Maritime Morning - Andrew Krystal

Hillary Clinton’s emotionalism won.

Many thought that her moment of honestly, when her voice quivered on the campaign trail just hours before the New Hampshire primary voting, might be her undoing; and that the male-controlled media (a self-awareness and a bias either unacknowledged or repressed) jumped all over Hillary was not surprising: she was being “weak,”  an emotional woman, an estrogen-fuelled “wife,” a victim, a guilt-player — that was “the story.” If it was a man, her emotionalism would be called passion — or it wouldn’t be major news at all. Remember, Hillary’s voice cracked, she didn’t cry.

Apparently, it is okay for George W. Bush to tear up. Ronald Reagan did it many times in a wistful stare-out-the-window way. It was okay for Bill Clinton to emote — he did it all the time. Sometimes with Bill it was a confection — bullshit. But most of the time old Bill meant it.

President Bill Clinton is arguably one of the most successful campaigners and politicians in history, and he did it by wearing his heart on his sleeve. But, because Hillary is a woman, she is not allowed to do it that way without appearing weak. As a woman if you are too strong you are condemned as an ice-Queen (or that “b word”); and if you are too nice, or just emotionally honest, then you are condemned again for being “too much of a woman” — whatever that means.

The position as president is, psychologically, generally perceived in paternalistic tones, according to Dalhousie University professor Jacqueline Warwick. Perhaps that is why Ronald Reagan remains so deified in many political circles — he seemed the most obvious as a father figure and Reagan spoke with a reassuring physicality that exuded paternalistic authority.

Hillary is like voting for your mother, according to many Democrats in the primary process.

Hillary supporters however, realizing she needed help, got out the vote.

It worked for Bill. It worked for Hillary. Thy name is Clinton: brains, heart, compassion and passion.

Maybe there is something to this thing called democracy after all — despite the boy’s club.