There are qualities I want to see in a candidate for President. And I have found those qualities embedded within two cultural icons: The Wizard of Oz and Star Trek.
For those who have read the novel or seen the movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” you may have noticed that the four main characters combined make a complete human being. And here is what I mean by that statement:
The four qualities and their associated characters are Brains (the Scarecrow); Heart (the Tinman); Courage (the Cowardly Lion) and Purpose, in this case, to find one’s place or home (Dorothy).
Similarly, the TV show, “Star Trek,” the original series has these four characters…
Spock (Brains); Dr. McCoy (Heart); Kirk (Courage) and the Starship Enterprise (Purpose. In this case, to explore new worlds and find new civilizations — to basically connect humanity with the galaxy/universe).
In 2008, I saw two candidates that exhibited what I was looking for and one of them became President.
In 2016, I observed 22 candidates and found only one who had the courage, heart, brains and a purpose or vision I could follow. That candidate is Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton. And that is the candidate that we have chosen to represent the Democratic Party.
Can anyone doubt Hillary Clinton’s courage? Look at the mountain of lies (never retracted), accusations of wrong doing (never substantiated) and character assignations (unfounded) tossed at her over the years. Be she has calmly, pushed past the barriers placed in front of her — she has been knocked down, but gotten back up and moved ever forward.
And brains? She outfoxed the Republican Party during the Benghazi hearing. Her resume as an attorney, First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State displays her intelligence. As did her performance in the debates and as does her well thought out solutions for our common problems.
Heart? “Women’s rights are human rights, and human rights are women’s rights.” My evidence is the tears that form in my eyes when she speaks. She touches my heart when she speaks of the courage of those she has met, who have proved the indomitable will of the human spirit. I look in her eyes and see that she cares for me, for you, for all of us.
What purpose or vision does she offer? It is simply to remove the barriers that keep each of us from reaching our full potential. Whether they be barriers of race or gender, economy or justice, education or circumstances of our birth. I am called, we are called, to remove the barriers that divide us, and that keep us from reaching our dreams. And ultimately to bring down the barrier that is keeping us from knowing each other heart to heart and mind to mind.
I am willing to do that.
Oh, one more thing. You know those four friends in “The Wizard of Oz” and those crew mates in “Star Trek?” They worked with each other and for each other.