In a moment of graciousness, Barack Obama made a rather charitable comment regarding Hillary Clinton last night:
I realize that in this particular campaign, Obama has to summon the graciousness of two candidates since he can hardly count on any similar acts from his foreboding dance partner. Nevertheless, this is nonsense on stilts. Hillary Clinton only became the Democratic frontrunner because she married a guy who became president. Really, is that the message that we want to send to our daughters? There’s no telling how far you can go as long as you marry the right fella? The Democratic party has long tried to make Hillary Clinton something she isn’t. What makes this ritual particularly absurd at this political moment is that the Democrats have a female politician who has achieved great things all by her lonesome. Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House based on merit and the respect she had earned from her colleagues. Hillary Clinton perhaps could have built a similar career. Ted Kennedy, in spite of having the country’s most famous surname, made a name for himself by dint of his work in the senate. Hillary Clinton instead premised her political future on her husband’s political past. Nancy Pelosi actually broke glass ceilings. Hillary Clinton’s mercifully concluded career in presidential politics is instead yet another dispiriting reminder of how much having the right name matters even at the highest levels of power.
