I will probably be leaving DKos when the iron curtain comes down on March 15, but before departing, I would like to clarify a matter of obligation for the Clinton royalists who remain. We, the people of the United States, do not OWE the Clintons anything. They do not enjoy the divine right of kings. Chelsea is not the Princess Royal. It is not Hillary’s turn to be anything, and it will never be Chelsea’s turn. This is not a government of the Clintons, by the Clintons, and for the Clintons.
Hillary Clinton is the product of a privileged upbringing and the fortunate possessor of valuable traits of intelligence, diligence, and political acumen. She has used her advantages to distinguish herself, academically, professionally, and politically. If she were to retire tomorrow, she would have achieved far more than most Americans. She has been a winner over and over again and cannot plausibly represent herself as a beleaguered victim of prejudice. We, the American people, do not owe HRC a damned thing. To the contrary, a candidate for President owes the people many things, most importantly specific declarations of how they intend to serve the public by addressing major political problems.
Specifically, here are some things that Hillary Rodham Clinton owes us before she can legitimately claim the adherence of liberal and progressive voters:
1. An explicit declaration that her Justice Department will seek criminal penalties in cases involving financial crimes committed by executives of large financial institutions.
2. A clear statement of her intention to protect civil liberties, personal privacy, and government whistleblowers from authoritarian repression masquerading as protecting “national security.”
3. A description of concrete, specific steps she will take to curb the grossly inefficient health care system of the United States, including a public option alternative to private medical insurance.
4. An explicit repudiation of deep state tactics for assassination and overthrow of foreign leaders, including the deliberate destabilization of unfriendly regimes and the prolongation of civil wars.
5. A credible plan for terminating the open-ended, and increasingly irrational “global war on terror,” including the closing of Guantanamo and passage of legislation permanently banning torture.
When Hillary Clinton makes these commitments, she will gain the support of those voters she has alienated by her evasive, vacillating, and contradictory attempts to appeal to all segments of the electorate. Dynastic politics is over in America. It is time for HRC to put aside her sense of entitlement and commit to the change Obama promised. Only then will she be part of a future we can believe in.