Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Good Question!

The Associated Press asks an interesting question about this Hillary-going-to-Bosnia kerfluffle:

"Why Wasn't The Truth Good Enough For Hillary?"

Good question! She claims that she "misspoke." Fine, we all do that, but she also has the resources to back up her memory - there are all kinds of records, public and private, of just about everything she did as First Lady. There is no reason for her to have made this kind of mistake. There's also no reason for her not to have admitted it upfront very early on, when she could have diffused it. The AP has a psychological take:

Clinton was an exceptionally active first lady who knows more than most about what it takes to be president. So it must drive her nuts when Obama and his allies dismiss her role. Their condescension must make it harder for Clinton to accept the fact that hers was a largely ceremonial job, especially after her ill-fated attempt to overhaul the nation's health care system.

And so the best explanation for her Bosnia embellishment may be this simple, and this human: She's overcompensating.


This makes sense. But at the same time, she has only herself to blame if other people question the importance of her accomplisments. She is, after all, the one who is claiming "35 years of experience." She parlayed her experience into a Senate seat, in a state that she had never lived in. Even if she never makes it to the Presidency, she is still one of the most accomplished women in the history of American politics.

What kind of an ego do you have to have to need to win the Presidency to finally feel validated?

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