General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Regarding Hillary Clinton [View all]Martin Eden
(12,863 posts)One thing I failed to see was I forgot to type the word "don't" In my sentence I ____ think she's that stupid.
It's easy to get caught up in political partisanship of the kind that pits one brand against another and focuses far too much on personalities. Hillary Clinton became a champion on "our side" when she and her husband were constantly under assault by the rightwing attack dogs during Bill's presidency. The actual qualifications of politicians and where they stand on policy that really affects the lives of citizens falls by the wayside. It's all about the horse race and scandal and whatever can boost ratings to sell more ads on TV. A candidate isn't "viable" until he or she is made into a celebrity by the mainstream (read: corporate) media.
As long as the majority of the electorate plays along with that game, everyone loses except the few who hold most of the wealth and power and the politicians who successfully play the game. In defense of Hillary, it's next to impossible to attain high office without playing along and giving the devil his due. But once a politician achieves celebrity status and high office, comes the real test of whose interests will be represented and/or how qualified the person is to lead.
The IWR vote was perhaps the biggest answer to that question in the last 20 years at least. The cost and the consequences of this war, still ongoing, are almost impossible to overstate. Strong Democratic leaders were desperately needed to stand up and speak truth to power and stop this war crime before it was perpetrated.
Hillary Clinton is complicit. So is John Kerry, Joe Biden, and every member of both parties (slightly less than half the Democrats in the House/Senate) who voted for it.
The fact that several prominent Democratic leaders failed the test in no way exculpates any of them. This is a sad testament to the state of our Party and the direction of our country -- but everything is relative and nobody notices the goalposts have been moved further to the right.