To those who do not like Senator Clinton, I need to ask

[berni_mccoy]

Why? I really don't understand it. I've seen plenty of bash Clinton threads.

I've seen many try to tie her political stances and planned policies with her husbands less popular policies/changes (NAFTA is a big one for example). I see this as a misperception of former President Clinton's situation as he was forced to work with a Republican majority in Congress, so plenty of things got passed that we didn't like, but plenty of things did too. I believe the next Democratic President elected in 2008 will have a Democratic Controlled Congress to work with. This will allow great change for the positive. Would you really give that up if Clinton wins the Primary?

According to various sources on her political stance on the issues:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Rodham_Clinton#Political_views

n a Gallup poll conducted during May, 2005, 54% of respondents considered Senator Clinton a liberal, 30% considered her a moderate, and 9% considered her a conservative.<80>
In 2004, the National Journal's study of roll-call votes assigned Clinton a rating of 30 in the political spectrum, relative to the current Senate, with a rating of 1 being most liberal and a rating of 100 being most conservative.<81> The 2006 Almanac of American Politics rated her, with most liberal = 100, most conservative = 0, according to a three-dimensional spectrum: Economic = 63, Social = 82, Foreign = 58. Average = 68.<82> Another analysis by three political scientists found her as likely being the sixth-to-eighth-most liberal Senator.<83>
Hillary Clinton received an "A" on the Drum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues.<84>

I definitely feel she has changed her tune on Iraq and I don't agree with much of her stance on foreign policy, but I certainly don't have the animosity towards her that I've seen displayed on this site.

She is a democrat, she is liberal, and she has definitely promoted legislation that favors the poor and middle-class more than the wealthy.

Maybe I am not getting it. Is it just her original stance on Iraq that has caused many to treat her like a leper here?

I'm not seeking a flame thread, I really want to understand if it is just Iraq or if it is something that runs deeper. I admit, I did not become potlically interested/active until the 2000 election, so I could be missing some context required to understand this rift.

[wiley]

1. Thanks

[JeffR]

2. Her original stance on Iraq is less a problem for me than her current one

eom

[BuyingThyme]

24. Yeah, whatever that is.

[JeffR]

26. zackly

[berni_mccoy]

45. Original stance: pro-War

New stance: Bush's Fault (but we're stuck)

[skipos]

3. She is ok, I just don't want her to be our nominee. nt

[terisan]

4. Thanks for the facts. n/t

[wtmusic]

5. Has she ever exhibited an iota of leadership on anything?

That means taking an unpopular stand because it's right, and having the know-how to win others over.

To me she seems, at best, a mediocre senator. Is that the best we can do?

[berni_mccoy]

7. Yes. Universal Healthcare. When it was unpopular.

Now that healcare is a huge problem for everyone, it's something that everyone wants to see. She should be considered the leader on Healthcare reform (and not like Bush wants to do it).

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

18. she sided with the insurance companies

and created a horrid corporate-friendly plan that turned off the unions

she set the cause of universal health care back by a decade and counting

[berni_mccoy]

27. I'm talking about the original plan, from 1992-93

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_health_care_plan

Republicans killed the idea when they took control in 1994.

[wtmusic]

37. She also had nothing to lose.

I want someone who's going to stir up the fire. Hillary ain't got it.

[sandnsea]

49. It was a campaign pledge, a big one

She screwed it up. Be clear on what happened. She'll never get health care reform through.

[terisan]

10. Examples of Leadership by other Announced Candidates

Can you give some specific examples of leadership (your definition) by other announced candidates ?

[wtmusic]

36. No, I haven't.

None of them are qualified.

[JDPriestly]

55. Wesley Clark has proven leadership ability.

And he will announce. It is just a matter of time.

[Herman Munster]

6. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with people here

I think it's group think run amuk. People are feeding off of each other's hatred. It's like a twisted version of the worst aspects of high school.

Hillary is the prom queen and everyone is jealous of her cause she has the star boyfriend (Big Dog) and all the attention (media fawning over her).

It's frankly embarassing reading polls that 40% of DU'ers will not support Hillary in the general election.

It makes me think people here haven't learned anything from the Nader fiasco in 2000. We wouldn't be in this fucking Iraq situation if the fucking greens voted for Gore in 2000.

