Hillary Clinton

As 2008 approached, I was resigned to an unwelcome but competent Clinton presidency. Certainly on paper Hillary is more palatable than Barack. Yet now that the campaign is unfolding,
I am astonished by how dislikable that woman is.

Consider the image at right (from TPM). What's with the red dress and Chinese collar? Is Hillary trying to evoke Madame Mao Tse-tung for radical voters? Or is the dress a gift from a Chinese Clinton...supporter?

Though I've hesitated to express the speculation that her hairstyle is intended to send a coded message to a constituency, apparently similar thoughts have occurred to others.

And there are other such things about Senator Now-The-Fun-Part-Starts, a number of which I possibly don't notice consciously.

Years ago I thought that many of the female guests on Louis Rukeyser's Wall Street Week obviously did not dress to advantage. I finally realized that the standards of their circle had evolved to a point which was strange to my Main Street sensibility. Conceivably that's what may have happened to Clinton--but, come to think of it, it doesn't matter to me whether the dissonance is intentional or accidental.

Peggy Noonan on Hillary:

There's something about her that makes you look, watch, think, look again, weigh and say: No.

Right now, my first sentence notwithstanding, that pretty much says it all.

Afterthought.During the 1992 campaign Hillary's pose as the All-American Modern Spouse was effective, but since then she has been unable or unwilling to maintain it. Perhaps she is moved by anger to send her non-mainstream signals. The privileged 60s boomers dressed distinctively when they fabricated anger about the terrible terrible world that the Great Generation created. There is also her resentment from decades of living with Bill. Maybe she thought the election was in the bag and started acting out the payback she wanted. The cause is far less important than the consequences.

Afterthought soon before the NH Primary polls close. Recent Hillary photos look like Ms. All-American Wholesomeness is back. It's too late--and not necessarily just for NH.

Afterthought with 66% of vote counted. Well, maybe it's not too late...