Hillary Clinton and the Lex Street Acid Test
by DavidFebruary 28th, 2005 10:48 pm
Hillary, oh Hillary, must you run? Must you?
The Democratic Party (my party of choice) seems intent on putting Hillary in the driver’s seat for 2008.
Electable? Not a chance.
No, not because she’s a woman — the Republicans could put up Condi Rice and do quite well, thank you very much. It’s not because of Monica (that wasn’t her fault.) And hey, even Whitewater is old news for many.
She just doesn’t pass the Lex Street test.
On December 28, 2000, four gunmen killed seven and wounded three more in a drug-dealing dispute. The crime, dubbed the “Lex Street Massacre” is the worst shooting in modern Philadelphia history. It took place at 816 North Lex Street — not far from where I live.
The next Democrat who wins the White House will need the votes of the people on Lex Street — and of other places like it. These folks have heard politicians promise much and deliver little. They have little to gain by voting, and so much has been taken from them already that they have little to lose by foregoing the process.
Someone like Howard Dean (who was clearly responsible for his own demise) could have won their votes. Dean championed health insurance for everyone, and affirmative action based on class, not race. Kerry, on the other hand, simply brought his war record, which is singularly unimpressive to the folks who live on Lex Street — they live in a war zone, day in, day out.
What use are arguments about Social Security reform, homeland defense, and foreign policy when getting through the day is an almost impossible task? Of what use will Hillary be to the residents of Lex Street? None, I fear, and the results will speak for themselves.
March 1st, 2005 at 12:50 am
Grr, couldn’t figure out how to edit the previous comment. Apparently, it’s not soup yet. (tm Rocky Horror) As far as Condi Rice goes, that would also be interesting. Do you think the residents of Lex Street would get out and vote if Condi was on the ticket? I’m still guessing no. Who knows? Class difference and education level differences may still trump the cultural similarities. David, thanks for provoking my thoughts. These comments are pretty much the first stuff that rolled off my tongue, so I may think about them tomorrow and deem myself a complete imbecile. But I really hope not. ;)
March 1st, 2005 at 10:52 am
Kerry, on the other hand, simply brought his war record…
That’s odd, I seem to recall some other stuff. Bad dreams? False memories? Maybe I should lay off the hard stuff for a while, or at least until my memory comes back.