I don't know if I'm being overly sensitive today or what, but I'm really blown away by all the attention Senator Clinton is getting for her less-than-stellar rendition of our national anthem. I never in a hundred years would have ever thought that I would find myself defending her against Rush Limbaugh, but today I'm going to have to do just that.
And it's not just Rush. Yes, he gleefully opened each hour of the program today by playing the audio from Iowa. As I got into the car at the beginning of Sean Hannity's second hour, I noticed he was opening with it. But I'm sure they were just two of hundreds of conservative pundits across the country getting a kick out of the fact that Mrs. Clinton can't sing. Not a lick. And to be fair, it's probably getting a lot of air time from those not claiming to be conservative at all. I'm sure it will make the late night talk show rounds and get lots of laughs. But that's not the point.
I have several problems with focusing on Mrs. Clinton's lack of musical ability. First and foremost, one's singing voice is completely irrelevant to whether or not one is qualified to run the country. Senator Clinton is trying to be the next President of the United States. I feel so strongly that this would be a disaster for our country that I don't want anything to detract from debating her on the issues. By making fun of her in this incredibly unnecessary way, the image of conservatism is diminished each and every time it's played. We become what she has always accused us of being, mean-spirited, right-wing conspirators engaging in the politics of personal destruction. It pains me to even have to write this down.
I know some of you are thinking that I should lighten up. That it's just funny. I might agree with that if the stakes weren't so high. We can't afford to give Mrs. Clinton ammunition the next time she doesn't want to answer a hard question. By embarassing her in this way, thousands of women across the country will feel the need to take up for her and might be willing to give her a break on something that really matters. She'll be able to fall back on the crutch of being a victim of the right-wing attack machine and avoid facing the hard issues that must be addressed.
Hillary Clinton is on the campaign trail. She is already lying about her record. She's already beating the drum of "if I had known then what I know now, I'd have never voted to get into this mess." We're going to have to hear her bash our President unceasingly for the next two years. We have to focus on her policy, her core beliefs and her plans for the future of this nation.
So Rush, grow up. Don't ever make me defend this woman again. It's just not natural.
And it's not just Rush. Yes, he gleefully opened each hour of the program today by playing the audio from Iowa. As I got into the car at the beginning of Sean Hannity's second hour, I noticed he was opening with it. But I'm sure they were just two of hundreds of conservative pundits across the country getting a kick out of the fact that Mrs. Clinton can't sing. Not a lick. And to be fair, it's probably getting a lot of air time from those not claiming to be conservative at all. I'm sure it will make the late night talk show rounds and get lots of laughs. But that's not the point.
I have several problems with focusing on Mrs. Clinton's lack of musical ability. First and foremost, one's singing voice is completely irrelevant to whether or not one is qualified to run the country. Senator Clinton is trying to be the next President of the United States. I feel so strongly that this would be a disaster for our country that I don't want anything to detract from debating her on the issues. By making fun of her in this incredibly unnecessary way, the image of conservatism is diminished each and every time it's played. We become what she has always accused us of being, mean-spirited, right-wing conspirators engaging in the politics of personal destruction. It pains me to even have to write this down.
I know some of you are thinking that I should lighten up. That it's just funny. I might agree with that if the stakes weren't so high. We can't afford to give Mrs. Clinton ammunition the next time she doesn't want to answer a hard question. By embarassing her in this way, thousands of women across the country will feel the need to take up for her and might be willing to give her a break on something that really matters. She'll be able to fall back on the crutch of being a victim of the right-wing attack machine and avoid facing the hard issues that must be addressed.
Hillary Clinton is on the campaign trail. She is already lying about her record. She's already beating the drum of "if I had known then what I know now, I'd have never voted to get into this mess." We're going to have to hear her bash our President unceasingly for the next two years. We have to focus on her policy, her core beliefs and her plans for the future of this nation.
So Rush, grow up. Don't ever make me defend this woman again. It's just not natural.
3 comments:
Listen, everything she does is calculated - most likely right down to this little stunt. She knows exactly how long to wait in between appearances, how far to distance herself from her husband, etc. Haven't seen him on the campaign trail much, have we? Will he paint her as the victimized wife? I doubt it!
Well, I mostly agree with this one. It's infantile for the pundits to make fun of her singing (though she had to know it was coming when she did it). I don't necessarily associate it with all conservatives, though -- I just chalk it up to Rush Limbaugh being an on-air jerk (he does get people talking, doesn't he?). This one, however, strikes me as far less mean-spirited and borderline evil than the whole fake madrassah story he made up last week. How that's not just slander, I don't know, but I'm no lawyer.
Anyway, I agree that we need to focus on the candidates' policies and viewpoints; not their singing ability. I do think the good Senator puts a kindly spin (a benign interpretation) on her voting record and postion regarding the Iraq invasion. She voted for it because it was the politically expedient and popular position at the time. Now, when the mood is far less charitable, she's been misled. I'm not sure how long that dance will hold up, even with the Democrats. FYI, see http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16861422 for an interesting observation of her recent trip.
Anyway, it's still way too early for me to decide, but I'm still looking for someone else to step up. Like her or not, Senator Clinton so far is running the most professional and serious campaign, and the Clintons are not to be taken lightly. They are both brilliant political strategists, and they have some top-notch folks on her campaign staff. If there's a better candidate out there, it's time to show up. Game on...(*sigh*)
Well, now you're going to make me defend Rush. You can't say that he "made up" the madrassah story. That was the work of Insight magazine.
Yes, Rush commented on the story, but only in the context of it being out there. He in no way suggested that Obama actually did attend a madrassah. He was much more interested in the idea that Hillary would have already been doing some smear work, and he posited that she would most likely try to do it and then blame conservatives for it.
His other point was that the media was getting hysterical over the fact that this story was put out using "unnamed sources," which is really kind of a joke. This happens, literally, all the time. But when it's against somebody on their side, it just ain't right.
Here's a link to the transcript of Rush talking about this if you're interested: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_012207/content/truth_detector.member.html
But didn't you like that I purposefully called her Senator Clinton? That was all for you, baby.
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