I’ve been a fan of Hillary’s for a long time, back during the Monica Lewinsky affair as she kept such a brave face and kept her head held high, standing by her husband through it all – though privately I’m sure was another matter.
I remember watching an interview Hillary had with Matt Lauer on NBC’s “Today” show. I believe it was during this interview that I became a fan of Hillary Clinton. The interview took place not too long after the news went public concerning former President Bill Clinton’s affair with the White House intern.
It was her calm and her loyalty, even after what would have been a good cause for her to file for a divorce. She called the entire situation a “vast right-wing conspiracy”. Then she made this statement:
"I think as this matter unfolds, the entire country will have more information, but we're right in the middle of a feeding frenzy right now, and people are putting out rumor and innuendo,” she encouraged everyone to “just to be patient, take a deep breath and the truth will come out."
I realized at that time that she was a strong woman; her husband had cheated on her but she was the First Lady and it was her job to stand up for him. Of course, Bill might have been still lying to her about the affair at that time. Yet when the truth did come out and President Clinton finally admitted that there had been something between the two – though he was playing legalese with the press and the Grand Jury, with the definition of “sex” at the time – Hillary stuck by her man.
Now it is to my understanding that Bill Clinton admitted that he had to sleep on the couch for a while – good for him, though he deserved a lot worse; divorced, shamed in public and a ruin to his own legacy, no denying that he hadn’t already done that.
After her husband left office, she finally pursued a political career herself, running a successful campaign for the U.S. Senate representing New York. She ran for a second term and won, and then made a run for office of the president. This is when Hillary had a chance to really shine. Her support was large – including me – and this woman who many admired, some despised from the right, began a campaign that was a sure winner. Unfortunately, her shine wasn’t quite as bright as Barack Obama’s and she lost the race.
Now I have to admit, I had abandoned ship a month or two before Hillary’s final defeat in the primaries. The reason was this; though I really felt sorry for her when she cried, I realized at the time that if she was that sensitive to the attacks she was getting on the campaign trail, how could I trust that she wasn’t going to end up being ruled by her emotions instead of her common sense and knowledge in the White House?
Let me make one thing clear here; Hillary being a woman has nothing to do with this. It is my opinion a woman in general, would make a better president than a man, mostly because she probably wouldn’t be ruled by her ego, as so many men are.
There was one other factor and that was Barack, he had shown such a strong character and one that I liked a lot. I criticized him for his big ears to start with but the guy grows on you after a while; even with those big floppy things on the side of his head.
I’m teasing of course. Barack Obama spoke to my heart and won me over, simple as that.
I was really glad when Obama picked Hillary for his Secretary of State. I would have preferred he chose her as his running mate but I also realized that Obama has to choose who he believed to be the right person for the job. Joe Biden has done a good job anyway, as far as I’m concerned.
Hillary has done a stellar job as Secretary of State; she has few critics in Washington, it would seem; at least I hear little in criticism of her. Even staunch Republicans don’t badmouth her too much. In fact, she and Michelle Obama could pretty much do a landslide victory if they were running on a presidential ticket together I believe. Maybe we could dream about a ticket between the two women in 2016, we’ll see.
Even though I felt Obama was the right man for the job in 2008, I do believe Hillary is ready to run again and win. I’m not sure that’s even in her mind at this time but I do know she has a lot of fans that would support her.
Over a year ago Hillary Clinton gave a historic speech in Geneva concerning gay rights. As a gay man I believe it was the best speech I had ever heard defending gay rights. To a world audience she made it clear that gay people should be treated equally. She also declared that gay rights were human rights and when gay people were killed or persecuted for being gay, it was a violation of human rights.
This one paragraph out of a very long speech was my favorite because she spoke to all gay people, and especially those in countries where they have to hide their homosexuality or face prosecution, maybe even death:
“And finally, to LGBT men and women worldwide let me say this: Wherever you live and whatever the circumstances of your life, whether you are connected to a network of support or feel isolated and vulnerable, please know that you are not alone. People around the globe are working hard to support you and to bring an end to the injustices and dangers you face. That is certainly true for my country. And you have an ally in the United States of America and you have millions of friends among the American people.”
Because of what Hillary Clinton said in that speech, gives me the highest respect for her as a person. I believe Hillary deserves a legacy that speaks well of her. I have no idea what she wishes to do with her life once she leaves her post under Obama. I do hope she stays in the public eye and in public service in some form or the other.
I do know that I will be back on her bandwagon again if she decides that she wants to do another run for the White House. Otherwise, Hillary Clinton deserves a place in history as a woman of great fortitude and a blessing unto us and the nation in which she served.
This is a republish from my website: Fidlerten Place