In the ordinary way of things, I probably wouldn’t vote for Hillary Clinton in the primary. I’d vote for John Edwards on straight policy grounds, or for Barack Obama as the slightly lefter, fresher face, the candidate who can bring in the most new voters and give the United States’ relations with the rest of the world a new start. Or I might just say the heck with the top three–who are much less different from one another than their self-branding would have you believe and who would probably do equally well (or not) if elected–and vote for Dennis Kucinich, who actually stands for things I believe in, like single-payer health care and not bombing Iran. But then I come across one of these sulfurous emanations from the national collective unconscious and I want to sit down and write Hillary’s campaign a check immediately. I want to knock on doors for her every Saturday from now until primary day, on which I want to vote for her–twice. Sisterhood is powerful! We are all Hillary Clinton!

After all, the hysterical insults flung at Hillary Clinton are just a franker, crazier version of the everyday insults—shrill, strident, angry, ranting, unattractive—that are flung at any vaguely liberal, mildly feminist woman who shows a bit of spirit and independence, who puts herself out in the public realm…