Two Moments in the Press

Two events yesterday brought out emotions from the participants for public consumption. I've pondered both and come to some conclusions.

The first is the Hillary moment. She was campaigning in Portsmith, NH and was asked by a woman, Marianne Pernold Young, a freelance photographer according to the ABC News blog, "My question is very personal, how do you do it?" A wind up and pitch. Sorry, I didn't buy the performance. Her eyes were misty and her voice broke a bit but there were no waterworks going on there. No need for her to even use a hankie to dab at her eyes and compose herself. She spoke about how hard it is for her, having been given all these opportunities available in this country and now wants the country to not go 'backwards'. Then she launched into her usual I'm qualified and the others aren't lines.

See, this was all about her. She's upset the voters aren't going along with her plan to rule the world. I'm sure she is all choked up at the prospect of not having an inauguration of her own. She's remained married to a philandering, impeached, spotlight hogging husband all these years and she sold her soul for her own presidency long ago. It's been called the Clinton's 20 year plan. Him first, then her. All these years we've been told she's the smartest woman on the planet. She's tough. She's a fighter.

Then, when the early votes started going to someone else, she choked. She's upset for herself, not for the country. If it's all about the country not going backwards, after these years of the Bush presidency, then what's the problem if Obama is elected? He's more liberal than her. Liberal policies and defeatist attitudes with terror nations won't be a concern. There will be plenty of that. So, if the Dems control the Congress and the White House, like in the good old days, she should be happy about that alone, if it's not all about her. If she just has the best interests of the country in mind.

Don't you remember Bill Clinton coming out of Ron Brown's funeral, one of his cabinet members who was killed in a plane crash on a field trip to Africa, and how he went from coming out of the church service slapping backs and laughing it up with people, then seeing the cameras, went into sad, lip biting mode? This is how the Clintons live. What looks good? It's always about them. This morning the buzz is, did the Hillary emotional moment bring more voters to her? The press buys right into it, just as they planned.

If Hillary had not shown any other emotion than anger during her days in the public eyes, then she would have been given the benefit of the doubt. Yes, she's tired, stressed out and not taking good care of herself. That's a campaign. The Clinton bubble is bursting before our eyes, much sooner than any of us would have predicted. That's the surprise. Not that Hillary is a human being, albeit an unlikeable one, but that the public seems to maybe finally have had enough of them. Even Bill's appearances are said to be drawing small crowds and people leaving early due to non-interest.

For Hillary's people to say she should be cut some slack is ridiculous. You cannot claim to be tough and just as strong as the guys and then go all girly. She's not a girly woman. You can't play victim when things get tough. You can't claim to be so experienced and stand on your own yet mention that your husband, the former president, will have a strong role in your administration. You have to do it on your own.

Remember back when Pat Schroeder ran for president in the 1980's and she dropped out when she didn't gain any traction? She cried at that press conference but no one doubted her sincerity. Remember when Ed Muskie cried in NH when he ran? No one doubted his sincerity. He was ridiculed, yes, but no one doubted his emotions on display. No one doubts the sincerity of either Bush Sr or George W when they get choked up. Hillary got her wish to be in the big leagues and now she has to act like it. You can't look down your nose at women who have higher education under their belts and yet chose to stay home and raise their own children, maybe even bake a few cookies along the way, then have women realize you've done nothing but ride on the back of your own husband. She was under the delusion that women would automatically vote for her, since she's a woman. Her top advisor even said Republican women would vote for her. I'll have what he's having.

I'm waiting for the day we have a woman in the White House, as President. Just not this woman.

The second event yesterday was a press conference with Roger Clemens, the baseball star and native of Houston. He lives here. I think he has been treated badly by the press and pundits over his name appearing in the Mitchell Report on steroids in baseball. I don't know the man personally but I do know how he lives here. I know where he sends his sons to school - the two older graduated from a public high school here and the younger two go to a private school I checked out for my own son when he was their ages before choosing another private school for him - and they are a stand up family here. Lots of time devoted to their family life and to charity work in the community. None of their kids - there are 4 boys - are in trouble in the press. There has never been any scandal concerning Roger or Debbie, his wife. Roger got a lot of static when he left the Astros and went back to NYC but I could understand his pursuit of financial gain at the end of his career.

So, when his name was mentioned many times in the Mitchell Report, it was quite a surprise locally. Those still angered by his departure from the Astros were quick to believe it and say so to the local press. I was skeptical. Then when he had the press conference yesterday and was able to play a part of a conversation taped over the phone with the trainer who made the claims of injecting Roger Clemens with the steroids, well, it showed the guy did it as a quid pro quo. He was being threatened with jail himself.

I don't think highly of George Mitchell to begin with. I think he thinks way too highly of himself to begin with. I'm sure there was great pressure for the staff doing interviews to get a big name to splash in the headlines.

Guilty until proven innocent for Clemens. It's too bad he has to pursue this now. He'll be testifying before Congress. And, doesn't Congress have something a bit more pressing to do than get star players to testify about steroids? Is that what we pay them for?

Two moments in the press. One real. One not so much.