Tomorrow’s election day, and I see quite a few of my Facebook friends are still undecided, or are going to “go with their gut” tomorrow. You may be noticing similar feelings on your own Facebook pages. Personally, I believe that if you don't like either candidate personally, and there aren't enough defining policy issues that make it an easy choice for you, then you have to use qualifications as a tie-breaker, just as you would in any hiring situation. So let's compare.
Hillary Clinton was a respected, twice-elected Senator from our third most populous state, with particular successes in protecting veterans and first responders of 9/11, authoring the Pediatric Research Equity Act, advancing the DREAM Act, and strengthening the Children's Health Insurance Program, which she had helped create a decade earlier. She then served as Secretary of State for four years under President Obama, working to strengthen the tarnished image of America to the world, directing State Department increases in exports to other nations (particularly China), negotiating nuclear reduction deals with our adversaries, and playing a pivotal role in delivering justice to Osama Bin Laden. Before all that, she had 8 years in the West Wing as an active First Lady and world ambassador, and retains solid relationships with a wide swath of world leaders. At the start of her career, she received a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law, published scholarly articles, worked as a lawyer in a prestigious firm, co-founded Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and was called "one of the more important scholar-activists of the last two decades" in the 1980s. This lifetime of experience has not gone unnoticed. Despite being hated for decades by the right, and being accused of everything from corruption to murder to treason, she is currently endorsed by 425 newspapers and magazines, including many which haven't endorsed a Democrat in generations (or never).
Donald Trump has never held elected office, served in government in any way, and avoided military service by dodging the draft. (We have never had a President who did not have substantial prior experience in elected office, federal government, or military service -- not one, not even Washington.) Contrary to popular belief, Trump does NOT have an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, and never even applied for the program. (He had two years of education as part of the undergrad version of Wharton as part of his Bachelor's, so saying Trump "went to Wharton" is a bit like saying "I went to Harvard...for a conference.") At 25, he was handed his dad's already successful billion-dollar real estate business, which he's run ever since, with decidedly mixed results and multiple bankruptcies. By most accounts, Trump is someone who's never been challenged, personally or intellectually. He's never had to compromise and doesn't know how. He has never known adversity. He's never even been on a job interview. Trump was born into obscene wealth, handed control of an already successful company when he was barely old enough to rent a car, and used his wealth and fame to become a reality television star. Even if you disregard his (many) documented personal failings, there is nothing in his biography to suggest he would be ready or capable to lead this or any country. That's why Trump is only endorsed by 12 newspapers and magazines (13 if you count The Crusader, the official newspaper of the KKK.) That's the lowest of any major candidate of either party in modern history, and by a wide margin.
Some of you may remember where I was among the most anti-Hillary posters here in 2008. She’s actually won me over in recent years, but even if I did continue to distrust or dislike her, this election would still be easy for me because Clinton supports policies I support (fair taxation, infrastructure investment, energy independence, marriage equality, a balanced approach to immigration, and repairing the Affordable Care Act without destroying it.) But for those on the fence, or who are genuinely torn between Clinton's proposals and Trump's proposals, I really think Clinton has earned the tiebreaker vote by virtue of her lifetime of public service and extensive experience in government. She's qualified for the job. Trump isn't. Sometimes it really is that simple.
I’m with her.