Re: Hillary Clinton

[rainbow402]

After nearly a week of the “bitter” battering, it must have pleased Barack Obama greatly when he was able to bring up Hillary Clinton’s cookie debacle Wednesday night. Finally, he got a chance to remind her of the time back in 1992 when she dissed the homemakers of America by saying, rather inartfully, that she preferred legal work to baking and serving tea.

For sure, Clinton didn’t need the reminder. She’s still pushing her recipe for chocolate chip cookies (with oatmeal and shortening) as penance.

Hi,

Q1 What is " shortening" here?

Q2. What's the connotation of the sentence I highlight in blue?

Thanks!

[Anglika]

Hi,

Q1 What is " shortening" here?

Q2. What's the connotation of the sentence I highlight in blue?

Thanks!

]

More political barracking!

"shortening" is any fat used in baking - butter, margarine, lard.

Because there was an outcry at her [inadvertent] adverse comment about cooking and domesticity, she has been talking about her recipe for making chocolate chip cookies [biscuits made with chocolate chips in the dough].

[rainbow402]

She’s still pushing her recipe for chocolate chip cookies (with oatmeal and shortening) as penance

Hi Anglica, thank you for your explanation. I understood the connotation now. But how do I understand the punch line?

In 1992, Clinton fired a shot against housewives that was heard around the world. Prior to becoming First Lady, she made this unforgettable faux pas: "I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas -- but what I decided to do is fulfill my profession."

Q1 What is the meaning for " push her recipe" at its face value?

Q2 Why did the author write down " oatmeal and shortening" especially?

[susiedqq]

For sure, Clinton didn’t need the reminder. She’s still pushing her recipe for chocolate chip cookies (with oatmeal and shortening) as penance.


"pushing her recipe" means to show it off to others, to talk it up, to give the impression that is something she makes all the time.

The reference to oatmeal and shortening is just to show that they were homemade - from scratch, not from a box.

[BobK]

For sure, Clinton didn’t need the reminder. She’s still pushing her recipe for chocolate chip cookies (with oatmeal and shortening) as penance.


"pushing her recipe" means to show it off to others, to talk it up, to give the impression that is something she makes all the time.

...

I'm sure that's right. But I wonder if the writer also had in mind (as sort of 'background music') the myth of Sisyphus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia when s/he chose the word "push" - particularly with the connotations of penance and eternity...

b

[rainbow402]

Susiedqq & Bobk, thank you for your answers. I understood.

[susiedqq]

Bob said: I'm sure that's right. But I wonder if the writer also had in mind (as sort of 'background music') the myth of Sisyphus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia when s/he chose the word "push" - particularly with the connotations of penance and eternity...

I don't think it's that deep . . .

She just had to make up (do penance) for that statement, which seemed to insult millions of homemakers. In reality, she simply wanted to say that while she could have stayed home and baked cookies, she chose to enter the business/political world.

[BobK]

...

I don't think it's that deep . . .

....

Come to think of it, I agree.

b