I visited my parents last night and my father and I had a nice chat about who we wanted to run in 2008. I was surprised to hear that he had reached the same conclusion that many Kossacks have: we don't want Hillary.
My father, you must understand, is one the biggest Hillary Clinton supporters there is. We live in Texas where the vast majority of our neighbors and friends are conservative Republicans and they all have this blinding, almost maniacal hatred of the former first lady. My father and I always thought that Hillary was one of the best first ladies in the country's history, perhaps second only to Eleanor Roosevelt. For years now, we have fancied the idea of a Hillary presidency because it would represent a repudiation of the Bush administration.
(more on flip)
It is very important for the American public to announce to the world in 2008 that we have washed our hands of Bush and that we want to reclaim our position as the world's moral leader and again become a country that the rest of the world looks up to and strives to emulate. Hillary Clinton, in the past few years in the Senate, has managed to position herself so far to the right of the Democratic party that she no longer would represent such a repudiation. It's sad, really.
Her speech today is evidence that she may finally be realizing her mistake. But, despite the fact that the election is more than two years away, I think it's too little, too late.
In 1992, Bill Clinton's famed strategy was to position himself close to center during the campaign, and then govern the country as a moderate liberal. Hillary is trying that same strategy now, but she has failed to realize that 2008 is not 1992. The political climate now demands a leader who is willing to confront the neocons and is ready to make dramatic reforms, as Al Gore said yesterday, to restore our democracy.
I know most of you have already decided not to vote for Hillary. I was just saddened today when I saw this article on CNN today. It's about time that Hillary joined the party, but she is much too late. I still think she could have been a wonderful president, but neither I nor my father will be voting for her in 2008.
I'm voting either for Gore (if he runs) or Feingold who was the only senator to vote against the PATRIOT Act.