If you want to take the temperature of the nation’s current level of sexism, just perk your ears up every time you hear Hillary Clinton decried for being “smart.” Take note of the sinister tone of the speaker, who will often emphasize his point by pausing one beat, before repeating, “very smart.” It’s almost as though Hill’s braininess is perceived to give her some sort of unfair advantage over the other candidates. Like the A student who spoils the grade curve, Smarty-pants Hillary is somehow understood to be ruining it for the rest of the class. And it has been leveled at Democratic candidates of yesteryear, like Adlai Stevenson and John Kerry. Remember when Kerry was derided for his “professorial manner?” Quelle horreur! Of course, this is a point packed with implicit sexism, too, because God knows the nation is scared to death of a smart woman.

All of this reminds me of the story about Uta Hagen telling the drama student, “Hamlet is not A Guy Like You.” Do we really want a president of average intelligence? I, for one, fail to see the appeal of a dumbed-down democracy. Who was it that said, “Democracy is a leveling up, not a leveling down?” When it comes to making decisions about nuclear war, I want somebody a hell of a lot smarter than me in the Oval office.
And speaking of nuclear war, the idea that the whole Middle East is just one big powder keg has been occurring to me with greater frequency. I’m just not sure I want anybody elected president who doesn’t have enormous experience in foreign affairs. It’s that kind of election year, guys. This doesn’t seem the moment to vote according to domestic concerns. And out of all the candidates, Democrat or Republican, there only seem to be three people capable of adequately addressing the hideous international situation—Hillary, Gore, and John McCain.
Well, Gore’s not running, and McCain’s a cranky old fascist.
So my vote’s going to Hillary.
Okay, so maybe she doesn’t have Obama’s Kennedy-esque eloquence. Maybe she’s more bureaucrat than visionary; more Johnson than JFK. I’m willing to sacrifice charm for inside-the-beltway know-how. I’d gladly pay to hear Obama lecture, but let’s send Miss Smarty-pants back to the White House.

Hillary may be too pragmatic to really suit me, like her husband who signed DOMA into law and failed to honor his promise to permit gays to serve in the military. Will she bend to the pressure of big business and not give the nation the national heath care system that we really need? Will she bend to big business and fail to protect the environment?