The Republicans and Fox News have been so successful at painting Hillary Clinton as a scandal-plagued hack politician that even liberals often repeat the GOP talking points. Unfortunately, propaganda works, even when you think it won’t.

Which is why this article by Jon Favreau is so interesting. Favreau was Obama’s speechwriter during the 2008 election. After Obama won and picked Clinton as his secretary of state, Favreau got to know Clinton. And he admits that he was surprised to find out that Clinton was “far different than the caricature I had helped perpetuate.”

Favreau’s article resonated with me, because I was a fervent Obama supporter in 2008. In fact, helping him get elected was one of the main reasons I started this blog. And yes, that biased me against Hillary Clinton. In addition I was never overly enamored of Bill Clinton during his presidency.

But watching the Republicans throw trumped up scandal after scandal at her started me thinking and made me examine how I felt about her as a politician. After all, why are the Republicans so scared of her? I have to say that I now think she will make an excellent president. Favreau does a far better job than I could in articulating why.

UPDATE: An article in Politico (of all places!) also highlights how Clinton has matured and mellowed as a politician, even since 2008. Watching her, I get the feeling that it isn’t just about winning anymore. Maybe, just maybe, she is taking a tip from John Kennedy and asking what she can do for her country. And ironically, not making it about winning may be the only way for her to actually win.

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Political Irony