4 of 21

by Angela S. Young

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Surprisingly, I have begun to feel sorry for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Wow, what is the world coming to? I have been against both Clintons from the beginning, fearing their liberal views and backroom politics among other things.

At the beginning of her race for the presidency of the US, I had no such emotions towards her. She was touted as the candidate of choice, expecting a coronation instead of a race. Boy was she wrong! She started well, but soon she was floundering, not knowing what to do in the face of real opposition. The following are some reasons I, a staunch conservative, have actually had compassion on this candidate who seems to have fallen from grace.

1. She thought she had the coronation of Democrat candidate all sewn up.

Nancy Benac, in an Associated Press Article "Clinton's surprising roller-coaster ride" states that last year Sen. Clinton "was joshing about whether she could appoint her husband secretary of state when she became president" and Obama was encouraging his supporters to "be realistic about his own chances". Then, as she pointed out: "a funny thing happened on the way to the Clinton coronation."

I couldn't have put it better. Maybe Clinton's arrogance in believing herself a winner before the race was begun didn't work in her favor. Regardless of her motives or the reasons for her fall, she has definitely had a big, big fall. Even if she should somehow win the nomination, she has realized that she's no longer the "darling" of the Democratic Party, the Media or her constituency. That has got to hurt.

2. In light of "Obamania" all her usual tactics explode in her face.

As Sen. Clinton scrambles to find a foothold in her slide from grace, her usual tactics, so long a sure thing, have failed her. Her smear tactics especially have backfired as they make her look petty and make people feel sorry for Obama. What has caused this amazing turn of events?

Obama is not your average candidate. Evidently he's not fair game in the political cesspool for some reason. Clinton's Media friends have abandoned her and now champion her rival. Obama's charisma itself sets her up, causing people to gasp at tactics they used to help along.

3. How do you fight a "phenom"?

People are swooning and feeling tingles when they get near Obama or hear him speak. Never mind that he is seriously lacking in real substance or that he has little to no of the experience needed to run the country, he is Obama, and the crowds love him. He wants to bring "hope" and "change" to America and the political process. What could be better than that?

Evidently getting people charged up is the only requirement for gathering votes. His speeches say little of substance; he is even farther left of center than Sen. Clinton in his policies; he has questionable friends; his church also has questionable qualities. There's plenty of fodder there for mud-slinging, but the media and his supporters have decided he's above all that. How in the world do you fight something like that? Maybe the Republicans will find a way, but Sen. Clinton has not.

4. Senator Clinton has at last become "human".

Senator Clinton has always seemed contrived to many of us. She was a creation of her staff and the media, who re-created her whenever it seemed necessary. Her life was going well, and her goal was within reach. Then, it all fell to dust around her, and she started floundering, trying to stay afloat against the waves of "Obamania" and the defection of the media and other supporters.

Maybe much of this is contrived too, but for the first time, I begin to see her as truly human. Maybe, as a compassionate person, I hate to see anyone in such a position. Hillary Rodham Clinton has finally shown her human side to the world. Maybe it will be enough to win her a few more votes.

5. The thwarting of her dream comes from someone younger and with less experience than she.

It's not like she's getting trounced by an opponent of substance; she's getting stomped by an ideal. She might find solace and save a few taters of pride should she lose to someone who had more qualifications, but she is in a losing battle against someone who has less. She is floundering, trying everything in the book, and yet it appears as if she's in a losing battle. Only time will tell, but this cannot be good for Sen. Clinton's pride.

As I watch that floundering, I am filled with compassion for this woman who has had to live with Bill Clinton's escapades and has had her dreams brutally squashed, mostly by the people she thought of as her allies. Maybe Republicans, in their fight to dethrone her peaked to early leaving the path open for Obama. I don't know exactly how it happened, I just know it has.

I do not want Senator Clinton for president, but you've got to feel sorry for this woman even though she is in essence reaping what she has sewn. Her media friends and many of her Democratic supporters have abandoned her. She is in the fight of her life and hanging on by a thread. Even if she gains the nomination, she will know it's not a mandate, but manipulation that brought her there.

I wish her well, because I think the Republicans have a better chance against her than Obama, especially if she is unable to bring out a few of his major red-flag issues before it becomes a fight between the Republican and Democratic candidate. This Presidential race is better than a good novel!

Learn more about this author, Angela S. Young.

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