I woke up this morning to the shock and surprise all around the liberal internet universe to Hillary Clinton’s mis-statements about Nancy Reagan’s positive role in the national discussion about AIDS in the 1980’s. Many others have dissected the statement and the apology already and several people much more affected personally than myself have also written about their feelings and reactions to this. What I would like to draw the reader’s attention to is that this, while being a particularly hurtful and tone deaf example, is actually part of a larger theme both with Hillary Clinton as a politician and Stateswoman and also with the Democratic party as a whole. It is clear that Secretary Clinton was trying to praise Mrs. Reagan in an effort to court “Reagan Democrats” and other centrist conservatives in order to lay the ground for moving rightward in the general election. And in doing so she is willing to rewrite a painful history that is part of the political divide between a key part of the Democratic base and Republicans to make it more palatable for the latter.
But this action highlights how much policy matters — how much what politicians say matters — it can be a life or death situation, as was the case for people facing HIV/AIDS (and still is).
This is the real meaning and impact of the “bait and switch” approach taken by the establishment Democrats. To me being a Democrat was supposed to involve standing up for key principles but I guess it has become about consolidating power under the political establishment regardless of policy but for the benefit of the powerful at the top.
Oppose the Iraq War? — They’ll vote for it.
Oppose the Patriot Act? — They’ll vote for it.
Oppose the Bailout of the Banks? — They’ll vote for it.
Want a national health service like every other major trading partner in the world? — They’ll refuse to even table the option.
Think Henry Kissinger is a war criminal? — They’ll go to him for advice.
Think politics should be free of corporate influence and unlimited campaign contributions (bribes)? — they’ll take in $Billions while telling you it won’t benefit the special interests.
Want to raise the minimum wage? — Not on the agenda.
Want the right wing to be held to account for the banking crisis? — No prosecutions.
Want the Reagans to be held accountable for their legacy? Well that’s not going to happen either.
I understand that placing a woman in the White House is not an option. It is an essential core achievement that progressive politics needs to make and the Democratic Party is the only institutional vehicle capable of making that happen at this juncture in history. I wish Secretary Clinton was that candidate. I really, really do, but policy matters. Voting history matters. No candidate deserves to be promoted just because of their gender.
I also get that Hillary Clinton has gone out front and taken a LOT of crap from the right wing of this country and defended, both in word and deed, a lot of things that liberals, Democrats and progressives value. Therefore, she has earned the loyalty of a lot of Democrats as a result of those actions.
But the establishment has shown that they don’t return your loyalty. That they will only do as much as we MAKE them do in our name, otherwise they “dance with them that brung ‘em” as Molly Ivins would say — And money-wise? That ain’t you. This is just one of many examples the shows that Hillary Clinton does not owe her allegiance to the rank and file. She will do what she thinks is necessary to attain office even if that means betraying some of us in the most hurtful way possible. I don’t think she did it intentionally, rather it was a tone deaf mistake that reveals the workings of the political machine behind her. But that revelation is striking and important. The bait and switch is alive and well in Democratic politics, I hope we see though it.
Unlike for others this isn’t a deal breaker for me in voting for her in the general election and probably nothing would be given the likely alternatives. But that isn’t good enough and I hope that isn’t good enough for you too anymore. We have alternatives.