Hillary: The second great mistake?
Healthcare
The largest selling point Senator Clinton has for her campaign is her plan for universal health care. Unfortunately I see this as her largest detractor. The only way that she has proposed to accomplish this is through an increased government presence in the peoples life, forcing them to be insured as opposed to making health care an option for everyone. Senator Clinton’s health care plan would account for 1/5 of all government spending[i] and I don’t think that it is feasible to accomplish such wild ambitions in such a short amount of time. Senator Clinton’s plan for universal health care in the United States is a beautiful idea, however when it comes to implementing such a massive overhaul many other factors (education, alternative energy, etc) are going to get lost and an amazing amount of debt will be accrued as a result. Senator Obama’s solution is a much more gradual moving toward universal care, beginning with children (our most valuable resource), setting American in the right direction without making promises that are likely to come up short.
Electability
Senator Clinton would lose to Senator McCain in the general election. In a recent article by Time Magazine[ii] , they project that if Senator Clinton receives the Democratic nomination her and Senator McCain would be deadlocked at 46%. However if Senator Obama were to get the nomination he would lead McCain 48% to 41%. I truly believe that this is due to Senator Clinton’s representing the current division in the politics, while Senator Obama has proven his ability to do well in traditionally “red states”, even picking up many of the “undecided” voters and even swaying many who have voted republican for years. Point and case, both my father and grandmother voted for Bush in the last two elections, however both have told me that in the end the person they really want to see in the White House would be Obama and if not him, McCain. This is also something that the republican party is very aware of. Rush Limbaugh is currently promoting “Keep her in it, so we can win it”, a Clinton fund raising campaign.[iii]
Education
Senator Clinton has said very little about the current state of Education in America. However this is by far one of the largest issues for me. In order for American to compete on an economic level in the rapidly changing global market, we need a well educated and innovative work force. Obama’s plan[iv] to help fund programs like “No Child Left Behind”, improve standard of living for educators and reign in the soaring cost of higher education are all things this country desperately needs if we want to retain the title of “Land of the Free”, because ignorance will leave the people shackled without a voice.
Bipartisanship
Senator Clinton is unpopular with many democrats and even more so with republicans[v]. In the event of her elections to the oval office I believe that her entire presidency would be plagued with many deadlocks and point blank rejections from congress. Her election would also likely lead to the Democrats losing control of congress in the mid-term elections making it even more difficult for a Clinton administration to accomplish even the simplest of task, much less the ambitious universal health care program.
Imperialism
For the past 20 years the White House has been in control of two families, if Senator Clinton is elected it will be for 24 years if not 28. This doesn’t seem to speak to the heart of democracy and sounds more and more like the events that lead up to the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Imperialism.
Iraq
Senator Clinton voted to authorize military force in Iraq. In her current campaign she has been quoted as making the statement she would have “acted differently had she known what she knows now.”[vi] When electing someone to the most powerful position in the world we must really consider their initial judgment, not how they look back. Military force should NEVER be executed unless all other options have failed, there is a proven threat to national security and a general consensus that what we are doing it right. Senator Obama opposed the war from the beginning citing concern for “an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.”[vii] The leader of the free world must take these things into consideration before embarking on what has become a failed military effort leading to 3.960 American deaths and as many as 85,000 Iraqi deaths.[viii]
Iran
Senator Clinton has expressed apprehension in dealing with the rising tensions with Iran until they have made certain concessions[ix]. I firmly believe that the US needs to take a more open armed approach to international politics, especially in the region so wounded by our recent military actions. In a time when American seems at odds with much of the world, we need a president who is willing to work with our allies and even more with our enemies to make the world a safer place for everyone.
A Nation Divided
We are currently living in a nation that is so divided by its politics that it’s starting to break apart at the seams. Not since the time of Lincoln has the country stood so far apart on so many issues. We are in desperate need of a president that can unite the people for the common good of every American. As I’ve stated before in the section on bipartisanship, Senator Clinton would struggle to do this at every turn. There are many democrats and a large number of republicans that dislike Senator Clinton. If elected I believe she would be in a position much the same as President Bush, where everyone is voting down party lines and unwilling to make any concessions. This is by far my largest reason for supporting Senator Obama. As you probably know, over the last 8 years the idea of secession has been a very intriguing one to me. However Senator Obama’s message of uniting the country has really spoken to me. And if it’s even possible to safe the union, making it a place that everyone would be proud to call home (including myself), I truly believe that he could do it and we have to try.
