Namta Gupta

Clash of titans! Perhaps that’s the best way to describe the nomination race of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. It was no less than an epic battle when the two vulnerable sections of the society took each other head-on in pursuit of power. On one side was a woman – talented, ambitious and raring to change the rules of the man’s world. On the other side was a Black Afro-American man who some four decades ago wouldn’t have even dared to dream such a distant dream. But then in the world of politics, it is never too late for the tide to turn. A woman, though at loss, can still ‘break the ceiling’ and a Black, for the first time in the history of America, is on his way to getting ensconced on the Presidential chair.

But was America ready for a woman President? Now that’s a tricky question; see what Hillary said after she lost to Obama:

“Although we weren`t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it has about 18 million cracks in it and the light is shining through like never before.” - Hillary R. Clinton

This, in short, signifies the importance of Hillary Clinton and her historic nomination battle with another worthy candidate, Barack Obama. The battle raged in America and drew attention of the rest of the world.

Born on October 26, 1947 Hillary Diane Rodham was Dorothy and Hugh Rodham`s first child. She graduated from Wellesley College and Yale Law School where she met her future husband Bill Clinton. Madly in love, she decided to marry Bill and followed him to Arkansas.

Never been an average woman, Hillary refused to just bake cookies and always stood for what she believed in. It is this sense of judgment, her free will that probably cost her election. Voters, or rather male electorate, refused to vote for Hillary. And the reason? Well, she is a woman! That she is well educated, is the former wife of an American President, elected to public office (the US Senate in 2000) and again re-elected in 2006, were not reason enough.

Also that she led the White House task force in 1993 aimed at expanding US healthcare to cover all Americans (which was derailed by a conservative opposition in the Congress), has served on the staff advising the House of Representatives` committee investigating the Watergate scandal, is also the author of two best-selling books, ‘It Takes A Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us’, and her autobiography ‘Living History’, did not stop them from looking at her as a “mere woman”.

This nomination bid was historical in every way. For the first time there was polarisation not just in America but in the world at large; that too not on over who would be America’s President but who would be Democratic Party’s nominee! In fact the moment Hillary announced her withdrawal from the nomination battle, the presidential bid became lopsided with little or no interest left. True, Obama was always a great candidate, but Hillary was no less – to say the least. Then why did she fail, what led to her defeat when at one time she was being touted as the preferred candidate?

While this question can be so simply put, the answer is complex. One of the prime reasons for her fall was her exuberant pride, her overconfidence. She believed that she was the frontrunner (which she was in the beginning). Her campaign managers too partly ruined her. She underestimated Obama’s efficiency in turning around the course of the campaign. She thought that her famous last name coupled with her efficiency and hard work would surely make her emerge as the winner. What she did was hedonistic and rather suicidal in politics. Her refusal to see Obama coming and slowly stealing the thunder from her campaign left her vulnerable. In politics especially, underestimating a rival is foolhardy and she made that mistake.

Her overconfidence led to under-planning. Then she relied too much on traditional methods of fund raising like dinner parties and personal contacts. Again, Obama emerged as a visionary because his campaign was web-based; that made young and middle age voters connect with him instantly. Hillary’s refusal to run an online campaign only legitimised Obama’s “Change” motto, as he had a fresh appeal to connect with voters. Hillary’s fund-raising tactics restricted her to voters of top echelon. And this went against her as she failed to connect with the middle class whose cause she said she espoused.

The former First Lady’s managerial team too failed in exploiting her image. Even with strong money back-up, they failed to spend it judiciously - like in Iowa caucus they were brow-beaten because Obama chose to spend money on his campaign their. Hillary’s subsequent defeat in Iowa sealed her fate and shook her from slumber. But, it was already late and even Hillary’s pitch as a saviour of middle class could not save her campaign trail from there.

Then her statement that she had come under sniper fire during her trip to Bosnia and her later clarification that she ‘misspoke’ about the issue only raised questions on Hillary’s credibility as videos of her landing undid her claim.

Hillary’s wobbly backing of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s disastrous proposal for illegal immigrants’ driver licences made her position uncertain in the eyes of voters. Bill Clinton’s outburst against Obama drove Black voters into Obama’s arms, whereas in the beginning of the campaign it was Hillary who was leading against Obama in her support base percentage among Black voters.

Bill’s quip that Obama’s anti-war record was a “fairy tale” also hurt her image. Bill’s campaigning for his wife only made things difficult as he outshone her and stole the limelight, due to which people started believing that Bill would be the shadow President.

And yes, the biggest of all issues, Iraq war, and Hillary’s consent to it made voters feel that she was devoid of the sense of judgement required of a statesman. Even in the later stages of her campaign Hillary refused to accept her mistake and this made her stand look obstinate and un-statesmanlike.

