Hillary: Living History - not learning it...

The other day I heard Hillary waxing lyrical about the 2008 presidential campaign. She was going on and on about this magical, so special time in America when a black man and a woman can run for president.

I guess she forgot about that other special, magical time in America when a black man and a woman ran for president, 1872. Look at all the coincidences between the two campaigns! It's deja vu, all over again!

Victoria Woodhull was nominated for the U.S. Presidency by the Equal Rights Party. Her candidacy attracted an unusual coalition of people, which included laborers, female suffragists, Spiritualists, and communists, among others. The members of the coalition represented diverse--and often conflicting--opinions. The one thing that they all agreed upon was that the government needed reform. They wanted a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." They wanted a government with principles. Not only did the Equal Rights Party nominate the first female presidential candidate, they were also the first to nominate a black man, Frederick Douglass, for Vice President.

(Friday laugh: Here's Victoria Woodhull's campaign song. Insert HRC and BHO for Victoria and Frederick D.)

Victory for Victoria
The 1872 Campaign Song

If you nominate a womanIn the month of May,

Dare you face what Mrs. Grundy

And her set will say?

How they'll jeer and frown and slander

Chattering night and day;

Oh, did you dream of Mrs. Grundy

In the month of May?

If you nominate a negro,

In the month of May

Dare you face what Mr. Grundy

And his chums will say?

How they’ll swear and drink and bluster,

Raging night and day;

Oh, did you dream of Mr. Grundy

In the month of May?

Yes! Victoria we've selected

For our chosen head.

With Fred Douglass on the ticket

We will raise the dead.

Then around them let us rally

Without fear or dread

And next March, we'll put the Grundys

In their little bed.

Editor's note: "For our chosen head"... Ummm - wasn't that Monica's position? (My bad - I know. Couldn't resist.)