The way I see it, I am an anomaly. As a middle aged, caucasian woman, a home owner in New York who has a good paying job with full medical benefits and retirement fund, I should be happy. And since I am a Democrat living in a very, very Blue State, I should be a supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton.
But, as I said before, I am an anomaly.
For months, I hoped and prayed that Al Gore would take up the torch again and spare me the burden of choosing a candidate for President. Quite honestly, I hadn’t spent much time looking over the list of prospects. I didn’t want to invest a lot of time, money and anguish over a potential candidate who might drop out after the Iowa caucuses. I didn’t want John Kerry in 2004 and I was afraid of the prospect of another candidate chosen by the DLC.
I am afraid for this country and I am not sure why anyone, aside from the truly power-hungry, would want to tackle the problem of rebuilding America. Whoever is elected in November will face a seemingly insurmountable mountain of burdens. After seven years of a monarchy that has trampled on the Constitution, torn up the Bill of Rights (save the 2nd Amendment), destroyed habeas corpus and allowed the systemic spying of Americans on America soil, who can we trust? After thirteen years of Congress saying one thing and doing another, how can anyone trust what a career politician has to say, especially those with a boatload of big corporation contributors?
After much deliberation and thought, I voted for Barack Obama in the New York primary. I had no illusions about Senator Clinton winning the state but I couldn’t give her my vote. You see, I live in the western part of the state – as distant from New York City in ideology as it is miles. I’ve seen the devastation up close of the hundreds of thousands of lost jobs. Kids going to college in other states and never returning because there is nothing here for them. And I remember Senator Clinton’s promise six years ago of bringing jobs back, over 200,000 of them. Since that time, more jobs have left the region never to return and the promise remains unfulfilled. That is why I found her comments this weekend so disingenuous:
"If we start acting like Americans," Clinton continued, "and roll up our sleeves we can make sure that America’s best years are ahead of us."
(Source: The Huffington Post)
I understand the passion that Clinton supporters have for their candidate. I have heard some speak of how thoughtful and considerate she is, remembering family members of supporters and sharing lifetime friendships. But I can't help but think about the comparison to another down-to-earth guy that we were told would be great to share a cup of coffee with. As an average citizen, and not a mega-dollar campaign supporter or party insider, I’m never going to have the opportunity to share a cup of coffee with Mrs. Clinton any more than I would with President Bush. For what its worth, Senator Clinton has not set foot in Western New York since she began her race for the Presidency although President Clinton has been back twice solely to raise money for her campaign. Our money, I suppose, is still green enough.
I have been told I should be supporting the home girl, especially since I voted to elect her in her first run for the Senate. But I cannot. My reasons are my own. I feel no need to proselytize or convince others. Each must vote as their own conscience dictates.
For better or for worse, I am an analogy. So be it.