I received a very well thought out comment from my friend Paula, who is someone I admire very much. Paula is an avid Clinton supporter and she made the case for Clinton in response to my Obama endorsement. It should be known that I am truly a big fan of Senator Clinton and should she win the nomination, I will put my full force behind her candidacy. It is a great feeling to have a choice between two great leaders, instead of the usual choice between the lesser of two evils.
Here are some excerpts from Paula's comment, along with my response:
Paula: It's true that experience is not everything, but to me that is like saying, "I want to elect Bush 'cause he's not one of those smart elitist guys. You can have a beer with him." It matters.
Adam: I do think experience matters and I do not want an unexperienced President; however, just as you later describe it unfair that Obama has a stranglehold on the word "hope," it is equally unfair that Clinton has a stranglehold on "experience." They are both Junior Senators, lawyers, Ivy League educated patriots with long careers in public service. This isn't a job description with a narrow qualifications field that says "Must have Bachelors and 3-years experience." Who is to determine what "experience" is needed to become President? The question is can they do the job? Can they get things accomplished? Can they keep our country safe, secure and successful? I believe that Obama's experiences in life have prepared him to be an incredible leader for this nation.
Paula: Hope? That has been his platform, but it is Clinton that is accused of cheap shots. "No Hillary, you don't provide hope for the future. You're more of the same...an extension of the current administration." Now THAT's a cheap shot.
Adam: I personally do draw hope and inspiration from Hillary as well, but it is simply a reality that she needs to address that she is viewed as the ultimate Washington insider and the ultimate polished politician. She is seen as playing the game very well and that does lump her in with the way Washington operates in a lot of people's minds. On the spectrum of "cheap shots," I don't think this is in the same galaxy as trying to compare the victories of a United States Senator and leading presidential candidate to an activist who got in the race to keep the other candidates honest, simply because they are both Black. Hillary may not win the cheap shot game, but former President Clinton sure has been on a rampage.
Paula: As for us all being the same and the media being divisive, I absolutely must suggest that we are still incredibly divided and it MATTERS to have a black man, and a woman, and a hispanic, run as a bona-fide candidate for president. We're just not there yet. And trust me, Obama WILL have an issue with Hispanics, and Indians, and Asians. That is the world we live in. It is changing, but the beauty and the heart-break of democracy is that it is very steady and very slow to change.
Adam: I agree that it matters to have anything divergent from the typical straight male WASP who dominates leadership in this country. "We're just not there yet." I am tired, I am just done with that phrase. I understand and accept that change is gradual, but it does not mean that for one second we should not put our full force of effort out there at all times. That is what excites me so much about Barack Obama. For months before anyone voted, the media was consumed with the question of "are we ready for a Black President?" Barack didn't sit back and wait for people to answer, he introduced himself to the predominately white voters of Iowa and convinced them that he was the best candidate for the job. Once he has the opportunity to introduce himself to the voters of the groups you mentioned, they will understand that we are there and we are ready. This blog has posted on the significant amount of influential hispanic leaders who have endorsed Barack and this morning in my hometown of Denver, former Secretary of Transportation and Mayor of Denver Federico Pena enthusiastically introduced Senator Obama at a major rally. My mind is truly boggled by this, can you please explain why Hillary is the better choice for Latinos?
Paula: I hope that no matter what happens, we both remember that whoever the democratic candidate turns out to be, it is going to be such a huge step for this country, and democracy, that I can't freakin' wait.
Adam: Completely agree and I can't wait either!
Paula: The possiblity for actual change is finally here. It's been a while since i've prayed, but I think the rosary beads are about to get dusted off.
Adam: Hail Mary indeed! Thanks Paula, keep the debate alive!
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Good show, man. A few clarifications, though. I didn't say Barrack would be BETTER for hispanics, just that he would have a more difficult time being elected by them. I'm not talking about the more educated or americanized hispanics, rather some of the lower middle-class minorities who make up a noteable percentage of the country. It's sad and it's ugly, and although you hate the phrase "We're not there yet," it serves an insanely important purpose. We can't hide from our demons. We have to study them and talk about them in order to overcome them. I don't think it will cost Obama the election, but I'm sick and tired of both candidates ignoring the LARGEST minority in this country, then coming around asking for support. My point was that Hillary is lucky because she has name recognition and a longer amount of time developing a relationship with the hispanic community when she held the position of first lady. And, there is still tension in lower-class neighborhoods between the African-American community and the Hispanic-, Chinese-, Indian-,etc. communities. Look, let's put it this way. If the MEDIA had never pointed out the rascism in the south pre-civil rights, who knows how long it would have taken for change to come. The media, as bad as they are, must be the conscience of our society.
Also, I'm sure we can go on at length about the culture of misogyny that continues to paint Hillary as a "bitch." After all, black men were allowed to vote 75 years before ANY women were allowed. This isn't saying that one deserves to win over the other because of history, just that we can address, finally, the skeletons in our American closet.
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