Why I don't hate Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton is about third or fourth on my list of candidates for the nomination.  I think our country needs true transformational change under bold leadership.  We need another FDR, not simply a competent manager taking charge of the status quo.

But I don't hate Hillary Clinton.  I agree with Kos, who said:

We may decide she's not our first choice, but she's not a bad choice.

Electability

What about the baggage?  The GOP's Mighty Wurlitzer is primed and ready.  It'll be the 90s, all over again.

The Clintons won the PR war with the Publicans in the 90s.  In 1998, the impeachment crap backfired on the GOP, big time.  Hillary and Bill are not afraid to fight the Publicans, especially when they have skin in the game.  There would be no going dark in the face of Publican attacks.  

In addition, Hillary can credibly say, "After my husband, I have to be the most investigated politician in American history.  They cannot stand us, because we know how to make America work for everyone, not just the 'haves and have mores' that they represent.  No lie is too outlandish, no smear is too dirty, in their desperate attempt to preserve their privilege.  They cannot win a fight on issues.  This is all they have."  She can utilize the widespread disapproval of the Starr investigation to her benefit, and attack the GOP at the same time.

Is America ready for a female President?

IMO, yes and no.  Ideally, Hillary's gender should not be a factor.  In reality, I'm afraid it is.  But, given whom her spouse is, Hillary Clinton is uniquely positioned to win and become the first female president.  

The soft-core sexists, who are not necessarily misogynistic but still harbor some doubt about whether a woman can be Commander-In-Chief, will derive plenty of comfort from the fact that Bill Clinton will be available to her 24/7.  They will, fairly or not, see a Hillary presidency as a third term for Bill.

The hard-core, misogynists?  Well, they never have, and never will, vote Democratic anyway.  They are no loss.  Besides, they would be more than outnumbered by a sizable percentage of women who would turn out in droves to vote for Hillary.

Issues and Substance

As I said at the beginning, I don't think Hillary Clinton will offer enough of what we need right now.  I do not believe that she'll bring any significant change for working Americans.  At best, she'll nibble around the edges:  manage the wars competently; add some numbers to the rolls of Medicare/Medicaid; work to bring some modicum of sanity to the tax code, the budget deficit and national debt; incremental progress on LGBT rights, etc.  Hillary would, however, make excellent choices for the SCOTUS, and despite any willingness to have a "conversation," reproductive choice would be non-negotiable under a Hillary Clinton presidency.

Again, while I don't see Hillary offering much in the way of true change for the benefit of ordinary Americans, if she is the nominee, Hillary deserves our support for two very important reasons: 1.  The SCOTUS and the judiciary as a whole; and 2.  Hillary would not actively work against us, and even incremental steps are better than anything that any Republican would do with the presidency.

Miscellaneous

Party Building

Bill certainly did nothing for party building.  In 1996, he ran against fellow Democrats, as much as he did Bob Dole and the Publicans.  This is a valid concern, but I think Hillary has shown a willingness to support the Democratic Party, not only in rhetoric, but with money.  I think Hillary realizes that the Democratic Party was the majority party when her husband won the presidency, and the minority party when he left office.  I do not think she'll make that mistake.

International Relations

Hillary Clinton is very well respected, the world over.  Bill Clinton is a freakin' rock star.  While the international community will give the benefit of the doubt to whomever follows the hated Bush/Cheney administration, the Clintons are a known - and loved - commodity.  We desperately need to improve our reputation in the world, and a Hillary Clinton presidency would do so, IMO.

Torment of Wingnuttia

Many of us were fond of saying we were heading to Canada after GWB stole won re-election in 2004.  Imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth that "President-Elect Hillary Clinton" would cause to Freepers, and the whole of the Christianist community!  And where would they say they would move to?  Somalia?  El Salvador?  Both of those places are full of brown people, and not many speak English.  I don't think they'd be too happy in either one.  :)

In summary, Hillary Clinton is toward the bottom of my picks for the Democratic nomination.  That said, there appears to be a substantial likelihood that she will be our nominee, and if she is, I will not hesitate to support her to the fullest, without reservation.

In the meantime, I will continue to support John Edwards in every possible way, and I will refuse to use right-wing smears about "electability" or "competence" against Hillary Clinton. We are all Democrats.