Picking on Hillary Clinton while she’s down may seem cruel and unnecessary. But it will also be fun, so let’s do it anyway! On Monday’s episode of Late Night with Conan O’Brien, fashion maven Tim Gunn appeared. Most women know Tim Gunn as the amiable presence at the center of “Project Runway;” most men know him as the
amiable presence at the center of that annoying reality show that their wives are addicted to. Sitting next to O’Brien, Gunn assessed the fashion sense of a certain lagging presidential contender. His commentary was withering:
I found Gunn’s observations made a nice pair with a front page Boston Globe story from yesterday titled, “Clinton’s Struggle Vexes Feminists.” Granted, feminists are often easily vexed, but their vexation over Hillary’s struggles is noteworthy for its especially out-of-touch with reality characteristics:
“Hyper-substantive?” Because she’s spent seven years in the senate? Then what term would one use to describe Hillary’s erstwhile competitors in the presidential race, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden, who between them have spent a combined 70+ years in the senate (although it’s felt like longer*)? Mega-gigantour-super-hyper-substantive? And just for the record, precisely what massive “stylistic abilities” has Clinton eschewed emphasizing? See Tim Gunn’s comments for instruction in that regard. If we’re supposed to accept the notion that Hillary’s career truly is hyper-substantive, then we have to believe that she came by her hyper-substantiveness by dint of her spouse. I thought that was the kind of thing that feminists didn’t like, viewing wives as mere appendages to their husbands. But the times I guess are changing. Besides, if Hillary were really “hyper-substantive,” the race wouldn’t have boiled down to who gives the best speech. But where does she have substance that Obama doesn’t? Specifically, what policies does she propose that Obama opposes? Combining Gunn’s comments with the Globe‘s report on feminist anguish, it’s safe to say that Hillary’s lack of fabulousness combined with her lack of real substance have doomed her campaign. *Joke stolen from James Taranto HT: Mary Katharine Ham for the Tim Gunn footage
