Who Would Hillary Vote For?
Fri Feb 01, 2008 at 09:03:04 PM PDT
I sometimes wonder if Hillary Clinton wasn't in the presidential race, if she was just an ordinary person like you and me trying to decide who to vote for, whether she'd be a supporter of Barack Obama or the other Democrat, candidate B.
It would be hard to ignore Obama's charisma, his sense of humor and his soaring oratorical skills. On the other hand, candidate B is a better debater and has more experience, although appearing slighly stiff and wonkish.
Candidate B has grown accustomed to limousines and the privileged high society life of five star hotels and luxury resorts. Obama has lived a life like the rest of America and knows the burden that college loans and gas prices have on the average person.
Hillary wants the troops home as soon as possible, good for her. There's no doubt then that she would support Obama who opposed the catastrophic war before it started, while candidate B actually made the war possible by voting for its authorization.
Candidate B is a polarizing figure that is disliked immensely by over half the country, while Obama calls for unity and has broad support, attracting Independents and Republicans.
Candidate B is a woman and Hillary would certainly like that. Women's issues are big with Hillary and this would outweigh a lot of other factors. However, she might feel that in order not to appear weak, Candidate B might get the country into even more trouble. She would have to weigh this against Obama who, with two little girls of his own, has plenty of reasons to promote women's issues.
Hillary would be very excited about the potential of having an African-American president. The positive effects on world opinion are incalculable. The effects that this would have in minority communities would be fantastic. It would affirm the American dream that we are all created equal and that anyone can grow up to be president.
Of course, Hillary would be pragmatic. If she thought America was still too racist to elect Obama, she might decide to vote for candidate B. Candidate B has more experience, has been through political wars that almost destroyed her Party, and has a phalanx of political professionals that can get down in the dirt with the best of them.
A lot of people want a president to be a positive role model. Obama has a beautiful family and it's easy to imagine him dancing happily in his wife's arms at the inaugural. Candidate B is a great person, but there are a few issues in her personal life that most people don't want to deal with. This is an easy one for Hillary.
Health care would be one of the biggest concerns for Hillary the voter. Candidate B has already had the chance of improving the nation's health care policies and failed. Would she think that candidate B would do better the next time, or would she want someone new to take on the challenge?
The biggest argument against candidate B is that she is part of a pair of political families that seem to have established a stranglehold on the White House. You would have to think that Hillary would not like to see a continuation of this, as it smacks of nepotism and dynastic privilege.
In the end, Hillary would make her decision based on what she think's is best for the future. Would she be more excited about an energized, youthful president with great leadership skills who's calling for change, or would she want to retreat to the safety of what's she knows and what she's comfortable with?
I think we all know who Hillary would vote for. Nobody really thinks Candidate B is the better choice. If things were different, it's easy to imagine Hillary Clinton being the loudest cheerer at an Obama rally.
Hillary helped build the Bridge to the 21st Century, but it's probably time she stepped aside and let pass the next generation who it's been promised to.
Permalink | 8 comments