Document text
1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW OSF project translating Bard into modern English stirs international debate ... Roseburg shooting victim describes gunman's rampage ... Guest Opinion: Plaza fencing is ugly and wasteful ... OSF project translating Bard into modern English stirs international debate ... Roseburg shooting victim describes gunman's rampage ... Guest Opinion: Plaza fencing is ugly and wasteful ... COMMENTARY Jeffrey Gillespie: Hillary Clinton's big night Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Oct. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Oct. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Hillary Clinton has never been one to look weak in a prize fight. When it comes to a presidential debate, she is among the few remaining world heavyweight champions. While certain persistent politicos seem to be a fixture during presidential hopeful season (Mitt Romney is a classic example) Secretary Clinton remains the rara avis — a top-notch political operative, with wide-ranging experience and a broad base of support, wife of a former president, former senator, former secretary of state. And yet the highest office in the land has continued to elude her, much to the surprise and consternation of her core supporters. Her performance in the first of the Democratic presidential debates this past week was remarkable, even by the high standards expected of her by the public. The breadth of her experience, the quality of her insights and her ability to come over as both in touch with the woes of the middle class and aware of the larger implications of a departure from capitalism as we know it (a key theme in the debate, thanks to the presence of her closest contender, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont) have shown her to be a stone-cold professional. The majority in the press have anointed her the winner of Tuesday’s debate. This columnist, staunch Sanders supporter though he may be, is forced to concur. Clinton, as usual, is up against formidable opponents. She said so herself, during the debate, citing everyone from the NRA to the House Republicans as enemies she was proud to have made. What was peculiar about these admissions is that, while other presidential hopefuls on stage cited foes in a way that made the speakers sound hollow and contrived, nobody doubted Mrs. Clinton as she ran down the list of people who disliked her. Everyone sort of dislikes her. It’s part of what makes her so likable. She has an innate capacity for weaving straw into gold. When asked to respond to yet another attack regarding her email account, this time leveled by former Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chaffee, she simply answered “no” with a weary smile — a brilliant move that showed her political chops in a way not previously seen (which is quite something considering her long years in Washington). The move was quintessentially Clintonian, and drew some of the biggest applause of the evening. The other seminal moment was when Sanders threw Mrs. Clinton a lifeline and defended her against the email server scandal. Audiences across the country saw that moment as a gesture of solidarity and collaboration, and they applauded it. Sanders, the other big star of the night, performed well. He spoke his piece with clarity and commitment, and showed himself to be a worthy contender. In the four hours after the debate, Sanders' campaign collected in excess of $1.3 million in contributions, and there is every indication that he will continue to grow in popularity. But the more obvious point is that he will serve as the professional who will be taking the punches as thrown by the champion. The other three gents on stage — whose names you can already barely remember — seemed as hollow and irrelevant as the straw men stacked up against the hay bales at an Iowa grip-and-grin. Messrs. Webb, Chaffee and O’Malley, none of them slouches in the political arena, were thoroughly outclassed by Sanders and Clinton. Amplifying the quiet dignity surrounding the Democratic debate is the ongoing spectacle of racist and misogynistic mud-slinging that is the Republican contest. Led by Donald Trump, their debates look even more absurd after seeing Clinton and her colleagues in action. Despite all her troubles and history, Clinton is the woman for the job. When the time comes, she will eviscerate her Republican opponent and will become the next president of the United States. She has transcended herself, she's ready, and (barring some truly horrifying scandal) she will win. On top of all that, my oldest female relative thought Clinton's hair looked "great." Jeffrey Gillespie's writing has appeared in the Santa Fean and Art Collector magazines, the Portland Mercury and Willamette Week. He lives in Ashland. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Oct. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501