I frequently come here to read what’s going on. I find it quite curious that people feel like Black people need to explain their vote. People, no matter what ethnicity, are individuals. I, as a Black woman, do not speak for all Black people. Nor do I ever want to carry that mantle. It shouldn’t even be assumed that there should be some expectation that I vote for a certain person, just because. Yes, I voted for Barack Obama in 2008 because he was brilliant, sensible, and yes, had a message of hope that I believed in. His policy proposals made sense. His desire to work across the aisle was noble. The fact that he was a Black man was definitely icing on the cake for me. But there have been other Black presidential primary candidates in the past, since I’ve been eligible to vote, that I did NOT vote for.
That said, there is no presidential candidate without flaws. Secretary Clinton has been around since 1992. She was an active first lady; she attempted to affect health care by putting forth a bill that would benefit millions. We know the result of that effort; I watched those hearings where she was opposed and maligned. Since then, she has continued to be vilified, but she has also continued in public life, not deterred by stuff that would make most people cower and hide. And I don’t think it’s all necessarily because of ambition; sure, her ambition is big, but a person has to be ambitious and calculated in order to get things done.
Now, am I saying she’s been honest? Don’t know. Have her husband’s policies been detrimental to the Black community? It may seem so. Were the Clinton’s ambitious enough to say stupid stuff against Obama during the South Carolina Democratic primary in 2008 in an attempt to win? Yes. Is all that stuff relevant. For some people, yes. But the great thing about time is that people can grow. People can acknowledge their mistakes. And if we don’t allow people in public life to say, “Look, I said this, and I recognize it wasn’t right,” the same way we would want people to give us as regular citizens the opportunity to do, then we’re all screwed. Because people aren’t perfect. People make mistakes. We all say things that we wish that we hadn’t said. I know I regret a ton of stuff that I’ve said in the past. I’ve done stuff that I regret. And if I wanted to run for president, I wouldn’t be able to, even though I think I may be qualified. Because the way qualified candidates are dragged through dung is despicable at times, and I wouldn’t subject myself to that.
Hillary Clinton has been dragged through dung. And she continues to rise out of the filth thrown at her. Do I think that the way she’s handled her emails in the past was stupid? Yes, I do. Will she do it again? I am 100% confident that she won’t, because she’s learned her lesson. Should she have known? Yes. But the classification of many of the emails has been changed upon inspection. We really need to look at the timing of all this, because it is incredibly clear why this has become an issue in the past two years. The Republicans are scared.
So, I, as an educated Black person, am voting for Hillary Clinton. She’s got some great ideas, many which have probably been inspired by her challenger, Bernie Sanders. But I will not vote for someone whose policies, while sounding great for everyone, are pie in the sky. I would love free college for my daughter (she’s still in middle school), but you must ask yourself the question, “How does that affect faculty salaries?” Yes, I’m for better healthcare. But single payer would put a lot of people who work for insurance companies (not just executives) out of work. Hillary is very much an insider, and she knows the ins and outs of Washington. She’s practical. She’s smart. She knows what can and can’t be done because she’s been doing it so long. I don’t agree with everything she’s done, but in my mind, she’s the most qualified. I’m a Black person, and I’m voting for Hillary.
UPDATED: Thank you all for the rec’s. This is only my second diary, the first several years ago. Your comments are appreciated. Lots to think about. But no matter what, no matter who our nominee is, we must ensure that Democrats win the White House and down ballot!