December 22, 2015

Why Hillary will get my vote....

Seasons greetings to all my DU friends!

I wanted to share why I will be casting my vote for Hillary soon.

I think she is the most qualified presidential candidate that I have seen in my lifetime. I think she is someone who has been working her entire life towards becoming our first woman President.

From her early years at Wellsley where she was the first ever student to be a commencement speaker, to her days as the first lady of Arkansas where she became a pioneering advocate for children and familes, to her tireless work to get Bill Clinton elected President....she showed even then that she was somebody different.

As First Lady she introduced the idea of Health-care for all to the nation's consciousness. It took over two decades to get there in the end, but I don't for a moment believe we could have achieved the ACA if Hillary hadn't paved the path for it to be part of American lives. It isn't perfect, but a damned lot more Americans have healthcare today than they did a few years ago. I believe Hillary is the person to help us improve the ACA regarding several areas like the cost of prescription drugs, etc. I think she will approach each obstacle thrown in the path of those seeking to improve the ACA with the fight and determination she has always shown us.

Hillary and I have not always agreed on the issues. I was very much against the Iraq war and I was sorely disappointed when she and so many other Democrats voted for the war....but I believe she has sincerely owned up to her mistake in voting for that war since and I know she objected to the many duplicitous acts of the Bush regime and the way they mislead congress and the American public regarding that war since then. I have moved on ..... so should we all. I realize this is just my opinion on her vote, everyone is entitled to their own opinion that may be contrary to my own and I accept that, but I realized a long time ago that 'we don't always get what we want' in life and I have let it go.

I think Hillary Clinton was a pretty damned good United States Senator. She was well known for her ability to reach across the aisle and accomplish the impossible ....compromises between Republicans and Democrats to actually get things done. I could bring in quotes here of how many of her colleagues on both sides of the aisle respect and admire her and her accomplishments, but by now we have all seen them....despite many Republicans and even a Democrat or two trying to revise history and pretend such accolades from them never happened or existed. I know they were said and so do most of us here.

When Hillary first ran for President in 2008, I was sure she was going to win. I had waited all my life to see a woman break that final glass ceiling and become President of the United States. Ultimately, I was heartbroken to see her lose the nomination to Barack Obama, who later became President Barack Obama. Not only was I heartbroken, I was so angry. I thought at the time, in the heat and the passion of the political season that she had been robbed. Who was this guy that snatched victory from my hero Hillary? I would NEVER vote for him!

Well friends....let me tell you I was wrong! When it came down to casting my vote for president, I did indeed vote for him. There was no way in hell I was going to have a Republican back in the White House after 8 years of George Bush. And guess what? I wound up really liking and admiring President Obama! He inherited one hell of a mess from Bush.

Obama inherited a world economy on the brink of the abyss. The economy had already crashed, but it almost slid off the deep end into another great depression and he lead the way to snatch it back. Now some of you would argue that he hasn't done enough. I would disagree with that. I would say that given the circumstances and the obstructionist Tea Party trying to block his every move, it's amazing what he has managed to accomplish.

One thing I really approved of with President Obama was his appointment of Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State. She was relentless and tireless in her pursuit of restoring American credibility and it's reputation abroad. The Bush Administration had virtually destroyed it, but in the next four years, Hillary travelled nearly a million miles to get it back. She accomplished in four years what many of us thought would take decades to do.

During Hillary's tenure as SOS she not only restored America's reputation around the world, she advocated relentlessly for women's and children's rights as she has her entire life. She made a difference.

Also during her term, there was a horrible terrorist attack in which one of our Ambassadors was killed. Rather than trying to take steps to ensure that such a tragedy never happened again....the Republicans in congress saw their opportunity and took it and ran. What ensued was a monumental witch hunt financed by the American tax payers to take down Hillary Clinton at all costs. For months upon months we listened and watched slimey Republicans like Trey Gowdy et al smear her and slander and libel her and drag her through a mountain of mud. They spent millions of the taxpayers dollars to try and accomplish her political death.

I am here to tell you all that they GOT NOTHING! Hillary went before Howdy Gowdy and his committee of Republican buffoons and she nailed their asses to the floor of congress and proved to the world what scumbags they really are! She took on the best the GOP had to offer and she decimated them. She did it with her honor and integrity intact and her head held high. So whenever I now hear people continuing to try and smear her with innuendo, conspiracy theories, lies and whatever else they care to throw at her...I just think of her brushing that speck of dust off her shoulder and I smile.

