When Glenn Reynolds linked Jennifer Rubin’s post at Commentary’s Contentions on the role reversal in the current campaign, I wondered at how many wise points that blogress has made about this election. In her wisdom, Rubin seems a lot like Peggy Noonan in embodying the qualities of the Greek goddess Athena.
Both women, like their counterpart on Olympus, think strategically and understand that war is sometimes necessary to secure our nation. Today, Rubin observes how “the patina of negativity . . . will begin to eat away at [Obama’s] appeal, especially among all those idealistic voters who thought he was the Agent of Change.” Well said, very well said.
This isn’t the only wise thing she has offered about the campaign. Yesterday, commenting on Obama’s dishonest Spanish language ad, she opined, “Can you imagine McCain running an ad trying a stunt like this? Every civil rights group and news outlet in the country would be hollering.”
Yup.
It seems that more than one woman can embody the qualities of foresight and wisdom the goddess Athena represented. Â So far, all such women appear on the right.
AFTERTHOUGHT: Much as I am coming to appreciate Sarah Palin, she could never be an Athena. Athena advised and inspired the hero, the leader, she never actually led. She always deferred to the man who reigned on Olympus, Zeus, her father.
UPDATE: Roger Simon explains why Hillary could never be an Athena:
Hillary’s respect for Israel and committment to its survival may only be, pardon the expression, skin deep. Like so many politicians, it’s the self, the self, the self. In the face of any possible damage to her image, she thinks first of moi and second of the world.
Even at her worst (in the Iliad), Athena puts the world first.