It is a fair question to ask a Green Party member how she could vote for someone who voted for us to engage in the war in Iraq. My answer is that Clinton's Iraq vote is the biggest flaw of her tenure as a senator, and I acknowledge that. But her strengths are equally strong, most of us--including Clinton--agree that the war has been a disaster, and it is time to send a bright, liberal, tough person to the White House to help design our future.
Sen. Clinton's platform is about:
...Significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions
...Creating universal pre-kindergarten for all children
...Creating a system of adequate health care for all citizens
...Preserving and protecting all reproductive rights
...Restoring all veterans' rights
...Ending the war in Iraq
...Strengthening unions
...Providing respite care to the elderly and their caregivers
...Protecting the middle class
...Preserving and adding to LGBT rights
...Helping poor women and children obtain a better quality of life
...Cracking down on education aid red tape
...Vastly increasing the NIH budget
...Removing religious dogma from scientific reporting
...Strengthening whistle-blower protection
...and much more...
Consider these things about Clinton's opponent, Sen. Barack Obama:
- It is a myth that Sen. Clinton was the "annointed" candidate. It seemed clear to me, as early as 2004, that Barack Obama was more likely the one annointed by the Democratic Party to run for the White House. Those in power then needed to do nothing but sit back and let the news media tear down Sen. Clinton, which they have done with enthusiasm, and generally via pure sexism, not on her stands on the issues. The concept that Obama is the "outsider," is, in my opinion, a manufactured image. And even if Clinton were the annointed candidate, that is not, of itself, a reason to oppose her.
- Barack Obama has always been tied to lobbyists and corporations, and it is disengenuous of him to pretend otherwise. He is also getting millions of dollars from PowerPac.org and Vote Hope, which are special interest groups. The news media never mentions these groups and their huge donations, and though Obama says he wishes they would not donate money to his campaign, he has not hesitated to spend it.
- The vitriol coming from a great number of Obama supporters--found throughout the Worldwide Web--sounds just like the vitriol of the right wing.
- Sen. Obama's website lists issues the candidate supports and considers important. It mentions equal pay for equal work as a women's civil rights issue--and that's as far as it goes for women. The following issues--reproductive freedom, rape and sexual assault, domestic violence, gender inequity in health care, child care--do not merit mention as issues on the Obama campaign website. Women's issues are always vital, but after years of the Bush administration's destruction of women's rights, they are more important than ever.
- Sen. Obama, when he campaigned in South Carolina, used openly gay-hating clergyman Donnie McClurkin and a group of openly gay-hating singers in his "Embrace the Courage" campaign. His campaign has made it clear that, while Obama supposedly does not endorse the bigotry of these people, he will continue to include them in his campaign and to include their opinions. The gay-haters, by the way, were largely funded by money from PowerPac.org.
- Sen. Clinton has a long and impressive history of working for women, children and families.
- Sen. Clinton has a long and impressive history of working on behalf of oppressed populations.
- Sen. Clinton has a reputation for working well with others.
- Given that a progressive and more-than-competent woman is running--yes, it is high time that we elect a woman president of the United States.
- Voting against Sen. Clinton because you do not care for her husband (and I am one who does not care for him) is sexist.
- Sen. Clinton is intelligent, extremely knowledgeable, articulate, and creative--in short, a leader.
PLEASE DONATE TO SEN. CLINTON'S CAMPAIGN
