Hillary and the Woman Thing

[Loisenman]

December 23, 2007
Intuition In Depth: Bridging Science and Spirituality

Like everyone else I have trouble, at least at one level, I'm imagining this country collecting a woman president. I certainly like the idea. Hillary might make an excellent president, but she is a little too bright, too full of high notes and exudes too little feeling for me. I prefer subtlety and depth. After eight agonizing years of putting up with George Bush and his pseudo-Texan act, I what our president to be someone highly unlikely to ever, ever, grate on me.

What I find so interesting about the Hillary situation is that it is very likely that a moment of public vulnerability got her elected to the Senate and started her career in public office. In her first Senate race, her opponent Rick Lazio was giving her a good fight; they were even in the polls. A lightweight Republican, who seemed he would do anything to win, he came over to her podium in one of the debates and aggressively demanded that she sign a no soft-money pledge. (He meanwhile was benefiting from a lot of anti-Clinton advertising from Republicans.) She responded to this invasion of her space by looking very vulnerable, human, and un-slick. I found myself really liking and respecting her in that moment. I am convinced that instant of emotional honesty turned the tide, and for what it is worth a number of commentators agreed.

I've heard on network news---which I sometimes catch snippets of at the gym---that Hillary has been trying to show her softer side. I haven't seen the actual clips of her appearances I have to admit. However I suspect that this means being folksy, down-home, and open hearted. I think all these things are fine and I don't think she should stop, but this is not what I really want from her. Nor am I suggesting that she go out of her way to express vulnerability. However along with the vulnerability in that pivotal encounter in her first Senate race came a moment of Presence. I felt I glimpsed her strength of character as well as humanness as never before. Yes experiencing---never mind showing---that vulnerability is probably something that only a woman would do. But the sense of Presence and essential humanness that came with it got her an elected position her own. Besides being smart and politically savvy, isn't this sense of Presence what we want from our leaders, men or women. With it, good leaders become statesmen and stateswomen; they inspire us. If I got to see more of it and less shiny persona from Hillary, I would I would not hesitate to vote for her. I would even work enthusiastically to help elect her as the first woman President of the United States

'Snip'

Several weeks later: Hillary probably now has my backing. It was not her moment in the diner in New Hampshire, which didn't really impress me that much---probably too down home and folksy for me. Instead it was the picture of her that appears at the very end of the following ad. http://intuition-indepth.blogspot.com/2007/12/hillary-and-woman-thing.html">Read more