Hillary Rodham Clinton. Bring on whatever the Republicans or anyone else has to offer. She's got my vote and my heart!

October 28, 2015

Women's Rights and the candidates...

Today I want to discuss an issue we often skirt around. Women's Rights and the Candidates.

I often see claims that Bernie Sanders is just as big a fighter for Women's Rights as Hillary has been. As a woman, I will tell you that while it sounds good, it just isn't so. A man can be an ally in fighting for Women's Rights, but no man has ever stood on the front line on that issue. It's impossible to walk a mile in our high heels unless you are a woman. You can support us, but you can't fight our battles for us, we fight them every day and we have been fighting them our entire lives.

Bernie Sanders never stood on the world stage and told us that Women's Rights are Human Rights.
The United States Senate is made up of only 20% women. This in a country where the population is over 50% female. The percentage of women is even less in the House of Representatives.

Back in the 70's, Hillary Clinton applied for a credit card and was denied because she was a woman. They told her to use her husband's card. At the time, she was making more money than her husband. Somehow I don't think that has ever happened to a man.

If Hillary Clinton or her supporters raise the issue of Women's Rights, we are accused of throwing out the 'gender card' ....I have even heard the term 'vagina card'. That defense seems to be used to shut us up on the issue and concede that it isn't relevant or not applicable. I am telling you that it is very much relevant to women around the world 24/7. When women out number men in the work force, but still only make 71 cents for every dollar a man makes. When a woman's right to choose is still a battle ground and when women are denied access to contraception because their employer's morality somehow gives them the ability to tell us what to do with our bodies, when there is a war to deny women even the ability to have a mammogram then Women's Rights should be on every candidate's front burner.

I don't deny that Bernie Sanders has advocated for women's rights....many men have. BUT, men have never walked in our high heels. A man has never been denied a job or a promotion or equal pay because he is a woman. A man has never been denied the right to vote because he is a woman. A man has never been denied the right to drive or to own property because he is a woman. He may be our ally.....but he is not our champion. Our champion is Hillary Clinton. She has walked thousands of miles in our high heels.

It's time for men to quit telling us that they will be our allies. We women who are voting for Hillary want a leader in our war on women and that leader must be someone who has walked the walk, not someone who has witnessed it.

October 23, 2015

There is not one person in America that can stand up to the Repukes....

....better than Hillary Clinton! 11 hours those bastards grilled her today and she stood up to them and showed the world what nasty, sick little fucks the Republican Party is made up of.

Hillary was cool, calm and professional. Her memory, her intelligence and her understanding of world affairs and foreign policy is second to none.

I am so proud of her!

October 19, 2015

What exactly will not voting for the nominee accomplish?

For those of you who say that you won't vote for the nominee if he/she is not your candidate....can you please explain to me what it is you hope to accomplish by doing so?

I seriously want to know. At one time a few years back, I myself seriously considered not voting for the nominee because I was so angry after the primaries and I was not inclined to compromise.....but after having doing a bit of soul searching I came to the conclusion that sitting out the GE or voting for a third party candidate or republican was not an option. Social issues in particular and the SCOTUS were too important and what finally convinced me to cast my vote for the nominee.....and amazingly, I wound up really liking the nominee.

So in all seriousness, I would like some thoughtful answers on this. What will not voting for the nominee accomplish?

October 11, 2015

Hillary Clinton’s lead climbs higher nationally ahead of first debate

http://www.dailynewsbin.com/news/hillary-clintons-lead-climbs-higher-nationally-ahead-of-first-debate/22784/

Hillary Clinton’s lead climbs higher nationally ahead of first debate

Despite a summer of the political pundits claiming that Hillary Clinton is struggling in the polls, the numbers themselves say that’s never been the case. For months her lead over rival Bernie Sanders and potential rival Joe Biden has hovered in the twenty percent range in national polls, forcing the media to resort to reporting single-state outlier polls as if they were national polls in the hopes of making the race appear close for the sake of ratings. But even as Clinton prepares to head into the first democratic party debate, her dominant poll numbers are climbing even higher.

