Hillary Clinton: I Used to Love Her

[Stavros]

But here is my real question. How often is the word ‘charismatic’ ever applied to a woman? It’s not unusual for a woman to dominate a room, make her presence felt and draw people who will want to impress her. Men like that are charismatic. Women are alluring, sultry, attractive, sexy but are they ever called ‘charismatic’? Because of the way we understand and apply the concept, is it even possible for a woman candidate to be charismatic?

The most obvious example of charismatic women occurs in the performing arts. I can still recall the frisson of excitement and wonder I felt at a performance of Strauss's opera Elektra with Birgit Nilsson in the title role, ditto Gwyneth Jones as Brunnhilde in a Ring cycle, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf in recital, Reri Grist as Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera, and a few others. I am sure it must work like that with the best performers in rock and pop, in the sense that you go fired up for a great performance and get one, and that person commands the stage from the moment they walk on. In politics, and like her or not, Margaret Thatcher had a sort of charisma, even her opponents like me became addicted to her as if it were an exquisite punishment. There are others, such as Aung San Suu Kyi in the days when she was a political prisoner, maybe Eva Peron. There are charismatic women in politics if you look for them. Perhaps we want women to be more lovable or likable when they enter public office in a way we do not expect of men?

[Stavros]

Here's a thought, possibly a wild one as I don't know most of the Republicans on the Hill -with more and more Republicans preferring to endorse Mrs Clinton than Donald Trump, could she -if she is elected President- begin a healing process in Congress that restores a more bi-partisan decision-making process to break gridlock and petty filibustering and delaying tactics used against a Democrat President? Or will it just be 'business as usual' if the composition of Congress does not change? So much depends on the relationship a President forges with Congress, and in spite of her unpopularity in the wider country, could Hillary Clinton actually be the one person to bring both sides of Congress closer together?

[fred41]

Here's a thought, possibly a wild one as I don't know most of the Republicans on the Hill -with more and more Republicans preferring to endorse Mrs Clinton than Donald Trump, could she -if she is elected President- begin a healing process in Congress that restores a more bi-partisan decision-making process to break gridlock and petty filibustering and delaying tactics used against a Democrat President? Or will it just be 'business as usual' if the composition of Congress does not change? So much depends on the relationship a President forges with Congress, and in spite of her unpopularity in the wider country, could Hillary Clinton actually be the one person to bring both sides of Congress closer together?

Some of that also depends on her, but I hope so. The more Trump opens his mouth, the more she looks like the adult in the room. The more backing she gets from Republicans and right leaning independents, the more she can discard the diehard Sander voters.Then when election time comes and goes she can go back to the slightly left of center moderate I believe her to be.
I think Trump burned himself recently. The idiot actually got some voters who were just going to vote for Gary Johnson (I think he's polling at about 9% now) to turn around and vote for Clinton instead- to try to make absolutely sure that she will win, just in case it gets too close.

[buttslinger]

Unlike American voters, American Politicians always vote to their own best interests. The Republicans who are running from Trump started with the ones in states that were going to have tough local elections, but now you might see guys figuring out that tying their political futures to a Champion with the social maturity of a thirteen year old might come back to bite them.
Also, the Koch Bros and their buddies didn't trust Trump from Day One.
Maybe it's because they knew he couldn't win, or maybe they figure playing ball with Hillary might be a new kind of Enlightenment.
I'm going to predict Blake Shelton running for President in 2024, promising wholesome country values, after a disturbing sex tape of Hillary Clinton blowing a roomful of Wall St Strongmen is leaked.........

[Stavros]

Some of that also depends on her, but I hope so. The more Trump opens his mouth, the more she looks like the adult in the room. The more backing she gets from Republicans and right leaning independents, the more she can discard the diehard Sander voters.Then when election time comes and goes she can go back to the slightly left of center moderate I believe her to be.
I think Trump burned himself recently. The idiot actually got some voters who were just going to vote for Gary Johnson (I think he's polling at about 9% now) to turn around and vote for Clinton instead- to try to make absolutely sure that she will win, just in case it gets too close.

