Avenue G

Coming Attraction, 2008

by blogSpotter
Hillary Clinton, ex-First Lady and Senator from New York, generates excitement and controversy wherever she goes. Hillary' isn’t just exciting, she’s also a survivor -- she's now survived Whitewater, Filegate, a failed health care gambit of the 90's, Vince Foster suicide rumors, Monica Lewinsky, a Gandhi misstatement, and recent remarks about young peoples' laziness. If she were a cat, she'd have maybe two of her nine lives left. Some see her as a hero -- she's the first ex-First Lady to be a Senator. Others cast her as a carpet bagger, serving a New York political office without previously living there. Still others see her as a career-obsessed enabler in a marriage of convenience -- showing far too much tolerance for a philandering husband.

Which one is the real Hillary? She can be used almost as a political litmus test -- people on either extreme of the Left-Right spectrum tend to revile her. The Right sees her as a machinating Lady Macbeth, and the extreme Left sees her as a sell-out on Iraq, abortion and health care where her views have moved closer to the center. As New York Senator, she's made a noticeable splash. She's served on the Armed Services committee, focused on 9/11 recovery and homeland security, supported the initial Iraq incursion, and opposed Bush tax cuts. In the 'strange bedfellows' department, she's joined forces with Newt Gingrich to promote incremental health care; she's also joined with Joe Lieberman to promote the Family Entertainment Protection Act -- to rid video games of violence. One might say her moves have been 'all over the map.' She's made a couple of politic (some may say opportunistic) nods to the Right, but has generally stayed closer to the Left on tax cuts and federal judicial nominations.

It will take a national 'village' to decipher all of this in 2008. That is when Hillary is expected to run for President, possibly being the first woman nominee of a major political party. Victoria Woodhull was the first woman candidate, in 1872. Woodhull was nominee for the Equal Rights Party and Frederick Douglas was her running mate. Successful Democratic candidates in the recent past, including Hillary's husband Bill have been centrist males from Southern states. Hillary lived in Arkansas as an adult, but has a much more Yankee persona. John F. Kennedy was the last elected liberal from the Northeast, and that was 46 years ago. Hillary's poll ratings are at least respectable; in May 2005, 29% of general voters said they were 'very likely' to vote for Hillary and '24% said 'somewhat likely'. We're not talking landslide here, but who knows? Depending on where the chips fall, there could be a President Rodham-Clinton in the future.

© 2006 blogSpotter.

Labels: Politics