Last week three major national polls from PPP, IBD, and USA Today pegged Hillary Clinton’s lead over Bernie Sanders at 18, 20, and 18 percent respectively. Now the latest national poll from Fairleigh Dickinson pegs Clinton’s lead at 22 percent. The breakdown is that Clinton has 45 percent, Sanders has 23 percent, and Biden has 17 percent despite not actually running and not planning to participate in the first debate.

Various polls have suggested that most of Joe Biden’s support would shift to Hillary Clinton if he announces that he’s not going to enter the race. The first debate on Tuesday, which will feature Clinton and Sanders along with other democratic party candidates like Martin O’Malley and Lincoln Chafee, may end up sending the polls in one direction or the other. But heading into the event, Clinton’s lead isn’t just massive, it’s growing a bit.

October 3, 2015

What I Love About Hillary...

I love that she listens to the issues that we the voters care about and she responds. Her agenda is our agenda.

People criticize her for having focus groups and meeting with small groups and say she is pandering. I think those folks are wrong. Hillary actually listens and she is forming her campaign platform around the issues most important to us as Americans.

Hillary's concerns regarding the issues reflect my own concerns.

I care about Women's rights.
I care about systemic racism in America.
I care about the attacks on Planned Parenthood.
I care about Gun violence in America.
I care about the path to citizenship for immigrants.
I care that college needs to be made more affordable.
I care about escalating prescription drug prices.
I care about voting rights.

These are just a few of the issues I care about and I think Hillary is the one candidate from either party to best be able to address these issues and many more. I think she is the best person we can count on to make progress in achieving what America needs.

September 18, 2015

Hillary is going to win.....

She will win most of the Democratic primaries, most of the delegates, nearly all the super delegates and she will win the General Election as well.

I know many think Bernie is different and everyone will flock to his banner....but fact is that most won't. ....and many of us have been around to see it all play out before. Some virtual unknown captures some people's attention for awhile, rises so far in the polls and then doesn't go anywhere. This is happening just like it has before and more than likely will during the next election.

Most Democrats don't think Bernie has what it takes to win the GE. Most Democrats support Hillary (DU excepted of course). She is winning every national poll among Democrats and will continue to do so. In fact, she will get a rather large bump in the polls when they finally take out the un-candidate Biden from the equation.

America is not going to elect a self-described Socialist, whether he calls himself a Socialist or a Democratic Socialist. Neither are Americans prepared to elect someone who is promoting a Revolution with a price tag of 17 to 18 Trillion.

You can call the front runner Democrat all the names and labels you can think of....Corporate Democrat, elitist Democrat, establishment Democrat, etc. You can complain the front runner never mentions the names of other Democratic candidates and you can complain the press ignores your candidate......it makes no difference....at the end of the day....we know who will be representing the Democratic Party in November of 2016. Her name is Hillary. She will win. That's called reality.

September 5, 2015

Throwing Obama under the bus all for the good of the campaign...

Lately I've seen quite a few threads and posts here throwing President Obama under the bus. Comments like he's not a Democrat, he didn't do what he promised, he sold out to corporate,etc.

May I respectfully remind folks of just how bad a shape the country was in after 8 years of The Republican slime machine? And folks blaming The war in Iraq on Hillary?! .....well Bullshit.

The war in Iraq and the subsequent destabilization of the mid-east lies squarely in the lap of George Bush. It was his administration that went before Congress and the UN and lied about WMDs and you know what? The majority of America bought it hook, line and sinker. A lot of Democrats voted for the Iraq resolution. They were wrong, I thought so at the time, but like it or not, they were representing what the majority views of their constituents was at the time and they were assured by the President of the United States that the evidence about WMDs was golden. At the start of the Iraq war, opinion polls were as high as 79% in favor of it.

Hillary Clinton and other Democrats have since apologized for their votes and admitted they were wrong. I am not a vindictive person, if someone has the courage to own up to their mistakes and admit they were wrong and apologize for it, then I am willing to move on. Especially when you have someone like Colin Powell who was pretty well respected by both parties at one time, enough for Democrats to try and recruit him into the party btw....when someone of his calibre stands on the world stage and assures us there were wmds then a lot of people were going to believe him.

