Hating Hillary in the Marketplace
Two and a half years ago, I did a post on this blog entitled "Why do They Hate Hillary Clinton so Much?", in which I pondered the bizarre and frothing hatred that many on the rightwing feel toward Hillary. It goes far beyond disagreement with her policies or dislike of her positions - for a certain minority of this country, the mere mention of her name (or the corruptions of it they prefer, such as Hildabeast or Hitlery) provokes an uncontrollable reaction. It's like projectile vomiting of vitriol, and for those of us who are relatively neutral in our feelings about the Junior Senator from New York, it's kind of sick and fascinating to watch.
Every now and then, I still get comments on that post - two and a half years later, random right-wingers google "hate hillary clinton" and find my site. Kinda creepy, huh?
Yesterday, I received an email from someone about "10 Ways to Buy Hillary" - a funny and bizarre exploration of the many attempts to make money off of this odd flashpoint in certain reptilian brains. How sick do you need to be to want to have your own Hillary urinal screen?
Take a few minutes and go see the rest of the products. While I suppose I should be more seriously upset that someone - anyone - thinks that a Hillary pet chew toy is a product worthy of marketing, I suspect that the purveyors of items like this have an even lower opinion of the rightwing intellect than I do . . .
Labels: Hillary Clinton
posted by Dan at 6/26/2007 06:12:00 AM
22 Comments:
Oh c'mon, that urinal screen is pretty funny.
I suspect that this is the same phenomenon that leads people to hate anyone in pop culture. There have been irrational haters of lots of peopel on the other side as well (GHWB, Bob Dole, Gingrich, etc.)
It's actually pretty flattering. It takes a lot of emotional investment and energy to hate someone.
Good question? Do you think it's as simple as the fact that Clinton was an effective and popular president? Although the frothing about both of them seemed to ratchet up right after the election; fear?
I'm no hater, but I do find her more worth of derision than Paul McCartney.
The Hillary haters are obviously threatened by her. I think they fear her because
(1) She represents "government as the answer" - "people are not responsible for what they do, and disadvantaged and poor people are victims". Hillary-haters believe that affluence comes to those who work hard and are "chosen". Hillary-haters beleive if you're poor, it's because you deserve to be. They feel that Hillary will reward people that are, ultimately, damned -- because they're lazy, dumb, or don't live they way they should.
(2) They think she will allow minorities a strong voice, that will drown out the voices of the anglo-majority that currently runs the country.
(3) To the Hillary-haters she represents to antithesis of the male father figure.
After all, let' profile the Hillary-haters - they'e ALL white, predominantly very anglo and want a strong father figure in government.
90% of them are evangelical Christians, probably, because they worship what they perceive to be a male, dominant, absolutist father-figure God. That goes for women too(white women, that is) lots of women want a "father" figure in office as well. And they fear becoming a white minority.
I'll guarantee you that every female that still supports Bush is a Hillary-hater, because they desire what they perceive to be a strong father figure as President.
Note - I'm not a big fan of Hillary, but for different reasons :o)
I think there are a couple of other reasons. People who have talked with her one on one often like her, but in public she projects a very closed, "I'm not going to let you know who I am" persona and often comes off as a cold, strident power hungry person. Her husband came off as a warm, gregarious sort. He may have been more power hungry, but if so, he didn't show it. She may be just as warm and friendly one on one, but in public, she doesn't show it.
Hillary has also shown a real affinity for morphing her views into whatever appears helpful to get her elected. Combine a lack of a truly definable "vision" other than pragmatism with the cold hearted b***** persona and that scares the crap out of people.
FWIW, the best thing that can happen for the Repubs is for Hillary to get the nomination. There is no other Dem candidate that will mobilize the conservative base like Hillary. I think the Repubs would have to nominate GWB (who is inelible to be pres again) in order to lose to Hillary. However, GWB has done enough damage to public confidence in the Repubs, that the Dems may well win the presidency if they run anyone other than Hillary.
Anon - I agree with all of your points, andmost of them are why I don't think Hillary is electable.
However, I think your points are why people won't vote for her. As for the people who spend their time actually hating her, I think there are much deeper issues....
