you can still win. There's no time for really mentally dealing with it. In HRC's case, when was her last failure? Not only that, it apparently came as a surprise. One day you are a prohibitive favorite up 20 points in National polls, then you are down.
Last year, I remember watching Gephardt's speech where he pulled out. In his case, it was not just the end of a Presidential race, but the end of his political career. He had tears as well - and it seemed right. You work so hard, believe you have a shot and it ends. I remember Kerry's speech, where his voice wavered as he spoke of people who needed help - there it had to be a roller coaster 24 hours, from when the exit polls looked great until he conceded.
This week may signal the beginning of the end of her dream to be the first woman President and the chance to remake the Clinton legacy. In the end, it may have hurt the legacy - replacing a better time for America enhanced by being airbrushed by the passage of time. It could be the beginning of the end of the Clintons' dominance of the party.
Or, it could be a bump in teh road and the Clintons will be back.
|