Hillary Clinton Revisited

Social media feedback makes it clear that the previous post on Hillary Clinton upset some of her supporters and hurt their feelings. For that I apologize.

I am unrepentant in my criticism.

When candidates enter a race they undertake a great responsibility for the consequences for a loss. The consequences vary depending upon the public office and the politics of the victor. Losing to a moderate Republican for a local office may be of minor consequence. Losing to Donald Trump for the presidency of the United States, with Congress controlled by the likes of Paul Ryan (R-Wis), and more vacancies pending on the Supreme Court is a disaster. Whether you admire or despise Hillary Clinton's relentless two decade determination to become President, with it came a responsibility to avoid needless mistakes - mistakes of political judgment on positions and strategy. 

We already reviewed the 'basket of deplorables' remark. Never attack or insult the voters.

Then there was the accepting of foreign based donations to the Clinton Foundation while Secretary of State. Those of us who supported her could overlook that mistake, recognizing her presidency would produce a better America than Donald Trump.  But for too many Americans it was easy to connect the dots. They and their families and friends lost too many jobs because of globalization, while Hillary Clinton got cozy with overseas billionaires. It made no difference that the Clinton Foundation did great work around the world. It did not matter that the donors were not the same international industrialists that wrecked American manufacturing.

The list goes on and on. There was the vote to support the war in Iraq. The emails representing a deep sense of entitlement. The two-faced admission of one message for the public and another message for the Wall Street manipulators, which raised elitism to a new level.

All this in an age of populism with an angry electorate wanting blood even if they were not going to get their jobs back.

When I wrote in response to the question "Why do Americans hate women?" with the answer "Not all women, just Hillary Clinton," my sister Becky sent me this message:

I disagree with your answer...There are many ways in which Americans do hate women that much. For one, the percent of women who have been truly powerful in this country is infinitesimal, and I think much of the public still does not know how to deal with it.

Becky is right, of course, my answer is snippy, provocative and nasty.  But that barrier was possible to overcome and the other challenges is what blocked the road to the White House for Hillary Clinton and half of America.

Now we have to deal with a Trump presidency. Some of his supporters are racists, misogynists, homophobic, and xenophobic - Hillary's basket of deplorables. But others voted for Obama four years ago. We have to be realistic in how we describe and relate to some of Trump's supporters. We need them to create a new majority two and four years from now.  Relating to them as deplorables is not going to change their minds or win any friends.

There are many scary things in our future: appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court, environmental degradation, privatization of Medicare and Social Security, unthinkable decisions on immigration, and tax cuts for the rich.

But there are also some opportunities for progressives to exploit potential schisms and rifts within the Republican leadership. As a developer, Trump knows he has to invest in infrastructure to build and create jobs. This is going to be a tough row to hoe without raising the national debt, with Ryan and the Republicans refusing to raise taxes.

Progressives and Democrats had better be ready with leadership and a plan.