Is she still #1?
Four years ago I delighted in the idea of Bill's wife Hillary running for president. Now I am not so sure. I am deeply concerned about Hillary's hawkish attitude toward Iraq, Israel, Lebanon and Palestine. I was appalled by her comments supporting Israel's attack on Lebanon, which has left that country in shambles. I have not seen or heard the kind of leadership I am looking for to bring our troops out of Iraq.
Yes, I would love to witness our first Madam President. But she needs to be the right woman for the job. Being a woman is not sufficient, especially when we also have the option of our first African American president. Part of what I think of when I think of a woman president is having being less militaristic and more reconcilliatory, less aggressive and more compassionate. Until I begin to see this side of Hillary, I am afraid my vote will be going elsewhere. I am a progressive, and there are plenty of more progressive candidates running for president. Obama is not much more liberal than Hillary, but his tone of reconcilliation between the Dems and GOP is refreshing. Our country has been divided too long, and it is time that we found some common ground to focus on rather than the divisive issues of abortion and gay marriage.
My recommendation to Hillary, if she wants my vote, is to let it be known that abortion and gay marriage are not political causes, they are religious, and have no place in the political debate of today. And then focus her attention on the things that matter to the future of America: bringing troops home from Iraq, ending dependance on oil (foreign and domestic) by funding alternative fuel research and enacting appropriate legislation, addressing global warming, providing affordable universal health coverage, fixing the No Child Left Behind disaster, fighting terrorism by addressing the causes (global poverty, globalization and capitalist greed) rather than engaging in military muscle flexing that only results in unnecessary civilian casualties - and feeds the military industrial complex. I want to see serious judicial reform so that we are not effectively criminalizing being black, hispanic, or poor. I want to see serious immigration reform - and an attempt to understand why people risk there lives to come to America illegally. When you can do these things, then I will gladly support you for President.
Four years ago I delighted in the idea of Bill's wife Hillary running for president. Now I am not so sure. I am deeply concerned about Hillary's hawkish attitude toward Iraq, Israel, Lebanon and Palestine. I was appalled by her comments supporting Israel's attack on Lebanon, which has left that country in shambles. I have not seen or heard the kind of leadership I am looking for to bring our troops out of Iraq.
Yes, I would love to witness our first Madam President. But she needs to be the right woman for the job. Being a woman is not sufficient, especially when we also have the option of our first African American president. Part of what I think of when I think of a woman president is having being less militaristic and more reconcilliatory, less aggressive and more compassionate. Until I begin to see this side of Hillary, I am afraid my vote will be going elsewhere. I am a progressive, and there are plenty of more progressive candidates running for president. Obama is not much more liberal than Hillary, but his tone of reconcilliation between the Dems and GOP is refreshing. Our country has been divided too long, and it is time that we found some common ground to focus on rather than the divisive issues of abortion and gay marriage.
My recommendation to Hillary, if she wants my vote, is to let it be known that abortion and gay marriage are not political causes, they are religious, and have no place in the political debate of today. And then focus her attention on the things that matter to the future of America: bringing troops home from Iraq, ending dependance on oil (foreign and domestic) by funding alternative fuel research and enacting appropriate legislation, addressing global warming, providing affordable universal health coverage, fixing the No Child Left Behind disaster, fighting terrorism by addressing the causes (global poverty, globalization and capitalist greed) rather than engaging in military muscle flexing that only results in unnecessary civilian casualties - and feeds the military industrial complex. I want to see serious judicial reform so that we are not effectively criminalizing being black, hispanic, or poor. I want to see serious immigration reform - and an attempt to understand why people risk there lives to come to America illegally. When you can do these things, then I will gladly support you for President.
posted by Apuuli at 9:04 AM
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