Fiona's Blog: Is Hillary Finally Cool?
It seems like everyone around me who voted Democrat in 2008 has one thing to say this summer: I wish I’d voted for Hillary. I guess amidst the debt-ceiling crisis, the fighting in Libya, and the increased troops in Afghanistan, Obama somehow lost his cool factor. But, has Hillary finally gained hers?What makes a politician cool? There’s no denying that President Obama nailed the cool factor on the campaign trail in 2008, with his rolled up sleeves, casual demeanor, sleek website, and ability to “connect” with those critical college voters. Saturday Night Live was one of the few shows to poke fun at Obama, but even they couldn’t move past his cool factor with their skit "Obama Plays it Cool in 2008." Kids of my generation seemed to agree that Hillary stood no chance against the Obama cool.This is definitely in part because of Obama’s youth and his sleek website, but I would argue that his cool factor was not just a simple case of new versus old, flashy versus plain—what I like to call the Mac versus PC mold—but also a case of man versus woman.
Obama’s cool was distinctly male; neither Hillary, nor any other female politician, had a chance of emulating it. Had a woman tossed her suit jacket over her shoulder, flashed a cool grin, and impressed us with her bank shot, I don’t think it would have flown.
I say his cool factor was distinctly male, because I believe that if a female politician had acted the same way, the country wouldn’t have bought the act. Obama was nonchalant, serious enough, yet seemed—to be honest—not to care that deeply. And that worked for him. Had a woman acted this way, I think she would have just been perceived as cold, uncaring, and possibly uninformed.Now it seems that Obama’s cool factor has eroded, and, even more interesting, that Hillary may have swooped in and grabbed some of it. Hillary’s approval ratings have been higher than Obama’s for several months now, and it seems many American Democrats are actually lamenting their choice, and wishing Clinton had been the Democratic nominee.Interestingly, the backlash against Obama seems to be gender-fueled as well. According to a Daily Beast article a few weeks ago, older women tend to be much harsher in their criticism of Obama—and they’re not just harsh, they’re…well, for lack of a better word, emasculating him. One 67-year-old woman from New York is quoted in the article as saying, “Obama has no spine and no balls.”
Hillary on the other hand, is coming across as tough. Yet, somehow she is escaping the “she’s so tough she must be a cold-hearted, butch bitch” comments. Maybe the country just needs leadership so badly, they’re willing to overlook the fact that the person providing it happens to be a woman. In that same Daily Beast article, an 83-year-old Obama supporter is quoted as shaking her head and saying, “I’m so disappointed in him. It’s true: Hillary is tougher.”
So, has Hillary finally done it? Has she mastered her cool factor? Or is she just a popular alternative to an indecisive President in a time of turmoil? One thing’s for certain, Hillary’s presence as a serious Presidential candidate has broadened the horizons for female politicians, and widened the array of public personalities women in politics can show.Still, I don’t think I’ll really be happy until I hear kids my age justifying their support of Hillary, by saying “she’s so cool!”—a phrase often uttered about Obama. Even when expressing praise for Hillary’s actions as Secretary of State, many people I know seem to squeamishly tiptoe around personally complimenting Hillary.But, I can say that what Hillary’s doing for the country—negotiating with President Assad in Syria, and taking a definite leadership role in matters of diplomacy—is infinitely needed and incredibly cool. And at least, people seem to be recognizing this. For me—for now—that’s enough.Fiona Lowenstein is a high school senior, weekly guest blogger and Girls Leadership Institute alumna. Read more of her work here.