Showing compassion for the people you want to lead isn't strong? Yeah, ok, Johnny-boy.

Hillary has more strength and resolve than any other candidate. If she didn't, she wouldn't be in politics anymore after how she was treated by media and politicians for the 8 years she was First Lady. I'd like to see any of them take the abuse she took and still want to run for Senate and then President.

I just ordered a "Hillary is my Homegirl" shirt from cafepress...I can't wait until it gets here.

This was a great clip. I love seeing Hillary be so "real" with her answers.

It's great to hear her talk about how tired she is, and how she still has to be conscious of the every day details, even while her drive pushes her to excel in everything. It's a feeling that so many women can relate to.

And man, I'd totally be scarfing down pizza if I was in Hillary's shoes.

I was hoping someone would post the video!

This should be her new campaign commercial, it is fabulous.

Fuck fuck fucking hell Edwards. Why do you do this to me? You behave so well for weeks on end and then you pull something like this. *@&%$*#!$&*@

I wonder what people would have done if one of the male candidates had teared up in a similar circumstance? (This isn't rhetorical, I'm curious what people think . . .)

Also, I have to say that I really don't like Hillary Clinton's politics, but I really do like her as a person. There's really no explanation for the caricature of her as mean and brash except for misogyny. And she's especially likable in this clip.

One more thing -- is it just me, or is her voice getting softer . . . like she's lost the edge off her accent? I'm thinking that it might just be strained from talking so much. When she gave her concession speech in Iowa, I could tell that her voice was giving. I ask only because I'm desperately hoping that she didn't do something silly like take vocal coaching to "correct" her often-called "shrill" voice.

I could not image what it would be like to deal with the hostility from people running against her.
Today I was driving in my car with my windows down, and some young white male pulled up next to me at a red light and referring to my "Hillary: for president" sticker made the clever comment, "Excuse me, Ms. Someone vandalized your car by putting a sticker on the back."
I was so caught off guard I didn't even know how to respond.
He then continued with, "You're joking right, that's a joke."
I just gave him the thumbs up and drove away.

And I'm not running for president. I can't even keep my windows down anymore.

Imagine what she's going through.

As for men crying, when Ed Muskie sensed his momentum running out after the New Hampshire primary, it was widely reported that he cried during a press conference (in fact he may not have). This was 1972, and it was pretty much it for Muskie during the '72 campaign, which went to McGovern for the Dems and Nixon for the presidency. The rest, as they say, is history.

I was torn.

I'm not anymore.

Hillary for President.

I'm still torn. I just straight up oppose Clinton on a policy level, but between this and the debate, she's rapidly becoming the most sympathetic candidate.

As for Edwards, yeah, it's pretty dickish, but politics ain't beanbag.

She has communicated that she would be willing to go to war with Iran.

If she wins and invades Iran, I wonder, will she cry for dead? I doubt it.

I like this side of Hilary. Actually, it's not a side, it seems like the real deal. Now I am torn all over again. I just hope the right decision is made in November, one way or the other.

Cara took the words right out of my mouth twice in this thread.

Cara said: "Fuck fuck fucking hell Edwards. Why do you do this to me? You behave so well for weeks on end and then you pull something like this. *@&%$*#!$&*@"
I couldn't agree more. WHY?!?!?! Why must every single candidate have to say or do stupid, offensive, or un-informed things? Why can't ANY of them every have policy plans that are consistent with my own personal politics? I guess that's the price I pay for being such a radical. Anyways, I am seriously disappointed in Edwards for this comment, and a few others he has made on other subjects, namely same sex marriage. I am voting on Super Tuesday, that's for sure, but I still don't know who I will vote for. I was leaning towards Edwards, but he's making it a little difficult...

Cara also said:
"Also, I have to say that I really don't like Hillary Clinton's politics, but I really do like her as a person. There's really no explanation for the caricature of her as mean and brash except for misogyny. And she's especially likable in this clip."
I also agree with this. I don't think much could convince me to vote for Hillary Clinton, since I don't really agree with any of her stances "on issues", but I cannot for the life of me figure out why people don't seem to like HER. I think she comes across as very capable, intelligent, and sort of warm and fuzzy. She has a very winning smile, and I think her laugh is actually very pleasant. She seems kind of like a nice person. None of that has anything to do with her politics, and I think those are pretty stupid reasons to vote for someone, but they seem to be the most common attacks on her by her opposition. Why can't they just criticize her POLITICS? There's definitely a lot there to criticize. In this clip she came across as very likable, and I thought she was very likable in the debate on Saturday as well.
On a related note, I think she looks pretty "presidential." I'm not sure what "looking presidential" has to do with anything, really, but it's a phrase people love to throw around. Usually they think people like Biden, Dodd, or Romney "look presidential." I wonder if they realize what inherently racist and misogynistic connotations are present in that idea?

