Letter to the Editor
First of all, Hillary would make a good President. She’s seen government work (and not work) from more angles than any other candidate, and such a resume enables a President to get things done. Another Hillary advantage is her ability to be effective when unpopular. President-bashing is a time-honored tradition in this nation, and many of our greatest leaders have spent years at the bottom of the polls. When Hillary says that she’s prepared for character assassination (three anti-Hillary books are due out before Election Day), she speaks from experience. A leader who knows how to stay focused amidst a chorus of Hate Talk is a good thing to have.
Oh, but she can’t win. It’s impossible. It’s there in the numbers. No way, no how, and here’s why:
When it comes to Hillary, there are no “undecideds.” Americans have had more than a decade to make up their minds about her, and they have. There is no rock to dig under to find hidden Hillary supporters. For years, Hillary fans have been lined up with their hands on their hearts and their checkbooks. This means, of course, that Hillary-haters are also well-practiced, and are itching for a national forum on which to spread their poison. A Hillary candidacy is a made-to-order opportunity for every Limbaugh wannabe to triple his audience.
Here is the sad fact: Men will not vote for Hillary Clinton. For men in this country Hillary-bashing is what you do with your buddies when there’s no football on TV. It’s been that way since New Kids on the Block were the new kids on the block. Why don’t men like Hillary? It’s a little late for that discussion. Suffice to say that there is no way Hillary can become President without at least some men voting for her, and they don’t. They won’t. I’m a guy. I’ve entered the sacrosanct football room with the locals and pled my cause: “What’s the big deal about a woman President? Look at Indira Gandhi, Golda Meyer, Maggie Thatcher.” (Insert crotch-scratching blank stare here).
Am I exaggerating? Take your own poll. Ask a handful of the men in your town, “Would you vote for Hillary Clinton?” The answers you get will not be suitable for the ears of children.
People debate today’s big question: Is America more ready for a woman President or a black President? The answer is a black President. We know this because Hillary’s national, cross-party numbers don’t really change, and they haven’t in years. She will lose.
Here is one sad example why: Recently, John McCain held a fund raiser in Arizona, a woman came forward, and asked, “How do we beat the bitch?” The attendees cackled along with McCain, as he guffawed shamelessly at the expense of his colleague, a woman whom he frequently claims to respect. Yes, there is something about Hillary that brings out the inner trailer-park in every Republican.
Now imagine if the target of that slur had been Obama, imagine if the Eminem family member who offered the initial epithet had used the “N” word. McCain and his boys would have packed up and left the fund-raiser, with the joker who was only trying to be clever, watching them depart in shock, thinking “b-word, n-word, what’s the difference?”
Apparently, there is a difference. You can call Hillary “menopausal” and get a good laugh around the office, but you try something similar about Obama, and the room would turn silent. Even Republicans (outside The South) recognize that insinuations about race are beyond the pale, but it’s still OK to bash women. Why is that?
The answer to that question deserves its own book, but I do think this: Hillary cannot win a national election. It’s not fair, but it’s true. If she becomes the Democratic nominee, John McCain will be the next President of the USA.
Mr. Gerald Crumb
Dallas Texas