All those people have blood on their hands. And if Hillary wins the primary and you fucking numbskulls vote in a McCain or Giuliani god help you when they start nuking the middle east.

[Erika]

12. What poll results are you talking about?

I haven't seen them.

[Pirate Smile]

41. Me either. She may not be my first choice but I'll vote for her in the

General if she wins the nomination.

[wtmusic]

44. As someone who proudly voted for Gore

I don't blame anyone for casting a Nader vote in 2000. If Gore had shown half the fire he's found lately, Nader would have been a moot point.

[JDPriestly]

56. I voted for and supported Gore, not Nader. I worked hard for Kerry.

You really seem to want to know. So, here is my long answer.

I like Hillary as a senator, but I think the media and the Republicans will blame everything that Bush has done wrong on her and Bill Clinton. She will waste too much time dealing with the past. We won't be able to focus on the future if she is the candidate. Also, the whole Whitewater scandal will be dredged up again, as idiotic and baseless as it is.

Hillary might have a better chance if she improved her speaking ability. Her voice is extremely monotone. She sounds academic. It's as if she doesn't really feel the things she says -- makes her sound dishonest, untrustworthy. Condi has the same problem. That problem is extremely deep in their personalities. On the one hand, it is what made them competitive in a man's world back when. But, in fact, it is spiritual problem. In some way Condi and Hillary neglected a certain aspect of the spiritual life of being a woman -- or at least they project that they neglected it. It's the soft, caressing nature that's missing. And it reflects in the cold inflection in their voices. Hillary will need to work on becoming really authentic and connecting her speech to her feelings. That could take years. And she might need to go through a lot personlly before she would "get it." Gore is an example of someone who had a different but similar speech problem and who is improving. Hillary might try taking singing lessons so she could explore her voice and how to connect it to her feelings.

As popular as Bill Clinton is, some of his policies have been disastrous for the American people, especially for working class people. The welfare reform has hurt children and single mothers as well as mentally disabled poor people, many of whom do not receive medication or the medical care they need, but who are not well enough to work.

In addition, Clinton's international trade policy has cost American jobs. It is a failure, especially as the Bush administration has implemented the trade agreements.

Finally, the right-wing blames the Clintons for everything awful that Bush has messed up. It isn't fair, but some of their propaganda sticks -- and it sticks really hard to Hillary because she doesn't have a really genuine, folksy kind of personality that makes people want to like her. She goes over in New York, but then, New Yorkers, especially those from NYC, are known for being a bit more aggressive and tough than most Americans.

I like the fact that Hillary is a woman. I like the fact that she is brilliant, works hard and cares. Unfortunately, she just carries a lot of baggage that isn't her fault -- and she doesn't have the personality that can throw off the baggage. She does not give the impression that she is a sincere, loving person even though I am sure she probably really is.

So much bad stuff has been thrown at the Clintons that even we Democrats are influenced by it. Again, it isn't fair, but that is the way it is. And frankly, I think Hillary is too proud to really get down and talk frankly with voters about her own weaknesses, her personal dreams. She seems like an appendage to the Big Dog, like someone who kind of hangs on to his coattails. As a result, voters are likely to believe the unfair gossip about her. Does she really throw things at Bill when she gets angry? Is her relationship with Bill Clinton really a sham? Is she jealous? Is she too cold to keep her man? Why did the Whitewater files suddenly turn up? I have some theories none of which involve wrongdoing on Hillary's part. But, the question about those files and other events remain for the rightwing to exploit. And I suspect Hillary really can't answer some of the most intriguing questions that her past has left unanswered.

The gossip, the innuendo, the falsehoods that have been thrown Hillary's way are all unfair, but the horrible, secret thoughts that the MSM and the tabloid press have planted in voters' minds are a big problem for Hillary. Some people are just so likable and kind and humble that the gossip just doesn't soak in. Hillary isn't. She just doesn't, by nature, reach out to people with the kind of honesty and humility and plain folks approach that would allow her to emerge from the muck that will be and has been thrown at her. It's really too bad, but that is her fate. She had 8 years in the White House. She should let someone else take the 8 beginning in 2008.

[bling bling]

57. Wow.

The first post I've seen out of maybe 650 or more today that is a reasonable argument against her.