So let me get this straight.

Hillary doesn't show enough emotion and she's an icy bitch. She sheds a few tears and all of a sudden she's lacking "strength and resolve." She just can't catch a break.

Hillary's not my top choice from the standpoints of policy and how she's funding her campaign, but I have nothing but respect for her as a person after all the criticism shes faced down for the past decade.

And as for Edwards? After the New Hampshire debates I was *almost* leaning toward him over Obama. But I just changed my mind.

Ok, we get it politics is hard.
It takes a toll on the candidates, and I'm sure they have all cried about it at some point.

This doesn't make hillary special.

I guess Edwards was a meanie for saying that, but Hillary has done just as bad.

Yep, I was torn, too, though not anymore, because I want a human being who recognizes she is a human being and is comfortable with that as a leader.

That clip certainly makes her very likeable, and I admire her for admitting that yeah, she's tired, and yes, it's been hard.

I still don't agree with her policy wise, but it's nice to see a glint of "realness".

And Fuck Edwards for insinuating that she was weak. He's such an asshat. He doesn't realize that by insulting such a highly visible woman with such sexist stereotypes, he's pissing off half of the country's population.

ugh! what a double whammy! First she's too tense and uptight, too "masculine" then when she shows vulnerability she's not tough enough and doesn't have what it takes to be president! UGH! I HATE DOUBLE STANDARDS!!!

I probably shouldn't even encourage the issue, but I think it is different when men cry vs. when women cry. Even though she didn't exactly cry.

This belief stems from anecdotal evidence by transmen who just can't cry (easily, I presume) once they start a testosterone regimen. But I'm no biologist, so I'm probably talking out of my ass here.

I need to do more research, (like exactly WHEN Kansas is having its primarys... I was so up on all the news when I lived in Iowa!!) but from what I hear of Clinton's policies, and who she is taking money from, I really have been thinking that she is just another cog in the bureaucratic machine. This though, reminds me that she is human.

And Edwards, who I was sorta leaning to, shouldn't bash on someone who is showing a bit of humanity. Makes me want to take another look at Obama.

Edwards should be ashamed of himself. re: Gretchen, I'm not sure Obama is much better on this count. He's made comments on the past that Clinton shouldn't play the gender card if she wants to play in the big leagues. Gross.

Clinton has to have so much self-mastery and poise to deal with the constant barrage of personal and misogynist attacks she receives. I'm not currently planning on voting for her, but I'll be honest, seeing what she has to endure makes me a lot more sympathetic towards her.

well, at least he didn't have staffers make shady implications about drug use or clinton being a closet muslim.

oh, wait.

clinton and edwards, on this count, deserve each other.

sadly, we're stuck in the middle, with a history of sexism and racism that has kept the presidency white and male. boo to it all.

Re: Gretchen's post about a cog in the bureacratic machine:

I can't escape that feeling either. And her openness to starting conflict with Iran is just plain scary to me. It worries me that Hillary gets a lot of campaign funding by companies and organizations that profit from war and war manufacturing/building.

Side Note: Whenever I see posts from Gretchen I think, wait, I didn't write that...I'm not used to there being any other Gretchens :) Good thing I chose a different handle.

I'm guessing that in a debate situation Clinton could very easily make mince meat out of Edwards so he ought not to make specious comments about being tough enough. She's plenty tough enough.

As for the people who saying she can't catch a break - first she's a stone cold bitch and then she's too soft - what's new about that characterization of women?