And trying to blame Obama and Clinton for all that is wrong in America and the world is duplicitous. Obama and Clinton have both worked their asses off trying to restore America's reputation around the world. A reputation virtually annihilated by the Bush Administration.

Under Obama, we now have available health care for all Americans. The groundwork for the ACA was laid down by Hillary Clinton decades ago. Yes, Hillary didn't achieve health care for all, but she introduced the premise into the American psyche and allowed Democrats (not Republicans) to map their battle plans thru the minefields of congress, with the Insurance Lobby and rabid republican politicos frothing at the mouth to destroy it any way they could.

The ACA is far from perfect, but it's a damned sight better than what we had before, which was nothing....but a noble idea. Many things in this life do not come easy. The best things in life you have to work hard for.

To dismiss President Obama and Hillary Clinton of not being true Democrats is preposterous and mendacious. It's an argument meant to deflect and we all know who it's meant to deflect scrutiny from now don't we?

August 29, 2015

Why I want Hillary Rodham Clinton to be President

I have supported Hillary Clinton ever since she first appeared on the national stage several decades ago. As a woman growing up in the 60s and 70s I found in her someone I could look up to.

Many younger Americans don't often understand how she shook up the status quo when her husband entered the White House and she was not content to chose new china plates and give tours of the Rose Garden. Here was a First Lady who could actually make a difference rather than just be a hostess.

She came from a middle class background. She went to top schools by virtue of her hard work, study and determination. She was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth and everything she achieved, she worked damned hard for. She became Senior Class President of Wellesley, becoming the first student ever to give a Commencement speech and graduated from Yale Law School with Honors.

She was a key player in getting Bill Clinton elected to the White House both times. Under his Presidency, all of America prospered like never before. Jobs were created, the middle class prospered and the blueprint for health care for everyone was first formed.

Her entire adult life she has championed the cause of a better world for women and children. She has been an advocate around the world for both.

I think she is the best qualified candidate running from either party in this election. She served for 8 years in the US Senate, where she soon developed a reputation for being able to reach across the aisle and work with members of both parties. She also had the very difficult job of becoming Secretary of State after the George Bush years, which had virtually destroyed America's reputation abroad. The damages wrought by the Bush administration were expected to take years to repair. Hillary managed to not only repair and heal the damage in less than 4 years, but she strengthened ties with our allies and created a footprint to follow in the years ahead.

As a professional woman who has worked in a 'man's world' for most of my career, I am here to tell you that being a woman in a workplace dominated by men is not an easy task. A feminist once said that: “Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good." Hillary and other women have lived with that reality their entire lives and live with it on a daily basis.

I don't support Hillary Clinton just because she is a woman. I support her because she is the best qualified candidate for the office of President. The fact that she is a woman, tells me she is better qualified times two from her nearest competition.

I leave you with Hillary's own words that sum a lot up for me:

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July 16, 2015

I'm a woman and I support Hillary Clinton.....

When in 2015, I see someone say that some women won't vote or support Hillary because she didn't leave her husband when their marriage was going through a rocky period, not to mention it was all being smeared across the tabloid press at the time.....tells me that people who say that do not know what Hillary Clinton is all about AT ALL.

I love Hillary Clinton. She has been a hero to me as a woman for much of my adult life. She is a fantastic mother, she's a wife who loves her husband and who has stood by him through thick and thin, for better or worse. She has never, ever run from a fight. For anyone to pass judgement on her for not abandoning her marriage is incredibly sad that they just dont 'get' Hillary.

Hillary has paved paths for women like no woman has before her. She took on the battle for National Healthcare before it's time....but that didn't stop her from trying. She paved the way for what would take two more decades to achieve....and even now, the thought of National Healthcare is still being attacked.

When it comes to women's issues, children's issues, education and other social issues, she has fought for what is important and been a true champion around the world for them.

After 8 years of George Bush, she travelled over a million miles to 112 countries restoring the reputation of America and repairing the damage that the Bush administration had wrought. She was relentless and undaunted and she damned well did her job....and did it better than I think anyone else could. While she was restoring America's reputation she was also still fighting for women's and children's rights around the world.

So if Hillary decided to stay with her husband and decided that her marriage was worth fighting for....all those that want to judge her for doing so can kiss my feminist ass and grow themselves a vagina.

Thank you for allowing me to get up on my soapbox.