How to be excited about Hillary Clinton

[Novara]

How to be excited about Hillary Clinton - Mark Morford, SF Gate

She’s no Obama. She’s not nearly as immediately likeable, captivating, hyper-articulate. She’s not a great orator, she doesn’t have much by way of magnetism or personal charisma (though she reportedly does have a terrific sense of humor), much less Obama’s famous, deeply reassuring/infuriating Zen-like calm.

She can’t hit a three-pointer from 25 feet out. She’s not a surprising unknown, an electrifying newcomer with a curious pedigree who might, just might, really shake things up in DC. While she’s as intelligent, experienced and politically savvy as they come, everyone knows all that experience comes with so much baggage and entrenched cronyism, not to mention a hawkish foreign policy, that her campaign already feels a little, well, heavy.

This is the bad news. And it’s just terribly easy to wallow in it, to be somewhat less than enthralled with Hillary’s second presidential bid, if for no other reason there’s just not much genuine spark there – nothing, aside from her gender and her inherent promise not to mess with Obama’s legacy overmuch, to truly inspire the Left and galvanize the ever-wary liberal youth. And that announcement video? About as captivating as an Allstate commercial. Is this what we’re in for?

But wait. That’s too easy. And not at all helpful.

There is simply no need to point out the aspects of the 2016 race that will be less exciting this time around. After all, it’s unlikely anyone in this lifetime will ever match Obama’s otherworldly 2008 run, which had the added thrill of yanking the World’s Worst President off the national stage, once and for all.

So what if she’s not a particularly compelling presence? So what if her policies are very much in line with Everything That Came Before? She’s the most unifying and potent force in the Democratic party. Her poll numbers are fantastic. She’s pro-choice, pro-science, pro-gay marriage, pro-environment (well, sort of), pro-women’s rights, pro-immigration reform and very much not an insane anti-science, anti-intellect Tea Party twitch-bot.

But even better than all of that – and this is, right now anyway, by far the best reason to be excited for her run – is the reaction of her enemies.

Which is to say: Totally. Freaked. Out.


Read more: http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2015/04/14/how-to-be-excited-about-hillary-clinton/