We are overly ambitious and stealing jobs from men but oh wait - we're gold diggers working at the office to catch a man. We are pathetic in our dependence on men but oh wait - if we work outside the home we are negligent mothers. The list goes on and the way people swing back and forth on Clinton is merely an extension of the status quo. If you are a woman you are damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Actual Edwards quote:

“I don’t really have anything to say about that,� he said.
but then continued, “I think what we need in a commander in chief is strength and resolve, and presidential campaigns are tough business, but being president of the United States is also very tough business. And the president of the United States is faced with very, very difficult challenges every single day and difficult judgments every single day. What I know is that I’m prepared for that.�
So he wasn't directly attacking her, he was talking about himself.

Re: Sly,

I think those incidents have been greatly exaggerated, personally (certainly Bob Kerrey's comments were unfairly ascribed to her campaign). Clinton may be racist, but I don't think she's stupid enough to adopt a strategy that could so easily backfire on her (and assuming it was a strategy, it did backfire). I'm far from convinced that those comments were part of a deliberate smear campaign.

Actual Edwards quote:

“I don’t really have anything to say about that,� he said.
but then continued, “I think what we need in a commander in chief is strength and resolve, and presidential campaigns are tough business, but being president of the United States is also very tough business. And the president of the United States is faced with very, very difficult challenges every single day and difficult judgments every single day. What I know is that I’m prepared for that.�

So he wasn't directly attacking her, he was talking about himself.

Actually, it doesn't strike me that he was talking about himself at all. It sounds like he said "I'm not going to talk about it, but actually I am!" In painting himself as "tough" when asked that question, it was definitely a slap to Hillary, even if it was slightly indirect.

Personally, I don't think it's sincere. Clinton is tough and I think the displaying of emotion is a tactic, which people are obviously buying.

Maybe it's real, maybe it's not, but I'm skeptical.

agree Cara, but honestly, what business did reporters have asking him about it? And we can't forget the media filter that this quote is coming through. we don't know what he said in between part A and part B.

I was just talking on my personal journal earlier today about how, although I'm an Obama supporter, I hate seeing Hillary dragged through the mud by the media. I want a clean campaign, no matter how difficult a goal that can be.

And now, this. Dammit. Real tears or not (and I suspect they are real), there's a point where the political attacks should and must stop, and I think we've hit it. I'll have to see how Obama handled it...

agree Cara, but honestly, what business did reporters have asking him about it?

Well, none. But those are the kinds of questions that reporters ask. Stupid, irrelevant and personal ones designed to elicit a less than nice response. Politicians need to know how to handle those kinds of questions with dignity. And honestly, I think that Edwards knows how to do that. I don't think he just fell into this. In fact, as a long-term supporter of his, I find pretty much everything he says to reporters/during debates to be very deliberate.

You're right, fellow-ette that we don't know what Edwards said between point A and B. The way that it's written, it's HIGHLY suggested that there wasn't anything. But there have been cases of unscrupulous journalism used to manipulate quotes. If that is indeed what happened here, I'm pretty positive that truth will come out (it always does -- and if Edwards thinks he was misquoted, I'm sure he'll say something). In that off chance, I will issue a retraction (I posted about this issue as well). But sadly, I don't see it happening.

If you vote for Clinton, you vote for continued war in Iraq, and possible war in Iran.

I'm not an Edwards supporter, but FWIW I didn't think he was taking a shot at Clinton.

If you watch the video, Edwards is standing outside his bus with nobody around him when some newsperson reads him the Clinton quote. I thought he was just saying, "yeah, she's right, it is really tough out here, but it's a tough job we're all running for, so we've all got to be tough." As opposed to, "what a wimp she is."

Watch the video, then make up your mind. But don't base your opinions on the quote until you've seen the context. IMHO, of course.

Personally, I don't think it's sincere. Clinton is tough and I think the displaying of emotion is a tactic, which people are obviously buying.

Maybe it's real, maybe it's not, but I'm skeptical.

I'm with you on that. This was a calculated move, just like everything she does.

mamis662, do you have a link to the video? I don't see it posted anywhere here, and following the link that Jessica posted, I could only find the same video of Hillary.

GREAT clip. It makes me want to call my Mama and demand that she give back my "Hillary" bumper sticker!

It doesn't make me TOO angry at Edwards because it is the media hyping it up, not Edwards. This afternoon, Clinton's "crying" was the top Yahoo headline. The news story made it sound like she was sobbing because she just knew she was going to lose NH.

