by Theresa O'Riordan

Created on: April 16, 2008

There's a video on line of Hillary Clinton "getting emotional" during an interview in a coffee shop in Portsmouth NH. Basically, she was asked how she keeps on going in the face of Obama having the lead (this interview took place in early January of this year). Clinton responded by saying something to the effect that the presidential race is not just political to her but in fact personal. I wasn't sure how to react to that statement. Naturally we would like that kind of devotion from our presidential candidates, but I wondered if anyone would question her sincerity.

Will Hillary's opponents see her as someone who was not emotional because of wanting to enact political change, but simply emotional because she fears losing? The media said she was making a desperate plea to voters. This sounds, well, desperate. Does showing emotion and breaking from a stoic pokerface make a candidate stronger or weaker? The woman who asked her the question she got "emotional" about was impressed at her personal answer and said "I think she gave us her soul". Did she? Or did she reveal a high stress level in the face of stiff competition? I really don't know the answer, but such thoughts come to mind.

I have my concerns, because after all, she is a woman. I shouldn't be so cynical as a woman myself, but I guess I have my doubts as to whether the American voters will, in the end, like the idea of a female president. I just hear comments sometimes. Even my husband, an open-minded guy, said he hears people saying that Hillary Clinton's voice on the radio reminds them of "the typical nagging wife or mother". She stands out like a sore thumb because she is a woman. I'm not saying this is fair or unfair, but that's how it is.

On 96.9 talk radio up here in Boston, (which is pretty conservative, to put it mildly), host Jay Severin talks about Clinton predominantly in order to comment on her, uh, backside. (He says it's huge. Shows what he's looking for in a female candidate.) He started out mentioning other reasons he didn't like her, but now seems to have given up and just stuck to his, uh, joking. Give me a break. Severin is very controversial but he can express his opinions in very succinct, intelligent ways. When talking about Hillary he doesn't even give her the dignity of addressing her issues anymore. He'd rather have fun commenting on her butt. While this makes rather humorous radio for the afternoon commute, the fact remains that it's kind of sad.

Time will tell what happens to Hillary. This presidential race is making U.S. history on a daily basis. However it turns out, it's been sort of an interesting ride.

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