Why Not Likee Hillary

Needlessly to say, I am a strong Obama supporter. There is actually a scale that the campaign uses to gauge a potential voter's interest level. I would be a '1' for sure. In spite of that, I still think about why I don't like Hillary as a candidate.

Recently a book came out by a female author that talked about her soul searching for whether she should support Hillary. As a woman, she felt that it was her obligation to do so. And that it would be an historic opportunity for a woman to be president. And yet she had a hard time convincing herself to like her. Anytime that you have to convince yourself forcefully anything, something is not right. But that still begs the question. Why did she not like her? Maybe the problem she has is the same problem a lot of other people have. And maybe she is not alone, even including some mild mannered men.

Yesterday a pundit on the NPR piece noted that Hillary's rating never went above 50% anytime in the last 2 years. She noted (I am giving credit here:) ) that it was as if people were waiting to see what else was out there that they could like more. And then came Barack. So maybe a lot more of us feel that way.

While some would argue that people dislike Hillary for the reason that she is a strong women, that she is willing to speak her voice. I personally don't buy that argument. I like strong women. I married a very strong willed woman who speaks her voice everyday to me and to the world. And she is backing Obama. There are a number of strong women that we have a lot of respect for. We love Oprah and Michelle Obama who are also very strong women who speak their minds. So I don't believe it is a sexist thing.

When I listen to Hillary speak, the first thought that comes to my head is 'why is she trying to sound like a man?' Well, I do know the reason. In theory, in the tough political world, you have to sound tough and act tough. And if you don't, they will run you over. You cannot show any sign of weakness. Or they will exploit it. (That could also be why Hillary refuse to back down from her vote for the Iraq war.)

While in theory it may sound good, the problem is that it is not genuine. It is an act. When I see Hillary, I still cannot figure out who the real person is. For most people, when they cannot truly tell who you are, they don't feel they can trust you. Or like you. I think it is as simple as that.

Hillary has been changing her campaign tone literally from week to week from aggressive to 'grassroots' to victim as they try different approaches to see what works. People are left confused. As one reporter said, they are trying to see what sticks. I shake my head as I write this.

When people are looking to choose a president, they are looking for someone that has a consistent set of values. No matter how rough the times get, whether its good or bad, that person will pull through all the same. It is that they are dependable. It is that they are reliable. In selecting a leader of the free world, that person is someone you feel you can count on. You want to feel that you have confidence and trust in this person. Sadly, Hillary to this day is still having an identity crisis in figuring out who she wants to be that people will best like her for even with all the political machine behind her.

Note: Her top political adviser Mark Penn gets paid $2 million for his advice on 'branding' her to the public. Today she is reportedly $7 million in debt with a large percentage going to consultancy. Of course, the race is not over yet as Ohio, Texas, and PA are still looming on the horizon.