Sob story

Several of my commenters think that the Hillary sob was a setup: an attempt to humanize her into a last minute win of the New Hampshire primaries. That sentiment is echoed by an anonymous blogger over at The Economist's Democracy in America blog, the best-kept secret in American political blogging.

CALL me a terrible, terrible cynic—perhaps one of those who "think elections are a game"—but it seems awfully convenient that a rare emotional crack should appear in Hillary Clinton's steely wonkish façade just as she is fighting to dispel the notion that she is cold, aloof, or unlikable, and to gain ground against an opponent whose personability and charisma may be his greatest assets. . . . John Edwards is reported to have "pounced" on Mrs Clinton's choked-up moment, telling reporters that "what we need in a commander-in-chief is strength and resolve, and presidential campaigns are tough business, but being president of the United States is also tough business". Perhaps this illustrates the catch-22 faced by women in politics: They are portrayed as bossy and unfeminine if they behave like their male counterparts, but tarred as weak or hysterical at the first display of emotion. (Reason's Kerry Howley notes that Y-chromosomed politicians can apparently get misty without prompting a media feeding frenzy.) But given that many of the reactions to Mr Edwards' remarks have been hostile, perhaps it also illustrates Mrs Clinton's canniness. Her next tear may be shed over the fact that it was Mr Edwards, rather than frontrunner Barack Obama, who took the bait.

All right, I'm as sympathetic as the next working woman to the problems that women face in trying to make it to the top . . . but if New Hampshire votes for Hillary Clinton because the Poor Widdle Girl Feels so Bad About Losing, I'll vomit, I really will.