Posted 12:38 PM by Gene

Little did we realize what a feast Ms. Rodham's jejune ponderings might prove to, say, stand-up comedians:

“Can you be a misanthrope and still love or enjoy some individuals?” Ms. Rodham wrote in an April 1967 letter. “How about a compassionate misanthrope?”

I guess we'll find out starting January 20, 2009, won't we, Hill.

“If people react to you in the role of answer bestower then quite possibly you are.”

And you ARE the answer bestower!

“God, I feel so divorced from Park Ridge, parents, home, the entire unreality of middle class America.”

I don't think we've had to worry about being middle-class for some time.

“Of course, I’m normal, if that is a permissible adjective for a Wellesley girl.”

But not for our next president, that's for sure.

“Random thinking usually becomes a process of self-analysis with my ego coming out on the short end.”

WHAT?

“You’ll probably think I’m retreating from the world back to the sunlight in an attempt to dream my child’s movie.”

So that's where she got that idea we're all a nation of children, or whatever that thought was. She was Oprah before Oprah!

The letters contain no possibly damaging revelations of the proverbial “youthful indiscretions,” and mention nothing glaringly outlandish or irresponsible.

Au contraire; they are a powerful argument for burning letters.