CRISTINA SOSA/YH

Senator Hillary: misplaced ambition

As much as Giuliani would like us to think otherwise, the validity of Clinton's campaign does not depend on whether she can truly understand the issues involved. She is clearly an intelligent woman and has been heavily involved in policy in her eight years as First Lady. The ultimate question, rather, is, "Why New York?" The only possible answer is that Clinton's motives are ultimately self-serving, that her run is little more than a way to increase her public profile, emerge from the shadow of her husband, and milk the Senate seat for all it's worth.

Though labeled a carpetbagger, Clinton has a carpetbag that is ironically rather empty. She is doing her best to leave everything back in Washington, including her last name. She now goes by the catchy, kitschy moniker of "Hillary!" Giuliani would like New Yorkers to think that she left her knowledge of politics back in D.C. as well, but that isn't the case. It's not that Hillary doesn't know about New York—it's just that her past indifference to the state shows that she doesn't care. And that is what makes her Senate bid an insult flung in the face of democracy.

A democracy is not only a government by the people, but for the people. Is Hillary's run really for the people of New York? Is it her sense of civic duty, her moral compass, which screams to her that, of all the people in this vast nation, the folks in New York are in the greatest need of her help? The original carpetbaggers, of course, descended on a teetering post-war South and sucked it dry. One must be wary of the modern day equivalent.

It is easy to find all of this idealistic and silly, of course. Few people really expect politicians to be without ambition. But one almost gets the impression that when Hillary Clinton sat down with a map and ran her finger across all the different-colored states, picking which state to serve in, she picked the one that would serve her best. And that goes beyond the usual political dirty-dealing.

There is a certain glory that Clinton could have earned for herself, and for her gender as a whole. As one of the more prominent women in the world today, she is in a position to grab some power from the male governmental establishment. Yet running in New York is not the way to do it. Though the high-profile race will allow her to showcase her campaigning skills, it amounts to a no-win situation. Her initial decision to run comes off as arrogant, and her subsequent coaching sessions from the locals make her seem naïve.

The term "carpetbagger" is a nasty one, and like so many labels in politics, it is overused. Voters in New York should not simply dismiss Hillary because of thoughtless name-calling. Rather, they should consider just what the label means. They should think about what Hillary is trying to do, and why she is trying to do it. And they should demand that Hillary—and all public servants—put the constituency first, and their ambition second.

Bikram Chatterji is a freshman in Jonathan Edwards.

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