The "season" is officially here. The political "silly season" which is so tremendously serious this year.It's time to get serious about the candidates. There are some things about many of them that trouble me. Today, however, Hillary gets top billing. She has been touting her "experience" as first lady as a reason she should be elected to what, before Bush, was the most powerful position in the world.
There are over two million pages of documents under wraps at her husband's Presidential library to support this claim yet we're told they won't be released until after the election. They are said to include calendars, appointment logs and memos.
Okay. Now to put this into perspective. I've been first lady of this house for quite some time. I know a great deal about my husband's business. I've met all the major players over the years and am counted as a friend as well as the very knowledgeable wife of a colleague. I've travelled the world with him and have met his counterparts. I am as comfortable with the clerks as I am with the CEOs.
We don't have a library where my "papers" are stored but if we did my calendars would have shown lunch dates and hair appointments. My memos would have been reminders or the jotting of a quick "how to" or a new restaurant to try. An appointment log would have been my calendar.
No one would ever think I could do his job by having lived in his house or having met the people of his world. Yes, this is a simplistic analogy but to me it goes to the credibility of the claim.
A few things about Mrs. Clinton come to mind that are not secreted behind closed doors.
Hillary "Care"
The Whitewater investigations and suicide of Mrs. Clinton's one time law partner Vincent Foster.
The $1000 investment in the commodities market that earned a 10,000% return in less than one year.
And the forgotten kiss given to Suha Arafat just after she gave an astounding speech claiming the Israelis were poisoning Palestinian women.
If we want a new face and image in world politics I'm not sure this overly practiced and programmed woman is it. I'm not sure a woman, any woman, is the best choice in a world where our greatest adversaries are male dominated societies where women's equality is not an issue. There is none. It's an issue of effectiveness. Would she be respected or merely tolerated? We surely, at this point understand that we don't have the grasp of opposing cultures that we need to deal with them as well as we could - or should.
We here in Idaho just lost our long time Senator because of a severe lack of good judgement. We all suffer lapses . If there is anything I have "experience" in it's lapses in good judgement. Perhaps because of that I don't believe "experience" trumps judgement. Especially not in presidential politics.
But then maybe it depends on what the definition of experience is.
3 comments:
You never know who the American public is going to considere qualified for any position. People used to ask me, "Your husband is a lawyer, right?" Then when I said, "Yes", they would proceed to ask ME their legal question, as if his knowledge must have somehow rubbed off on me. Silly? You bet.
I still like Richardson for the job of President, but, I realize I'm in the minority here.
We are still so early in the game. How many of these are going to fizzle out? How many will be left? It is still a year away ... and there is so much that can happen in politic in a year. Just look at how many thought the best of our Senator just 2 weeks ago.
The sad thing is when Clinton loses.. they will tout that a woman can't be President. Not just that this woman can't be. And like I said in my blog a few months ago, will a woman be taken seriously? Do we have a woman who is strong enough to the men of the world? I know England and India have had women leaders... but so far I have not seen an American woman who can.
For actual hands on experience Richardson definitely has it. He just hasn't caught on with the public at this point. Time is running out.
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