Those of us looking on from the outside the ropes—those of us, that is, who aren’t total lunatics—are looking at Hilary Clinton and those Democrats who support her candidacy and thinking one thought: Really? Really? This is what you’ve got?
A comparison of presidential candidates for the 2016 race should astound even the most casual political observers.
On the Republican side, Senators Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio have all jumped into the ring and officially declared their candidacies. Other contenders still waiting for the bell are former governor Jeb Bush and governors Scott Walker, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry, and Chris Christie. Even Dr. Ben Carson, an honorable man but one who has never run for an elected office, has formed a committee to explore his chances for this high office. The upcoming campaigns of these fighters promises a bout of heavy punches from which the bloodied winner will emerge thoroughly vetted for office.
Now let’s visit the training camp of the Democrats. There’s the ring, but there’s only one fighter on the canvas. Yes, there she is, folks, shadow-boxer Hilary Clinton, throwing hooks and jabs, moving and sticking, and whaling away at the air.
Oh, someone may yet step into that ring with her. Former senator Jim Webb, for example, has announced that he is considering a shot at the champ, but odds are he will back off. He doesn’t have the money, he doesn’t have the name recognition, and like other possible candidates, he is undoubtedly leery of being pulverized by the Clinton machine.
Those of us looking on from the outside the ropes—those of us, that is, who aren’t total lunatics—are looking at Hilary Clinton and those Democrats who support her candidacy and thinking one thought: Really? Really? This is what you’ve got?
Let’s take a good long look at Hilary Clinton. We can even pretend we’re mainstream journalists and ignore all the scandals of the past four decades, scandals running from Hilary Clinton’s days as a governor’s wife in Arkansas (remember “Whitewater”) all the way up to Benghazi and her “lost” emails. Let’s throw all those embarrassments in the trash can and look instead at her actual job performance and the support she has given various causes.
Hilary Clinton as senator from New York? Mediocre.
Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State? Worse than mediocre. Look around the world and ask yourself a simple question: is the United States stronger or weaker globally than we were eight years ago? Do our allies respect us? Do our enemies fear us? We’ve pushed away Great Britain, we’ve slapped down Israel again and again, and we’ve lost status among our Pacific friends, particularly Japan and Australia. Meanwhile, the Russians openly laugh at us, China is intent on becoming the world’s leader, the leftist governments of Latin America grow stronger, and the Middle East is a shambles.
And what of her causes?
Some progressive feminists claim that Hilary Clinton is a spokesperson for women’s rights. Really? Here is a woman who for political convenience has stayed married to a man who is an adulterer and a philanderer, and possibly a rapist. To tout Hilary Clinton as a champion of women’s rights is beyond ludicrous.
Some may claim that Hilary Clinton will be an advocate for minorities. (Within twenty years or so, America will be a nation of minorities. How will our politicos then work to make us hate one another?) African-Americans, the vast majority of whom vote for Democrats, need to take a hard, cold look at that party. They need to ask themselves how fifty years of condescension, welfare, and vote buying have worked out for them.
Some may claim that Hilary will bring new ideas to the table. I encourage you to visit her presidential campaign site and look for those ideas. Listen to her speak in the next few weeks. Let me know when Hilary Clinton comes up with a way to address the deficit, cut entitlements, reduce the size of government, and reestablish our relationship with our traditional allies.
What Democrats should be asking themselves right now is why a campaign race that should be exciting and filled with contenders with different political solutions to our problems has instead been handed over to an aging, corrupt has-been. The answer to that question extends beyond Hilary Clinton’s great wealth and her wealthy progressive backers. It extends beyond her name recognition and her ruthless political machine.
These things count, but the real reason there is no viable alternate to Hilary Clinton is that for the last eight years the Democrats have been losing elections. Republicans now control the House and the Senate. Across the country there are 31 Republican governors, 18 Democrats, and 1 independent. The Republicans seeking the White House come from these ranks, and they are younger than Hilary Clinton, more daring, and more willing to seek change. There may be Democrats in America who are equally vigorous both in health and ideas, but Hilary Clinton and her followers have smothered them.
