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"Candidly
Yours"
October 22, 2001
Rudy and Hillary, Changing Places
by Linda A. Prussen-Razzano
 Just
a year and a half have elapsed since New York City Mayor
Rudy Giuliani and then First Lady Hillary Clinton were
engaged in a feisty, sometimes nasty, Senatorial campaign.
The difference in their styles was marked: Hillary attended
carefully orchestrated appearances with no direct access
to questioning by reporters, gave scripted interviews
in friendly venues only, and used her influence in the
White House to raise funds, sway policy, and romance voters.
Rudy was forced to air his dirty laundry, from his vicious
rift with his wife, to his ongoing affair, to his fight
against cancer. While Hillary remained safe behind staffer
lines, Rudy slugged it out with the media in a manner
that was sordid at worst and unflattering at best.
Gone and forgotten were his many accomplishments:
cleaning up the city, tightening up the police, shaking
up Liberty Street, eviscerating the mob’s influence, and
encouraging large corporations to remain in the city at
a time when more tax-friendly locales beckoned. Social
Conservatives disapproved of his pro-abortion stance,
his honoring of Stonewall veterans, and other "socially
liberal" overtures that seem to contradict his otherwise
hard-line positions on crime and fiscal responsibility.
He was tainted, by association, as a racist and demagogue,
labels he did not deserve but could not shake. Even after
bowing out to Representative Rick Lazio, Republicans in
general and Conservatives in particular did not view him
favorably: they thought he had taken too long to make
his decision, thereby undercutting Lazio’s chances dramatically.
In stark contrast, the newly elected
Senator Clinton enjoyed favorable coverage of her first
days in the Halls of Congress. She weathered several imbroglios
immediately following Bush’s entry to the White House,
including stories of theft and vandalism, influence purchasing,
and petty chicanery that tarnished, but did not eliminate,
her post-victory glow. Plodding onward in swift determination,
she slowly reclaimed the aura of power that had surrounded
her before, during, and shortly after her victory. She
faded not into obscurity but into the background, settling
comfortably into her new position; her worst press coverage
being the apparent "weathering" of her appearance.
On September 11, 2001, all of that –
like countless other things in America – changed. Within
minutes of the attacks, Mayor Giuliani was on the front
lines, surveying the damage, escaping the collapses by
a sheer stroke of luck. His almost immediate access to
reporters, his nearly continuous press conferences, were
exactly what New Yorkers, and, indeed, Americans at large,
needed at a time of unparalleled crisis. What before had
been dismissed as brutish, braggadocio behavior was now
finally regarded in an honest light: unbending fortitude,
vulnerable compassion, immediate action, and an unyielding
willingness to do what was necessary, no matter how complicated
or difficult.
In almost every public appearance since
then (some televised, some not), Mayor Giuliani has displayed
an exemplary amount of grace. His tough talk is still
tough, but he is quick to bow out of the spotlight and
let others take center stage, eager to give credit where
it is due, and unwilling to make this horror his personal
calamity. He refused to inject himself into the unfolding
stories, to make this attack all about him; he completely
rejected the "Me Generation" tendency to seek sympathy
for himself. It was not about him, his policies, or his
personal feelings – the events of September 11, 2001 were
about 6,000 innocent Americans who were brutally slaughtered
by crazed animals hell-bent on destruction, the suffering
foisted so mercilessly on their families, and the collapse
of several towering monuments to America’s financial dominance.
In return for his strength and grace,
he has received the accolades of politicians and pundits,
the high esteem of the nation’s people, the love of many
New Yorkers, the respect of world leaders, and the Honorary
Title of Knight from England’s Queen Elizabeth.
Whether genuinely derived or orchestrated
by Hillary’s handlers, the stories reported about the
former First Family shortly after the attack read far
too much like "Me Generation" press releases. From a strictly
newsworthy standpoint, it was disconcerting to learn that
Chelsea was in New York City at the time of the attack.
Nevertheless, she, like many others, was not harmed; the
inclusion of this information should have been a tidbit
in a larger article about the City’s devastation, not
the focus of entire articles. Former President Bill Clinton’s
appearance near Ground Zero, his attempts to console fellow
citizens in his adopted city, were certainly newsworthy
as well; however, his presence there (before President
Bush had a chance to view the destruction) was regarded
not as benevolent, but upstaging. Whether the result of
unfavorable press coverage or not, Senator Schumer’s repeated
and vocal appreciation for the President’s assistance
has overshadowed Senator Clinton’s unenthusiastic responses
during President Bush’s address to the nation several
weeks ago.
She may, in truth, be the victim of her
own guilt-by-association. Former President Bill Clinton’s
reported ability to feel other’s pain was so legendary
and so readily dispensable, many question whether they
actually felt anyone’s pain at all.
All of these variables may explain why,
during Saturday’s fabulous benefit concert, the formerly
besieged Mayor Rudy Giuliani was met with thunderous applause
and echoing chants of his name; while the formerly beloved
Senator Clinton was met with boos so loud, she was allegedly
forced to shout into the microphone to be heard over the
din. Several others, including actor Richard Gere, experienced
a similarly unpleasant welcoming. When Gere attempted
to wax poetic about diversity, harmony, and letting go
of our anger, the bitterness directed towards him was
palpable.
In the few weeks that have followed the
attack, one thing has become perfectly clear: the days
of the "Me Generation" are over. This attack is not about
the "Me Generation" folks who think they still have the
authority or credibility to tell others what to believe,
how to grieve, and how to act. If they try, they will
undoubtedly be met with what is politely termed as "crushing
setdown." This attack is about America’s survival, the
victims, their families, and the true heroes still struggling
under depressing conditions and agonizing physical demands
at Ground Zero.
Those who presume otherwise will find
themselves, politically or publicly, out in the cold.
***
© 2001 Linda Prussen-Razzano
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