Thanks Fred as this is along the line I was thinking. Obama did not serve enough time in the Senate to develop bi-partisan relations with Republicans, but also fell foul of the split in the GOP which saw the Neo-Cons lose out to the TEA Party in Senate and House for whom even Neo-Cons became 'Republican In Name Only'. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton has been around long enough in the Senate and beltway politics to have both cordial relations with -some- Republicans while not being too far apart with them on policy issues. The question that cannot be answered is how the evident split in the GOP will shape up after November, for while we must assume there will be some pragmatic Republicans, some TEA Party radicals, and some Neo-Cons it remains to be seen if Trump will have brought a new kind of 'street-wise' politician into Congress. It is not just Trump refusing to endorse Paul Ryan but his failure to respond negatively to someone in the crowd at one of his rallies who, on hearing Ryan's name shouted 'Throw him over the wall' -quite radical given that Ryan would become President if Obama and Biden were suddenly not there. If this introduces a fourth column in the Republican Party in Congress, maybe we should take a cue from the split in the PLO in 1974 over those who were willing to opt for a 'two-state solution' with Israel, and those who rejected it, and thus became known as the Rejection Front. After all, whatever it is Trump argues, he seems to be against it -he rejects the polls because they are rigged; he rejects the Media because they are biased against him; he rejects the law when it doesn't resolve disputes to his advantage, and he has all but rejected the General Election result if he doesn't win because that too is rigged.

[buttslinger]

could Hillary Clinton actually be the one person to bring both sides of Congress closer together?

I'm going to say NO in the sense you're asking, Republicans despise Hillary and the ground she walks on.
In the sense that she may regain more political POWER in the House and Senate, then yeah, less gridlock, and yes, Hillary is a Machine Candidate, and a Hawk, in that sense ...She IS a Republican!
Lots of these House of Representative Members are just businessmen guys from like Oklahoma who own a big Car Dealership and have the bucks to run for office. Some others actually come to Washington with fresh bold ideas on how to change things in Washington, then they get here and the guys in the SUITS put their arm around them and walk them into the back room and EXPLAIN to them "how we do things here"
The first Black President ran things like a White College Professor, not like a "BLACK MAN" is characterized.
The first Woman President will run things like a scarred barroom brawler with balls to the floor, not like a "LADY" is characterized.
There is no Republican Leader, that's why Trump wasn't quashed from Day One.
Current events say the change at Fox News might bring light to American Politics, because they own THE EAR of a huge bloc of Republican voters. I hope after the election Bill-o retires, and you start to see the Monica Crowleys and Sean Hannitys dissapear into conservative radio, I have a dream!!
But in my opinion, the only good thing Trump will do about gridlock is blame the Republican Party for his loss, and storm back to the penthouse at Trump Tower for a relaxing massage and Melania blow-job. Never to be seen again in American Politics.
And leaving already disillusioned Republican voters even more disillusioned. Or is it more illusioned, how the hell do I know????? The bigger the picture gets the harder it is to analize.

This is a fantastic time for Democrats, gays, trannys, and guys scouring the face of the earth for smut.
That's good enough for me.
Guys like Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have hinted about the scary tunnel vision Hillary has in her contempt and hatred for the Republican Party.
That's good enough for me!!!

free picture upload

[nitron]

She really is going to win this time, no mistakes....
....

[trish]

The seargent will for his seargent's pay
Obey the captain 'til his dying day
The captain will for his captain's pay
Obey the general order of battle play
The generals bow to the government
Obey the charge you must not relent

Of course this isn't true in many places. The current government in Turkey just survived a coup, the last government in Thailand did not. One of the strength of our democracy is that the general do indeed bow to the government - of, by and for the people.

[Stavros]

Of course this isn't true in many places. The current government in Turkey just survived a coup, the last government in Thailand did not. One of the strength of our democracy is that the general do indeed bow to the government - of, by and for the people.

So if President Trump loses his temper with Iran and tells his General to 'nuke Tehran' the Four Star guy will do just that, produce the codes and the key and 'boom!'---?

[trish]

I believe the oath that a serviceman takes is to uphold the constitution, not their personal conscience, desires or greed. I do believe this is a strength rather than a weakness. Should a President attempt to short-circuit the procedures recommended therein, one would hope the Generals find a way to thwart his/her effort.

However, the US doesn't always adhere to it's own laws, or at least Presidents and Legislators have found subtle ways to interpret it to their own advantage. The Constitutions grants only to Congress the right to declare war. So ever since Korea the US partakes in police actions rather than war. One would think launching a swarm of missiles armed with nuclear warheads would be the ultimate declaration of war, yet this right apparently has been ceded to President who's ever present aide carries with him the nuclear 'football'.

It's a sad world that has produced a sufficient number of nuclear warheads to destroy itself ten times over, and the US has been the leader in the race to nuclear oblivion.