Early in the very early campaign for President, I was thinking I'd probably vote for Hillary Clinton. I think she has all of the tools a great President needs -- she's smart, she knows how the system works, she's been burned and learned from it, and she appears to think about the issues before she takes a position. Plus, and added bonus is that she's a woman. I think it's about damn time we had a woman in the Oval Office.
And . . . I'm embarrassed to admit, but I think it would be a lot of fun to see Bill Clinton appointed to the Supreme Court. He has the credentials and the intellect for it and there is a precedent for a former president on the Court (Taft).
The more I watch the spectacle, though, the less appealing Hillary is. I said before the beginning that she's divisive -- I sent her an email (more likely, I sent an email to her 4th Undersecretary of Checking Email) asking her to please not run if she thinks she can't unite the country. We've have 7 long years of division and are visibly hurting from it. We have to face facts -- there is a group of people in the U.S. who just hate Hillary for some reason not tied to a specific event or trait -- I guess it's a vibe that she gives off. They seeth with hatred when you say her name and it would take an act of God for her to win them over in the general election. We'd be basically asking anti-Hillary Democrats to vote for a candidate who doesn't believe in evolution (take your pick which one) -- but don't get me started on that.
And her "Let the Conversation Begin" handlers are oppressive. I think we have to assume that the strategy is approved by Hillary, but it's clear that Hillary is suffering from the same syndrome that hurt Al Gore's campaign -- she's handled and you can hear it and see it in everything she does and says. If Al Gore had stood on a campaign podium and spoke the way he does today, he would have won in a landslide. He never did, presumably because he took the advice of his handlers to never pick a side or commit to anything.
But the biggest issue I have with Hillary today (still early in the process) is that she, like all the candidates, appears to lack civility or, for that matter, any respect for the process and her own integrity. Whatever it takes to win, right? Say anything, do anything, so long as we win. Integrity, compassion, and civility be damned . . . unless they can get you 2 more points in the polls.
And then the strangest thing happened -- dare I say it. Barack Obama was civil to his opponents. Seriously - the man was civil to his opponants two days before the Iowa caucus when common political wisedom said he should be using every weapon in his arsenal. He could have lambasted Hillary's dirty tactics (she said something nasty about him), but he said lets talk about why you should vote for me. He didn't make a grand statement about his integrity and why he doesn't play dirty - he just did it. He's well-read, smart, knows how Washington works . . . and civil? Maybe it doesn't mean anything and you can be sure that I'll keep watching, but it's about time we elected someone who has integrity.
How do you measure integrity? That's a tough question when all you have to go on are sound bites and scripts. Recent history tells me that the majority is also having a hard time finding this trait in a candidate. I think all we can do it look at the little things and how a candidate responds to crisis and criticism -- do they deny and dodge, or do they react genuinely. Maybe it's instinct . . . but I think Senator Obama might have it. And lets face it -- its about damn time we had a black man in the Oval Office.
And . . . I'm embarrassed to admit, but I think it would be a lot of fun to see Bill Clinton appointed to the Supreme Court. He has the credentials and the intellect for it and there is a precedent for a former president on the Court (Taft).
The more I watch the spectacle, though, the less appealing Hillary is. I said before the beginning that she's divisive -- I sent her an email (more likely, I sent an email to her 4th Undersecretary of Checking Email) asking her to please not run if she thinks she can't unite the country. We've have 7 long years of division and are visibly hurting from it. We have to face facts -- there is a group of people in the U.S. who just hate Hillary for some reason not tied to a specific event or trait -- I guess it's a vibe that she gives off. They seeth with hatred when you say her name and it would take an act of God for her to win them over in the general election. We'd be basically asking anti-Hillary Democrats to vote for a candidate who doesn't believe in evolution (take your pick which one) -- but don't get me started on that.
And her "Let the Conversation Begin" handlers are oppressive. I think we have to assume that the strategy is approved by Hillary, but it's clear that Hillary is suffering from the same syndrome that hurt Al Gore's campaign -- she's handled and you can hear it and see it in everything she does and says. If Al Gore had stood on a campaign podium and spoke the way he does today, he would have won in a landslide. He never did, presumably because he took the advice of his handlers to never pick a side or commit to anything.
But the biggest issue I have with Hillary today (still early in the process) is that she, like all the candidates, appears to lack civility or, for that matter, any respect for the process and her own integrity. Whatever it takes to win, right? Say anything, do anything, so long as we win. Integrity, compassion, and civility be damned . . . unless they can get you 2 more points in the polls.
And then the strangest thing happened -- dare I say it. Barack Obama was civil to his opponents. Seriously - the man was civil to his opponants two days before the Iowa caucus when common political wisedom said he should be using every weapon in his arsenal. He could have lambasted Hillary's dirty tactics (she said something nasty about him), but he said lets talk about why you should vote for me. He didn't make a grand statement about his integrity and why he doesn't play dirty - he just did it. He's well-read, smart, knows how Washington works . . . and civil? Maybe it doesn't mean anything and you can be sure that I'll keep watching, but it's about time we elected someone who has integrity.
How do you measure integrity? That's a tough question when all you have to go on are sound bites and scripts. Recent history tells me that the majority is also having a hard time finding this trait in a candidate. I think all we can do it look at the little things and how a candidate responds to crisis and criticism -- do they deny and dodge, or do they react genuinely. Maybe it's instinct . . . but I think Senator Obama might have it. And lets face it -- its about damn time we had a black man in the Oval Office.
2 comments:
I've thought for a while that we should find and elect a black single mother who worked her way out of the ghetto and made something of herself as President. But this is unrealistic. I obviously live in the Land of Make Believe, and King Friday XIII is all I'll ever get.
She would have all the right skills! Maybe Ron Paul would give his VP slot to the single mom.
We don't have enough choices.
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