Hermione Rodham Clinton

Bush-rubber stamp Representative Heather Wilson (R-NM) wrote a letter to the New York Times.

She writes:

The Democratic nominating system favors the most liberal candidate — in this case, Barack Obama.

But there is a second reason Hillary Clinton lost that some are reluctant to openly acknowledge: a latent and lamentable sexism. She lost because the superdelegates — the Democratic establishment — went against her.

She became a caricature: too smart, too strong, too assertive, too rational, too competent. Think how the young Harry Potter and his male friends initially reacted to Hermione Granger and you get the idea.

I don't agree with her main point. Sure sexism was at play during the entire election, but I don't think it is the reason Hillary lost. Plus, if Ms. Wilson were correct we'd all be chanting Kucinich 2008...

But the Hermione comparison is quite astute, perhaps even better than the Tracy Flick analogy:

This scenario makes Barack Obama the electoral Harry Potter (fits), John Edwards into Ron Weasley (okay), and Bill Richardson into....Hagrid.

And of course all of this makes John McCain....Voldemort.

I think I'll start referring to McCain as He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.

Countdown to Potter

Harry Potter comes out tonight at midnight.  Like, duh, say you.

A few interesting notes before it comes out and I help run a Harry Potter themed canvass in suburban Portland, Oregon.

1) This last installment is about 750 pages long.  There are going to be 12 million copies printed.  Now that is a lot of trees.  Luckily, "65 per cent of Scholastic's 12 million copies -- more than nine million kilograms of paper stock for a book that is going to run to more than 750 pages -- have been printed on ancient-forest-friendly papers. This includes some that are 100-per-cent post-consumer recycled, processed chlorine-free, and others that are a mix of recycled stock and wood fiber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as having come from forests that are 'environmentally and socially responsible.'" (1) So basically, 130,000 whomping willows avoid the axe, and 1,232 flying Ford Anglias from the streets of our muggle world.  

2) As we near the end of the magical journey, let us ponder the social justice issues of the series.  The Harry Potter Alliance had an event last weekend with Harry Potter house parties nation wide to talk about issues in Darfur to get teenagers interested in the issue.  While that group has a specific issue it is dealing with, Open Left's Reading Liberally covered the social messages of the series as a whole and how they relate to the progressive movement today:

On the evil of torture:  Dumbledore begs the Ministry of Magic to rid themselves of the Dementors, saying that a free society has no place for their kind in our penal system.

On the right to trial:  Harry's godfather Sirius Black was held and tortured for 13 years without a trial, and in the most recent volume Stan Shunpike and Mundungus Fletcher were imprisoned without trial despite the Minister's knowledge they may be innocent.

On the value of diplomacy:  communicating with the foreign and frightening Giants proves better option than isolation or violent conflict.

On racial equality: full rights for "purebloods," "mudbloods" and Muggle-born wizards.

On worker's rights:  Hermione's campaign to empower the House Elves.

So if you are in the Cambridge area, get yourself to Harvard Square tonight, should be a real party.  If you are in Oregon, give me a call and come participate in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Direct Democracy canvass.  Everyone else, happy reading, and if you spoil it for me, there will be public shaming of you.

Go Ahead And Reserve Your Copy... Nerd