My gut reaction was "I bet Feministing has the real scoop." She wasn't talking about NH at all. And the emotion that she shows (which is far from 'crying') isn't bellyaching but PATRIOTISM.

I love this clip because Hillary lets down the veneer and comes across very human. Either that or she knows when a little emotion will work with a particular audience! But a mental breakdown it is not.

Also, all the candidates are extremely hoarse, and that makes them sound more emotional and tired than usual.

While it does make her "sound human" I still don't get how that alone makes her a good candidate.

If a cyborg were running and I agreed with it's positions, I might vote for it. (joke)

a_human: it's not about being seen as "human" so much as being seen as "not so programed." Is that enough of a distinction?

That said, is it so very wrong of me that my only take away of this whole post (after watching and reading the article) is God DAMN is Obama one classy, fabulous man? I want President Obama SO MUCH! :)

Hm. This still doesn't change my position, and Edwards didn't attack Clinton. You should change that. I still like him, along with Bill Richardson. The fact that Clinton has taken gobs and gobs of money from corporate lobbyists worries me. Obama is no different. The amount that Richardson has taken from lobbyists is negligible, and Edwards has taken none. Plus, Edwards' plans for health care & other issues in general are the most specific and comprehensive out of all the candidates.

A Richardson/Edwards or Edwards/Richardson ticket would be a dream for me.

Upthread annajcook asked what would the reaction be to a male candidate tearing up and jessedouglas mentioned that it worked against Ed Muskie in 1972.

Down here in Australia former Prime Minister Bob Hawke was famous for crying and it seemed to make people think he was human (although it became a bit of a joke over time). I suppose men or women risk being seen as weak or calculating - but it does seem Hillary gets hit with the worst possible light all the time.

I don't get to vote in the USA elections but I agree with the comments that are happy to see genuine emotion in a candidate (any candidate) but still don't agree with some/all of Hillary's policies.

I just hope you guys elect a democrat!

A link to the Edwards video would be much appreciated...

I think it's sad that she voted for a war that has already killed hundreds of thousands of people.

I guess she kills like a man and cries like a woman.

I know lots of people have already said this, but, despite the fact that I don't agree with a lot of Hillary's politics (and I've been aware of them for quite some time, having grown up in the NY area), I was impressed by this clip. Seeing her get emotional and show that she was tired and worried...I was just impressed. No other politicians show emotion. Ever. It doesn't make you weak. In fact, I think being able to show emotion like that when you know it will get played everywhere and talked about by everyone and attacked by your opponents, that makes you stronger.

I honestly cannot qualify Edwards' response as an "attack." He doesn't contradict anything she said, he's just spinning it into an opportunity to promote himself by saying that he is prepared to deal with what Clinton is talking about. That just seems like typical politicking, not sexist slander (which is often directed at Sen. Clinton).

My first reaction was also to be suspicious of these "candid" tears, and it's not because I think Clinton is some especially fake, power-hungry man-eater, but because most political candidates are fake, power-hungry and well coached. She's addressing an audience of women, and out come the tears and the talk of working out and pizza cravings. You can bet she would not be dropping that lingo on C-SPAN. I believe it's calculated, but no more or less than any serious contender seriously calculates his or her every public appearance.

However this is a good exposure of the uptight/weak catch-22 we all face so I'm glad it's been brought to light. I hope (futilely) that that's what people outside of this site will want to discuss.

I was moved by what she said. And I hate that the media is selling this like she's crying about the difficulties of campaigning--she's telling us why she does it!
Perhaps I'm a gullible voter, but I watched this video and it moved me the way Obama's speeches often do. Like she's a leader who really believes in the country, its people and our possibility.
This video coupled with Gloria Steinem's new op-ed in the NY Times is making me feel torn about my choice...

It may be true that Edwards wasn't directly attacking her, but that doesn't mean there wasn't an implied attack. Yes, he spun the story to promote himself but he did so by creating an apparent contrast that relies on sexist stereotypes about women not being tough enough. And I have a hard time believing that was an accident.

I heard this on the radio earlier and my first thought was to wonder who would be the first to imply that she was weak for tearing up.

jix>

I probably shouldn't even encourage the issue, but I think it is different when men cry vs. when women cry. Even though she didn't exactly cry.

This belief stems from anecdotal evidence by transmen who just can't cry (easily, I presume) once they start a testosterone regimen. But I'm no biologist, so I'm probably talking out of my ass here.

