Cheer up, you got the bronze

Iowa's caucuses are over, as we once again make a single state all too decisive in selecting the leader of the free world. But I don't have a lot of hitherto unstated wisdom - Obama represents change and hope, Huckabee will stop winning as soon as he gets away from his evangelicals, Clinton was nobody's second choice, Romney's a Mormon - this is all conventional hindsight, to be found in every news report before we pack up the cameras and notebooks and move on to New Hampshire.

What struck me most, last night, in watching the coverage was the shell-shocked looks on the faces of those surrounding Hillary. The open-mouthed gape of the former President, the feeble attempts at a smile essayed by the former First Daughter, the stunned appearance of the various supporters and aides (except for Secretary Albright, who just looked out of it) - there seemed to be complete and utter surprise on the part of everyone involved.

I don't think the Clinton family believes that losing is ever an option. Good things just happen if you put in the requisite work and time. You get into the college and graduate school of your choice, you get the job you want, you get elected to the office you desire, the world conforms itself to your vision. This is what many of the rest of us perceive as attractive confidence in our CEOs, politicians, celebrities, this sense that nothing can go wrong as long as they are in charge. It's part of the magic, the mystique, and reinforces the success they already have.

And this is why the Clintons do not really represent the people of this nation. Because we know that things go wrong through no fault of our own, that we get laid off regardless of worth, that we get sick even if we take care of ourselves. It is why there is no huge difference between Hillary and George W.

The question remains open as to whether any of these candidates are different.