Thank you for bringing the level of discourse above the 7th grade level and for not just spewing a bunch of nonsense-posing-as-facts all over the place! You have no idea how much I appreciate it. I was nearly ready to give up on reading the Hillary "discussions" entirely and just start hiding the threads. You give me hope. Well not much, admittedly. Posts like yours are a rarity, very unfortunately.

[GeorgeGist]

66. Prom Queen for President?

[tularetom]

8. She needs to shit can some of the old clinton advisors

particularly those associated with the DLC, namely Carville, Begala, and McAuliffe.

[terisan]

13. You are absolutely right. n/t

[berni_mccoy]

20. I used to like Carville, but man, he's become downright mean lately

the way he attacked Dean after the 2006 Elections was just unreal.

[Erika]

9. Many see the Clintons as too Centrist

Bill signed the DOMA and did away with welfare.

Hillary was the president of the College Republicans and a Goldwater Republican.

She is still better than any GOP candidate. And just maybe that she got the message to knock off her Republican tendencies.

[Matariki]

46. If I'm not mistaken - she was also a vietnam war protester in college

I remember seeing pictures of her and Bill back then. They were cute in a hippyish sort of way.

[Nite Owl]

11. I don't not like Senator Clinton

so I don't know if I am one you want to answer this post. I have questions about her stances on many issues---and she is my Senator. What for example would she now do for health care? Would she consider a single payor plan? Would she cut funding for the war to bring the troops home? Her voting record is good but she has not shown leadership qualities either. I am rather surprised at that, she is never one to be out front on an issue and I expect more from a NY Senator. I would have liked to see more leadership qualities before she decided to run. She has a lot of baggage but at least it's all out there and might be greeted as old recycled news so I don't see that as a problem. I also hope that she doesn't hire the likes of Carville who had the audacity to want to fire Dean for winning us Congress back. Is he a part of her operation? I'm open to answers but have a lot questions that need answers before I could possibly back her--or any candidate for that matter.

[Erika]

17. Yep. We need to know if she's a GOP or a dem

Both the Clintons were right leaning.

[terisan]

19. Do you like or dislike your other Senator, and why? n/t

[Nite Owl]

52. Schumer?

He's ok. I don't like what he did to Lamont or rather didn't do as chairman of the DSCC. There was never any real backing for the will of the voters. He's a New Yorker through and through though, he will do what is in the best interests of the state. He does listen though you have to bang him upside the head to get something through to them.

If Hillary does get elected Robert Kennedy, jr might run so that would be an upside! There we got a fighter, a leader.

[terisan]

54. Definitely agree on RFK,Jr n/t

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

14. actually NAFTA passed under dem control

so bill wasn't pressured to pass it. he chose to lobby on its behald and side with the gop and the crossover dems

[desi]

15. Haven't you heard?

She's PNAC
She's a NeoCon
She's a wolf in sheep's clothing
She's Republican light
She's a Lesbian
She's a lawyer

Oh what the hell. If the Clinton haters want another Bush fuck 'em, let them have a McCain or Giuliani. They can continue to bitch and moan another 8 years which is about all they are good for anyway.

eta: Sorry, I spelled Rudy's name wrong and I'm sure some of the "Dems" here who will be voting for him want to get it right.

[Ron Green]

16. I fear she's poison.

What other Democrat can galvanize enough of what's left of the Right Wing to mount a victory for a nondescript Republican? And if that isn't dangerous enough, most of the morans in this country consider her to be a LIBERAL, while thinking people know she's barely moderate, and will shift with the political winds.

[Erika]

22. Obama will keep her in check

Who does the GOP have to offer?

[alittlelark]

21. She is a DLC Centrist w/ a few liberal tendancies.....

Not good enough to pull his country out of the fetid swamp is is currently mired in.

I want a PROGRESSIVE HEALER!!!!!!!!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

23. her willingness to be chummy with rupert murdoch now; dick morris in the past

she's in it for herself. she has no ties nor has any interest in building them to any progressive movement
she takes us all for granted and thinks triangulating will secure power

[terisan]

30. Can the progressive movement use her skills to achieve what we want?

I think you points are good ones.

[hamerfan]

64. This is it:

"she's in it for herself." Adenoid_Hynkel hit this nail on the head! Granted, most politicians like the ego-gratification thing of running and winning, but I feel Hillary would sell out anyone to further herself.
dumpbush

PS... It goes without saying that if she's the nominee I will vote for her, but I hope she isn't.

