Cody
Williams
Hillary's Hair
by Cody Williams
Half of the way through a rally in which Hillary Clinton addressed a group of Connecticut supporters it dawned on me that this woman is gifted and quite capable of running our government. She fielded questions that demonstrated a dept and breath of understanding of world, domestic, local, family and personal issues. From universal health care to early childhood development, global warming and diplomatic relations abroad Hillary was on top of each issue and had plausible solutions to address the problems we face as a nation.
I also noticed that her hair was very well done. I mean every strand fell neatly in place as if she had just stepped away from a beautician's chair. Don't get me wrong, I'm not usually the type of guy who pays attention to a woman's hair, or her shoes for that matter. But I found it interesting that her hair style conformed to a slickly produced stylized poster that hung on a wall at a party given in her honor at the Crobar, a chic and trendy West Side New York nightspot.
If Hillary Clinton is to win the democratic nomination and then the White House in November it may have less to do with her knowledge, experience and capabilities. Her winning may hinge entirely on her hairstyle -- her image.
When I got back to my desk from the rally I opened a rather caustic email from a college buddy. He was responding to a blog in which I supported Hillary over Barack Obama. After writing some very unkind things about both Clintons he ended his note by calling me a "House Negro," a pejorative most often used to describe blacks who sided with slave owners and more recently Black Republicans. Wow! That stung. This election is getting tribal.
Back at the office two white colleagues criticized Hillary for being a opportunists and Carpet Bagger because she moved to New York to run for the senate instead of returning to Arkansas after leaving the White House. Someone else responding to my blog called her a crook because of her Whitewater dealings.
In all of this I'm learning that the democratic process, electing a leader, is a very personal one. We campaign and vote for people we feel good about, and good about on a very personal level. We will settle for failed education or foreign policy. Those weighty issues we can't always tie on one person. A lot of voters can care less about Hillary's experience, capabilities and intellect. Their choice comes more from an emotional place. That gut feeling we get when something or someone moves us in one direction or another.
Which brings me back to Hillary's hair.
Farrah Fawcett launched the look of the 70's with a single hairstyle. Jackie Kennedy inspired the world with the help of Oleg Cassini couture. Barack Obama moves audiences, Oprah and Ted Kennedy with his stylish rhetoric.
That West Chelsea hip and trendy image of Hillary, embodied in her stylish hair, may be exactly what she needs to project an image that the electorate can grab a hold of, a symbol that will make them feel good about her, a pacifier that will overcome the false and damaging wrap the leads them to reject a good woman's candidacy.
© www.codywilliams.com 2008
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