So here we are. a close race, where perhaps the least vetted (politically or otherwise), least transparent candidate in history might become our next president. How and why we got here can and will be discussed in due time. Historical analogies will be drawn and dissected. We will ask ourselves which American institutions utterly failed in their stated uses and purposes to have even allowed for such a possibility; and how enough voters were either desperate, ignorant, or foolish enough to court such potential disaster.
Fine…
But now, its time for us to place the very heavy burden of thwarting this conceivable catastrophe on the shoulders of our democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. Of course ultimate responsibility belongs with the voters. However, Hillary knew what she was asking for when she ran and became our nation’s first female nominee of a major party to be president. She knows the cost, she knows the sacrifice, and luckily for us, she knows how to get it done.
There is enough information out there to get the press, you know the Fourth Estate who is given much power and thus responsibility enshrined in the constitution to accurately and properly inform the American people, to do its job in regards to vetting Donald Trump. It is not their job to decide if a given candidate is acceptable or not, thats the job of voters, but they are responsible for actual journalism and accurate dissemination of information. Most say, including many in the press itself, they are collectively failing. Perhaps with good reason; they/we have never seen a candidate like Trump in modern history.
So what is it going to take, to force the press more collectively to handle their responsibility? A sustained, thorough, competent campaign — thats what. Hillary is going to have to take this fight directly and more forcibly to the people and thus hopefully prod and prime the press into doing its job. Don’t get me wrong, the Hillary campaign has done a good job thus far. I mean she has been leading the vast majority of the time since the nominees of each party was selected. Given the lukewarm, reticent nature of the electorate dealing with an economy that is certainly not bad but not quite great either and the traditional anchor of the incumbent party running for a 3rd term; its really quite remarkable that she’s been leading so long against a Republican nominee who received more primary votes than any other in history.
And Hillary knows how to do it! Take 07/08 primary against then Senator Obama: Hillary fought and clawed her way to basically a draw, actually receiving the most votes (with the prerequisite asterisk attached given the unusual circumstances that primary season) but ultimately losing the delegate race. There are other similarities between that primary campaign and this year's election. 1. Hillary’s horrible relationship with the press: ascribe blame to which ever side you want, i personally feel the media is far more at fault. 2. running against a ‘new’, relatively unknown candidate representing change with a far better relationship with the media: now i am in no way trying to equate Barack Obama with Donald Trump! One was a candidate that appealed to our better angels and campaigned on unity and togetherness, while Trump is essentially doing the exact opposite. Given these circumstances of hostile press coverage and fighting the embodiment of a change agent; Hillary, with her back against the wall, pulled up her socks and campaigned her heart out — to essentially a draw. No, she didn’t win, but she is the only candidate to face the juggernaut of Barack Obama on a national stage and get more votes!
So Hillary is going to have to do the same, actually just intensify what she has been doing. Go after Trump and all his tangible negatives and nefarious intent with the tenacity and passion necessary to wake the media, and consequently the American people, the hell up! Once again, our burden is hers and her sacrifice is what stands between us and the pernicious possibility of a Trump presidency.