[Trajan]

25. Ignore the haters here and elsewhere ....

Hillary is not my first choice, but you can be damned sure I will be voting enthusiastically for her should she win the Democratic party nomination for the President Of The United States Of America in 2008 ...

Then again: I will be voting for ANY of those who capture the nomination of my party .... I do not intend to split hairs .... ALL of the Democrats possess some form of the Liberal positions I want to see enacted in government ... some more than others, but we ARENT going to get there by drilling down our own ....

DU, as much as I love it, is NOT a microcosm of the real, outside world ... It is a forum of highly specialized opinions shared by highly opinionated enthusiasts who want their candidate, and who want their candidate NOW ! ....

I have not even selected a favorite candidate yet ..... Im not really that worried about it .... It will all shakeout by Nov 08 ....

Dont worry about DU .... focus on real life .....

[Erika]

28. Hillary Clinton will not lose

For better or worse. She's a winner. I'll vote for her ovr any GOP idiot any time. And take five people with me.

[WesClark08]

29. 3 reasons

1) IWR
2) Vote against cluster bomb ban
3) Bankruptcy bill

Just the ones I know of

[Erika]

31. Welcome to DU n/t

[WesClark08]

33. Thank you.

[MannyGoldstein]

32. Even Her Supporters Seem To Admit She's A Human Wind Sock

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3071003&mesg_id=3071329

She does not lead on any issues. Not any.

She votes to the left on less-important issues, but makes sure to appease her patrons in the Prdator Class on the important votes - which is why she brings in more "big money" contributions than any other legislator, by far.

[Erika]

34. She knows how to fight the battles

We'll leave the wind socks to the posters.

[MannyGoldstein]

39. And Which Battles Would Those Be?

I can't think of any battle that she's fought, except her profoundly-flawed health insurance plan - which she lost.

[MazeRat7]

35. As my first post on this subject since the primary wars started...

I'll respond because your OP sounds honest and considerate. Of course I might be wrong about your intentions but considering you won't see me burning up the boards with anti-hillary rhetoric, this will have to do as my one and only post on the field of candidates(for now).

No Hillary is not my "ideal" candidate.

Why? Mainly because I don't really like her as a person. She comes off as cold, humorless, and a bit rigid. That is just my "personal" opinion so while others may completely disagree, it really doesn't matter... its what I think.

That being said, its really early in process and there is a lot of "getting to know" the candidates involved over the next year(except those than ran in 04 of course). Frankly, I'm withholding my selection/support until the primaries when I've got a better feel for the entire field.

So thats it really. At this point its not about sliding scales of liberal-ness, or positions on this or that... its really about who I like as a person... and unfortunately Hillary is not on the short list.

MZr7


edit:typo

[mike_c]

38. I am VERY opposed to her stance on Iraq, but also...

...her broader triangulation in search of the nomination. She has done much the same thing that John Kerry did in the four years prior to 2004, and I lost all respect for him because of it. Senator Clinton has either triangulated virtually everything she has done during the last several years, or she is genuinely a DINO. I have enough respect for her to believe the former, but that sort of thing isn't presidential material, IMO.

[Swamp Rat]

40. She's an alien lizard

:scared: :scared: :scared:

[berni_mccoy]

43. LOL!

The lightning spark between the thumbs up really makes that pic.

Don't tell me there is a real photo (with all the colorization removed) of her with that expression... that answers my OP right there!

:rofl:

[MrSlayer]

42. I don't like the fact that she stands for absolutely nothing.

She takes both and sometimes multiple stands on issues and just blows in the wind, doing whatever is politically expedient. She's a corporatist with semi-liberal social standings. She just comes off as a smarmy opportunist to me and I don't trust her. These are all traits I do not admire.

[Red Right and BLUE]

63. Ding ding ding!

This is also how I feel about her.

[dkf]

47. She's simply blah.

uninspiring, uninteresting, unmotivating, no leadership skills that I've observed.

This country has a lot of hard choices to make. I can't see her moving the electorate in the ways that are needed.

[johnaries]

48. "she is liberal". Can you sunbstantiate that?

Everything that I have seen indicates that she is NOT liberal. She is a good politician, that I will admit. But we are tired of Politicians. We want a Leader. A Progressive Leader.

