Up until Tuesday night’s first Democratic debate, I feared at times we were getting Hillary Clinton of 2008, after then-Senator Obama’s surprising rise. We had the slow rollout focused on small meetings and groups, which was deliberate but gave the media less to cover on her, and then we had the relentless attacks followed by the email apology. That was a low point.
But then Clinton did Saturday Night Live, poking fun at herself with assurance. She was grounded and authentic. She was funny. It was a glimpse into another side of her that we don’t see that often. She’s a serious person, with gravitas and deep knowledge about law and policy, as well as international relations.
Oh, she shone during the foreign policy part of the debate, handling issues deftly and with nuanced ease the way only someone who has already done there can. But this was expected.
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What was unexpected was the crystallization of all we’ve known of her, coming together in a perfectly formed candidate. Confident, gracious, brilliant, passionate, but also lighthearted still times, such as when she answered Anderson Cooper’s question about if she wanted to respond to even more email comments. “No,” she smiled.
Ohhhh, we like this Hillary. Gloves off but not scattershot or inflammatory like a carnival barker from the Republican side of the aisle. No, she was serious and respectful, but in command of herself. Fully in command of who she is, how she got here, all that she’s bringing to the table, and where she wants to go.
Clinton handled the strong and sometimes minor policy disagreements from the other two strongest Dem candidates with respect and an aura of listening while still standing by her policy prescriptions. There were moments with Senator Sanders that were particularly endearing, drawing a sigh of relief that turned into admiration at the way they both conducted themselves with their biggest opponent. It was truly a highlight of the evening, and rewarding to see Clinton handle it with the gracious ease. She seems to believe not in her right to this job, but in her qualifications and that this is the right time for her.
We had a low moment when Cooper relitigated the whole “crown” narrative as if Clinton were a Bush brother, and daddy were handing her a crown she never worked for nor could handle. This scenario makes her husband her daddy, which is just one reason women are so offended by it. The other is a logical fallacy. Neither Clinton descended from US royalty. They both grew up middle class. So why anyone with two brain cells to rub together repeats this narrative or gives it legitimacy is beyond me. Though I’m glad it was brought up. It gave Clinton a chance to show how easily she could turn it around.
The former Secretary of State took on the what was thrown her way without breaking a sweat or sounding defensive. And she gave the women watching a precious moment where they see a sexist narrative batted away and taken apart coolly and thoroughly until it deflated.
Hillary Clinton is here; she’s not going to be mishandled or fear-mongered out of herself.
That woman on the stage last night looked very much like the first woman president of these United States.
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Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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