December 30, 2002 -- AMERICAN attitudes toward Hillary Clinton are a bit like how parents see their small but unruly child: They like him best when he is asleep.

Throughout her career, when Hillary is silent, she gains in popularity - but when she starts talking, she loses support. Her recent decision to become a spokesperson for the Democratic Party in the wake of its fall mishap is misguided and will only lead to an increase in her negative ratings.

Hillary's history tells the story:

As America first met Hillary Clinton, it came to dislike her more and more. Her outspoken refusal to "stay at home and bake cookies" almost cost her husband the presidency. Then her health-care proposals did cost Democrats control of Congress.

With her negative ratings piling up, it became clear that she and Bill were locked in a zero-sum game. The more she was seen as powerful, the weaker voters felt Bill was. It was only by withdrawing from public - or even White House staff view - that she could repair the damage she had done to the president's image and to her own. She wrote a non-controversial book about raising and educating children and watched it become a best seller as she mouthed platitudes in its support.

Ever since, silence has been Hillary's ally. When Monica burst on our consciousness, Hillary made a particular virtue of saying nothing. After an initial faux pas, in which she denounced the "vast right-wing conspiracy" against Bill, she clammed up for the rest of the impeachment process and earned points for her dignity, even evoking comparisons with Jackie Kennedy's class in the aftermath of her husband's death. Remainder

-- Anonymous, December 30, 2002