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Obama-Backing Congressman Compares Hillary Clinton to Glenn Close in 'Fatal Attraction'

May 10, 2008 9:04 AM

Chris Rock said it last month: "It's going to be hard for Barack to be president. ... Hillary's not going to give up. She's like Glenn Close in 'Fatal Attraction.'"

Then NPR political editor Ken Rudin made the joke, saying on "CNN Sunday Morning" that Clinton was "Glenn Close in 'Fatal Attraction' -- she's going to keep coming back, and they're not going to stop her." (Rudin later apologized.)

This week, Obama-backing Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., said on local television, when asked about Sen. Clinton, that "Glenn Close should have just stayed in the tub."

All were referring to Close playing the insane, deluded Alex Forrest -- the wronged  "other woman" who refuses to  accept her fate and just go away, and becomes suicidal and homicidal. (And also rabbit-cidal.)

There is understandably a lot of sensitivity (and sometimes not enough sensitivity) when it comes to Clinton's gender, Sen. Barack Obama's race, and Sen. John McCain's age.

The "Glenn Close in 'Fatal Attraction'" analogy brings with it a whole carousel's worth of baggage given the meme at the time of the release of "Fatal Attraction" that, as the late great Pauline Kael wrote in The New Yorker at the time, the "film is about men seeing feminists as witches."

"Fatal Attraction," Kael wrote, "parrots the aggressively angry, self-righteous statements that have become commonplaces of feminist fiction, and they're so inappropriate to the circumstances that they're proof she's loco. They're also the director Adrian Lyne's and the screenwriter James Dearden's hostile version of feminism."

No matter how you slice it, Alex Forrest was the movie's villain, like Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers. I'd posit at the very least that it's not keeping with Obama's lofty campaign rhetoric to compare Clinton's tenacity to psychosis. And it will indubitably further alienate women voters whom Obama needs to bring to his side once the Democratic race concludes.

- jpt

UPDATE: Congressman Cohen's office has issued an apology this evening. Cohen says, “I sincerely apologize for the comments I made about Senator Clinton's campaign. I have great respect for Senator Clinton as a US Senator. She has waged an historic campaign which has done much to break the glass ceiling.  My comments obviously do not reflect the sentiments of Senator Obama or the Obama campaign. Nor do they reflect my opinion of Senator Clinton whom I have known for years and admire. My hope is that our party will come together to work to defeat John McCain."

May 10, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary, Obama, Barack | Permalink | Share | User Comments (153)

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John Mccain and Hillary are actually friends. John Mccain was quoted as having said Hillary would make a fantastic president. Hillary Clinton said she considered John Mccain to be one of her best friends. For a moderate like myself McCain is a great option over the far left racist Obama.

Posted by: hip | May 11, 2008 1:41:49 AM

The analogy is not far off!
Hillary Clinton makes Richard Nixon
look sane! Just look at those kooks
she has as advisors, Carville, Begala
etc! You can bet your house she has
an "enemies list" too!

Posted by: reaganfan | May 11, 2008 1:35:57 AM

What is wrong with these men? So much for starting the process of uniting this party. Kennedy's comments yesterday probably got McCain a few more votes and now this knucklehead's
comments just got McCain some more votes. Is this how the Democratic party intends to bring the half of this party who supports Clinton back into the fold?
I think they're being a little over-confident and arrogant and taking the other half of the party that supports Clinton for granted. I'm of an age where social issues such as abortion are not going to be a priority in deciding for whom to vote, so while I certainly do not support the Republican's positions on social issues,
I could still vote for McCain. I mean c'mon, I'm in a party right now where it's acceptable to equate Clinton with the Fatal Attraction character. I'm in a party where it's just expected that Clinton will make the sacrifice and take into account and prioritize other people's feelings and drop out. She's a women and that's what a woman should do.
I have no doubt if she were male that there would be calls for him to drop out
but I really doubt we would the see the venom that is directed towards Clinton directed towards him. I guess the Democrats are taking the women's vote for granted this election.

Posted by: alpaig | May 11, 2008 1:16:44 AM

i know o' bama has the blck vote i want you to remember when bill had the black vote what has changed now with hillary are you voteing black because of o'bama because of race listen to hilary's commitment what bill did hilary will surpass ecomeny will be better health care will be better etc. you need to listen to her im not into women i love men but iknow she is the right person for president

Posted by: optican501 | May 11, 2008 1:09:37 AM

We don't hate Obama and the fact that we wouldn't vote for him has nothing to do with race but with his lack of capacity, his divisivness, his radical friends, his selling of political favors in exchange fo money to Rezko and Blackwell, the old politics tactics he used to win the Illinois senator seat. He is fake and deceiving

Posted by: libre | May 11, 2008 12:58:32 AM

How the party thinks that Obama can win without Democrats from California, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Florida, ...? and the rural, blue collar, and Hispanic votes everywhere?

Posted by: libre | May 11, 2008 12:44:41 AM

Elaine or Susan No a write in fo sen Clinton won't go to Obama. I would never vote for Obama but I would never vote for McCain either. stop campigning for him.

Posted by: libre | May 11, 2008 12:44:06 AM

libre and Alice: I wish Hillary could win as an independent, but I fear that a write-in vote for her or no vote at all will result in a win for Obama. The best way to stop Obama if he is the Democratic candidate, is to vote for McCain. Better a Republican centrist, than an inexperienced, deceptive, ruthless, divisive, racist Obama.

