AN INSULT TO SENATOR CLINTON

Just on a personal and professional level, it would be stupid not to sympathize with Clinton. Just yesterday, September 17, Mrs. Clinton was forced to pull out of a protest rally to be held against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the United Nations, when she learnt that the organizers had also invited Governor Palin without informing her.

A lot has been written recently about Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s lack of confronting Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.  Chris Matthews of MSNBC has been shouting about the absence of the Clintons as surrogates for Obama.  While it is still not clear why these two heavyweights are holding back, the same could be said of the others like Al Gore, John Kerry, Governor Rendell.  Senator Clinton has been to Florida and Ohio to campaign for Obama, and former President Bill Clinton would be campaigning with Obama on the 29th of September. All this “where-are-the-Clintons,” have become very vocal due to Obama poll numbers since the end of the Republican convention.  And the fact that helped by the Palin selection, John McCain had overtaken Obama in the polls, like the USA/Gallup giving him a 10% point advantage in one poll.

Most questions though are being asked about the Clinton vis-a-vis Palin relationship.  Clinton has steadfastly refused to comment on Palin except her first statement that she was a good pick for McCain.  Other than that, it doesn’t seem she wants to remotely do anything that would give the appearance that she likes her as a person, talk less about as an candidate for the No.2 office in the land.  Just on a personal and professional level, it would be stupid not to sympathize with Clinton. Just yesterday, September 17, Mrs. Clinton was forced to pull out of a protest rally to be held against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the United Nations, when she learnt that the organizers had also invited Governor Palin without informing her.

I could see how Clinton would feel comparing her resume to that of Palin, and I am sure that she must be quite furious at those of her supporters who feel, because of the addition of Palin, they would be voting for McCain.  A political activist since her high school days, though a Republican at that time, she had met with the political heavyweights even at that time, including then New York governor Helson Rockefeller.  She was her class president as well as the Students Association.  She later became a high prized lawyer, and then had to give up all that to marry Bill Clinton, and became the first lady of state of Arkansas.

She became the First Lady in Washington after Bill Clinton won the presidency and sworn in 1993. She stood by her man in the face of Republican onslaught after the Monica Lewinsky affair.  In her position as first lady, she met most of the world’s Presidents and leaders.  Most people would have folded in the course of negative press, but Senator would not hear of it.  She quickly jumped at the opportunity to become the New York junior senator, against the almost shoo-in called Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who had to run like a mouse being chased by a cat from the race after it became obvious that clinton would truance him.  She won reelection in a landslide.

Then came the Democratic primaries where she went from being the anointed as the democratic nominee to the second best, having lot to arack Obama.  Nevertheless, in the process she won many votes, 18 million as Barack did.  It was a fiercely contested process that took 19 months, and women of America saw her as the best person who could break the so-called glass ceiling, and make her the first woman president in American history.

Let’s look at Governor Palin.  She attended six colleges to get her first degree, while at the same time chasing to be Miss Alaska, finishing second but winning the Miss Congeliality title.  She did a stint as a tv broadcast journalist before winning a seat to the Wasilla City Council.  That 1992 election saw her win the seat with 530 to her opponent’s 310; but during her reelection in 1995, she won with only 413 to 185 votes.  In 1996, she won the mayoral election with 651 to 440 votes; in 1999, the vote increased to 909 to 292.  Her successful gubernatorial election saw her win with 114,697 votes to 97,239 for her closest opponent, the former Governor Tony Knowles.

Compare these to that of Clinton’s, New York City 8.25 million, New York State 19.3 million; and then compare their respective achiements and accomplishments.  Is it any wonder that Clinton doesn’t want her brand tainted by mentioning Governor Palin or, God forbid, having her on the same podium with her. 

I say give Clinton a break, it is an insult to her intelligence.  (By the way, Obama has rebounded in the polls, with most showing him with a 4-6% point lead). 

In the interview with Charles Gibson of ABC Nightly News, Mrs. Palin was quoted as saying that Obama would regret not picking Clinton.  It would appear that with her numbers fading and women returning to Obama’s camp in a very strong way, it is McCain who’s regretting picking her. 

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