J7> No, it's right. Brains (minds?) running on estrogen are emotionally more sensitive. As a trans woman, I can confirm that I cry a lot over things I read, not so much films. And when I stopped estrogen for a while, and the testosterone came back, I became very ruthless, and not caring at all.
I can still do ruthless, though, if I need to, it's just not my default setting.
The stereotypes do have a basis in the real world, but averages are not individuals.

I just hope that Hillary doesn't go down in history as "the woman presidential candidate who cried." The last thing we need is for people to harp on this moment of emotional honesty as if all women can do in stressful situations is break down and cry instead of seeing her life and career for what it has been-- an amazing sense of duty to public service and a unique ability to excel over adversity. I respect Hillary very much-- I think I can echo the above comments that this video swayed me in her direction.

I can only empathize with her: this is her life's ambition and the culmination of a lot of really tough work. She knows she's the best candidate who will do the best job and the public is just not going along with it. I would be frustrated too!

I'm with those who believe this was a deliberate campaign tactic on Hillary's part--particularly because it came on the heels of her reaction to being called "unlikable" in Saturday's debate:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=QoMCoMMgeO0

Seems her campaign has decided to go for a "Hail Mary" to pull women back to her side, never mind what potential difficulties it could cause her in the general election, since she now can no longer play that strategy of saving up toughness to use as a shield against the GOP nominee.

Having said all that, I think these two moments make her far more likable. I don't mind at all if there's some artifice there, because they *seem* more "genuine" and sympathetic than the way she usually acts (my girlfriend suggested that while she may be doing this on purpose as part of a strategy, her sense is that the strategy is to "go ahead and let your emotions come out" rather than completely putting on a show with false shows of emotion--after all, Hillary Clinton is no Meryl Streep).

And I am a bit of a cynic who considers all successful politicians to be somewhat ungenuine in the way they present themselves. I *want* a politician to be able to pull the wool over voters' eyes, as long as he or she is going to administer decent policies once in office.

So this made me more sympathetic to the Hillary candidacy, but I'm sticking with Obama now that my first choice (Edwards--a guy who is great at controlling his outward image and adjusting to the political mood of the day) is not really a factor.

Alan

Ugh. I really respect Hillary, and she almost had me here, but then - did anyone else notice how quickly she segued into her negative talking points against Obama? "Some of us are ready to lead the first day, some of us aren't." It just sort of cheapens the emotions that she showed.

FWIW, Obama's response was pretty classy: I don't have a link, but he basically said he couldn't talk specifically about this, but that the campaign trail is hard and emotions run high.

Yes, when she goes back to talking points I turn off to the statement. "Some of us are ready on day one..." is when I stop listening to her, in this case.

Oh, and Greatchen: Kansas is not having a primary, but its caucus will be on Feb. 5 ("Super-duper Tuesday") for Democrats. Republicans will caucus on Feb. 9.

Alan

I was listening to this analysis on CNN yesterday. For heaven's sakes why do they need to analyze her "breaking down" just because she is a woman...

Had it been Edwards or Obama or Romney or any of the men, this would have been a show of their "sensitivity"/... damned if she is tough, damned if she is not....

This country is not ready for a woman president, is it? Or a woman leader.... when will people grow up... how different are the third world countries that elect women leaders even symbolically....why is the world so unfair to us females that people are nto even ready to treat us as human?

I seem to recall Bill Clinton getting choked up all the time and nobody batted an eye about it. This is difficult to take, especially since she didn't cry and never lost control.

I just wanted to share this link with everyone. It's maddening, but the cheer also makes me happy ...teary, perhaps, too. :)

http://www.breitbart.tv/html/25784.html

OK, where is all this nonsense about Hil wanting to fight Iran coming from? Here's a direct quote from her website:

"I believe that a policy of diplomacy backed by economic pressure is the best way to check Iran’s efforts to acquire a nuclear weapons program and stop its support of terrorism, and the best way to avert a war. That’s why I took to the Senate floor last February and warned the President not to take military action against Iran without going to Congress first and why I’ve co-sponsored Senator Webb’s legislation to make that the law of the land. I've been concerned for a long time over George Bush's saber rattling and belligerence toward Iran."

