When she took the stage and started to speak, I was thrown into raging turmoil. I wanted to see this woman as president. I ‘hear’ what she says when she speaks. I see the difficulty she has balancing being the strong, intelligent, independent woman she is with the softer feminine side she’s chided for and accused of putting on for effect. I saw the person who had the gumption to go up there against the big boys and speak her mind… and hold her own in the process. I saw the person I wanted as President of the United States of America.
And so the turmoil twisted and churned.
How do you turn away from someone you admire and back someone you really know nothing about? I listened to every word, saw the emotion on Bill Clinton’s face and felt it on my own. I saw the wide-eyed audience, in rapt attention, hanging on every, singe word.
She told us why we’re in this. She reminded us of what’s at stake. She touched our hearts when she spoke of individuals with serious concerns that she’d met throughout her campaign. And then she asked us the most poignant question she could have possibly asked. A question I don’t think resounded as well with men as woman. A question that worked on me precisely as she hoped – KNEW – it would.
She asked, “Were you in this for me? Or were you in this for them?”
Well, we know “them” is us, don’t we? Yes, by ‘them’ she referred to the people she’d mentioned – the mother of two with cancer and no health care who greeted Hillary on the campaign trail with a bald head and “Hillary’ written across it. The solider who wanted her to care for his buddies in Iraq then care for him. And the boy whose mother worked for minimum wage and had her hours reduced. They are us. And it is us – the average everyday person – she fights for.
I know the GOP would have enjoyed having her as the Democratic nominee. Just think of all the misogynist ads and comments they could have made. Just think of all the Clinton weaknesses they could have exploited. But she was prepared for that – she’s a fighter for herself in the same way I see her a fighter for the people.
And so my dilemma. How do you turn away from the person you admire and vote for the one who squashed the dream? You do so by acknowledging what Hillary said last night:
“I haven’t spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal health care, helping parents balance work and family and fighting for women’s rights here at home and around the world, to see another Republican in the White House squander our promise of a country that really fulfills the hopes of our people.”
How do you give it all up? When one of your allies falls aside, what should you do? Join forces with the enemy? Or pick up the flag and march forward on the same path? I think the choice is clear. It was Hillary for me. And I see her as part of the next administration – regardless that it won’t be as Commander in Chief. I see her as Secretary of State. A powerful position when worked properly – when worked in a way we haven’t seen in years. But whether she’s part of the next administration, the fact remains – she’s thrown her support behind another and if we support her and really heard what she had to say, then we, too, will take her words with us to the polls.
“No way… no how… no McCain.”
Debbie, I adore Hilary for the same reasons. With her strong support, I think Obama will make it. Hilary is something special.
I didn’t get to see the speech last night because I was working, but I’m hoping to watch it tonight. She’s a formidable woman and I think she would have been a dynamite president. But she’s right; there’s more to this than personalities. The future of our children and of our democracy is at stake in this election and we have to focus on that instead of the personalities of the candidates. It’ll be hard because the pinheads in the media only want to talk about personalities and polls and horse race stuff instead of issues.
No way… No how… No McCain.
I like that. 🙂
Linda
Kathleen,
She is special – and after her announcement yesterday during the ‘role call’, she certainly sealed the deal, IMO. I was sad to see her walk into the convention center like one of the crowd and hand over the nomination like that but she had to. Let’s just hope all this angst leads to a win in November. If it doesn’t… I shudder to think of the consequences.
~Debbie
Linda,
You’re so right about the media focusing on personalities and such. The day after Michelle Obama’s speech, every news channel talked about her fashion sense. Fashion sense?! With times the way they are, is the fashion sense of a candidate’s wife of any real importance?
btw – If you still didn’t get to see Hillary’s speech, the photo of her on this blog post is a link to it. 🙂
~Debbie
As part of my research, I have sort of a toe inside of conservative America. The pride in steadfast ignorance and naked jingoism I see frightens me.
This woman is a leader. And she’s ahead of her time. But many undecided Republicans would have voted for a ficus to keep her out of office.
Oh Rhonda you are sooooo right! The truth of that infuriates me to no end. People should come up with a legitimate reason they don’t want a particular candidate in the White House and not use gender or race as the sole purpose to dismiss them. I just hope that the ignorance and jingoism don’t prevent a majority – slim as it may be – from making the RIGHT choice this time on election day. I’m actually quite frightened about the horrors another 4 years of the same type of “leadership” – and yes, I know, “leadership” does not describe what we’ve had these past eight years but you get the point, I’m sure – will bring to this country, her people and the world. We have to hope the people have learned a lesson from the mistake they made – twice – and vote the right way this time around.
~Debbie
I third that, Rhonda. Conservative ignorance is frightening. I think Hilary will win out in the end. Maybe she will run again in the future. She has the energy!