STFU
[2008-02-25 10:30]
I have a word of advice for Hillary Clinton: STFU.
I've given Hillary the benefit of the doubt for most of her campaign to be the Democratic nominee for President, but her recent outrage and tactics against Barack Obama demonstrates everything that I hate about American politics and politicians. My growing dislike of her has nothing to do with her being a woman, and I resent suggestions saying it is. Instead, it is all about her disingenuity (a nice way of saying "dishonesty and inconsistency"). If she keeps up with her current tactics, I will not vote for her even if she becomes the Democratic nominee for president.
As I've mentioned before, I believe that one's methods are as important, if not more so, than their results. That is, the ends do not justify the means. Hillary has demonstrated that she will say and do almost anything to get nominated. In doing so, she has lost her credibility. One might argue that this is her campaign's doing, not hers. But, given how calculating the Clinton machine is, I seriously doubt that much has happened in her campaign without her tacit approval.
During her campaign, Hillary has criticized Obama for
lacking substance and running a campaign that is just about words. If Hillary truly believes this, then it's because she hasn't been listening and/or doesn't understand the words that Obama is using. Obama's campaign is not about hope, it's about ending the divisiveness and secrecy (and idiocy) in politics, among other things. That is what gives me hope. Most recently, Clinton sarcastically mocked Obama. The annoying thing about this is that she implies that Obama (and those that support him) are, as Obama puts it, delusional. Believe me, I understand how fscked up America (and the world) is right now. It's precisely because of this that I believe we need to change the way we conduct ourselves in politics. Obama is the only one who appears to have tapped into that idea, so he's my candidate.
having used drugs when he was younger. BFD. In my opinion, it's not that he did drugs, but how he responded to that part of his life that is important to me. As they say, No one understands fire more than he (or she) who has been burned. Obama appears to have come through that period of his life and maintained a good character. That speaks volumes.
having wanted to be President since
plagiarizing one of Deval Patrick's speeches. This charge is truly hypocritical given that Hillary has done the same thing (as many folk have noted, her ending comments at the Feb 21 debate were taken from Bill Clinton and John Edwards).
creating a health care plan that will leave out millions of people. As reported in the Boston Globe, Clinton "asked Iowa voters to imagine the outrage had presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson created Social Security or Medicare but not offered them to all seniors." This is an unfair and false characterization. Obama's plan, as I understand it, offers health insurance to all Americans, it just doesn't force them to get it if they don't want it (presumably because they can't afford it).
using dirty tactics during his campaign. Last weekend, she held up two fliers distributed by Obama which she said demonstrated how Obama will say one thing and do another. Odd that these fliers have been available since before Super Tuesday (the news pundits had already dissected the one about health care) and she's only mentioning them now. Odd too how she says that Obama's claims in his healthcare flier are untrue (see the previous bullet point). Hillary claimed that she never said that she'd force people who can't afford it to get health insurance. I haven't seen the flier so I can't say whether or not there is a misquote in it, but I have seen a video (aired on one of the news channels) in which Hillary herself said that the government would go after a person's wages to pay for health insurance which, under her plan, would be mandatory. Now one of the news shows did mention that, under Hillary's plan, there would be government funding for poor people to help with the cost of the health insurance. But unless that funding makes the health insurance free, Obama's point still stands. In any event, this seems like a case where Hillary is blaming Obama for doing what her campaign's been doing all along (see the above bullet points).
gushed about how honored she is to be in the race with Barack Obama. But this is a contradiction given the tactics she's used, listed above. So either she didn't mean it when she said she was honored (and thus showing her disingenuity), or she does respect Obama and still feels comfortable attacking him as though he is not worthy of respect (and thus showing her disingenuity).
The sad thing is that I want to like Hillary. She's smart (certainly more wonkish on the issues than Obama, I think), strong and confident. I'm also not blind to Obama's shortcomings. Yet, despite all of that, I truly believe that Obama is the best candidate for President. The more Hillary shows that she's a part of what's wrong in American politics by engaging in these weaselly tactics, the more certain I am that Obama is the right choice and the less I end up liking Hillary. So, for her own sake, Hillary needs to STFU.