Is America's Evita Crying?

"Don't cry for me...(fill in the blank)"





Today's "big news" on the campaign trail is Hillary Clinton choking up at a public meeting when asked by a supporter how she manages to fight on-or something like that. In her long answer, Hillary, her voice breaking, rambled on about how she wants so much to fix the problems this country is facing and ......"boo-hoo-hoo".
So now all the pundits are debating whether this was real or contrived and whether this incident will help or hurt her.

First of all, I didn't see any tears, so it may just be one of those "break downs" we are used to seeing on Barbara Walters interviews.

If, in fact, she was on the verge of crying, the question is why? Is it because she is so sad to see the direction our country is going-as she said? Well, I doubt that. Hillary Clinton is made of tougher stuff than that. It has nothing to do with "the Children".

Is it because she is simply tired from the demands of the never-ending campaign? Sure, that is a distinct possibility when the campaign is not going well. If that is the case, should we just chalk it up to her being a woman (more subject to displays of emotion)and let it slide? Could be. (All you feminists, save your cards and letters.) Should this make us less inclined to elect a woman as Commander-in Chief? Not in my view, not after seeing Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi and Golda Meir. No-America is ready for a woman in the White House, just as the country is ready for a black president. But it depends on who.

In my view, if Hillary truly was getting emotional-and I'm not convinced that this wasn't contrived-then I would say she is upset over her own faltering dreams of being president. This has apparently been something she has been aiming for ever since her husband first ran for president. Up to now, everything has run like clockwork. From First Lady, she became Senator from New York-even though she wasn't from New York. When she announced for president, the conventional thinking was that the nomination was hers. She was "entitled". It would be a coronation (the nomination). Ever since Mrs Clinton burst upon the political scene, I have felt that she was an American version of Eva Peron (Evita), Argentina's vain-glorious first lady, who, had she not died prematurely, probably would have become its president.

Then came Obama-the ultimate "Johnny come lately". He is taking it all away from Mrs Clinton. As it stands now, Hillary is seeing the whole house crashing down on her head. It hurts. And I will wager that the stress and strain is being shown in other ways behind the scenes. Do you doubt for a minute that she is probably screaming and swearing at her staff members and Secret Service protection?

Anyway, let's not let two states convince us that Obama has it locked down. There is a long way to go. But if so many Democratic voters are turned off (finally) by Clinton, what does that tell you about her chances in a general election nationwide?

I don't plan to vote for Obama in the general election, but I sure am enjoying his success. And there is no need to cry for Mrs Clinton. She may be many things, but she is nobody's victim.