The Unbearable Glamour of Hillary Clinton

[n2doc]

Her husband ran on reliability and charisma, two skills she notably lacks. So can Hillary’s one-percent charm win over voters?
It was the photo that launched a thousand memes: then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, sitting aboard a military aircraft, casually reading her phone from behind dark sunglasses. The picture, taken as Clinton flew to Libya in 2012 just a few short months before the horrific Benghazi attacks, undoubtedly exudes cool. I admit that though I’m no fan of Clinton, even I found the photo to be glamorous at the time.

In Virginia Postrel’s phenomenal book The Power of Glamour, she notes that glamour has the power to persuade us to make purchases—and cast votes—by tapping into our longings for something better and the hope we can reach there. President Obama ran his campaign fueled by the three elements she identifies as the pillars of glamour: a bit of mystery, a sense of ease, and the promise of escape to an aspirational future. We weren’t 100 percent sure where he stood, but he made running for president look easy and promised us hope and change.

Not all campaigns try to use glamour to their advantage, of course; Postrel notes that Bill Clinton’s campaigns in the 1990s were rooted in charisma rather than glamour, and she defines the concepts quite differently. Charisma is captured by “he feels my pain.” Glamour, instead, asks “isn’t he incredible?”

But to put it mildly, charisma has never been Hillary’s strong suit. Even if her campaign pushes the “Grandmother-in-Chief” narrative full strength, there’s the inevitable reality that Hillary Clinton exists in a point-oh-one percent bubble and has for decades. Last year, she said she hadn’t even driven a car since 1996. Being genuinely folksy and relatable will not be easy; being glamorous and aspirational may be her best or only path.

So then: can Hillary pull off glamour for the long haul? Consider Postrel’s three elements: mystery, ease, and the promise of a better future.

more

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/02/10/the-unbearable-glamour-of-hillary-clinton.html

[HereSince1628]

2. I'd prefer a person with CLASS rather than Glamour...but neither may matter

more to the corporatist side of the party and the big money people making donations than HRC's tenure as a member of WalMart's board of directors.

[Thinkingabout]

8. Do you know what she did while on the board of Walmart?

Serving on a board of directors is not a negative thing. While she was there she pushed for women getting promoted and she pushed for the "Buy America" program which Walmart was running at the time, since she has left the board Walmart does not push to buy American products. Maybe there are women who are very happy for their promotions they received during this time.

[HereSince1628]

9. Did I say she did anything negative? HRC has conscientiously constructed a resume

and her experience it is going to appeal to Wall Streeters.


I'm not a fan of corpo-dem policy, but my point is rather than glamour, or class, she is perfectly positioned for that side of the party.

[HappyMe]

3. When I think Hillary Clinton,

the last thing I think is 'glamour'. No charisma either.

[enough]

4. Truly. (nt)

[djean111]

5. No, no, and no.

[hobbit709]

6. No, no, and HELL no!

[hedgehog]

7. Good article well worth reading.

[hifiguy]

10. Should read "The Unbearable Hillary Clinton"

NO MOrE corporatist/Turd Way austerity and militarism.

[HappyMe]

13. Yeah, but...but...cool sunglasses.

Glamour!

[Beacool]

11. I object to the term "glamour" because it makes her sound like some dilettante.

Hillary Clinton is one of the hardest working people in politics. Anyone who's ever worked with her can attest to that fact. Even people who tried to impeach her husband learned to respect her when she became a Senator. As SOS she prepared so well that she knew minutiae that impressed local authorities in countries she visited. If elected president I think that she would continue to do the same as she has done in every job she's held; initially keeping a low profile and absorbing as much knowledge as she could about every issue involved in the performance of her duties.

To the chagrin of her detractors, Hillary has become a worldwide icon, particularly to girls and women. But, as a person, she's a private individual (similar to Obama in some respects). She doesn't need people around her like Bill does. I bet that she would laugh if someone showed her this article, I doubt that she sees herself as glamorous.

[cherokeeprogressive]

12. "Being genuinely folksy..."

[hifiguy]

14. HRC genuinely folksy???

Like that line from "The Candidate" went "once you can learn to fake sincerity you've got it made."

Jeebus.

[cherokeeprogressive]

15. "I ain't no ways tarred" is what I think she said to an ethnic group.

Had she been with her peers it would have been something like "I'm feeling amazingly refreshed!"

Genuinely folksy my ass.