The Hillary Trap: Looking for Power in All the Wrong Places

From Kirkus ReviewsMany feminists have lauded Hillary Clinton as the first First Lady they can identify with. NBC news analyst and former Supreme Court clerk Ingraham says they've got it all wrong--Hillary is no feminist visionary, but a victim. She thought that devoting herself to her husband's career would be her own best route to success, and that is no path our daughters should emulate. Hillary's story is familiar--degree from Yale Law School in hand, she moved to Washington to work for the Children's Defense Fund, and then worked on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate hearing, after which she moved to Arkansas to be with Bill. Soon, she became the governor's wife, then first lady, and now she is launching her own bid for Senate. Ingraham not only reviles Hillary's dependence on her husband, she also mocks Hillary's politics, dismissing as ludicrous her ideas about redistributing wealth. In the end, Ingraham sees Hillary's politics as cut from the same cloth as her marriage--both are about dependence, she claims, be it dependence on government or on a man. A polemic that is sure to spark much debate -- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.Product DescriptionNo one can deny that women have made great strides in the past decades, achieving power and success in their careers and in the public eye. But, says political analyst Laura Ingraham, scratch the surface of that success and you discover that many women have been forced to make enormous compromises and concessions to achieve their goals. Nowhere is this more evident than in the life and career choices of Hillary Clinton, who is emblematic of the overall state of progress and power achievedor notby women today. Intelligent and incisive, this book offers more than just a critical analysis, providing a blueprint for women to follow to reclaim their strength and power.From Publishers WeeklyIn what is ostensibly an attempt to portray Hillary Rodham Clinton as a cautionary role model for young women, MSNBC talk-show host and frequent political commentator Ingraham proves more effective at positioning herself for greater influence among Republicans, as evidenced by her discussion of gun control and the New Age movement. Her slim book is neither biography, straight political analysis nor a look at the Clinton scandals. Instead, she studies Clinton as a flawed character. Dependent for her political definition on a husband Ingraham characterizes as a "liar and cheat," Clinton is an emblem of the notion that women can succeed only with the help of a male partner, government programs and special privileges, claims the author. Dubbing this idea the "Hillary Trap," Ingraham shows how, in her view, it applies to many areas of women's livesAwork, family and education. She faults Clinton's actual behavior and imputed attitudes, curiously attributing to Clinton even grander influence than the First Lady has. For example, citing a lack of feminist support for Republican women such as herself, Ingraham admits that Clinton did not actually engage in making derogatory statements but rather helped "create the atmosphere where it's accepted." The author includes glimpses of her own life, with some references to her late mother, and settles some personal scores, one with a Vanity Fair writer who profiled her and another with a Dartmouth professor who sued her for criticizing him. Preaching to the converted, her platform is not likely to appeal to a wide audience but will surely lead to more exposure for its well-connected author. Agent, Writer's Representatives. $100,000 ad/promo; author tour; radio satellite tour.Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.About the AuthorLaura Ingraham is a special correspondent for NBC. A former criminal defense attorney and Supreme Court Clerk, she has written for "The New York Times," "The Washington Post," and "The Los Angeles Times." This is her first book.…