But was it just issues where Hillary faltered, or was it also her gender that worked against her? The answer is ‘yes’! Her gender was perhaps one of the biggest issues that worked both against and for her. While gender helped in fortifying her base among women electorate, especially the old, it also drove male electorates away. So-called progressive and liberal America was not yet, it seems, ready for a woman Head of State. The glaring example of this mentality was the incident when a man disrupted a Hillary Clinton campaign event in Salem, shouting ‘iron my shirt’, and her subsequent response that ‘the remnants of sexism are alive’ clearly indicates that she herself was aware of this great divide.

Is it not sexism that while Obama never had to explain which brand he wears or what after-shave he uses, the entire media ran an almost exhaustive campaign commenting on her clothes and make-up? The situation was so bad that even a slight peek of cleavage would make entire America debate her dressing sense. And this is one country which has always felt proud of the fact that their women folk are better than their Third World counterparts. Cleverly forgetting that unlike them, the so-called backward nations have had many women leaders as Heads of State or have been leaders of stature. And though they too had to face hostility at the hands of men, but never were their private or personal life dissected like the way America did to Hillary.

Why did she stick to Bill Clinton after Monika Lewinsky and Paula Jones scandals broke out? This is oft asked question and the press had an answer for that too – she is ambitious and Bill was President, hence, sticking to him only made sense! Conveniently forgetting that it was Hillary’s ultimate sacrifice that salvaged Bill and not the other way round.

Perhaps her support to Bill was not just a political tactic. But just because she didn’t express her anguish on national television, just because she dared everyone to test her fortitude, made people believe that she is a cold, calculating and scheming woman? Is it not unjust of a society that a woman who dares to break free from set norms would be branded as such? Although Obama too had a vulnerable background (he is an Afro-American), he never had to go through what Hillary underwent – a hostile press, an equally hostile male electorate base, and questions on anything and everything. Why didn’t she emote in public? That bothered the press. And then when she did that, it was only to garner votes, said the press! So that was again a problem! Did Obama ever go through such tests and tribulations? No.

Why is that she has had to shed her tears to prove that she was not unfeeling and was definitely not a cold and scheming woman. Why is it that she had to cry and deny her feminist roots? Hillary, after all, was not just a politician; she was also a wife, a daughter and a mother. She has lived every relationship but still she was called cold. Is it possible for a mother, or a wife to be cold? Would someone call Obama or McCain cold because of the shades of suits they wear?

But in Hillary’s case, everything, right from the way she smiled to the lipstick shades was a topic of debate for the entire country.

It is possible that she stuck to Bill in his hard times so that she could enjoy her chunk of power later on, but even if that is the case does that make her less deserving? After all, if there indeed was this kind of power-sharing formula between the two, even then it would have made little or no impact on the power dynamics at the White House. Hillary had repeatedly clarified to her voter base that it would be she, and not her, at one time famous and another time infamous, husband who would wear pants in the White House. But still her clarifications which came at different intervals were not enough to dispel doubts. Because these doubts stem from deep rooted prejudice that this country has for a woman who dares to be a man and that too on her conditions.

And America is still in denial mode. It may claim that it doesn’t hate Hillary because of her being a woman. But then its male bastion will call her right from being a b**** to being cold and sounding like fingernails on a blackboard. Now does it sound like voice of enlightened Americans or chauvinistic males refusing to bow to a woman who knows her mind?

What is even more surprising is the fact that even after being a Black, Obama, was able to stir up support within Whites but Hillary failed even though she is a White! So what can one draw from this?

Perhaps, the reason some people dislike her is because she was trying to do a man’s job.

So, even if she has lost the battle now, would she run for the post again? Would her historic run for Presidential chair go in vain? What does the future hold for women in this male dominated country? And how will history judge Hillary?

The answer lies in how Obama (or if destiny favours McCain), fares at the White House. How America fares under a new President will decide whether Hillary can have a second go at the Presidential race. But then she is already 60 plus and at least in the next four years she is completely out of the fray.

Besides, it also depends on her health and whether she herself wants to give it another shot. But despite her defeat, her running for the top post has opened doors that were considered closed till now. Her exhaustive campaigning has come as an eye opener to all those who thought that politics was entirely a man’s domain. She has already made 18 million breaches in that wall that stopped woman from dreaming. She herself noted the solid support of women who belonged to an era when women didn’t even have the right to vote.

It is not that Hillary did not make mistakes, yes she did, and she paid the price. Her un-guarded and impulsive statement, her stand on Iraq war and her husband’s frequent criticism of Obama damaged her image. But even this will not diminish the importance of the historic run that she has had.

As she bid goodbye to her campaign her competitor congratulated her and noted in words that best describe her campaign:

"She shattered barriers on behalf of my daughters and women everywhere, who now know that there are no limits to their dreams.”