Contrarian by nature, this sentiment probably doesn’t surprise my friends. Just keep in mind, I was against Hillary running back in 2008. I wasn’t swayed by Bernie fever or decide to rally against Trump. I don’t think Hillary Clinton is a good choice for president of the United States. Just as much a criminal as our current president when it comes to shady financial dealings, she got a chance to meddle on the national level back in the 90s and has been stalking the presidency like a ticking crocodile ever since. That’s just the first reason I’m glad she didn’t win, chronologically speaking.
There was a political vacuum forming after the Bush, Jr. era. All during her husband’s two terms she was continually referred to the real person in charge of that power couple. She built him up from an Arkansas fella into one of our most charismatic presidential candidates ever. Everyone could see it. The fact he had relations with interns was the least questionable part of their moral fiber. After such a rousing success as First Lady, Hillary knew that post-Bush America was ready for a shocking change. A logical power player to make a bid for the throne, this was her chance to be the first woman president in American history. I’m sure she still salivates at the thought. One unforeseen wrench in her plan – Obama.
Turns out building up charismatic men for the nation to fall in love with isn’t just for white ladies anymore. Hillary didn’t even seen him coming and she didn’t back down without a fight for the 2008 nomination. Behind closed doors I imagine her slamming hands on tables and screaming things like, “I bought this with my blood, sweat and tears and I’ll be damned if I’m losing it to another MAN.” Very dramatic and mostly heartfelt. Except I don’t hear a fight for womankind in her words, just plain selfishness. There’s also a chance her word choice was less chaste. I don’t know her personally but most of the middle-aged rich white women I’ve met are less than PG when they don’t get their way.
I’m sadistically pleased by her failure and when all that stock in the Democratic party didn’t pay off, I breathed a sigh of relief. My opinions about Barack non-withstanding, I’m not enthused by the idea of Hillary as the most important public figurehead for the US of A. I simply can’t accept Mrs. Clinton as my representative. She achieved her status by being smart and I don’t take that away. However, she used marriage to get into the system. She manipulated circumstances to accelerate her career and played the part of a good wife the entire time. She didn’t get to her position fighting for feminism along the way. She played the white man’s game and then got beat by a switch hitter.
Even when she bowed out to Obama, I imagine she held the vain assumption she’d definitely go up next. And that’s exactly how it was playing out, for a while. Then the whole kerfuffle with Bernie happened. And then Trump. It was sickening to watch, a Machiavellian plot playing out with the darkness of Lynch and hyperbolic flare of Tarantino. Not as devastating as the Challenger. Not as horrific as 9/11. And yet, a tragedy that will resonate for decades. Liberals and conservatives alike dismayed and shocked. Minorities and the underprivileged fearing for their personal rights and autonomy. Amidst it all, a lone blonde politician stands forgotten, the first female nominated by a major party that somehow managed to ostracize her way into ultimate defeat.
It’s not the outcome I expected and certainly not what I would have chosen but personally, I’m content. Still optimistic I’ll see a woman elected president in my lifetime, hopefully it’ll be a lady that encapsulates the ideals of feminism and rallies pink hats toward positive change. Not someone’s wife playing an old man’s game after clawing her way out of the cesspool that is 20th century American politics. If we’re lucky it’ll be a dual female ticket, though the idea seems unlikely. I mean, their periods would totally sync up and the resulting PMS would destroy our nation, right?