By Attila Honey

What do women and politicians have in common? Let’s take a look at Hillary Clinton who was supposed to have been “The Chosen One.” Many felt that she was born to be the first woman President – at least from her perspective she was. But where was that groundswell of women supporters in her own party when she ran in the primaries and lost to Barack Obama? Where was that groundswell of black supporters in her own party – whose pain Bill Clinton felt so deeply? Where was that groundswell of support in her own party for another minority – a woman for President? Herein lies the same problem that Bush had – the divisiveness and inability to cooperate and support their own. Why? Self Interest! But the biggest problem was Hillary. Outside of the fact that she has neither the “so called” charm of her husband nor the charisma – she made enormous blunders in this high stake game of running for the Presidency. She has never used her greatest asset and weapon – which is femininity. Women are the nurturers and carriers of life into this world. The smart woman who understands this makes a far better CEO than her male counterpart. Men, who find it difficult to chew gum and walk at the same time, are no match for a savvy woman who can multi task right up to the moment of childbirth. They are the mothers of all nations – those nurturers who know how to be quiet when necessary (although I have found this difficult if not impossible) and how to whack a behind or two when needed. I knew how to snap beans for dinner or knit a sweater while watching my kid skin his knees in Little League, go home and feed the kids, bathe and tuck them into bed – after which, spend the next four hours working on a presentation for the next morning’s board meeting. The nurturing female knows how to kiss a boo boo and make it better and still be a working woman – and in some cases, the CEO of that company.

What do women and politicians have in common? They both know how to shoot themselves in the foot when they are in the catbird seat. To illustrate my point, leaving partisan politics aside, Hillary Clinton is an experienced, savvy politician and former First Lady. Why then did she not win the nomination for President? One of the reasons is that she traded her femininity for all the worst traits of men. No one likes to hear a strident woman, wearing mannish looking polyester suits on the campaign trail – trying to persuade us how tough she is. WE ALREADY KNOW THIS! Anyone who could survive the embarrassment of the Bill/Monica debacle could deal with terrorists.

Interestingly, her favorable ratings were never higher than during that time period. So what’s wrong with this picture? The package she is wrapped in never resounded with middle America. She does not project warmth and caring but rather manipulation and self interest as opposed to Barack Obama who had little – if no experience to be President of the United States – yet, he mastered the art of making Americans “feel” as though he had only their best interests at heart. He drove home the point that there would be transparency in government and the left hand would always know what the right hand was doing. It is all a game of marketing and neither Hillary Clinton nor her advisors did their homework on that score. That faux pas cost her nomination.

Indira Gandhi, Golda Meier, Margaret Thatcher, Mother Teresa –  gave the impression of being nurturers in that they made people “feel” they had their best interests at heart. They were brilliant in their respective fields but they were also women – and to the best of my knowledge never wore polyester men’s suits in every photo op.

Sadly, we believe that politicians will make the difference in our lives. Truth is – only we can come to terms with those differences within ourselves. Each night when I “sit with Sam” (my love name for God), my inward journey is an on going struggle as I take inventory of all my shortcomings. But from where I sit, that is far more rewarding than falling in love with illusions and experiencing the despondency that follows. There is nothing more illusory than politics and all the packages those leaders are wrapped in.

Attila Honey