My Mama once told me “There’s nothing people despise more than a successful woman.” I’ve been puzzling over what motivates the people who are in charge of everything nowadays. Sometimes I can relate, seeing something of myself in them, but there’s a tiny seed there that grows into something I don’t get.
The hatred aimed at Hillary Clinton seems to hold true to Mom’s axiom. It’s not just her, if you look around it has nothing to do with politics (Barbra, Martha, Roseanne.) I can’t figure it out. I like Hillary, sometimes I agree with her and sometimes not. I’m not concerned with her running for president, just wondering why she’s such a provocative figure.
At first I thought it was jealousy because that seems to be a powerful characteristic of those people, along with all those other deadly sins. Then I came across this Robert Novak quote: “I don’t bash Hillary because I think she’s weak, I don’t bash her because I think she is strong. I bash her because I like to.”
So it’s not just mere jealousy, which I could understand. That seed is malice, or sadistic pleasure as Bob tells us. I see it manifesting toward the self-confident Joseph Wilson. He’s been referred to as “flamboyant” or something like Mark Steyn’s version – “weirdly self-obsessed.” I like Joe too – but wonder about the behavior he inspires.
For some strange reason, so many of us are full of resentment. ( I think we need to escape the us/them battle.) I’m not talking about the puritan `self-esteem’ we’re supposed to have because we’re good little boys and girls. I want to know what’s so offensive about the assurance developed by a grown-up that knows him/herself well. Why do I find it attractive and others think its repulsive? A prime example is Bill Clinton. A suffering man once asked “Can’t we all just get along?” Some people thought that was funny – I didn’t. Can’t we all just find the cure for hatred?
I’ve never quite understood the Hillary thing myself. Or the Bill thing, really… he terrified Republicans as soon as he appeared on the horizon. And they’ve not stopped the hate yet. Although I think mostly that is habit and for fundraising. The Clinton hate was a growth industry on the right.
As for the others, I’m not sure who Barbra is… Streisand? And Rosanne… and Martha. Oprah comes in for her share too. When I look at/think of all these women, one point that stands out to me is that… in addition to all being very successful and public, none of them fit the “accepted female beauty” mold.
Martha comes closest, being blonde and blue… but she’s older, and reputed to be not very nice and sweet. Hillary is blonde and blue (I think), but again… one of the oddest rants I’ve heard from right wingers about her (and quite often too), is not that she is “pushy” or this or that… but that she has fat ankles!(?)
Streisand… big nose, Jewish. Rosanne… overweight, loud and snide. Oprah… up and down weight, Black, touchy feely.
I think Joe Wilson wore a neck scarf once, and sunglasses in a photo. Flamboyant.
More than all of that though… I think that many people take great pleasure in being nasty and mean. You can see it on their faces (the picture that always comes to my mind is that awful woman at the RNC, smiling hugely with her jowls quivering with joy… while she wore one of those stupid purple bandaids that mocked all those wounded in war).
Hate may be one aspect of what people feel towards confident self knowing individuals, but fear is the main factor. It intimidates them, makes them feel insecure in their own self being.
Remember the natural human fault, “if you fear something, then you seek to destroy it” This feeling is prevalant amongst the new generations