Monday, January 07, 2008

The reason why I'm not voting for Hillary Clinton in the primary.

Let me quote from a comment I just put up on a post on Althouse in response to a post she put up in which Bill Clinton is bemoaning the fact perception that people are voting for Obama because he is younger than Hillary Clinton.

I wrote,

She doesn't get it. Doesn't get it at all. Neither does he.

Age has nothing to do with why so many Democratic primary voters don't want her. Neither does gender.

As a typical Democratic primary voter, let me spell it out:

Seven years ago, I was excited that Hillary Clinton became a Senator. I'd read some of her books, and I felt that she would be a progressive voice for moving things forward in the United States Senate.

Then came her voting record. She voted a lot like Joe Lieberman. NCLB, Patriot I and Patriot II, the Bankruptcy bill, and most importantly the Iraq war resolution. Then this year, she had a chance she'd learned her lesson about voting for the Iraq war when a resolution came up that appears to grease the skids for a war with Iran. She also voted for that.

Now, I am left with two possibilities.

1. She believes in this stuff. In that case, she is too conservative for me, and maybe she should move to the Republican party (since she's voted with them when it mattered.)

2. She voted that way because she a) was looking at how to run to the center, thinking about the general election of 2008 all along, b) took primary voters like me for granted, thinking we'd all just vote for her automatically, and c) we can assume more of the same when she takes office, that she will keep placating the right so she can appear centrist for the election of 2012.

Either way, I want someone who will stand up and fight for the things I believe in. Now granted, Obama isn't perfectm for example Clinton is right when she attacks him for having shifted to supporting the Patriot II Act (for the record I started out supporting Bill Richardson, and having endorsed him will still vote and work for him unless he drops out before my state votes on Feb. 5) but I feel that Obama much more reflects my passionately felt positions that does Hillary Clinton.

Isn't that what a Democratic primary is for anyway? I assume that the Republicans will pick someone who reflects what they want, not just someone who some pollster or focus group tells them might pick off a few votes from indecisive Democrats.


In other words, my vote was Hillary's to lose. Seven years ago she's had it. But during the past seven years, she's lost it.

9 comments:

Zach said...

Good point. I'm not a Dem, and I'm missing the primaries, but I don't really see Hillary as viable.

I think the important voters in the Democratic primaries are those that nobody expects to vote: young people and minorities. While both groups would love to see a minority or woman president, they don't just want someone with dark skin or different body parts.

They want somebody who is going to represent progressive changes not just by being elected but once they're in office too.

Hillary has capitalized on being a successful woman in law and politics throughout her career. She has capitalized on the idea that a successful woman is by nature progressive. It's not 1970 anymore, and her use of her gender is more demeaning and sexist than a vote for any establishment male could ever be.

Hillary is not the progressive, radical female many young and minority voters would like to see as president. She's an establishment politician with breasts.

Zach said...

P.S.-I added a link to your blog on mine, feel free to check it out if you'd like (zachthinks85.blogspot.com)

Stent Lady said...

Well I have read and watched a lot in the last couple of years. Hillary has become a Washington veteran of sorts. Does she know the ropes yes but that does not get me to vote for her. I think the Utube vids of her riding the fence to appease voters on both sides has taken the toll on her campaign. Voters have seen this before..the sliding around to fit the scene instead of just being Genuine. That is what voters want not someone that is an actor. I find that she did not handle her constitients very well during the debates. There is a lot of pressure but the position calls for someone to handle a lot more than standing in front of TV cameras. I am voting for Edward's as he is determined to make change. I realize that change is slow and uphill and with lots of challenges. I am disappointed that it turned out this way as I think Bill Clinton got a lot accomplished for the good of the Country. The one thing we must understand is there is not a perfect person to do the job and please everyone. My .02

LD Hobe Sound FL

Robert Rouse said...

Hillary is getting desperate. And now she has lowered herself to using the "fear card". The same tactic used by Karl Rove and the Bush Administration for over six years.

Karen said...

I'm so over the Clintons and ready to move on to something new. As you stated Eli, Barack's not perfect, none of them are, but I feel comfortable with him.

New hope, new beginning...we need something because bush is in the process of destroying us.

froggyprager said...

very well put. It seems that Bill and Hil can't accept that smart voters actually may prefer Obama given his experience. Their growing distain for Obama and Obama supporters bothers me. She still has a lot of support nationally and may well win but I am concerned that many in the Obama camp have been turned off from her.

shrimplate said...

She set herself up for this likely fall. If she had Kucinich's voting record, we'd all be "Obama who?"

Eli Blake said...

Thanks all.

What is really ironic (and having had a few days of my computer being down to contemplate this, and will probably write a post on it) is that it is amazing to me that the Clintons, both obviously quite brilliant and veterans of the Vietnam-era anti-war movement, so grossly miscalculated the mood of the country and especially within the Democratic party. Even a few months ago when Hillary had what amounted to a tailor-made chance (on the Iran vote) to redeem herself and prove that she understood what voting for a step towards war meant, she blew it and in the eyes of many of us threw away her last chance to show us that she'd learned something about this.

Obama may not be perfect, but at this point he is the guy who everyone who is tired of the Bush war-hawk agenda is coalescing behind. Many of us who did support someone else now are down to the final two, and of those two, it's not Hillary.

Anonymous said...

Hello again! I posted a little while ago about not voting for Hillary. Well after watching Obama go over the top with promises. I have to conclude that he cannot deliver. He just is promising to all of us that are listening! Here is what I came up with! Hillary has a history on the Hill that is right. I also think back about how it was during the Clinton era. It was good the budget got balanced and welfare dropped like a lead weight. Programs that put people in public service to help our country and pay off their college loans at the same time. It might be too late for some but you get 2 for the price of one on this ticket. Another thing Obama says he will pull all the troops out right away. Lets be real here....this has to be done on a careful scale back or our guys will get flanked and killed. This will take some time to get it done. I was not for the war after learning of the lies...I did not like Saddam he did terrible things to humans you just cannot fathom. Take your choice I am with Hillary on this one. McCain is too old and Romney is too slick! Obama is promising the moon and stars.Edwars is very good but not enough followers.
Lets hope we can pull this Country back up ...it is a GREAT Country!

LD Hobe Sound, FL