Ummm ... my dogs had a George Bush chew toy for a while ...
Mainstream - you are SO wrong. Of all the democratic candidates, Hillary is the only one I would vote for. She is the strongest on defense (which I KNOW is the reason that a lot of Democrats hate her)and has more experience than most of the others.
I wouldn't vote at all if I had to vote for Edwards or Obama.
So what are you disagreeing with? My theories on why people hate Hillary?
Not sure where you think I'm wrong...
I think that Hillary is great. Almost every candidate in the race Repubilcan and Democrat are trying to steal her policy ideas
(ex: Health Care, Defense Spending).When it comes to knowledge and politics she dances circles around every candidate on stage; regardless of party.
She is the most commanding figure of all candidates. If anyone has been to watch the Senate they will testify that when Hillary Clinton walks in the room everyone knows it.
It cracks me up that for 15 years people have been taking shots at Hillary and Bill Clinton and for the party they have taken it on the chin and have continued to move Democrats forward. Nobody running for President, or holding elected office, can do the same for their party. I think G.W. has proven that.
Allie -
That's hilarious. Way to undercut my point!!
hey Travel, why don't you vote for Richardson in the primary, then. He's actually the most qualified out of all of them.
Pity that our elected officials are all in office because they BOUGHT their way in, not because they were the best for the job.
Anon:
" When it comes to knowledge and politics she dances circles around every candidate on stage; regardless of party. "
That was part of my point. She dances; she doesn't stand for anything other than getting herself elected.
Do you trust her?
I heard a great story about what would happen at the White House when she would walk in on conversations between Pres. Clinton and his advisers. True - everyone knew it. However, their body language demonstrated they could not wait for her to leave. It was described as a cold chill descending on the room.
There is a difference between leadership and unpleasant authoritarianism.
Mainstream: Here's what I disagree wtih inasmuch as I am an unashamed evangelical Christian, a white woman, and one who doesn't need a father figure. I don't believe I stand alone.
"90% of them are evangelical Christians, probably, because they worship what they perceive to be a male, dominant, absolutist father-figure God. That goes for women too(white women, that is) lots of women want a "father" figure in office as well. And they fear becoming a white minority.
Janet: What Richardson has going for him is a pledge to make change, such as to the health care system, without raising taxes. I admire that in him. Unfortunately, I think he's weak on defense and that's important to me.
In any event, since I am an Independent, I can't vote in the primary...but can anybody? Isn't it just a caucus thing when it comes to the presidential nominee?
You can vote in the primary. You just walk in, they ask you which party you want to vote for, and they give you that ballot. They don't check to see if you're a democrat voting democrat, you can be a democrat and vote republican or vice versa, they don't care.
just fyi.
I'm still undecided as to which party I'm going to vote for in the primary. I'd love to vote for Ron Paul.
Travelingal,
I think you can vote in the primary regardless of your party affiliation/independency. Someone else should keep me honest here.
Travel I have you pegged as a "good" conservative, in the proud tradition of Kassebaum.
But I'll still stand by my assertion that Bushies and Hillary-haters desire father figures in office by and large, espcially the evangelicals. Obviously that doesn't apply to you, and I understoofd that before I wrote that post btw..
I really don't like George Lakoff and most of what he writes, but I do agree with his assertion that we're either for Bill Cosby (nurturing father/mother) or The Terminator (arbitrary, absolutist father figure).
All of us fall in a range with those two at the extremes.
I also agree that Hillary is strong - I'd vote for her - and you're right on the Clinton's should be recognized more for what they COULD have done for the Dems.
The new democratic conservatism, which I heartily endorse, is apparent in many Clinton policies and it's too bad the Dems are so incredibly fractured (at the national level.
I just am concerned about her electability - many liberals I know don't like her...
sorry for arriving late to Hillary's party, but I think the picture on the urinal matt looks a bit like Lewinski.
Thanks for article!
Thanks for interesting article.
Glad to read articles like this. Thanks to author!
Excellent website. Good work. Very useful. I will bookmark!
Post a Comment
<< Home