She favors diplomacy and economic pressure against Iran, NOT war. Just wanted to clear things up.

"I think it's sad that she voted for a war that has already killed hundreds of thousands of people."

I don't support fighting Iraq and never did, but there were a lot of Congresspeople and citizens who supported Iraq at first because they were duped. The Bush Administration LIED to everyone about WMDs and ties to Al-Queida (sp?) and a lot of people fell for it. The fact that she and many others have realized the mistake and are trying to change it now is important and it should be noted that she has a three-step plan for withdrawal STARTING HER FIRST 60 DAYS IN OFFICE on her website. It's strategic withdrawal coupled with ensuring stability in Iraq. So we can leave and they can be self-sufficient.

And I quote: "Our message to the President is clear. It is time to begin ending this war -- not next year, not next month -- but today."

One more thing...

"I guess she kills like a man and cries like a woman."

That's appallingly sexist. You have basically implied that men are war machines and women are sad little sacks of emotion. I know plenty of pro-war women and sensitive, pro-peace men. That statement enforces a disgusting and untrue stereotype. You should be ashamed to have written or even thought it.

I just can't wrap my mind around how an informed voter could be swayed by a clip like this. Whether the emotion was real or not, who makes decisions on this stuff?

The candidates have disparate approaches to a range of policies. That's what we should vote on. Bush had some of the all time greatest photo ops in our history, but that hasn't helped our country one bit. Being sympathetic is nice but it's not a deal-maker. So while I don't want a leader who thinks that sensitivity and strength are in opposition, I'm not going to be lured by a candidate just because s/he knows better.

I'm glad that Clinton has conviction but surely they all do. No one gets this far in a presidential race by being so-so about loving the USA.

Everyone's reactions to Hilary "breaking down" are funny to me because all that happened was that she sounded passionate and her voice cracked a bit. For the love of god, she didn't start bawling! I could barely tell from the video that she was even teary! Hilary "broke down" about as much as Huckabee supports women's rights.

This really digusts me how the day before yesterday the media makes comments on how Hilary needs to be more real, and all of a sudden she has a "real" moment.
Since when does a teary-eyed comment on how one keeps up in the campaing trail make you a strong male or FEMALE candidate?
Furthermore, how does making a teary-eyed comment make her a strong woman?
Yes, she is getting a lot of undeserved criticism, but this jester was too unprofessional for a presidential candidate (no matter what sex they be). This would have been a whole other story if she had gotten teary-eyed over the death of her friend and colleague, Bhotto.

I just can't believe the number of feminist on this site who think her moment was touching. It is simply disgusting.

I actually heard Hillary being emotional, as it were, via NPR before I saw the clip. As much as I don't agree with the sexism that is apparent among the male candidates, I have to say I feel as though Hillary was using her "emotions" as a ploy rather than showing true emotion.

As much as I would love to vote for a female candidate and see her win the presidency, I can't say that I feel Hillary is that woman.

Good try, though.

"I have to say I feel as though Hillary was using her "emotions" as a ploy rather than showing true emotion."

As I've posted in the other thread, she is free to play up to people as much as any other candidate who plays up how "strong" they would be as a leader, or emphasizing (and exaggerating) their military service. I need to put on a face to function as a professional, compassionate, nurse, too. What I need to know is how well they would get the job done.

This doesn't really persuade my previous thoughts about Hillary, but the media definitely exaggerated what happened here.

Before I even watched the video, I read headlines about it saying "HILLARY BREAKS DOWN!"

Uhm... she barely shed a tear. Her voice strained a bit. That's not exactly "breaking down" now is it? They made it sound as if she was totally hysterical.

A long time ago while working for corporate big business, my mentor said something to me that I still live by. "What goes around comes around, and all you have to do is sit back and watch it happen because it will." Matthews, Olberman, Robinson, et al, are all eating crow today. Good job NH!!!

this may have already been said (i didn't read ever comment) but as I was listening to a friend talk about the "crying episode" (which at the time i had only heard about, never seen a video of or been informed of by a news source) and how this friend was now against Hillary based on her "weakness" it just reminded me of the catch22 that all women face.
you are bitch or weakling, whore or prude. There is no middle ground. we always lose.

people will give Hillary shit no matter what, personally i have always supported Hillary and this has not altered my perception of her, merely intensified my hate of sexist culture.