The politics of piling on, Hillary-style

Here we go with the Hillary Clinton gender card. For weeks she's been going on television shows not watched by hairy men and talking with a genderly wink toward her fellow females about the kinds of things that all women know they go through when they work in a male world. You know what we mean. The glass ceiling. Being judged by your clothes or makeup. Being unfeminine when you make a tough call.

And the audience members nod sympathetically. And, polls are showing, it's working as more women soften their image of the former first lady and have become Clinton's largest single group of supporters.

Today, she returned to her alma mater, Wellesley College, and said, "In so many ways, this all-women's college prepared me to compete in the all-boys' club of presidential politics."

And at the same time Clinton's campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, was dispatching an e-mail to the front-runner's supporters around the country claiming that the Democratic presidential race has entered a new phase since Tuesday's debate.

"On that stage in Philadelphia," Doyle writes, "we saw six against one. Candidates who had pledged the politics of hope practiced the politics of pile on instead.... She is one strong woman. She came through it well. But Hillary's going to need your help." And there follows the standard plea for money.

All the candidates are going to use any excuse to ask for more money, naturally, especially if they can portray themselves as under attack. And it's just a thought. But when there are seven people on a debate stage competing for the nomination, isn't it six against one for each of them?

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Larry from Purdue]

Hillary responds to every criticism by calling into doubt the legitimacy of the question. That's not going to fly for very long - for women or men.

Americans are a little more shrewd than that, and soon they'll start to remember why they gave her such negative ratings in the first place. The more they see her, the less they like her. The more they see of Barack, the more they'll like him.

[vwcat]

Hillary feels she should just coast. Well, she is running for the president and if she can't take some hard questioning one night out of an easy ride all year, then she needs to get out. What is she going to do when the republicans attack? cry? Honestly, she is the frontrunner, 60 days to the first primary and she never has taken a real stand or answered any questions.
Funny how a few debates ago and Barack Obama got piled on, he handled it with grace and elan. He knew it is part of the process of running. He doesn't use the race card as he is running for president of all people not just one segment.
As a female democrat, I find it shameless and stupid what Hillary is pulling and trust me, it will come back and bite her in the backside. With alot of the old Clinton parsing, evasion and games, coupled with her 'oh, poor me', the people are going to tell her to grow up. She sure is not acting presidential.

[Marilyn Carriere]

I'm tired of Billary. I've seen this movie before. Haven't you ever had a boss or co-worker like her who uses everything from their well-honed l chameleon-speak, to their "poor me I'm a woman" (while I claw your eyes out?)

As for her recent outreach to black women at church...I'd rather have an honest person who disagrees with my faith, than one who tries to get in the group photo but is just playing a role.

I'd never choose a friend like her...I need girlfriends who say what they mean and mean what they say.

[Bruce P]

Whatever happened to Hillary's claim that she is the one Democrat tough enough to stand up to Republican attacks in the general election? If she whines to the press the first time she gets some polite criticism from her fellow Democrats she certainly can't handle the Republicans.

[jimmy]

She cries about her against the boys, she cant hold a question and answer session without using planted questions, there are things from her past she isnt revelieng and is blaming the archives . Its no wonder she was voted scariest halloween costume. This IS NOT THE TYPE OF PRESIDENT I WANT!!. I looked at them all and seriously Obama is the right canidate that will do right as a president.

[Politickler]

PILING ON
Resentment tends to linger
When roguish rivals zing her:
As Hilly pouts,
Her hubby spouts
And wags his index finger.