Ireland. Germany. England. Sierre Leone. India. These are just some of the countries that have had women elected to top government office. It's embarrassing that the United States is not on this list. We purport ourselves to be world leaders. We believe we are fairer, more just, more intelligent and more advanced. Yet here we are in 2007, with the strong, poised, and qualified Hillary Clinton running for President, and many Americans, including good friends of mine and my own husband, don't want her in office. Most say it is not because she is a woman, but I am skeptical of that claim. Most argue that she is too “Clinton”—too closely associated to her husband. My husband argues that he supports Barack Obama over Hillary because he was opposed to the war in Iraq and she voted for it. And most tellingly, most people aren't supporting her for president simply because they see her as “unlikable.”
Republican pundits love to Hillary bash. They post the most unflattering photos of her they can find and write snide captions beneath them. But the Senator from New York has proven her smarts and abilities, and yes, being political is the way she has had to do it. Men in government never get criticized for being to political. If anything, Jimmy Carter was criticized for not being political enough. Democrats have their issues with Clinton as well, not so much because they don't like her or think she could do the job, but because they just think she is unelectable. Clearly in 2008, and unelectable Democratic candidate for President cannot be the party's nominee after the eight years of Bushness.
The bottom line is this: It is time for a woman to be President, and Hillary Clinton is a great candidate. You can't blame her for her husband's personal shortcomings. And let's not forget that the Clinton years were relatively safe, prosperous, and progressive. You can't blame her for voting for the war in Iraq when she and the rest of Congress were purposely deceived by a vendetta-bearing president. And you can't blame her for being tough. A president should be nothing less. If you find her unlikable, get passed that unimportant bias. Read her speeches. Study her record. Find out what she is doing for women and children, the poor and minorities in this country, and then judge for yourself. Find out what her stance is on homeland security, education and the environment, and then measure her up against any other candidate.
PREVIOUS PAGE
