Hillary Clinton's Hair [View all]

[H2O Man]

I watched Hillary Clinton’s speech earlier today, and was quite impressed. I thought the content of her message was solid. It is easy to see why so many Democrats are supporting her campaign.

In my opinion, her delivery was good. In fact, I thought it was better than anything from the 2008 Democratic primary. A few years prior to that, I had the opportunity to watch Ms. Clinton deliver an off-the-cuff talk to a very small group of local, grass roots Democrats in the Village of Sidney, New York. Seeing her in person in that small, casual setting -- including the question-and-answer period after her talk -- was extremely impressive.

I do not think she comes across as strongly as a speaker before large, more formal settings. For example, her husband is a more talented public speaker. Yet, I’ve always much preferred her to Bill Clinton. In part, this is because I think that she is further to the left than he is; also, I think that she is more trustworthy than Bill Clinton.

I was struck by the authority that she communicated with today. As I’ve noted on this forum before, there are three types of “authority” in this context: traditional, bureaucratic, and charismatic. “Traditional” is, of course, the way things have always been done. Obviously, as the potential first female President of the United States, she doesn’t represent traditional authority. Indeed, she is prepared to make a basic change in the way that things were always done in the pas.

“Bureaucratic” refers to large systems, dealing with numerous people. It is evident that Hillary Clinton is well-versed in our state and federal systems of government. In order for anyone -- be it her or anyone else -- to institute meaningful reform in our system of government, they absolutely have to have a keen understanding of how it works. It simply cannot be otherwise.

Ms. Clinton does not have the charisma of a John F. Kennedy, a Bill Clinton, or a Barack Obama. That doesn’t mean that she is as ponderous a public presenter as, say, a Lyndon Johnson. Nor, for that matter, is she as slimy as Richard Nixon, as dull as Gerald Ford, as shallow as Ronald Reagan, or as giddy a compulsive liar as George W. Bush. She comes across as competent, well-informed, and experienced.

Although I thought it was an impressive speech, I still understand why many good Democrats and members of the Democratic Left do not support Hillary Clinton. I feel no need to discuss these at this time, as this is simply about my impressions of her speech today. Nor am I intending to join with the cheerleaders.

There is a stark difference between Ms. Clinton and any of the announced or unannounced republican candidates. I do not expect that any of them will attempt to debate the substance of her speech. Rather, they will rely upon the right-wing “press” to attack her for non-issues, such as her hair style or outfit. Considering the pathetic cast of characters their party has to offer, I suppose that is about all they’ve got.