This is repost of a blog I wrote on my MySpace page. I want to move it over here for posterity, and it has to do with why I am supporting Hillary in 2008.
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Background
Before I launch into why I'm supporting Hillary Clinton for President in 2008, I need to give you guys some background.
Way back in 1992, when I was a senior in high school, I was probably the only vocal supporter of Bill Clinton. I am sure there were teachers who voted for him, but in a small, rural school, you didn't really want to "come out" (HA!) as a Democrat. I even went so far as to wear my Clinton/Gore t-shirt the day after the election. Yes, for the generally shy dork, I certainly knew how to rabble-rouse.
When I went to college, I was a Political Science major, which was a pretty liberal department in a generally conservative school. Once again, I was a political minority in a world that was continually assaulting the Clintons for fake scandals (this was the time of Whitewater and Vince Foster). I was president of Butler Democrats, a summer intern in then Governor (now Senator) Evan Bayh's office, and then in the fall of my senior year, I was a research intern with the Democratic National Committee in Washington, DC.
I was in DC for the campaign for Bill Clinton's second term. I lived the high life of the ruling party, and I got to meet Bill, Hill, Al, and Tipper on a number of occasions. It was pretty heady stuff for a small town boy from Indiana. I was there on the White House lawn the day after the election to welcome them home, and unbeknownst to me, I was probably standing not 10 feet away from Monica Lewinsky. We all know how that turned out.
Despite Bill Clinton's incapability to control his sexual urges, I still believe him to be a great president. He was the only president in the last 40 years (or more) who gave a damn about balancing the budget, and in view of the disaster that is the last 8 years, he looks like one of the top 10 presidents in history. Bill Clinton is the best politician this country has ever seen, and we will not see the likes of him for quite some time, if ever (for good or ill). He not only had the brains of a policy wonk, but he could connect with the people better than Ronald Reagan. There is NO ONE in either party running for the nomination in 2008 that matches this perfect storm, and while I have hemmed and hawed over my support for Hillary, after watching her performance in the New Hampshire debates, I am prepared to make her my candidate for president in 2008.
Endorsement
First off, I want to address the negatives. I find it a bit reprehensible that we could see a Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton transfer of power. It makes me queasy that we have essentially created two ruling families, though George W. has destroyed the chances of any other Bush (sorry, Jeb, you were actually much smarter than W). Unfortunately, this is something I will have to compartmentalize, because there is no other candidate that I believe can lead us out of the deficit (budget, leadership, moral, and foreign relations) than Hillary Clinton.
The second negative is the media termed "Clinton Fatigue." There are so many, mostly Republicans, who just HATE the Clintons, for no real reason other than Fox News has told them so. Politically speaking, Bill Clinton was not the most liberal president in history, and I think Hillary is even less so. The conservatives really just hate them because they were able to topple the Republican hegemony back in 1992. Additionally, it will be difficult for everyone when all the tabloids are running around trying to catch the First Gentleman in some sort of dalliance, but I really think this time around, Bill will be on his best behavior. Frankly, if he is not, then it will mean the toppeling of support for his wife's presidency. Plus, Hillary will cut off his testicles.
Despite the two instances above, I am still prepared to focus on what makes Hillary the best candidate currently running. Like her husband, Hillary has a monumental grasp on the issues. In a lot of ways, she eclipses Bill in shear brilliance. After 8 years of leadership bereft of brain power, Hillary is a antidote to it. Unfortunately, the general populace tends to fear unmasked intelligence. Ronald Reagan was not brilliant. George W. Bush is practically Cro-Magnon. I think George H.W. Bush was actually a very smart man, but he could not lead this country. On and on. Really, the last president who was intelligent and unlikeable was Richard Nixon. Hillary is no Richard Nixon, and since the public is SO against the current administration, I really do think this is a professorial candidate's best opportunity to win an election.
If the election were held today, I can pretty much guarantee you that Hillary would garner 43% of the vote without any problems. This would include most of the supporters of Bill (and they are legion). Obviously, in a two way race, 43% is really not going to cut it. This means that Hillary's single most important choice is her running mate. This will have to be a white man. I toyed around with a Clinton/Obama ticket, but that would most certainly be too much for the good ole boy/bigots to handle. He needs to be someone pragmatic and experienced. He needs to be someone who can connect with the masses and allay any fears of a female president. I honestly do not know who that is, but I will swallow my tongue if it is John Edwards.
What about John Edwards and Barak Obama? Why not them? For me, I have never taken Edwards seriously. While I did not like John Kerry as a candidate, I liked him even less after he picked Edwards. This man is all style and no substance. The vitriol that he continues to throw at Hillary because she will not completely renounce her vote for the war is really just intellectually embarrassing. Hillary has said, "If I knew then what I know now," and that is a sufficient answer. At the time, the evidence was there. It was proven false. To try and rewrite history and reject what you believed to be an educated decision is really more of a disastrous commentary on Edwards than it is an indictment of Hillary. As for Obama, he is currently a walking, talking platitude. Has he provided on iota of what his platform and policy will actually be? Yes, he has said that there will be universal healthcare by the end of his first term, but he has certainly neglected to explain just how he plans on accomplishing this feat. It is very easy to be overcome by the new and magnanimous. I have not fallen victim to this, and it is possible that he could start showing some depth soon. However, the more Hillary mops the floor with him at debates, the more obvious it becomes that she is the right choice for the job.
As my political juices begin to flow again, I have to say that Hillary is by far the best candidate for President. Yes, she is far from perfect. However, she has the qualities that can lead this country out of the quagmire of the Bush Administration. We do not need a cardboard president. We need an intelligent, tenacious, and thoughtful leader, and Hillary Clinton is all three.
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