It will be an interesting year.
On the Republican side, Senators Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio have all jumped into the ring and officially declared their candidacies. Other contenders still waiting for the bell are former governor Jeb Bush and governors Scott Walker, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry, and Chris Christie. Even Dr. Ben Carson, an honorable man but one who has never run for an elected office, has formed a committee to explore his chances for this high office. The upcoming campaigns of these fighters promises a bout of heavy punches from which the bloodied winner will emerge thoroughly vetted for office.
Now let’s visit the training camp of the Democrats. There’s the ring, but there’s only one fighter on the canvas. Yes, there she is, folks, shadow-boxer Hilary Clinton, throwing hooks and jabs, moving and sticking, and whaling away at the air.
Oh, someone may yet step into that ring with her. Former senator Jim Webb, for example, has announced that he is considering a shot at the champ, but odds are he will back off. He doesn’t have the money, he doesn’t have the name recognition, and like other possible candidates, he is undoubtedly leery of being pulverized by the Clinton machine.
Those of us looking on from the outside the ropes—those of us, that is, who aren’t total lunatics—are looking at Hilary Clinton and those Democrats who support her candidacy and thinking one thought: Really? Really? This is what you’ve got?
Let’s take a good long look at Hilary Clinton. We can even pretend we’re mainstream journalists and ignore all the scandals of the past four decades, scandals running from Hilary Clinton’s days as a governor’s wife in Arkansas (remember “Whitewater”) all the way up to Benghazi and her “lost” emails. Let’s throw all those embarrassments in the trash can and look instead at her actual job performance and the support she has given various causes.
Hilary Clinton as senator from New York? Mediocre.
Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State? Worse than mediocre. Look around the world and ask yourself a simple question: is the United States stronger or weaker globally than we were eight years ago? Do our allies respect us? Do our enemies fear us? We’ve pushed away Great Britain, we’ve slapped down Israel again and again, and we’ve lost status among our Pacific friends, particularly Japan and Australia. Meanwhile, the Russians openly laugh at us, China is intent on becoming the world’s leader, the leftist governments of Latin America grow stronger, and the Middle East is a shambles.
And what of her causes?
Some progressive feminists claim that Hilary Clinton is a spokesperson for women’s rights. Really? Here is a woman who for political convenience has stayed married to a man who is an adulterer and a philanderer, and possibly a rapist. To tout Hilary Clinton as a champion of women’s rights is beyond ludicrous.
Some may claim that Hilary Clinton will be an advocate for minorities. (Within twenty years or so, America will be a nation of minorities. How will our politicos then work to make us hate one another?) African-Americans, the vast majority of whom vote for Democrats, need to take a hard, cold look at that party. They need to ask themselves how fifty years of condescension, welfare, and vote buying have worked out for them.
Some may claim that Hilary will bring new ideas to the table. I encourage you to visit her presidential campaign site and look for those ideas. Listen to her speak in the next few weeks. Let me know when Hilary Clinton comes up with a way to address the deficit, cut entitlements, reduce the size of government, and reestablish our relationship with our traditional allies.
What Democrats should be asking themselves right now is why a campaign race that should be exciting and filled with contenders with different political solutions to our problems has instead been handed over to an aging, corrupt has-been. The answer to that question extends beyond Hilary Clinton’s great wealth and her wealthy progressive backers. It extends beyond her name recognition and her ruthless political machine.
These things count, but the real reason there is no viable alternate to Hilary Clinton is that for the last eight years the Democrats have been losing elections. Republicans now control the House and the Senate. Across the country there are 31 Republican governors, 18 Democrats, and 1 independent. The Republicans seeking the White House come from these ranks, and they are younger than Hilary Clinton, more daring, and more willing to seek change. There may be Democrats in America who are equally vigorous both in health and ideas, but Hilary Clinton and her followers have smothered them.
It will be an interesting year.