Posted by: Elaine | May 11, 2008 12:26:20 AM

Mrs. Hillary supporters please, please don't vote Republican, or you either write her name in the ballot or vote Nader. Democratic primary election are mostly open that gives room for manipulation. Let's hope Mrs. Clint on wins and we elect and re-elect her backers and new fresh people don't vote people who doesn't back her what we need is people who wants the best for this country.

Posted by: alice | May 11, 2008 12:20:34 AM

Obama reminds me of Hercule. looks smart, but clumsy and nerdy.and a looser.

Posted by: libre | May 11, 2008 12:19:43 AM

That's funny, really. Poor Hillary. I guess when you make promises to every constituencies inside and outside the U.S. one wonders how exactly you are going to make good on all of them and still govern the country. At least I do. Now, I gave her a bunch of money and I was quite willing to see her win. But it is just not meant to be. And if Obama looses against McCain, that's just the way it goes. History is in the making.

Posted by: cestfini | May 11, 2008 12:16:47 AM

Ainsley Mccullagh :

Hillary DID win her primary!

RCO:I prefer the story of Alice Palmer as told by Alice Palmer..
and that wasn't the only election in which Obama was a candidate which went
awry.

Sam: West Virginia and Kentucky are two of my favorite states.and don't deserve to be called racist if they're as smart as I think they are, and gift their vote to Hillary Clinton.

I am not a racist either.... nor are most of those voters who are disenchanted with Obama. Frankly, I find this description as a distinction between Hillary supporters and Obama nayers... is a total turn off.

And if I were to describe B O in terms of color, the word would definitely be G R E E N!!!!

Posted by: eyes wide open | May 11, 2008 12:13:29 AM

Kelly: I agree with you 100%. I've been a lifelong Democrat, but I'm disgusted with the actions of my party. Since when did the Democratic Party stand for rationalizing racism, disenfranchising millions of voters, and rampant sexism, all to shove Obama down our throats. I've already contact our local Republican Party and told them that if Hillary is not our candidate, they can count on me and my extended family to do everything in our power to assure the election of John McCain. Better a centrist Republican, than an inexperienced, deceptive, ruthless, divisive and racist Obama.

Posted by: Susan | May 10, 2008 11:57:52 PM

The entire Clinton campaign was built on a pack of lies:
1) Sen. Clinton has more experience than Obama. Sleeping next the president? Being a lawyer for Wal-Mart? Being a US Senator for 8 years?
Obama's experience: Part time constitutional law instructor at Univ. Chicago 1993-2004. Illinois State Senate 1996-2004. US Senate (IL) 2004-present.
2) Hard-working white people don't like him. Not necessarily. They just like Clinton better.
3) Not ready for the presidency. Gosh, he has run a pretty good campaign, don't you think? Better than Sen. Clinton's.
4) Not tough enough. Here is a guy who is black and has a strange name, and who has to start campaigning in Iowa. Then, he has endured smear tactics from the Clintons and the Republicans. I'd say he's pretty tough.

I am sooooo tired of Clinton. Sen. Obama, please don't select Sen. Clinton as your running mate, but if you do, watch your back.

Yes, we can!

Posted by: w_roos | May 10, 2008 11:44:52 PM

"Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community. Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love."

Obama’s so-called religion – black liberation theology.

Posted by: Susan | May 10, 2008 11:35:11 PM

would someone like to explain this argument that hillary is in a better position to win the general but obama isnt.If she is a better candidate why couldnt she win her own primary

Posted by: Ainsley Mccullagh | May 10, 2008 11:20:01 PM

Maryanne,

Are you kidding us? You are calling Obama underhanded and doublecross anyone that gets in his way? I think you forgot to substitute Obama for Hillary in your writing. Come on..have you missed how the Clinton's politically operate in the past 20 years? If you are not with them, you are against them and they make life very difficult for you. Why not do some research on Hillary...the fact that she is being sued in California for attempting to hide over $1,000,000 in soft money donations...the judge recently decided she does not need to trstify until after the November elections...what about Whitewater...what about her investment in Tyson Foods where she was advised by an insider of the company and turned a $2,000 investment into $120,000 in 12 months...what about her not bowing out of this race gracefully fully understanding she can not win and supporting the eventual nominee of the party. Come on Maryanne...it is people like yourself that scare the heeck out of me as a fellow democrat.

Posted by: Rob | May 10, 2008 10:19:40 PM

Hillary's out of money. Gameover.

Posted by: oppong | May 10, 2008 10:13:27 PM

Sally: That was a true statement about Obama. I was told about his dirty political moves regarding his run for the senate seat. I find him to be extremely underhanded and ability to double cross any one that gets in his way if he could. He has this young generation of college students fooled by his RFK speeches which he studied from a book given to him. For a college graduate he isn't that bright, but tricky and cunning. The white people should wake up to the fact that he doesn't like white people, he is only using them for their votes and they are so dumb they can't see thru him.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | May 10, 2008 10:07:14 PM

John McCain looks worn out. Where do you think he would lead you bitter Hillary supporters. Crossover and stay over. Change start in your head.

Posted by: tony | May 10, 2008 10:04:55 PM

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