[illinoisprogressive]

50. Her positions and ties to the DLC is really bad. She is very much

like Joe Liebermann. I don't like her ties with the corporate world, especially to Murdock and the Fox Family, where she attended a party schmoozing with all the people who trash her on the air. I can't trust that.
The DLC almost destroyed this party. they want to control it and take it back down the ugly path we just came out of.
They want the party to be more republican lite.
Now, I can ignore alot of it and just say she's another candidate but, when the MSM spends all day for 3 days having an orgasm over her and shoving her in my face and proclaiming her our queen, I really, really resent that.
It's one thing to give good coverage and stories on someone but, all day long with them gooing over her and all her clintonista buddies as the only guests to do the same is not just overkill. It's pushing someone down our throats and telling us this is our nominee. Over and over again stating the lie that she is so beloved by the democrats.
This gets me really resentful and needing to vent full force. I don't like being forced.

I am sorry for ranting. I wanted to be a grown up but, when I vented about this weekend it just came out.
I'm sorry I did it on your post. I don't want to be rude like that.

[countmyvote4real]

51. I disagree with many of your opinions.

1. I do not believe that she has adequately corrected her course/vote for the invasion of Iraq. She did not have the spine in that climate like other Democratic Senators and Representatives that voted against this false invasion and subsequent occupation.

2. She may have once been considered a Liberal, but she is not one now. (See above for starters.)

3. There is no guarantee that 2008 will yield dramatic Democratic victories. If anything, the Republican controlled private vote counters are counting (ha) on her polarizing factor among progressives and staunch conservatives to manipulate (certify without any proof) the vote in their favor.

4. You have conveniently ignored her funding for this run. She has quietly (and under-reportedly) refused to accept Federal Campaign contributions that would cap out well beyond her corporate funded war chest.

5. In fairness, you did not bring this up either, but NY voters should have been informed of her long-term strategy to announce her Presidential candidacy the day before the SOTU address. And that’s as if we believe any of that smoke. We were led to believe that we were elected a Senator dedicated to our state’s concerns for the next six years. I guess the joke is on us since she will now preen and masquerade as the salvation for any state but NY.

I hope that I have effectively demonstrated why I cannot support her campaign for this office and not offend you in the process because I honestly don't want to shame or shun you. I hope this will make some sense and provide you some insight as to why there are people like us that don’t subscribe to her Kool-Aid

[tabasco]

53. Are you some kind of groupie?

Is this a serious question?

You don't see any way that a person could disagree with Clinton on several issues and not support her?

Are you really that obtuse?

[bling bling]

58. I guess the old saying "there are no stupid questions....." really is true.

[Raine]

59. Hillary=unifyer of the GOP

no one will bring out the repub voters like Hillary will. Plus I don't care what people's preception is...Hillary is NO liberal, she's a DLCer. :puke:

[Ino]

60. I don't trust her

Even now she supports having gone into Iraq... she just criticizes how the war was waged

Bankruptcy bill

Co-sponsoring flag burning amendment

Going along with the Repug spin on Kerry's botched joke

Too much old baggage we'll hear about over & over.

If she's trying to make conservatives like her, and doesn't really believe in her positions -- that makes her dishonest. And she'll fail, as they'll never like her.

Or if she DOES believe in them, she's just Repug-lite.

If she gets the nomination (and I pray she doesn't), I'll vote for her. But I'll be scared rather than hopeful.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

61. Clinton fatigue and the baggage she brings with her

I just don't have the energy in me to listen to a rehash the Clinton Presidency, Monica, Bill's role in HRC's term, etc. and countless other things that will occupy the media and the populace and keep them looking backward as opposed to forward.

PS - and it's not that I don't "like" her. It's just that she is not my first, second, third or fourth choice.

[B Calm]

62. Her pant suits remind me of my mother-in-law.

My problem with her is her stance with the Iraq War.

[bklyncowgirl]

65. Hillary Clinton is well down on my list of presidential candidates for these reasons

First of all, I don't hate the woman. She is not, however, one of the candidates I am considering supporting in the primaries.

Iraq:
Senator Clinton voted for the IWR. She not only voted for it, she was a strong supporter of the war, criticizing Bush only from the right, urging him to put in more troops. To the best of my knowledge she has never admitted that her vote was a mistake. Until last week she never really put forward a plan to solve the mess in Iraq, preferring to remain silent on the most important issue of our time. She is currently where most Democrats were a year ago. This to me shows both poor judgment and a lack of political courage.

