From Hil to Vil and back again

When Hillary announced her run for president, a call for blog postings went forth from her campaign web site. I sent in one that wondered out loud if Hillary could set her own policy apart from her husband's center right pro-business/rich people who are friends with Bill position. That post was not selected as the winning entry, however what I did get was inclusion on her email fund-raising list. Over the months, my email box has been full of missives from various power women, leading politicians, that icky James Carville, and of course, hubby Bill is forever emailing me.

Today, I get one from Hillary and it so appalls me, I must break my reticence to address her candidacy. Truth is, there has been a small part of me that roots for her because she is a woman. I wanted to think that she'd bring a more collaborative approach to problem solving than all those men. Yes, I know -- my gender stereotyping is showing.

But today's email from Hil to Vil is enough to shake me out of my gender-partisan views.

Dear Village,

Running for president means asking a lot of people to put their faith in you -- and putting your faith in a lot of people.

Sorry, Hil -- I never put my faith in politicians or anybody else for that matter. "Faith" is certitude of truth, even when there is no evidence. I was raised without faith, which means that I weigh the evidence and then establish the odds. To base a decision upon anything else would be foolish. I see you have been having some problems with people you supposedly put "your faith in" to run your campaign effectively. The world is taking notice that all is not what it should be in Hillary Land.

You've never let me down, and my promise to you has always been this: if you put your faith in me, I will fight for you every day when I'm president.

This clearly is addressed to another Village, as I have let you down time and time again, ignoring your fund-raising appeals. I will not be seduced by your husband's appeals, either!

When I get to the White House, I'll end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home.

Why should I believe you? You and the other Democrats haven't done anything in the senate or the house that would indicate a passionate interest in stopping the Bush regime dead in its tracks. And you conveniently didn't say when you'd bring the troops home or how many of them you are going to leave there.

I'll stop the cowboy diplomacy and Bush's war on science. I'll reverse the attacks on our Constitution and civil liberties. I'll ask the Congress to send me everything that Bush vetoed, like stem cell research and the Children's Health Insurance Program. From day one, I'll be fighting for you, because America needs a clean and decisive break from seven years of George Bush.

You haven't yet convinced me that you would break the cycle of American bullying around the globe. You might have to prove you have "the balls" enough to drop some bombs into some land filled with enemies of the American way of life.

Not one of the Republican candidates is capable of making that happen. They're all promising four more years of the same failed policies.

I'll grant you that. The Republican candidates certainly make the case for devolution.

They see Bush's failure in Iraq and want to continue it. They see failure of leadership on the economy and want to repeat it. They see his assault on civil liberties and the disgraces of Guantanamo and want to carry them on.

They want power and control, as do you. The problem is figuring out if there is anyone who can be given all that and actually do some good for the common people. You have pretty much stuck with the Republican bashing, which got you lots of mileage, building up your campaign chest and lengthy roster of endorsements.

We need a candidate who can beat them. Will you put your faith in me today...

No, Hil. I will not put something I don't know how to muster into your hands.

and make a contribution so I can take on the Republicans in 2008?

[Contribution link deleted.]

There's a couple more paragraphs exhorting me to have faith in Hil's ability to fight for me against the Evil Empire of Republicans, ending in one more Contribute Here link. Like I'd skip the first one and reconsider at the end.

I may have to end up voting for you in a general election, but don't ever assume that I will blindly believe that you are always going to "fight for me." And of this moment in the time line marching forward to primaries, I am not at all keen on voting for you.