LYRC - Hillary Clinton

I've often argued that if Hillary Clinton made a presidential run, she'd lose because Republicans simply hated her way too much. While I still believe that GOP hatred for Hillary is profound, incomprehensible and limitless, I no longer think that her aspirations are doomed as a result. (After all, galvanized hatred for Bush among liberals didn't stop him from becoming president). In fact, I think that circumstances could actually be working in her favor. Republicans have transformed media outlets (cable chat shows, op-ed columns, talk radio, et al.) into their own personal fiefdoms – they are the mainstream media; yet they continue to insist that they are providing an "alternative" to a fictive liberal media. In so positioning themselves, they have created forums where opinion and news are blurred, where demagoguery (as well as racism, homophobia & sexism) is redefined and defended as "entertainment". In this environment, right-wing media personalities have a long and infamous record of slandering and defaming Hillary for sport. Simply put, they are highly prone to make comments about Hillary that are extremely sexist and offensive. All things being equal, that's fine. Hell, it's the American way. But it's hard to imagine that such rhetoric will sit well with right-wing's brand new audience: the mainstream.

Peggy Noonan, Dick Morris and others have written entire books about how terrible Hillary is. Of course, these books mainly focus on ephemeral and subjective assertions about her personality. (In Noonan's case, much of what she's written about Hillary is literally and intentionally fictional). Have these books swayed public opinion? Not if getting elected to the U.S. Senate is any measure of public opinion. For all their disdain for Hillary, there's actually very little – if anything – on which they can hang their ideological hat. Hillary is being discussed with increasing frequency as a potential frontrunner in 2008, and the rhetoric from the right is stuttering and bereft of substance. When they're not making a mockery of her gender, they have surprisingly little to say.

Personally, I know of nothing that should prevent Hillary from running for – or becoming – President of the United States. I could be wrong. But if she ultimately decides to run, I'll take her as-yet-unread autobiography off my bookshelf and see what's inside. It's all academic, however, because we all know that a gay penguin would be a better President than the current occupant of the White House.

ADDENDUM: Here is an excellent example of how Hillary breaks the rules to win at any cost. Her soul is clearly wicked, and this evidence is as damning as any you're likely to find.