Experience:
Hillary Clinton has been a good Senator--a workhorse really--taking on the sort of local issues that earned her predecessor the nickname of "Senator Pothole". Can anyone name some major initiative that Senator Clinton has championed? Has she introduced legislation for health care except for when she bungled her husband's attempt at universal health insurance? Has she led on environmental issues. Yes, she's outspoken on women's rights but where's the legislation? Where is she on free trade vs. fair trade? As first lady she was her husband's closest adviser but he's the one who made the decisions and used his great political skills to push them through.

Political Ability:
Hillary Clinton will bring a tough hard fighting team to the race--that's a point in her favor--the Clintons know how to fight dirty. She has won both of her Senate races albeit against weak competition, Rick Lazio and what's his face, give me a break. Watching her operate sans Bill has not always been pretty. Remember how she tried to block Howard Dean's election to the DNC? She tried to push first one, then another unwilling candidate into the race. It was klutzy to say the least--and what about Carville's attack on Dean after the Democrats won the 2004 election--talk about tin eared! I'm pretty sure that was all Hillary. Bill would have stuck a shiv in Dean's back and had him saying thank you for the favor.

The woman thing:
As a woman I want to vote for a woman for president, however I want to vote for a woman who has made it on her own. Nancy Pelosi, for example, if she does a great job as speaker and chooses to run for president has my vote. A former First Lady does not.

Hillary Clinton can still win my support in the primaries but she's going to have to work very hard to do it. Right now she's very far down on my list. If she wins the nomination I will vote for her in the general election but without a great deal of enthusiasm.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

67. She's like Reese Witherspoon in Election

I just hate having the pre-annointed media selection shoved at me before a single debate or vote has been cast.

[hedgehog]

68. For something new and different, I've been lukewarm about her

since back in the 1992 primaries. I saw a lot of better candidates (including Al Gore) swept to the side by the Clinton machine. Strictly my point of view, but it seemed as if the press was out to get any candidate who wasn't a smooth operator. There was a lot of press snobbery about Jimmy Carter during his term, also, and I thought I saw more of the same. The other candidates had ideas, but the Clintons had the money. It seemed that they just lay back and let the other guys take each other out. The big interview on 60 Minutes also gave them prime time national coverage that no other candidate got.

Hillary is still tied to the same machine. I would really prefer a leader than someone who seems to game every option with a staff of pollsters before she's willing to note that the sun came up, today.

[mtnester]

69. The Omnibus Appropriations Bill of 2005

That is when she and a few other women senators lost my support completely.

Specifically, the Hyde-Weldon Amendment compromise/supreme act of stupidity

[Junkdrawer]

70. A shotgun marriage to someone who disagrees with your most important issues...

might produce some resentment...

But I guess I'm overly senstitive...

[burythehatchet]

71. It is VERY simple

By virute of who she is, she has been in a position to lead, she failed to do so and for me it was a huge letdown. Triangulation is only going to get you so far.

[moc]

72. I have a hard time seeing past her IWR vote.

This is made worse, imo, by her lack of leadership regarding the war right now. I might be able to see past her IWR vote if she were coming out hard against the war now, like Kerry is, or using her leadership to stop the escalation. Tough times demand courageous leaders. I don't think she's courageous. I think she's calculating.

[conning]

73. The voice, as JDPriestly has so eloquently said,

is a major deficit for Hillary Clinton. The language of the body and the sound of the voice are two major ways we size up another human being. Her voice is one that is lacking in overtones and is thus wearing to listen to.

At Coretta Scott King's funeral, both Bill and Hillary Clinton spoke. Needless to say, Bill's presentation was full of life. I was keeping my fingers crossed for Hillary, but her presentation was very disappointing--in large part because of her voice.

In order for us to listen to our leaders, they need to have rich voices that are expressions of their true selves. As JDPriestly says, it's a spiritual issue.

When Gore was running for President in 2000, I remember thinking, "Oh how I wish he could find a good voice coach, someone like Arthur Samuel Joseph." But he is finally finding his true voice--thank goodness. It will take time, but I wish the same for Hillary Clinton.

Conjure up in your mind's ear the voice of Martin Luther King, a great leader.