Melanie Morgan

Camille Paglia, a liberal left feminist, has a fascinating read about Hillary Clinton.

From Salon.com

Hillary without tears

Why it's time to close the book on the Clintons -- and herald the Obamas! Plus: Iran war hawks, Russian drag queens and the genius of Zeppelin.

By Camille Paglia

Jan. 10, 2008 | Subject: Hillary and sado-masochism

As her husband has dragged his numerous female play objects before her and has humiliated her on the public stage year after year, she still stays within the marriage.

Hillary seems to take every beating, and yet she appears to "keep on ticking." Does she thrive on this?

How would this affect one's (female) psyche? Judgment as President?

General perspective?

Robert Philips

Corrales, New Mexico

A swarm of biographers in miners' gear has tried to plumb the inky depths of Hillary Rodham Clinton's warren-riddled psyche. My metaphor is drawn (as Oscar Wilde's prim Miss Prism would say) from the Scranton coalfields, to which came the Welsh family that produced Hillary's harsh, domineering father.

Hillary's feckless, loutish brothers (who are kept at arm's length by her operation) took the brunt of Hugh Rodham's abuse in their genteel but claustrophobic home. Hillary is the barracuda who fought for dominance at their expense. Flashes of that ruthless old family drama have come out repeatedly in this campaign, as when Hillary could barely conceal her sneers at her fellow debaters onstage -- the wimpy, cringing brothers at the dinner table.

Fred 'Red Bull' Thompson arrived on stage tonight in the South Carolina debates on Fox News and banished 'Ambien' Fred Thompson into the sleepy shadows.

And not a moment too late.

The conventional wisdown is that if FDT doesn't make a strong first or second place finish in South Carolina, he's toast, which I mostly agree with.

But tonight he was cogent, funny, sarcastic (which I personally like very much in a candidate) and dead-on with the issues. People are paying close attention now, so all the yak-yak about Fred being lazy, Fred isn't interested in winning, Fred this, Fred that, looks to be more about media insider stuff than his actual campaign.

As a passionate conservative, I must say that most of the candidates tonight acquited themselves well. Except for Crazy Ron Paul. But even he dressed himself in more respectable Republican clothing than past debates.

I was happily shocked when Frank Luntz, the GOP pollster who was conducting live focus group polling during the debate, asked the 28 participants who they had the least interest in going into the televised proceedings. Thompson was number one.

 Luntz then asked who actually won the debate, and nearly the entire room raised their hands.

I was particularly gratified that Fox News spent a lot of time questioning the candidates about the American reaction to the Iranian speedboats buzzing our Navy in the Straight of Hormuz, because my column at WorldNetDaily.com on Friday deals with this very issue. If we don't respond to the aggression of the Iranian Navy, we will find ourselves in the same humiliating position as the British, with 14 Naval personnel held hostage.

Thompson's response was something to the effect that if the Iranians mess with our guys, they are going to meet up with the 72 virgins they so adore sooner, rather than later.

(From MichelleMalkin.com)

Right on!

I switched off the TV when the candidates began their spin of their own performance, which is never helpful to me in making up my mind.

If the Fred Thompson who appeared on TV tonight is the man who will lead our country into our future, which is alternately bright and scary, then count me among those who are aboard the FredHead Express.

8:11 p.m. PST