SO PHONY SHE NEGLECTS TO BE PHONY, WHICH ONLY PROVES HER PHONINESS

Boston Globe, February 26, 2007:

Clinton, an early leader in the race for the 2008 Democratic nomination, apparently has dropped -- or at least deemphasized -- "Rodham," her maiden name. Though her family name remains on her official Senate website, it's not on her campaign website and shows up only occasionally in her news releases.

New York Times today:

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton signs autographs meticulously, drawing out each line and curve of "H-i-l-l-a-r-y," "R-o-d-h-a-m" and "C-l-i-n-t-o-n." She leaves no stray lines or wayward marks.

...She is the diligent student who gets an A in penmanship, the woman in a hurry who still takes care to dot her i's.

What? It can't be! Just last week we were assured that the evil she-demon had expunged all traces of "Rodham" from her campaign, after consultation with the other members of her coven! How is it possible that she's including it when giving autographs (which she presumably signs using the same hand she uses when guiding her broom)?

Ah, but relax. Obviously we've replaced that meme with another Hillary meme -- that she's a grade-grubber we're supposed to find icky and annoying. So don't worry, she's horrible either way.

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The Times article I'm quoting is just awful. I imagine Bob Somerby or Digby or Glenn Greenwald will do it justice soon, but for now I'll just say that the point seems to be that Hillary Clinton is the first person in the history of electoral politics (with the possible exception of her husband) to (a) pre-plan seemingly spontaneous campaign appearances, (b) try to seem like both a tough leader ready for the world stage and a pal, (c) meet and greet ordinary citizens at campaign stops with a seeming sincerity that masks the desire to conclude each encounter quickly and move on to the next, (d) have an aide hold personal objects during a speech, (e) nod as a habitual gesture, (f) thank locals who helped prepare campaign appearances, (g) connect with some categories of voters more than others, and (h) have aides who seem nervous and protective. And that's a partial list.

Oh, and she's (ick!) a girl:

In Keene, N.H., in February, Mrs. Clinton said she was so thankful to all of the people "who gave me confidence," not something that male politicians typically say. Nor do they worry aloud about gaining weight.

I don't know about that "confidence" line, but gaining weight? Let's see: We have Governor former governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, who's running for president and who's made a great show of having lost about 100 pounds; we have Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who's also a presidential candidate and who also openly discusses weight loss; we have President Bush, whose press secretary once assured us that his five-pound weight gain was "all muscle"; we had Governor Sonny Perdue of Georgia making a campaign issue of his efforts to lose weight and his renunciation of Snickers bars; we had Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante of California making an issue of his efforts to lose weight during a run for state insurance commissioner ... need I go on? This isn't a chick thing anymore -- or a Hillary thing. All kinds of politicians do it. Some of these people even belong to the Party of Non-Sensitive He-Men, the GOP.