Anna Quindlen on HRC...The Highest Road

[CaliforniaPeggy]

It can still be a victory lap even if you don't win. Hillary Clinton should be thinking about her legacy, and how best to use it.

On his last night as president of the United States, Bill Clinton issued a pardon for a man named Marc Rich. Later Clinton would write a long op-ed piece on the reasons, but the reason seemed obvious to observers: the fugitive financier was what just plain folks call stinking rich, and his ex-wife had given nearly a half-million dollars to Clinton's presidential library. Even the president's customary allies did not find it in their hearts to jusify his action. Yet in some way the pardon was an apt coda to an administration that seemed to veer from constructive to self-destructive so often that the American people developed whiplash.

The Family and Medical Leave Act, and Monica Lewinsky. The elimination of the deficit, and the Rich pardon. The supremely eloquent speaker, and the man who said, "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is." Bill giveth, Bill taketh away, mainly from his own reputation. A presidency with an ace domestic agenda somehow became a dizzying slip-and-slide that made you want to scream:

Legacy, legacy, legacy, legacy, legacy.

It never seemed likely that the highly disciplined Hillary Rodham Clinton would require the same message. But now it's her turn.

In recent weeks Senator Clinton has gone down a dark road from a Democratic perspective. Whether embracing a bogus gas-tax break, vowing to "totally obliterate" Iran if it goes after Israel or noting that hardworking white folks like her better than her black opponent, she seemed to be running a tutorial in Karl Rove 101, the Republican primer of diversion, aggression and division. Behind all this was clearly a means/ends argument: she would do what she needed to do to win, and then later do the right thing. The problem is that usually by the end, you've become the means.

The rest of the article at the link:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/137511/page/1

[grantcart]

1. the dark road just got darker

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Sadly, it did...

[dchill]

3. And, hopefully, much shorter.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. I am very hopeful for that as well.

[FARAFIELD]

4. I guess Anna Piece meant something else Yesterday

Before Hillary "assissCACA" moment

[The Straight Story]

6. kick for you my friend (nt)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. My dear Straight Story!

Thank you so much!

:pals:

[WA98296]

7. ..." by the end, you've become the means" Wow, so true.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. I believe Anna Quindlen nails it...

Thanks for participating!

[Berry Cool]

16. That's the most eloquent line in the whole piece.

The sad song of everyone who felt they had a truly valuable relationship with someone else, to the point where they gave and gave and gave...only to realize in the end that nothing was being given back, that they were only being used.

[AtomicKitten]

9. It breaks my heart as a Democrat.

I once adored the Clintons, but this ... it's too much.

I have gone from being furious to just sad. Sad for the party. Sad for the nation. :(

We need to reach down and reclaim our mission statement as Democrats.

I hope the Clintons heed your wise advice.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. It breaks my heart as well...

I suspect HRC is beyond any good advice now, unfortunately...

This is really what's needed:

We need to reach down and reclaim our mission statement as Democrats.

I thank you!

[Pierre.Suave]

11. Rec'd for common sense

Something desperately needed around here recently...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. My dear jasonc...

I always want to spread the light, and not the heat...

Anna Quindlen really came to my rescue today!

Thank you...

[Pierre.Suave]

14. Thank you Peggy

for this common sense post. I hope it does not get lost in the storm.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

15. Well, since it made the Greatest Page...

More people will see it...

We do what we can, don't we?

Thanks for helping me get there!

:hug:

[AtomicKitten]

17. maybe this will help

:kick:

:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

22. Thank you for the kick, my dear AtomicKitten!

That was very sweet of you...:hug:

[ekwhite]

27. Keep spreading the light, Peggy, keep spreading the light

"It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." - Eleanor Roosevelt

[Number23]

29. Hear, hear....

Something desperately needed around here recently...

Thought this bit very insightful:

"Who believed the woman would be the one to snag the support of working-class men? Who realized her gender wouldn't seem a bit historic to young people reared on equal opportunity? Who knew the money would go to her newbie opponent despite her network of contacts and her lifetime in the political trenches? And who thought the progressive feminist with the Ivy League credentials would ever take a campaign detour in which her slogan might as well have been "the candidate of white folks who believe despite all evidence to the contrary that the other guy is a Muslim"?"

[tabasco]

18. OT - how can a post with 20 "recs" have only 10 "views?"

Is there something wrong with the DU software or am I stupid, or both? :dunce:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

20. My dear tabasco!

None of your ideas apply!

We were at Level 2 for awhile, and during that time, no views are recorded!

That's why!

For awhile, my thread had more recs than comments as well!

:hi:

[tabasco]

23. Thank you.

I figured it was something like that. :hi:

[Raster]

19. And somewhere Laura Bush* is just as giddy as a schoolgirl....

...a schoolgirl that just ran over her ex-boyfriend. 'cause the more they talk about Hillary, the less they talk about George. Maybe, just maybe, Pickles and Goober can slip out the back of 1600 and make it to Highland Park without the torch and pitchfork crowd catching on.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. Indeed!

I think we won't be distracted from them too long...;-)

[kath]

24. I LURVE Anna Quindlen -- she has such an amazing way with words.

I've admired her columns for years - so many good ones, and on so many diverse topics. IMHO, if you don't read her regularly, you should. Columns on her house being a Barbie-free zone, on abortion and teen pregnancy, on reading - "I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves". She had a good column a few months back on the age issue re McCain. The column she wrote after Andrea Yates drowned her kids was incredible: http://www.fact.on.ca/news/news0107/nw010702.htm

I haven't read any of her fiction, but she has published several books of her columns, and they are all gems. She also wrote one called "How Reading Changed My Life".

[Hissyspit]

25. CalPeg makes the front page!

Cool.

[ekwhite]

26. Thanks for bringing forward that great essay

Anna Quindlen is right - it is time for Hillary Clinton to think of the legacy of her campaign. Is being compared to Ralph Nader what she wants?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

28. You're welcome!

I wonder if she has even given it a moment's thought, what with her involvement in the presidential race.

[liberaltrucker]

30. The Clinton "legacy" is toast

It didn't have to be that way, but they chose the dark side of politics.
History will not judge them kindly. I once had great respect and admiration
for Bill. He was THE Mr President. No more. I wish they wound just go
the fuck away, I'm sad to say.

On a lighter note: :hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

31. Back atcha, sweetie...

I agree, regretfully.

And Anna has put it so well!

:hi:

[defendandprotect]

32. HRC has destro yed her future in politics ---

I hope she's opposed by a stronger non-DLC female candidate for her Senate seat ---

What we do know about HRC is that given the option of the high road or the low road, HRC
always takes the low road ---

HRC will not be remembered in this campaign with anything but disdain ---

[RainDog]

33. nice one Ms C-P

thanks

[CaliforniaPeggy]

34. You're welcome, my dear RainDog...

[BayjanDem]

35. Great article

Thanks for posting. I believe Hillary will fix this, and in the end both her and Bill will be fine.

[BigAnth]

36. K&R

Excellent analysis and insights. Thanks for posting this.